If I were still writing my Bulletin's Over Broadway Blob,here's what I would have written. Passover plus, which I am writing tomorrow will be our 999th blob.
Almost 1000.
Sometimes the unexpected happens, unexpectedly. For example, the “Wild Party” was a
musical with a book by George C Wolfe and music and lyrics by Michael John
LaChiusa. It was based on the 1928 Joseph Moncure March narrative poem of the
same name. Oh wait. “The Wild
Party,”was a musical with book, lyrics, and music by Andrew Lippa. It too was
based on Joseph Moncure March's 1928 narrative poem of the same name. They both
debuted during the same theatre season (1999–2000). While one was well funded
and peopled with popular stars and a well-known creative team, the other
emerged as the “Wild Party” of hip choice.
Two years ago, “Slow Dance with a Hot Pick-up” (having been
work-shopped previously at Indiana University’s Premiere Musicals Lab, selected
for development at the New Harmony Project by Tony Award Winner, Anna D.
Shapiro, further developed at the Florida Studio Theatre and the legendary
Barnstormers Theatre in New Hampshire where it won the New Hampshire Theatre
Award for Best New Musical and then selected to be presented in Montreal at the
2009 Next Wave Festival of New Musicals), had its World Premiere in Boulder,
Colorado at the famous Boulder Dinner Theatre. A few months later “Hands on a Hard Body,” (based on the
documentary of the same name), with the exact theme and similar story, was
work-shopped in California, prior to its Broadway debut this month.
“Hot Pick-up” which was inspired by these same Hands On
contests that came about during the 1980’s was researched and written by John
Pielmeier (Agnes of God, Pillars
of the Earth , and many screenplays). Music and lyrics for “Hot Pickup” were
penned by Emmy awarded winning composer Matty Selman (“Goddess Wheel”, and
“Uncle Philip’s Coat”). John and
Matty’s story, about a grueling marathon contest, where the prize (a pick-up)
was awarded to the last person still able to hold on to the truck, was not based on the documentary.
“Hands on a Hardbody”, has a book by Pulitzer Prize winning
Doug Wright (I am My Own Wife)
with music and lyrics by singer song writer, Amanda Green (Bring it On)
and Trey Anastasio (Phish). Both
these shows, have notable creative teams and a “real American” tale to
tell. Both revolve around dignity,
dreams, and frustrated aspirations to succeed in lives where they have had only
disappointed expectations. Both are musicals. Both are passionate and musically appealing. But only one was able to be a Broadway
show. Because only one had the financial backing to stay alive long enough to
find out if the public is interested in watching what they have produced. It
appears they aren’t.
Like “The Wild Party,” there seemed to be room for both
productions. And like the Wild Party, one went to Broadway, while the other
remained Off Broadway. Broadway
loves new visions for an old story (revivals) and themes that are universal,
(love, hate, struggle). But
Broadway has room for only one production of the same story and that production
has to be, if nothing else, well funded.