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Kaffeine Buzz
reviews independent and foreign films,
in addition to reporting the latest buzz behind
Colorado's film festivals.
ShowBusiness: the road to
broadway (Dori Berinstein)
At the opening of the film, we see actors and
actresses in their dressing rooms, the famous,
the soon-to-be famous, preparing to hit the stage,
running into the lights and the hearing the applause.
This is a look at the production, toils, and the
people behind the making of four new Broadway
shows during the 2003/2004 season: Avenue
Q, Wicked,
Taboo and Caroline,
or Change, and their trek as Tony
nominees for Best Musical.
The reality of Broadway is summed up at the very
beginning of the film. There’s the person
in charge of marketing the film, who informs that
after putting blood, sweat, tears time and money
into a production, it arrives on the stage, and
in one night, it's analyzed and criticized by
a small group of people.
And then there are the theatrical critics themselves,
who gather in a New York bistro to celebrate the
start of a new season. One critic, Michael Riedel
(New York Post) says with a smile while raising
his Cosmo with a toast to, “More bombs so
I have something to write about this season, that’s
what I’m looking forward to,” commenting
a bit later that he wonders about the validity
of a Boy George musical. This
is definite foreshadowing of his journalistic
persona, which seems to take more joy in digging
up dirt than supporting the foundation and the
continual evolution of theater.
This musical he mentions is of course, Taboo,
which was funded and produced by Rosie
O’Donnell. Since both characters
involved in this production draw attention, the
media was more intrigued with the gossip relating
to internal fighting than the actual production
itself. I have to say that Euan Morton,
who plays Boy George and in full-makeup, even
freaks out the original at how much he looks like
George in the ‘80s. So it would be interesting
to see him at work.
Avenue Q is totally new concept, based
on the Sesame Street formula for educating through
entertainment, but this time the students are
adults, learning about all facets of the human
condition, but with really sharp and racy wit
(written by Jeff Witty). Things that Internet
porn, homophobia, and all those “dirty”
topics people don’t always talk about but
in this scenario, it’s all out there and
because of the writing, laughing their asses off.
Alan Cumming (X-Men: The Official
Game, The L Word, co-producer of film), within
his modern kitchen, talks frankly about the length
of time it takes to get a play off the ground,
while Idina Monzel, lead actress
in Wicked, is amazed the play made it
to the Broadway stage because of the volatility
of show business—the money could drop out,
the creative group could disenfranchise, and the
list goes on.
The heartbreaking time came when they showed
Taboo closing after just three months
to the dismay of not only the players but the
fans as well. Many other plays and musicals may
last just one night, so after all that, it is
back to square one all over again. But for those
that live, breath and love the theater, this is
just a way of life—all the highs and the
lows.
The risks are great, but a musical that was told
it couldn’t fill an average sized theater
wins a Tony and three years later, has another
production in Vegas, a television show in development
and a nationwide tour going through the summer
of 2007. So much for crystal ball theories.
Where “The Golden Age of Broadway”
looked at the life of New York’s theater
community and the foundation it built, “ShowBusiness...”
is a look at where we are now with American theater.
Director Dori Bernstein, who is also a three three-time
Tony-winning Broadway producer with a long list
of film and television producing projects on her
resume, has made a great film. Quite simply, it
give us a great understanding of everything it
takes to entertain us for a few hours—from
the light bulb idea moment, to the writing of
the songs, the ongoing fine-tuning of the screenplay,
rehearsing, raising money and working with budgets,
making the costumes, dealing with critics like
Riedel, etc., etc.—and all those people
(some of which held onto their dream since they
were children), who make it happen.
It kinda makes it a little easier to stand in
line and swallow the $100+ ticket price, but it
also inspires a new found appreciation and admiration
for this art form. Irving Berlin had it right
from the start. There’s nothing like it.
www.showbusiness-themovie.com
www.broadway.com
-Kim Owens, August 8, 2007
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