THE ONE THING NOT TO MISS WHEN PLANNING YOUR NEXT THEATRE TRIP TO BROADWAY!
THE ONE THING NOT TO MISS WHEN PLANNING YOUR NEXT THEATRE TRIP TO BROADWAY!
Plus, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed!
Welcome to The Scene, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed. In this week’s email:
THE BIG IDEA: The one thing not to miss when planning your next theatre trip to Broadway!
HOT TOPICS: Get a Boost with a Student Marketing Team; How to Strengthen Your Whole Cast and 12 Unique Fundraising ideas for Drama Clubs.
SHOWS YOU SHOULD KNOW: The Griswolds’ Broadway Vacation, The Musical
THE BROADWAY BEAT: The Musicals Nominated for the 2022 Grammy Awards; Sneak Peek of Broadway’s & JUILET; SIX Announces Its New Queens! and more.
The Big Idea
THE ONE THING NOT TO MISS WHEN PLANNING YOUR NEXT THEATRE TRIP TO BROADWAY!
By Zach Dulli
When I was in high school, our drama department would travel to New York City to experience Broadway. Each trip was amazing and over 20 years later, I still think fondly about that time and all I took away from those trips. There was, however, always one thing that seemed to be missing and I could never quite put my finger on it until this week when I visited the Museum of Broadway.
I’m a Theatre geek. Luckily my wife is also a Theatre geek, so when I was invited to attend a preview of the new Museum of Broadway, I knew we had to adjust schedules, make sure the kids had somewhere to go after school, and travel up to 45th Street to check out the new museum.
The Museum of Broadway tells two main stories: Broadway’s history from past to present, and the process of creating and producing a Broadway show. As you begin your experience in the museum, you travel into with rooms dedicated to the ZIEGFELD FOLLIES, SHOWBOAT, and OKLAHOMA, telling stories and sharing artifacts that help establish the foundation for the Broadway we know today. You are then ushered into the golden age with rooms and costumes highlighting classics such as WEST SIDE STORY, HELLO DOLLY, and CABARET. You continue through the museum finding yourself absorbed in the worlds of HAIR, A CHORUS LINE, COMPANY, RENT, and many more. As you go from one section to the next your experience is ever-changing. Some sections leave you feeling inspired, while others can be quite moving, as my wife Stephanie explains here about her experience in one part of the museum:
“In 1999, I lucked into what ended up being a transformative theatrical experience. In a small 99-seat Equity waiver theatre in Los Angeles, I found myself in the ensemble and as the alternate for Sheila Franklin in the 30th Anniversary Production of the musical HAIR. With a minimal set and costumes pieced together from various vintage stores, our production was the very spirit of the show. We were young and dissatisfied and willing to immerse ourselves in the subversive, wonderful world that was HAIR. It was the quintessential little LA theatre experience with two notable exceptions. It was directed by James Rado and produced by Michael Butler. Perhaps it is because we have just recently lost them both that when I turned that corner while touring the new Museum of Broadway and heard ‘Let the Sunshine In,’ my eyes taking in the costumes, that my emotions took me by surprise. I didn't expect to have an emotional reaction at seeing the pictures of young James and Gerome Ragni. I was taken right back to that small theatre where James and Michael treated us like we were on Broadway, sharing stories and opening their arms (and Michael's home) to us. Welcoming us into the HAIR Tribe. Oh, the stories I could tell! How lucky I was to get to be there and how lucky I was to see this display. Theatre is both public and private simultaneously; we all experience the same thing while we all experience it differently. Such it is with this museum; how lucky I was again.” – Stephanie Dulli
As you continue through the museum you finally catch up to modern-day Broadway where you discover even more props, costumes, models, and stories from shows currently running like WICKED, HAMILTON, and SIX.
Then, just as you begin to think your tour is over, you are moved to the next section when you are taken on a journey through the creation of a Broadway show, celebrating what it takes to make a production possible. You see the world of the playwright, the Stage Manager, the set designer, the makeup artist, the costume shop, and more, traveling all the way to the PR and marketing firms who promote the show. You leave this section reminded how critical each member of a production is to its overall success and how grateful you are that you get to experience the magic of Broadway.
The museum takes you on a journey, one you can’t wait to experience again. Stephanie and I left the museum a bit overwhelmed (in a good way) but mostly full of joy and nostalgia. It was an experience we can’t wait to bring our children to and one we want to experience again with our theatre friends. It was also the moment it really hit me what had been missing from those high school New York trips: it was this experience.
The part missing from those trips was the connection to Broadway’s past, to the shows I was performing in school, and the understanding that no matter how long ago a show might have been produced on Broadway, I was, no matter how small, also a part of that show’s history. It was this connected to something much bigger than myself that I had longed for. It was also the understanding that I too was now part of Broadway’s history and standing on the shoulders of all those who came before me.
Get your tickets and learn more about THE MUSEUM OF BROADWAY by clicking here.
Check out this video on the museum from CBS’s Sunday Morning.
Hot Topics
BOOST ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION WITH A STUDENT MARKETING TEAM - Discover how a student marketing team can be a big win for both your program and your students.
HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR WHOLE CAST: FROM BACKGROUND ACTORS TO LEAD ROLES - Helpful tips to strengthen your cast from top to bottom.
12 UNIQUE FUNDRAISING IDEAS FOR DRAMA CLUBS AND THEATRE GROUPS - Get the funds to make the show the best it can be!
Shows You Should Know
Coming to Broadway: The Griswolds’ Broadway Vacation, The Musical
Based on the hit Warner Bros. Vacation movies, The Griswolds’ Broadway Vacation follows the Griswold family on their big New York City adventure – where of course, everything goes exactly according to plan… Clark has planned a trip to New York City to take his wife, Ellen, to experience the new Broadway musical sensation everyone is raving about. Clark is convinced that this is the family vacation that will restore stronger relationships in his marriage and family. Upon arriving at the theater, Clark realizes that he purchased fake tickets from a broker, and the show is sold out indefinitely. He panics and begins a wild adventure to keep this mistake hidden from his wife and find a way to secure real tickets in time for the show. Click on the link below to check out the teaser from the 5th Avenue world premiere:
How Likely Are You to Produce this Show (The Griswolds’Broadway Vacation)?
For complete results visit the poll page.
The Broadway Beat
A STRANGE LOOP, WEST SIDE STORY, ENCANTO, MORE EARN 2022 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS - Six cast recordings are up for Best Musical Theater Album at the 65th annual ceremony.
CHECK OUT NEW PHOTOS FROM BROADWAY’S & JULIET - Lorna Courtney plays the titular lead in this musical rewrite of the lovestruck teenager's story.
SIX ANNOUNCES NEW QUEENS TO JOIN THE CAST BEGINNING IN DECEMBER - The cast will now star Hailee Kaleem Wright, Leandra Ellis-Gaston, Bella Coppola, Nasia Thomas, Zoe Jensen, and Taylor Iman Jones!
DEATH OF A SALESMAN PARTNERS WITH BROADWAY FOR ALL ON INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE TICKETS TO UNDERREPRESENTED AUDIENCES - The program will continue through the limited run of the production, which bows on January 15, 2023.
