Broadway HD: Is it worth it?

We all love Netflix, so what if there was one for Broadway plays and musicals?

Well, now there is: Broadway HD.

Users pay a subscription fee, equal to the price of a Broadway ticket, in order to view musicals and plays.

When I first heard about this, I was super excited because it can save you money in the long run.

I went onto the website and saw that it had a very limited selection of shows, which was very disappointing.

Also, most of the plays were Shakespeare, which is personally not my cup of tea.

I checked the website again a few months later and saw that they added more musicals and some more variety within the play section, but it still was not amazing or anywhere near the caliber of Netflix.

Most of the musicals are already on DVD and have been available for a long time.

The plays are still mostly Shakespeare, but the others are pretty much from BBC and/or very dated.

Subscription cost around $150, so I can't say that it is worth it to pay to watch plays and musicals no one really wants to see.

I hope that in the future, Broadway HD will add more titles to their selection.

I can only give them time since this is a relatively new website.

If you would like to check it out, click here.

Break Legs,
Sydney

Why You Should Watch The Tony Awards

There is only one awards show I will watch from start to finish and then watch over nad over again: The Tony Awards.

It is the best awards show out there and here is why you should be watching it, too.

1) The Hosts Are the Best

From Neil Patrick Harris to Hugh Jackman to Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming to now James Corden, these amazing hosts all brought something different to the show and made sure to entertain audiences between awards and performances.  They pull out all of the stops when it comes to the show's opening number, something every fan looks forward to.

James Corden will host the Tony Awards this year.
Photo Credit: Tony Awards

2) Full-on, Live Theatrical Performances

If you can't get to New York or can't afford a Broadway ticket, have no fear.  The Tony Awards gives performances from the musicals and even some of the plays currently on Broadway.  They are also archived on YouTube, so they can be enjoyed year-round.

The performances are always huge.
Photo Credit: The New York Times

3) The Acceptance Speeches

It is extremely hard to land a role on Broadway, so when you are recognized with a nomination or even bigger, an actual Tony Award, it is very overwhelming.  The actors and actresses get so emotional and are so thankful for the awards that they give the most genuine acceptance speeches I have ever seen.  If you don't believe me, check out Kelli O' Hara's speech when she won a Tony after being nominated six times.

Catch the Tony Awards June 12 at 8 p.m. on CBS.

Break Legs,
Sydney

Why Broadway's 'Fun Home' is Revolutionary

The winner of the 2015 Tony Award for Best Musical, Fun Home, is more than just a show.

Based on the autobiographical graphic novel of the same name written by Alison Bechdel, Fun Home tells the story of Alison who recounts her life after her father's suicide and when she found out that he was gay, as well as herself.

This show has often been called "the first mainstream musical about a young lesbian."  Audiences are taken through the Bechdel's life, from the time she was 10, to college-aged to an adult.  The character of Alison is played by three different actresses in order to accurately portray each age.

Fun Home tackles the issues of homosexuality, death, family issues and coming-of-age. It is also presented in the round, allowing audiences to sit onstage and be in the middle of the action.

While this show is entertaining, it is also informative.

It allows audiences to see the private struggles of a family dealing with change and loss.

Nowadays, LGBTQ issues are in the forefront, but they are usually stigmatized.  Fun Home lets us into the private thoughts of people struggling with their sexual identity in a time where it was not as accepted as it is today.

This show also showcases talented, young actors, like Sydney Lucas (no longer in the show), who was nominated for a Tony at the age of eleven.

Michael Cerveris, who played Bechdel's father, won a Tony for his performance.

Fun Home presented something completely new and revolutionary on Broadway in 2015.

Even though some of the topics are uncomfortable and upsetting, it is important to show that this is something that many families go through.

Just because it is a musical, Fun Home has changed the Broadway game and is definitely revolutionary.


Break Legs,
Sydney Cheuvront

Why Tours Need to be More Appreciated

I love tours of Broadway shows.  I live in Maryland which is about a three and a half to four-hour drive to New York, plus I go to school in North Carolina.  It is not alway easy to get to New York to see a show plus ticket prices can be outrageous.

That is why I love tours.  They bring the magic of Broadway to the entire country.  But, many people see them as less than the actual show from when it was on Broadway.  I'm here to disprove that.

1) The original writers and directors are in on it

When a show announces that it is going on tour, the director, writer, choreographer, etc. all work on the tour to get the tour actors ready and to make sure it is as close to the original as possible.  While a show may have to be changed a little to make it easily moveable, it is the same quality as a Broadway show.

2) The actors and crew have it harder

Can you imagine having to live out of a suitcase for a year, move around every week and still have to rehearse and perform one to two times a day?  Well, that is what the tour cast and crew have to do.  Tours can last for years, like The Phantom of the Opera tour has.  It is not easy to constantly be flying or driving and then performing.

3) Tours allow people to experience live theater

Like I said before, tours bring Broadway magic to everyone across the country.  For example, I saw A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder on Broadway right after it won the Tony Award for Best Musical.  A year later, I saw it on tour in Durham and loved listening to the audience's reactions and then talking to the people sitting around me about it.  For one, the tour was just like the Broadway show.  Secondly, the audience was delighted to see such a great show, especially since New York is over 10 hours away from here.

While the tour of a show doesn't usually feature the Broadway stars, it doesn't mean that it isn't good.  So, if a show is coming to your town, but a ticket and enjoy a night at the theater.

Why High School Theater is Just as Hard as Sports

I started doing theater when I was in the fifth grade and continued it throughout high school.

When I got to high school, the theater department was always shunned in favor of the various sports teams we had.

This made me very angry because us theater kids were busting our butts just as hard as the atheletes and yet we received no acknowledgment.

So here are a few reasons why theater in high school is just as hard as being on a sports team.

1) Theater is usually more completitive than sports

The first show I auditioned for my freshman year of high school had 10 people in it: five women and five men.  Around 40 people auditioned.  Cuts have to be made and we are just as if not more competitive than sports teams because we are fighting for a very small number of spots.  Plus, these roles are not equal.  You have lead roles, secondary roles, walk-on roles and ensemble roles.  Of course, we want the lead role so we are going to fight tooth and nail for it.

2) We put in long hours, too

Rehearsals were usually two to two and a half hours long, but we would also come in on the weekends to build and paint sets or use our free period during the day to rehearse or put something together for the show.  When it got close to tech week and opening night, we could be rehearsing until eight or nine o' clock at night, sometimes later.  Then during performances, the show wouldn't be over until around 10 at night so we were always exhausted.

3) We get hurt, too

Many atheletes may consider theater to be a "sissy" thing, but it can actually be dangerous.  My drama teacher would always tell us of how a set caught on fire during one of her shows and the whole auditorium had to be evacuated.  I sprained my foot during a rehearsal and then performed the show on it two days later.  I've seen people fall and hit their heads and then go on performing.  Playing sports is dangerous, but theater has its risks too, and we usually perform through the pain.


Break Legs,
Sydney

Musical to Movie Adaptations

Let me preface this by saying that I do like how movie musicals expose audiences to the wonderful world of theater and can get them interested in a particular show.  I had that experience with the movie version of "Grease".

I would watch "Grease" every night before bed from the time I was two.  It wasn't until I was in high school that I watched the Broadway show and realized how different it was from the movie.

This is the problem I have with movie adaptations.

Apparently, the Broadway musical is good enough to be made into a movie, but not good enough to be kept the same.

I've seen this happen with pretty much every movie adaptation, like "Hairspray", "Rock of Ages", "Into the Woods" and "Little Shop of Horrors".

I have been in, seen or read the script for each of the shows above and I can confidently say that the movies are horrible adaptations.

I saw the movie "Hairspray" when it first came out in 2007.  I watched in over and over again because I loved it so much.

Seven years later, I did a project on the show in my technical theater class and read the entire script.  The writers and director changed so much for the movie that it did not seem like the same show.

I was in Into the Woods in high school and played Cinderella.  I was literally bouncing in my seat in the theater waiting to watch the movie in 2014.  I was very disappointed.

I later counted the songs that were cut out and reached the number of 14.

The show is popular because of the beautiful music written by Stephen Sondheim and the movie cuts out 14? Ridiculous.

I saw a high school production of Little Shop of Horrors and noticed that the movie completely changed the ending of the stage show.  I understand that the movie team wanted a happier ending to the movie, but it changes the entire story.

I think I am most upset about the movie version of Rock of Ages.  I was obsessed with the movie when it first came out and thought it was hilarious.  Then during my senior year of high school, I went to New York to see it on Broadway.

I left the theater feeling disgusted about the way the movie handled such an amazing show.

Plots were changed, characters were deleted and added and songs were altered.

It made me so bad that people were praising this movie when it was completely different than the show it was based on.

There are multiple musical adaptations in the process of being made so all I have to say is Hollywood needs to step up its game.

Break Legs,
Sydney

Why You Should See "The Last Five Years"

The Last Five Years.
Photo Credit: Sh-K-Boom Records

When I say that you should go and watch The Last Five Years, I do not mean the movie with Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan.  While good, the movie does not capture the true essence of the show.  I mean to find a live production and experience the theater.  If all else fails, just listen to the original or revival cast album, or both.

The Last Five Years tells the story of Cathy and Jamie's failed relationship that spanned five years.  The cool thing is that Cathy starts from the end of the relationship with the couple's divorce and moves backward while Jamie starts at the beginning of the relationship and moves forward.  The two intersect at their wedding.

I love getting asked what my favorite show is because I do not have to think about it.  I quickly say The Last Five Years.  This show is so special to me and here is why it should be to you, too.

1) Jason Robert Brown is amazing

Jason Robert Brown wrote the entire show and based it off of his own divorce, giving it true feeling and emotion.  Ending a relationship is not easy, but Brown makes it heart-wrenching for even the audience.  His lyrics show us how in love this couple really is, making their demise even harder to watch and to listen to.  He is also a piano prodigy, providing us with amazing music.

2) It Takes You on a Journey

The show takes audiences through Cathy and Jamie's entire whirlwind romance with its highs and lows.  It is something that not a lot of shows do.  I had the opportunity to see the revival of this show in New York in 2013 and I was completely blown away.  I already knew the show like the back of my hand and could recite every song lyric verbatim, but there is something about seeing it live that is different.

3) It's Real

Almost all of us can relate to having our hearts broken and not knowing what to do next.  This show does not present a fantasy world where everything is perfect and the two leads end up with each other and live happily ever after. Spoiler: They both end up very unhappy. While it is nice to be taken away from the real world for a couple of hours, sometimes audiences need something that they can immediately relate to.

4) It's Intimate

The Last Five Years cast is only comprised of two people: Cathy and Jamie.  This is not some big show with 50 cast members and big, flashy dance numbers and costumes.  It is usually a bare set with two people singing about real things.  No glitz, glamor or sparkle.

If you see a local production of The Last Five Years or if it (hopefully) comes back to New York, I highly recommend seeing it.

Break Legs,
Sydney

Why More Shows Need Sign Language

The revival of Spring Awakening closed in January, but fans and critics are still talking about it.

Producers decided to add American Sign Language to the show in order to give it another dimension. This was one of the best decisions anyone could have made.

Audiences were captivated by the new staging of the beloved musical and it easily sold out its short run on Broadway.

American Sign Language is a beautiful language and only enhanced the already beautiful show.

Spring Awakening tells the story of teenagers growing up in Germany in the 1800's experiencing their sexual awakening, hence the title of the show.

The original production, which opened on Broadway in 2006, was traditional in the sense that the actors sang, danced and acted throughout the show.

In the recent revival, there were many Deaf or Hard of Hearing actors so they had additional actors to play their voices as well as be a part of the onstage band.

The Deaf and Hard of Hearing actors signed their lines and songs while the voices translated.

This production exposed audiences to the Deaf community and their culture as well as show them a beautiful show that deals with real-life issues such as young relationships and sexuality.

Critics raved about this show even before it landed on Broadway.  The new production was conceived in California and performed at Deaf West Theater.

People like to see their favorite shows reimagined into something completely new.  That is why adding sign language into Spring Awakening was so successful.

Other popular shows should recognize this and add it to their repertoire.

Break Legs,
Sydney

PLEASE Turn Off All Phones

Cell phones are taking over the theater.
Photo Credit: Movie Buzzers

Anyone who has seen a live show, whether it be Broadway, a tour or even a high school production, is told to turn their phones off and refrain from using them during the duration of the production.

I remember hearing this announcement multiple times when I was waiting behind the stage curtain, waiting to perform. But, of course, many people did not, which then affected the way our microphones and sound system worked.

Also, when I tried my hand at directing, I remember watching people from the balcony text and play games on their phones, and completely ignore the show. It's offensive, but even more heartbreaking.

Many people have now been caught in the audience of a Broadway show texting or even making phone calls, right in front of the performers.

It is downright rude and disrespectful and needs to stop.

Many Broadway stars have been very vocal against audience members who use their phones during a performance.

In the middle of the show Violet, Sutton Foster stopped the musical number and simply said "We'll wait" to an audience member on their phone.

Patti LuPone, the always vocal and vivacious performer, actually stopped the show to snatch a cell phone from a woman in the audience.

LuPone said that she was texting during the entire first act of her show, Shows for Days, and had had enough. An usher later returned the phone.

Even worse, during a performance of Hand to God, an audience member jumped onstage to try and charge his phone. 

This is just utterly ridiculous.

While our lives may revolve around our phones, the performers' lives revolve around the theater and whatever show they are in.

No audience member can even begin to comprehend the amount of work that goes into just one scene of a show. All that hard work is overshadowed when someone decides to just play on their phone during the performance.

I am happy that many performers are fighting back and voicing their anger, but they shouldn't have to.

Put your phone away for two hours and enjoy the show. I promise it won't kill you.

Break Legs,

Sydney

Why Sutton Foster is the Queen of Broadway

Sutton Foster is one of the most well-known names in the theater scene. I believe that she is the undisputed queen of Broadway and here is why.

1) She did her time in the ensemble

Foster didn't just walk onto Broadway in a starring role, like some other performers.  She played ensemble or small roles in musicals like The Scarlet Pimpernel, Annie and Les Miserables.  It is almost as if she earned her stardom and worked her way up to leading role.

Foster played a maid and the Star-to-Be in Annie.
Photo Credit: SuttonFoster.com

2) She's a Dancing Fool

Foster is so talented at dancing, especially tap, that writers and producers will write in numbers just so that she can show off, like her extended dances in both Shrek The Musical and Anything Goes.

Foster tapped her way through the role of
Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes in 2011.
Photo Credit: Tumblr

3) She has won not one, but two Tony Awards

The Tony Award is the highest honor any stage actor can receive and Foster has two.  She won her first Tony for playing Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2002 and won her second for playing Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes in 2011.

Foster won her first Tony Award in 2002.
Photo Credit: Broadway World

4) That Belt Though

Yes, Foster is an amazing dancer, but she also has a great set of pipes.  I have had the privilege to see her perform live in Violet on Broadway and she can easily switch from opera singing to belting without breaking a sweat.  Her voice allows her to play a multitude of characters, which has definitely helped her career.

5) She is just an all-around nice person

Foster is one of the realest and sweetest people on Broadway.  She participates in many charities and will always talk to her fans.  She is also not afraid to get silly and make fun of herself, something we all need to do a little more.

Foster shows off her silly side.
Photo Credit: GifSoup

Feel free to agree or disagree, but I wholeheartedly believe that Sutton Foster is the Queen of Broadway.

Break Legs,
Sydney

Why 'Grease Live!' is Still the Word

Grease Live! premiered on Jan. 31 on FOX.
Photo Credit: Variety

Fans are still reeling from Grease Live! last Sunday. With its star-studded cast, elaborate sets and a new take on the classic musical, fans were all over it. I think that FOX has given NBC a run for its money.

I was very excited when NBC announced in 2013 that they would do a live version of The Sound of Music starring Carrie Underwood. My excitement waned as I watched it. The same thing happened with Peter Pan and even The Wiz.  For some reason, these productions seemed a little awkward and too focused on the big name cast as the star.

I was worried that FOX was going to ruin one of my favorite musicals and movies. I had full faith in the cast but I heard that they were going to re-write the script and add a new song along with adapting many others.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The cast was amazing and performed the show very well. The live audience was a great touch too, something NBC has not caught onto yet.

I remember watching each NBC live musical and cringing each time a joke was made or a big song ended and there was complete silence. It's weird and makes everyone at home feel awkward. FOX obviously observed this and added an audience to their cast.

One thing that these two networks do not have to fight over though is how they are exposing America to the gift that is live theatre. Many people cannot get to New York or afford to see shows whether they are in their community or on tour, so broadcasting them gives viewers the chance to experience the magic.

I did not love everything about Grease Live! though. I did not like Frenchy's new song. I understand why the producers added it to the show but it did not fit and it seemed to go on forever. It was a nice transition into "Beauty School Dropout," however I think the show could have just gone straight into the song.

There were also a lot of sound issues that an NBC musical never had. It was probably because of it was FOX's first time doing a musical, but these issues definitely took away from some of the big numbers of the show.

Grease Live! is my favorite live musical produced for television for many reasons. FOX outdid themselves with it and this is the first time that I actually want to but the DVD of the show.

2015-2016: The Season of Diversity on Broadway

While Broadway is nowhere near perfect as I have stated in previous posts, I do need to give time to cheer. 2015 could be called one of the most diverse years on Broadway in a very long time.

Shows like The Color Purple, On Your Feet, and Allegiance have opened audience's eyes up to different cultures all while uniting people through song and dance. I think that it is great that so much diversity, in its different shapes and forms, is on Broadway now.

The Color Purple tells the story of a battered African-American woman who finds independence. This musical features many African-American actresses as well as the hardships African-Americans faced in the 1930s. Audiences can see a story that many are not familiar with, told by strong African-American women.

On Your Feet is the story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan. The show is about how the Estefans met and how they combined their Cuban culture with American music and dance to become worldwide sensations. On Your Feet, like The Color Purple, introduces audiences to the struggles different cultures had to face in America, only, this time, it is about Hispanic-Americans.

Allegiance was inspired by George Takei's childhood during the Japanese-American internment during World War II. It follows a family who is relocated from California to Wyoming following Pearl Harbor. Once again, audiences can watch the hardships from the perspective of Japanese-Americans as they go through this horrible segregation. This production stars Takei as well as beloved Broadway actress Lea Salonga.

"Whether it's providential, coincidence, or meant to be, the fact is what's happening on Broadway is so diverse it is almost utopian," Salonga said in an interview with The New York Times.

The president of Broadway League, Charlotte St. Martin, also told The New York Times that this was the most diverse Broadway season in the last ten years.

As someone who believes that the theater can and should be used to educate and inform, the diversity on Broadway during the 2015-2016 season is doing just that. Audiences are exposed to different cultures and the varying hardships and struggles that will make them think and hopefully leave the theater wanting to know more.

I believe that Broadway definitely took a step in the right direction with the current season.

To read the full New York Times article featuring the stars of The Color Purple, On Your Feet and Allegiance, click here.






 

The Secret Wage Gap on Broadway

Sienna Miller starred as Sally Bowles
in Cabaret on Broadway in 2015.
Photo Credit: People Magazine

The Broadway community was shocked when actress Sienna Miller, who had just starred in Cabaret, announced that she quit a show aimed for Broadway because she learned that she would be paid less than her male co-star. As a big Broadway supporter, I was shocked and angered. How could a community that preaches acceptance and inclusion support something awful like the wage gap?

Miller was going to be in a two-person play that included her and just one male actor. They would have done the same exact work and have the same size role. As someone who once dreamed of a career on the stage and is now minoring in women and gender studies, I am very irritated.

It seems as if the wage gap is nothing shocking to anyone anymore although it is still a very big and current issue. I think it is ridiculous that I, a woman, have to worry about not getting paid the same a as man in my future career. How can anyone think that this is fair? The fact that this has most likely been occurring on Broadway for a while now is also heartbreaking.

In an interview with Playbill, Miller said that she "was offered less than half of what [her male costar] was going to paid."

Miller went on to say that it would have been a completely different situation had two men been in the show, rather than one man and one woman.

I have to agree with Miller. If the show starred two men, they would most likely be paid the same amount. For some reason, a woman is not allowed to share the stage with a man and be paid as equals.

When I was in high school, I was planning on making a career onstage and hopefully land on Broadway one day. I never for once thought that I could be paid less than a man onstage for doing the same amount of work. It makes me fear that no woman is safe from this act. It needs to change.

There is only one solution to this problem and it is not a hard one to put into motion. Pay all women the same as men for doing the same work. This applies to all careers, but maybe Broadway can fix the mistake first and set off a chain reaction.

To read the full Playbill article, click here.

Hamilton and Diversity

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote and
stars in Broadway's Hamilton.Photo Credit: Denver Center

Hamilton is Broadway's biggest hit with tickets sold out from now until October. This show tells the story of one of America's Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton.

Hamilton has already changed the way audiences view history in that the casting directors used colorblind casting. They looked past an actor or actress' race or ethnicity that would have hindered them in portraying a character. For example, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is Hispanic, plays Alexander Hamilton and Leslie Odom Jr., who is African-American, portrays Aaron Burr.

The show has garnered much success with ticket sales already reaching $40 million, according to Playbill Vault. If a show can tell a traditionally "white" story with mixed races and still be successful then why aren't other show following suit?

Broadway has been upheld as a community that accepts everyone, but for some reason there has been a high number of shows in the past where there is little to no diversity in the cast. It is hard for me, who has followed theatre for years, to think of more than one live Broadway show that used colorblind casting.

 The Little Mermaid swam onto Broadway in 2008 and was a smash hit. Families flocked to its theatre to see one of their children's favorite movies. Everyone enjoyed the hit songs, colorful sets and elaborate costumes.  But no one ever mentioned how diverse the cast was which I believe was another reason the show did so well. Many of the lead characters, who were portrayed as white in the movie, were played by African-American actors and actresses. Many people, including me, can appreciate showing the diversity and how it added an extra element to the production.

Not only has Hamilton taken strides to create a diverse show and experience, its writer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, announced that he would love to have women portray the male roles in his show, according to USA Today.

I feel that as long as the story gets told and its impact is felt, it should not matter if the traditionally and historically white and/or male roles are played by actors of that race or gender.

I have the feeling that Hamilton has paved the way for many more shows and productions to use colorblind and gender-blind casting.