tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056238063013699574.post387395054388248239..comments2024-03-06T06:53:01.863-05:00Comments on JK's TheatreScene: The Public Theater: Off-Broadway to Broadway, Again and AgainJKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04782634274496834578noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056238063013699574.post-2112837119654565532010-07-28T12:46:12.713-04:002010-07-28T12:46:12.713-04:00A good and valid point. Interestingly, your point...A good and valid point. Interestingly, your point about unknown playwrights and actors (which I generally agree with)flies in the face of most of the examples you give. At the time they were produced, Jeanine Tesori and Michael John LaChuisa were hardly household names, albeit with previous moderate successes. ( I mean of the zillions of peoople who loved Thoroughly Modern Millie very few would even know she had a thing to do with it!) Rupert Holmes made his playwrighting debut with Drood, and I'm pretty sure Stew was a new name when Passing Strange was produced. And I bet there are only a hand few of people who know who Benjamin Walker, Michael Friedman and Alex Timbers are, and yet they are breaking "into the scene" by having BBAJ produced.<br /><br />The upcoming Public season seems relatively devoid of known writers, too...<br /><br />JeffJKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04782634274496834578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056238063013699574.post-33443177067944812482010-07-28T12:13:38.728-04:002010-07-28T12:13:38.728-04:00Well, let's not just paint the rosy side of th...Well, let's not just paint the rosy side of the equation. Yes, we owe some great work to the Public. However, even after the enormous royalties of A Chorus Line, the Public almost went belly up after transferring financial disasters such as Caroline and Change, The Wild Party, and Drood (not to mention later unsuccessful shows such as Passing Strange). I really don't see how Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson can become a success on Broadway...I don't think it belongs there and I caution the Public against over extending itself. There's a new trend of non-profits suddenly becoming commercial producers and that can be dangerous when non-profits only produce name playwrights with starry casts. It's becoming more and more difficult for unknown playwrights and actors to break into the scene.Infinity + 1https://www.blogger.com/profile/05140532868735100189noreply@blogger.com