Blog Stage - Acting in Film, TV, Theatre - Backstage

Are New Musicals Just 'McTheater'?

Musical theater is once again on the rise, not only on Broadway but on the West End as well. Wicked and The Lion King, for example, have been doing big box office business lately, both in London and on the Great White Way.

But to some theatergoers on the other side of the pond, these shows have an alarming similarity to the original Broadway productions. Alarming, because it’s the exact same show. Gone are the days when seeing a show in a specific time and place meant seeing something singular and unrepeatable.

At least according to Dan Rebellato, writing for the Guardian.co.uk theater blog, who points out that the word "theater" used to imply a unique experience each and every time a new performance was seen by an audience. When a new production of a musical came to the West End from Broadway, it would have a new creative variation, the distinct flare of the particular director whose hands it was now in. But these days, a new production of Cats (for example) means an exact replica of the previous show in nearly every possible way. Granted, it would be difficult to find a new yet just as glorious opening to a musical such as The Lion King -- but it shouldn’t be ruled out as a possibility.

Rebellato puts these aforementioned musicals, and a few other big-budget properties, into the category of "McTheater." This cookie-cutter way of putting on a show makes the entire production feel like "soulless repetition." Live theater no longer feels live.

Theater Ticket Sales Rise as Audiences Seek Escapism and Community

A reevaluation of our money-spending priorities has been a major theme for the last couple of years. "What do I need?" and "What keeps me happy?" are two of the guiding questions. The stereotype for a recession depression is one of people drowning away their sorrows in gloomy bars or letting loose in clubs, recklessly throwing their cares to the wind.

However, new statistics seem to show the opposite. Many people have cut back on activities such as eating out and nights on the town, and instead ticket sales for entertainment such as film and theater have risen in both the U.S. and U.K.

On the West End in London, a new report shows that theater sales have actually gone up from late 2008 to late 2010, with as much as five percent of regular patrons planning on attending the theater more frequently. In recent weeks, The Lion King and Wicked have broken box office records, perpetuating the trend set in 2009 when the theater district made a record £500 million. Woe to the pubs and clubs, where between 35-43 percent of patrons have been cutting their spending.

A research report published by market analysis company Mintel states:

"The performing arts benefit from the same prevailing trends as cinema, in that they are perceived as a way of escaping from the tyranny of value, cutting back and saving. As long as they continue to offer good perceived value for money, there is no reason why they cannot continue to trade successfully throughout difficult economic times while other sectors struggle."

Baby Born at Vienna's Burgtheater

Vienna's youngest theatergoer was introduced with enough real-life drama to upstage the actors. Following a performance of Phaedra late last week at Vienna's prestigious Burgtheater, a woman gave birth in the theater's lobby.

The 40-year-old pregnant woman, identified only as Miryam S., reportedly went into labor shortly after the end of the performance on Friday and gave birth to a baby boy before the ambulance could arrive. Mother and child were then taken to a hospital and both were doing well, according to Sunday's daily Kurier.

Punchdrunk and Stella Artois: A Match Made in Corporate Heaven?

This week, Stella Artois is launching its newest brew, "Stella Artois Black," in London -- with the help of the new original theater piece The Night Chauffeur. The 15-minute production drives the audience through in 1960s London in a Citroën DS while telling a story about "the painful relationship between an embittered old man and his daughter."

This interactive, immersive show opened yesterday and runs until Nov. 25; the chance to win free tickets is available to anyone who orders the new Stella in 10 participating bars across London.

The production was created by Punchdrunk, the genius British theater company that has become the masters of Immersion Theatre in the last decade. In their own words, they create a theatrical environment in which the audience is free to choose what they watch and where they go. But now they've stirred up some controversy by sharing a drink with very visible corporate sponsorship.

'Phantom' Farewell

The Los Angeles engagement of the national tour of "The Phantom of the Opera" will be playing its final performance this Halloween, Sun. Oct. 31. Paloma Garcia Lee, who plays Meg Giry, conducts a fun backstage tour in this video. (Incidentally, the show has been around so long that Lee wasn't even born when it began touring the country.)

-- David Sheward

'Rock of Ages' Flashmob in Boston

A Rock of Ages flashmob took over the streets of Boston on Saturday, Oct. 9:

Whoopi Goldberg Misses Final 'Sister Act' London Performances

Playbill reports that Whoopi Goldberg has had to withdraw from her final performances in the London production of Sister Act, in which she took over the role of Mother Superior on Aug. 10, after her mother suffered a stroke. The role of Mother Superior will now be played by her understudy until Sept. 2, when Sally Dexter will take over the role for the remainder of the run through Oct. 30.

According to a press statement:

After receiving the news that her mother has suffered from a severe stroke, Whoopi Goldberg has had to fly home today, Friday 27 August, to be with her family. Ms. Goldberg is very sorry not to be able to perform as planned and the thoughts and sincere best wishes of the Producers and the entire Sister Act company are with her at this difficult time...

Notes from the Edinburgh Fringe

A mother who kills her only child, the "comfort women" in Japan during World War II, a victim of incest who has kept her secret for years, and a showdown between nature and the last humans on earth. These are only some of the themes of plays and musicals that I saw during my trip to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last week.

And what a manic three and a half days it was!

How Much is Too Much Audience Participation?

It seems like the usual tradition of audience participation at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival has gone a little too far, leaving some audience members displeased and humiliated, according to BBC News.

Angie Brown writes in "Warning" You will be humiliated" about her boyfriend who was dragged on stage during the Wau Wau Sisters' act at the Fringe. He had to put on a ridiculous outfit and was told to dance. This lasted for 10 minutes out of the hour-long show -- then he was asked to remain in the outfit until the end, when he was dragged up on stage again.

This time, more people were taken up with him, including Brown herself. "I was given bubbles to blow and a glass of wine before the Wau Wau Sisters stripped naked and poured wine over themselves," she writes. "They ran amok on the stage covered in wine and then they were off. James was worried about driving home covered in wine and I was left embarrassed at how the rest of the audience would have been feeling having paid to watch me blow bubbles and drink wine."

Which is exactly the point that Fringe attendee Ken Brown makes, when he is quoted for Brown's story: Dragging people up on stage and humiliating them ruins the experience of the performance for not only the volunteers, but for the audience around them. Brown, who was in the audience for the Fringe show Meow Meow, told the BBC Scotland news website, "I feel it ruined the enjoyment of watching the show because I was worried I was going to be dragged on stage for them to make a fool of me."

Original Orphan Annie Returns to Musical as Miss Hannigan

Andrea McArdle, who earned a Tony nomination for creating the role of Little Orphan Annie in the original Broadway production of Annie in 1977, returns to the show that launched her career. This time, though, she plays evil orphanage matron Miss Hannigan in a new production at the North Carolina Theatre.

NBC's Al Roker sat down with McArdle for a behind-the-scenes look at her performance in Annie. Watch the video from this morning's Today below:

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