The Great White Way

When I first moved to New York, one of the objections I got from friends in Seattle was that I wouldn’t enjoy New York if I lived in New York. They worried I would get bogged down with daily rituals and routine and wouldn't take the time to relish in all New York has to offer the way I did as a visitor. I would say that while they were 90% wrong, there was 10% that was right.
Since I’ve moved to New York, I haven’t been to the Empire States Building, the Statue of Liberty or Carnegie Hall. And as a theatre lover, I have to admit I have not been to the Great White Way in months. New Yorkers generally don’t go to Broadway. It’s amazing how people who will throw down $100 on a few cocktails without batting an eye will balk at Broadway prices. I attended a fundraiser for the lower eastside where plates were $1000 and my host, who paid for my admission, told me he thought Broadway was “too rich for his blood.” Reactions when I first moved here and went to shows varied from: “Wow. Really? Did you come into some money?” to “Dollah dollah bill y’all!” Somehow the value equasion for Broadway does not jive for natives. Broadway is almost exclusively a tourist destination.
That does not, however, mean I have been void of theatre. In fact, I’m seeing more theater here than ever before. There are off-Broadway shows and tons of festivals that keep original theatre flourishing throughout Manhattan. Last month it was the New York Fringe Festival. They extended 30 of the top shows in the month of September and I made an effort to attend three of them. The quality ranged from good to bad to (of course) ugly.
The Good
The best show was the first one I saw – a little piece called Jurassic Parq the Musical. It was a gem. At a running time of 70 minutes, they jammed in a musical repertoire that ranged from gospel to rap to ragtime, and dramatic themes that ranged from gender identity to existentialism to the supreme question of faith versus science – and it was a scream! The audience laughed the entire time. It was everything good musical theatre should be – entertaining, thought-provoking, fun, and you left the theatre singing the songs from the show. I loved it so much, I saw it twice. I wanted to share the joy and was not disappointed the second time around.
The Bad
The final show I took in was called Bunked about camp counselors. The talent was incredible, but the story, music, and dialogue were so mundane I found myself dozing off at certain points. Every song sounded the same, every character was a caricature and the set was hokey and distracting. Even the pacing of the storyline was abrupt and awkward. That being said, the cast gave it 100% and were incredibly talented. Their voices shone through the theatre and they threw themselves into the mediocre score. Their talent simply wasn’t enough to overcome the stinky script and music. It was too bad, but they did manage to salvage the production to a point where it wasn’t a total and complete waste of time. I went to the show with a friend who screens musicals for a living. His reaction was more direct. “I’m not spending a dime on that show,” he said as we left the theatre.
I was sorry I did.
The Ugly
For my birthday, I could think of nothing better than taking in some original musical theatre. I bought tickets to the audience winner of the Fringe Festival – a little production called Viva Los Bastarditos. The story seemed weird and the reviews were mixed, but I was optimistic. I knew it was going to be great.
I was wrong.
It was the story of these three band members, the "Pickles," who move back to some land they own in Western Massachusettes. No, I'm not making this up, this was the actual story. An evil wrong-doer played by a man with tiny nostrals and pointy eyebrows decides to forge a document that says he owns all the land and starts creating crazy laws that make the "towns folk" (all four of them), miserable. It's up to the "Pickles" to don masks and homemade capes and save the day.
We left at intermission.
I went with a friend whose only comment throughout the first act was: "What the fuck is happening?" Exactly.
What was happening, in fact, was New York theatre. Real New York theatre isn't neccessarily the glossy pop you find on Broadway, where every decision is based on money. Why else would 90% of the shows come from movies or books or TV shows? These musicals cater to tourists who shell out a lot of money and don't want to be disappointed.
I paid $20 for Los Bastarditos and I was pissed! Imagine if I had paid the Broadway prices of $125+. I would be beside myself. It would reflect poorly on New York. So instead, musicals are produced with familiar characters and story lines. Everyone knows walking into the theatre that they like Shrek or Spiderman or Mary Poppins. Their love is prepopulated. The real risks are taken off Broadway - south of 14th street. That's where theatre still soars, and sometimes falls flat.
So my friends in Seattle turned out to be right - I don't go to Broadway as much as I thought I would. Instead, I enjoy a different kind of theatre - just as I enjoy a different kind of New York.