Put The Fries In The Bag And Close

I’m back! For any new people, my name is Miren. I’m a teenager born and raised in Manhattan who absolutely loves Broadway, and here on Encore By Miren, I share my unfiltered takes on the latest shows, interview people from the industry (coming soon!!) and give you a look at Broadway from the perspective of an NYC teen!

Today’s post is a little different than what you’ve seen so far! Usually I’m reviewing the newest shows of the season, but today, I’m talking about Broadway as an art form vs. Broadway as a business. It’s a part of Broadway we have to deal with, but sometimes it feels like the commercial side is starting to get in the way of the actual art.

When Shows Stay Too Long

I’m just going to say it: some shows have really been hoarding their theatre. I’m looking at you, Chicago, Wicked, and The Lion King. Don't get me wrong, these are all iconic Broadway shows but after TWENTY years continuously running on Broadway, it really starts to feel like they’re just taking up space. I’m not a big fantasy or Greek mythology person, so shows like Wicked, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Hadestown (which even though it has only been running for 6 years— I honestly still find a little boring) were never my favorite. I really would like to see new shows get their "place in the sun,” so I think it’s time for some of these shows to put the fries in the bag and finally close. Even if a new show doesn't do well, it deserves the chance to exist instead of a show that’s been running for 2 DECADES!

Celebrity Casting

Bringing in “famous” people to play leads is a huge sign that a show should probably close. It’s a last move to keep the doors open. Chicago is the biggest example of this— as they have had a constant rotating cast of B list reality show stars and celebrities play the lead role of Roxie Hart. Whitney Leavitt from the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives being the most recent, and other recent Roxies have been plus size model Ashley Graham and 80’s teen star Alyssa Milano! Even recent castings like Sarah Hyland in The Great Gatsby or Dylan Mulvaney in Six seem to indicate that the show needs a little extra star power to get their ticket sales up.

Of course celebrity castings for limited run shows are a different story as those shows often have celebrities as part of the initial cast. In those cases the celebrities are trying to expand their acting chops by refocusing on the stage instead of the screen and the producers use those celebrities to bring in new audiences and expand the reach of their show. Take the recent Broadway Romeo + Juliet revival with Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler, for example. I loved it, but let’s be real– I mostly went because of Kit Connor (we won’t even talk about how I tried to wait at the stage door for him for hours on 4 separate occasions and he didn’t come out 😭). Kit is INSANELY hot, and since the main consumers of theater are women and gay men, having a bisexual guy (who appeals to everyone!!) makes him literally the ultimate theater weapon. As an aside— it’s rare to have straight men on Broadway (example A: Aaron Tveit) so the few that are on stage in leading roles have a real cult following. Tom Francis is another Broadway star that created a real buzz with his Sunset Boulevard performance because not only was he insanely talented but he was soooo nice to look at that men and women theatergoers were both so into him (ME INCLUDED AHHHHH)…

Speaking of Sunset Boulevard, bringing in Nicole Scherzinger as the role of Norma Desmond was a brilliant move by Director Jamie Lloyd. Many modern theater kids aren't as interested in revivals because they rather see new work than old shows being brought back. But Jamie Lloyd completely reinvented Sunset Boulevard by reimagining the lead as Nicole, a beautiful pop star whose life in some ways mirrored Norma’s as she herself had been big and perhaps started to fade a bit in people’s memories. Casting Tom Francis, a gorgeous and talented but relatively unknown actor, whose walk around 44th street brought new energy to what might otherwise have been considered a “tired” revival was also a brilliant way to take something old and make it new again. These are exactly the kinds of risks I would like to see Broadway taking since this is what keeps theater exciting.

Brands and Jukebox Musicals

A lot of shows now are just capitalizing on a brand name. The Great Gatsby was visually interesting, but the music wasn’t memorable and really one of the only draws to see it was to see a mega Broadway star like Jeremy Jordan. Jukebox musicals like & Juliet are also great for tourists because they’re light, use catchy classic top 40 music and play on stories people already know, but they aren't too deep from an artistic perspective. Film adaptations can also be huge crowd draws as people want to relive a beloved movie but can also be challenging because the actors of the film so embody their roles that it’s hard to imagine someone else as that character. I remember when I saw Casey Likes as Marty McFly in Back To The Future (my favorite movie) – I liked the show so much less because the entire time I was thinking: THIS IS NOT MARTY! (But I also may be a bit biased because I am Michael J Fox’s #1 fan lol).

The most ultimate "commercial trap" example has to be the Hollywood Bowl Lion King where Kim Kardashian had her daughter, North West, play Simba. People paid up to 4,000 DOLLARS for those tickets just to see a celebrity’s kid do a terrible job. It really shows how Broadway, and honestly theatre generally, is really turning into a business that relies on commercial value to stay open and relevant.

Taking risks: Maybe Happy Ending

One of the examples of a risk that really paid off is Maybe Happy Ending. If you’ve seen it, it’s super good!!! It’s one of my favorite shows right now and I BAWL every time I see it. It sounds like the weirdest thing ever: a love story about two humanoid robots who are out of commission and living in a facility.

I don’t even get why I gave it a chance, but I’m SO glad I did. I remember when I was looking through the new shows that opened last year, I read about Maybe Happy Ending and my first thought was just: why the hell would anyone see this and why is it still open?? It’s such a niche topic with all original music, and theater consumers these days tend to gravitate towards known plots and recognizable music. But the music and plot are unique and amazing, and the performances really elevate the whole show. Helen J. Shen was incredible as Claire, and every time she did the last scene, I would start crying hysterically. Now Claire is played by Claire Kwon, who I haven't seen yet (but she is an amazing singer and so nice), and Darren Criss, who won a Tony for the role last year but was probably best known for his role on Glee, plays Oliver. This is a rare case where a show with a unique premise became commercially successful without playing it "safe”.

Broadway as a Business

Broadway makes most of its money from tourism, but the shows tourists love aren’t always the ones elevating the art form. Recently, it feels like no new musicals are recouping their investment, even the super good ones. It’s a double edged sword: the shows that focus on actual art don’t turn a profit, which means they have to close and that discourages producers from investing in artistic or edgy shows going forward. Shows that are open for five or ten years have commercial appeal, have recouped their investment and are now generating profits for their producers which is why there is a tendency for these shows to stay open indefinitely as they are essentially a cash machine for their investors. But artistically, that doesn’t mean that these shows have perpetual appeal or even relevance for their audiences.

In my opinion, Hamilton and The Book of Mormon are really the only exceptions that continue to be relevant today, and although they are huge commercial draws, they are innovative pieces of theater and elevate the genre as an art form. I get that Broadway needs money to survive, but as it becomes more and more reliant on money, it begs the question: is Broadway still art? We need to make room for new voices, even if they fail. That’s how art stays relevant!

Comment your thoughts down below! Which shows do you think should close?