Greetings,
As much as I love the thrill of a good movie, there's really nothing like the thrill of a play. Can't edit around the screw ups there, can we? And, as I've mentioned, I enjoy knowing what goes on behind the scenes, which is one of the reasons why I like documentaries so much. Put all that together and you get ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway.
This movie was released in 2007, and it follows the stories of four Broadway musicals from their very beginning of rehearsals and even inceptions to the granddaddy of nights for the Broadway world, the Tony Awards. The four shows we get to delve into are Avenue Q, Caroline or Change, Taboo and Wicked. Not to say that other shows didn't have compelling stories behind them, but I think choosing these particular ones was perfect. The film goes back and forth between each production, whilst informing us of others and the Broadway business at large, all being led around by Alan Cumming. And as I said, the drama behind these productions was at times more gripping than what was happening on stage. So I suppose the best way to do this is to highlight some of the things we learned about each of them.
The most fun of all these was, without a doubt, Avenue Q. That's the one with the puppets, in case you weren't aware. This play, whilst commenting on social issues, is clearly not a heavy themed work. It's the kind of show you see when you just want to have fun, and after spending some time with the Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, the guys behind its creation, you can see from where all those good times come. They're just, I have to use this word again, fun. And you cannot help but be happy for the success they receive, especially when you remember that they were the underdogs the whole time. And to hear the reaction of Jeff's dad near the end of the film? He says one line about his kid, and it is priceless.
Next up is Caroline or Change. Sadly, I think this is probably the least known of all the four featured here. That is very unfortunate because, though I haven't seen the production, I have heard the music, and it's amazing. Some of the best parts involve seeing how passionate Jeanine Tesori was and still is about this music she wrote. And, of course, the star of the show, Tonya Pinkins, is spotlighted. This woman is an incredible talent, just a powerhouse, and she is an incredible person, as well. She has been put through it by life, but she managed to rise above all of it and come back even stronger. It's a very inspiring story.
Okay, then, we have Taboo, no doubt the most infamous musical here. This is the one penned by Boy George and is basically his life story. Also, it was produced and funded, with ten million bucks, mind you, by Rosie O'Donell. That woman has made some questionable decisions in her life, but this was probably the biggest of all her faux pas. Yeah, this thing was a flop. Now that's not to say it was horrible in every way. This film did feature a bit of the music, and, frankly, some of it was kind of good. It's just that there was so much drama behind the scenes that it was that which got all the attention. Whomever said that bad publicity was better than none at all probably wasn't relying on this production for their livelihood.
Finally, Wicked is featured, and it was obviously the most successful commercially. And, boy, did they beat to death that fact. Interestingly enough, all the hype surrounding this musical ended up making what happened at the Tony's that year all the more amusing. Now whether or not it lived up to all the said hype? Believe it or not, even with all the success, I'd say the jury's still out on that one when it comes to critics.
Speaking of which, this film really gives us an idea of what makes a musical or play succeed or fail. One of those things is the critical reception it receives. We get a lot of scenes here in which we see the discussions amongst these critics about the Broadway season, and I found it intriguing. Funny thing though, one of the critics featured got some criticisms. That being Michael Riedel, who is famously harsh. He got backlash from some of the actors and songwriters. What the heck, man? It's not like it's your job to state your opinion and critique things. Oh, wait.
One of the most fascinating scenes was where they showed a list of all the plays that had opened and how quickly they closed. There were so many. One even opened and closed in one night. A few never opened at all. It is kind of sad to think about that as you watch a film that is basically about how much work goes into these productions. Oh, well. Live and learn, I suppose.
So, in closing, I would certainly recommend this to any Broadway fan, or anyone who really wants some inside info on show business. This film is quite informative and also very entertaining, and that is what a good documentary is.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
