To Movie Musical, or to not Movie Musical...That is the question

In the last year we have learned about many new movie musicals including Dear Evan Hansen, a Cinderella remake, In The Heights, West Side Story, and they are still trying to make Wicked happen. I have to admit that movies are not really my thing. I’d much rather be in a theater watching it all live. But I’m very interested in how these movies are going to turn out. Here are my two cents on some of the upcoming releases.

West Side Story

Stephen Spielberg directed the new West Side Story adaptation with newcomer Rachel Zegler. The trailer looks magical and we know that the music of WSS is gorgeous. I’m excited to see a new face as well as some Broadway actors including interviewee Ariana DeBose shining on the big screen. I have only seen the show live once at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and I was captivated. The music and the dance just fill you with the story and I think that is what grabs me. So I’m interested to see how this new version will live up to the magic of the stage.

Watch the official trailer here:

In The Heights

I’m super interested in In The Heights (ITH). We all know that ITH came before the little show called Hamilton. I think that since Hamilton came out ITH has been revisited by a new group of Lin Manuel-Miranda fans. So I’m interested in how the movie will be received by those who aren’t musical theatre fans as a second job. Hamilton touched so many beyond the theatre fans and I’m happy that for some people that was their first musical ever. Especially with the pro-shot being released on Disney+. I actually don’t know In The Heights but I’ve heard a few songs from the show and I can hear many moments that Lin stole from to create the beats in Hamilton. I’m excited to see this movie adaptation and I’m excited to see so many Broadway performers in the movie as well.

Watch the trailer here:

Dear Evan Hansen

The big one and most recent one that everyone is talking about is Dear Evan Hansen. The most recent discussion is about Ben Platt and his ability to play a high schooler at the age of 27. I do agree that there were other actors closer to the high school age that could have played the role in the movie *cough Andrew Barth Feldman cough.* However, how many Broadway actors do we get to see play the role they originated on Broadway in the movie adaptation of that show? VERY FEW! Let’s also address the fact that many of the actors we see playing high schoolers in movies and television shows are well beyond their teen years so I don’t think that this is really an argument that you can win. I do have to say that I personally think Dear Evan Hansen would do better as a straight movie with musical motifs in the orchestrations but I’m always here to hear Ben Platt sing “For Forever".”

Watch the trailer here:

To see or not to see...that is the question.

Since the Tony Nominations came out, I've seen a few people on social media talk about the shows that were not nominated or only nominated a few times versus the mighty 12 of Spongebob the Musical. 

There are some people who don't see shows that get nominated/nominated a lot. I just wanted to say that just because a show did not receive multiple nominations, it does not mean the show is bad. For example, the musical If/Then was nominated for two Tony Awards in the 2014 Tony Award season. I will tell you right now that If/Then is one of the best musicals I have ever seen. This year the musical Frozen was nominated for two tony awards. I have never seen the show but I have seen the videos and heard the music. Let me tell you...it sounds like an AMAZING musical. Caissie Levy is actually a queen in real life. Have you heard her sing?! 

The Tony Award Rules and Regulations set out specific boundaries to who/what can be nominated for any given show season. There might be a year when there are ten objectively incredible supporting actors, but there are not enough nominations to go around. If five are nominated, that doesn't mean the other five aren't worth seeing! 

Nominations and awards are wonderful ways to acknowledge and appreciate those hard at work on a show, but they're not the only way to define success.

This is a short post but I just wanted to say that whether a show is nominated for something or not, GO SEE IT! All of the cast and crew worked just as hard as every other show. They deserve to be seen as well. I do not believe a show should suffer the loss of attendance because they were not nominated. Take the time to go and support everyone in the theatre community. 

Theatre Etiquette

Hello friends! Hope everyone is doing well. I wanted to touch on something that I feel is very important to know as a theatre person.

Theatre etiquette. (Edited)

Here are some simple rules everyone should follow while in any theater. 

1. There is usually a voice that comes on right before the show and says something along the lines of:

“Welcome to this perfomance of [Title of Show]. Please turn off any cell phones or any noise making devices. Photos, flash photography, video or audio recording is strictly prohibited. Thank you and enjoy the show!”

When this comes on…DO WHAT IT SAYS! These actors have worked very hard in rehearsals to show you what you paid to see! Be in the moment! That tweet to Laura Dreyfuss or that Snapchat to your snap streak can wait 2-3 hours for the show to be over. Remember you paid good money for this show, the people around you paid good money for this show AND the actors have worked their hardest to make this show amazing for you! 

2. We know the show is AH-MAZING but try not to talk to the friend or stranger that’s sitting next to you. Your neighbor will thank you for not telling them the plot of the story while it’s happening. You should also just enjoy what’s going on! Who knows they might throw in a new riff or something that will surprise you!

3. Don’t try and get the actors off. I remember one time I was sitting in the theater second row and someone in front of me waved. WAVED. There isn’t a window for you to wave through in a theatre. Don’t wave at the actors or try to make them laugh. It’s not really nice and in worst cases could cause problems on stage or injuries. 

4. The magical stage door. Stage dooring has been popular for years. Getting to meet your idols with the hundreds of other screaming fans creates a rush of joy. It’s fun. But it’s always a bummer when your favorite star heads home before greeting everyone. No need to get mad at them. They have lives just like you. They have children and husbands and wives and a pillow to go home to. 8 shows a week can be pretty draining. Do not take it personally if they don’t come and say hello or sign your Playbill.  You paid for the performance! Anything else they do is a bonus! 

5. In the words of my 8th-grade English teacher:

“You are never too cool to not clap.”

This basically means that you should always applaud whether you think it was amazing or not so hot. Everyone on that stage and behind the scenes worked hard on this show and deserve the recognition. Remember even the best of the best applaud for the performers on stage.

6.  Ok, so this isn't really an etiquette thing. But it's just as important. If an understudy is on, go and see them. Understudies are just as amazing as the leads. They just don't get to go on as much. But they still got the job. They are the ones who are chosen to lead the show at a moments notice. Don't cause a scene and don't refund your ticket. It is still the exact same show. I remember I was at If/Then waiting in line to scan my ticket when one of the security guards came around and said 'hey just so you know she's not here if you would like you can refund your ticket.' I said I was totally fine seeing Jackie Burns KILL it. The family behind me...not so much. The mother of the family caused a huge scene. I understand spending a lot of money to see someone you love. I understand planning a trip around a show. I had done just that. A lot of people didn't know that Idina was on a flight to Hollywood to sing at the Oscars that night. I tried to explain who was the understudy but they stormed past me to refund their tickets. I felt offended that they didn't want to see Jackie. I don't really know why I myself was offended but I was. Moral of the story, go and see the understudies. And the swings. And everyone else in the show. 

7. It's wonderful that shows provide snacks and drinks. But DON'T CRINKLE THE WRAPPER OR CRUNCH ON THE ICE OR MOVE THE ICE AROUND IN THE CUP. It is one of the most annoying things during that moment when Liz and Josh are falling in love or when Eliza is crying over the death of her son. It is just the most annoying thing. DON'T DO IT.

These are only a few things to keep in mind when seeing a show whether it’s on Broadway, in your community, at a touring show or even at school. 

We hope this helps for your next trip to the theatre! See you next time!

Claire♡