While reading the news over lunch, I noticed that the Pantages Theatre (Broadway LA) has just announced their 2013-2014 season, so I thought I would post my assessment of it, and which shows I plan to see:
- The Wizard of Oz (Sep 17 – Oct 6, 2013). This is the Andrew Lloyd Weber reworking, with a number of additional songs. I have the album of the new version, and the lead (at least in the London cast) has a number of weird and interesting vocal inflections. I know this story by heart… and have seen it many many many times (as well as many many many ancillary productions) … but also have a soft spot for it. Maybe.
[As a P.S. on Oz, there was a interesting article earlier this week in the LVRJ about L. Frank Baum’s great-grandson, who is still writing Oz books.]
- War Horse (Oct 8 – 13, 2013). The show whose main draw on stage is a gigantic horse puppet. That wasn’t enough to draw me in when it was at the Ahmanson for $20 tickets. It certainly is not enough of a draw to get me to the Pantages with worse sight lines and higher ticket prices. Uninterested.
- Evita (Oct 23 – Nov 10, 2013). I saw Evita when it was out in its original incarnation at the Shubert Theatre in Century City in the 1980s. I saw it again recently at a surprisingly good production at Van Nuys High School. I have no urge to see it again. Uninterested.
- The Lion King (Nov 20, 2013 – Jan 12, 2014). I saw The Lion King during its first run at the Pantages many many years ago. It’s been back numerous times since then. I’m not aware of anything in this production that makes me want to see this retread. Uninterested.
- The Book of Mormon (Jan 21 – Feb 9, 2014). Hello. My name is Elder I-Just-Saw-This-A-Year-Ago. Why would I want to go and see this show again? Uninterested.
- Green Day’s American Idiot (May 13 – 18, 2014). This is another show that was just recently in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson. As with Lion King, I’m not sure that there was enough different in this run to make it worth a second visit. Uninterested.
- The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber (Jun 3 – 22, 2014). A jukebox show of Sir Andrew’s music, including some from Love Never Dies. Weber is like Wildhorn — you either love or hate his work. Although I like some of his early shows, his later stuff has been mostly ponderous, and I have no strong urge to see a jukebox show of his stuff. Uninterested.
- Ghost: The Musical (Jun 27 – Jul 13, 2014). This is a new musical that did so-so on Broadway. I’ve got the album, and actually find it enjoyable, but have never seen the original movie. Probably.
- Once: The Musical (Jul 15 – Aug 10, 2014). This is the musical that has surprised everyone. An intimate musical with a folk-ish score, it has been winning Tony awards and Grammy awards left and right. But it is also being done at the Pantages, which doesn’t quite fit with the notion of intimate musical. I’ll likely go see this, and then hope for an intimate, more regional production. Probably.
That’s it. The Broadway LA 2013-2014 season. Mostly, ehhh, with a few possibilities.
P.S.: And an ancillary note regarding the Oscars, which are relevant because the Pantages hosted the Oscars in the 1950s, including the first televised ceremony. It appears that this year, the leggy busty models will be not used to present the statuettes. Rather, that honor is going to six aspiring filmmakers who won a contest. What happened is this. One of the co-producers of the Oscars, Neil Meron, believed “This tradition of the buxom babe that comes out and brings the trophy to the presenter to give to the winner seemed to be very antiquated and kind of sexist, too. They’re just there to be objectified. Why can’t we have people who actually care about film and are the future of film be the trophy presenters?” So he and co-producer Craig Zadan developed a contest directed at college students that asked: How will you contribute to the future of film? More than 1,100 students submitted essays and videos, and six were chosen to appear on the Oscar telecast. All six winning students will walk on the Oscar stage during Sunday’s ceremony. They’re each getting a makeover and formal tuxedo or gown for the event as well.
P.P.S.: As it is still lunch hour, a few thoughts on tours and revivals. There’s a meme going around on Facebook about supporting local and independent artists, and that’s one thing I like to do with live theatre. For the small and mid-size venues, it is all about the local institutions and local performers and local technicians. But what about the big institutions and tours. Many of these (such as the recent Backbeat at the Ahmanson) had no local performers or staff; this is also often the case at the Pantages/BroadwayLA productions. These productions, while supporting a small number of local artists, primarily line the pockets of the commercial producing organization, with a small about to the local producing organization. That’s OK, as it encourages said producers to keep producing work, but it’s not the reason I choose to go. My primary reason for going is whether I’m interested in the particular show. For such productions, my priorities are (a) new shows that I think may move to Broadway or other significance (e.g., Backbeat, Les Jazz) ; (b) revivals that aren’t simply retreads, but are reimagine-ings of existing properties (e.g., Sweeny Todd); and (c) shows that I haven’t seen before but want to see. So when the Pantages presents a season of shows I’ve seen, with the only difference being a new tour cast, I have no urge to see them again.
