jgmusicals

=Musical Theatre=

In my own experience, I have seen shows that captivated and transported the audience to a whole new world while other shows have failed in every way imaginable. Because some shows fail and some shows succeed, it would seem that there is a magic ingredient to producing a show that will engage audiences and bring in large turnouts. The clips provided only offer a brief opportunity to identify what elements made the shows successful. The video covering the development and making of //Taboo, Caroline, or Change, Wicked//, and //Avenue Q// not only showed the behind the scenes work and emotional investment in these productions, but also provided glimpses of what factors can determine the outcome of a show. Together, the magic of success can be unveiled as to what makes or breaks a musical.

In terms of a show such as //Taboo//, the relationship between the audience and the experience of the actors is very important. The characters cannot be so distant with regards to experiences and personality that the audience feels alienated from the story. While not all audience members will have similar experiences, the show had to be targeted to audiences that could empathize with the plot. //Taboo// demonstrates that the subject matter of a show, whether controversial or not, has to be something that the audience is willing to consider but also is within their own bounds of possibilities. From a production standpoint, the people involved in producing the show cannot overshadow the actual show. Rosie O’Donnell, the producer of //Taboo//, seemed to be in the tabloids more than //Taboo// as a show was. This type of situation related //Taboo// to Rosie O’Donnell instead of the all-important reviews and critiques of the show. O’Donnell effectively shifted the attention from the show to herself. Her actions could have discouraged audiences from attending while also manipulating the critiques given by those who attended.

Furthering this idea of the audiences’ current reality, //Cabaret// makes use of the uneasiness felt by much of the country by expressing the anxieties of the audience. However, by utilizing Sprechstimme (technique of mixing singing and speaking) and a sort of comic relief throughout the musical, the audience experiences a sort of catharsis. In the particular clips from //Cabaret//, Alan Cummings keeps the audience focused on him by demanding the audience’s attention with his stage presence. By being such an effective actor, Cummings forces the audience to forget about their worries and enjoy the show, including the parts that may be uncomfortable for the audience. Cabaret demonstrates how playing on the aggregate’s emotions through a comical and demanding acting can lead to success.

//Caroline, or Change// drew audiences in with a previous star and new theatrical techniques. Many people get caught up in the lives of stars, so when the central character returned to the stage to star in //Caroline, or Change//, there were bound to be droves of attendees who came to see the closeted star who had endured so much trouble following her divorce. //Caroline, or Change// also used new techniques in order to engage audiences. By utilizing real people to act as kitchen appliances, //Caroline, or Change// attracted audiences that thought the idea was innovative. While this could have driven some audience members away by being too much like //Beauty and the Beast//, it seemed to be an overall effective technique.

//Avenue Q// also walked a dangerous line in terms of theatrical techniques. By designing an entire show around puppets, there could have been a lot of room for failure for the //Avenue Q// team. However, //Avenue Q// was effectively marketed to the appropriate audience. //Avenue Q// played on the childhood memories of the //Sesame Street// generation and provided a grown up version of their childhood //Sesame Street// friends. The show took the real world attitude of sarcasm and situations in order to appeal to an audience that is often considered more liberal than their predecessors. Had the //Avenue Q// show been created prior to //Sesame Street,// it is likely that its audience would have been out of touch with the performance. Because //Avenue Q// utilized their audiences’ backgrounds in the creating steps, //Avenue Q// ended up being a successful show.

In the same fashion, //The Lion King// took something that the audience was familiar with and made it into a musical. //The Lion King// offers many innovative techniques such as animal-like puppets, young actors, and high energy movement not only to show the audience something completely original in design. //The Lion King// production offered many different elements that attracted different demographic groups. With a wide breadth of people interested in the show, //The Lion King// was able to charm many different types of people to see the show leading to its overall success.

//Taboo, Caroline, or Change//, and //Avenue Q// are all recent musicals, whereas //The Fantasticks// is a 1960’s musical. While the three musicals from the video were written during the era of the current audience, //The Fantasticks// was written for a more conservative time when neighbors talked to each other and children played outside. While //The Fantasticks// is a good story that actors, producers, and directors have poured time into, it runs the risk of being too different from current times to really appeal to audiences. If there is no audience, there really is no show.

At the end of the day, the composite, the whole show, can decide whether or not a show will be successful. More importantly though, it appears that the deciding factor is whether or not audiences are interested to a show. This parallels musicians and what is considered standard repertoire. While Bach and the other musical greats continue to attract older generations, a sharp decline in young attendees can be seen in these well-articulated and mastered performances. While elements such as creativity and innovation coupled with brilliant acting can add to a show, I think it is also important to remember that the connection built with the audience through all the individual elements is imperative to a show’s success or failure.