The Show must go on?

On Broadway, the show doesn't go on. Apparently, shows--that's right, many big-name shows will close early 2009. According to the New York Times' article Broadway Has a Devil of a Time Finding Angels (and Buyers, too) many productions will be closing its doors.

Yes, the economy has now hit the stage. Even Broadway's darling, Disney, is practically giving away tickets to their shows in order to fill the house. Do we feel bad for Broadway and their producers? In a discussion with a friend of mine this evening, who will remain unnamed to protect his innocence, suggested that the producers haven't changed with the times. No longer is the most expensive item on the menu supposedly the best. To the contrary, the most expensive item is the thing that no one wants right now. Is there anyone out there who wants to pay over a hundred dollars to see a show? Is that take home value? Is that bragging rights?

We can look for blame; all of the unions that have to be paid, whether their services are used or not--or maybe it's the television and film stars that are being paid to appear in a production. These among many reasons have contributed to the downfall of sales. Sad is the day when plays and musicals even having a hard time finding producers to back them (commercially viable or not).

Let's face it, Broadway has been shaped over the last thirty years to cater to the tourist from the Midwest. But as we are witnessing, while the tourist may continue to visit New York City to sneak a crowded glance at the Rockefeller Center's Christmas tree, they refuses to pay an ungodly amount to see a musical--even if it is based on a successful animated movie about a half naked woman with fins under the sea.

So, what will it take to get people in the seats of the theatre? How about a musical version of Backdraft Corkey? No...that would cost too much money. What if Broadway built itself from the ground up again. Maybe if they (producers) really focused their efforts to cater to the local New York theatre audiences. It's time to stop making the productions so big, and including so many names on the bill. It's time to adjust the theatre--slow down on the commercialization of theatre. Make New York theatre a place of envy rather than a place of parody.

As it Was in the Beginning...

What does the heading of my post mean?
No time to contemplate that now. I have many things to think about, none of which I will write at this moment--mainly because, if I spend all my time contemplating, I will have no time to write, and what would be the sense of having a blog without anything to write?

I think that's a good place to start today. Tomorrow I will have more.