2018 Theater Trends and Traditions

2018 Broadway Trends and Traditions

Over the past year it seems that, fueled by and shared on social media, there are some great (and positive) new-ish trendy traditions.

First up, some positive fan interaction - Fanart. Seeing what various cast members share, you can feel the caring and respect of fans, and the inspiring appreciation the actors feel. Some of it is really, good, too. ALL of it shows terrific effort. Hamilton, SpongeBob SquarePants and Head Over Heels all seemed to inspire a lot of show lovers!

Hamilton fans sure love The Schyler Sisters! (Even drawing then as Disney princesses!)

And the men get their due, too.

Even the new kid on the block inspires art!

Dear Evan Hansen

Gone, but not forgotten, some SpongeBob SquarePants love.

The ladies of Head Over Heels give and get love from fans of Arcadia!

In this age of selfies, Broadway has provided some cool photo ops. Kinky Boots has a cut out so you can can be Lola.  Head Over Heels and The Prom have photo booth type places to have a fun group shot taken. Cleverly laid out door coverings allow for some great pictures, too, like at Mean Girls and Anastasia. And Angels in America had two art installations to pose with.

It's the Land of Lola!

Even cast member Kyle Brown (right) got in a pic!

Mean Girls takes bathroom mirror selfies to a new level!

A third fun trend is posting your Playbill in front of the show curtain. On Twitter, they come with #tonightsbill.

Finally, a wonderful tradition has expanded to social media. Well-wishes from each Broadway cast have been sent to Opening Night stage doors for decades. Now they are also sent for all of us to see via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I particularly enjoy the Dear Evan Hansen series.

From Mean Girls to their new neighbor, The Cher Show

Best wishes to The Prom from Arcadia!

Avenue Q is always great for a laugh! (We will miss them so much!)

We love the Dear Evan Hansen pattern in other shows' 

color palettes. 

#1965

Yet Another Trend: Biographical Musicals

LAST 2 DAYS!  VOTE NOW FOR THE FINALS OF "HOT/HOTTER"!

WHO WILL BE BROADWAY'S MOST UNIQUELY "HOT" GUY?

NEWSIES' KYLE COFFMAN OR GODSPELL'S HUNTER PARRISH?

CLICK THE ICON TO YOUR LEFT AND VOTE TODAY!

Earlier this week, I blogged about the trend toward biographical play.  Even more so, there has been a trend toward biographical musicals.  History is full of them: Funny Girl (Fanny Brice), George M! (George M. Cohen), The Will Rogers Follies (Will Rogers), and the granddaddy of them all, A Chorus Line.  And those are just a few.  Why they are such a source for big musicals?  Well, all the very best shows have compelling characters that are both relatable and larger-than-life, with stories that are compelling, relatable and larger-than-life.  And those are all things that the subjects of biographical shows.

GETTING STARTED


Historical Figures: Bonnie Parker, Clyde Barrow, Jesus of Nazareth

WHO IN HISTORY: This current trend can really be traced back to the 2010 - 2011 season, with Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Andrew Jackson), The Scottsboro Boys (The Scottsboro Boys), Baby It's You (The Shirelles/Florence Greenberg), all financial flops, two critical triumphs.  This season, just finished continued with Bonnie and Clyde (Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow), the fan-popular, vastly underrated Frank Wildhorn musical, and the yawner revival of Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus of Nazareth).  Despite the fact that both shows didn't last as long as hoped, both have their champions in Broadway fans and a few critics.

STILL AROUND


Historical Figures: Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Eva and Juan Peron

WHO IN HISTORY: Well, no matter what I think of the show, I can't dispute the fact that Jersey Boys (Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons) continues to be box office gold, packing in the fans week after week.  Not bad for a jukebox musical, right? Wrapping up its run this week is the return engagement of Fela! (Fela Anikulapo-Kuti) a critically-acclaimed show that ran a respectable length of time the first time, though not nearly as long as the reviews and Tony love would have indicated.  And easily the biggest hit bio-musical of last season is Evita (Eva and Juan Peron), a show that has divided critics and fans alike.  But you just can't beat the allure of superb dancing, a huge score, and some guy named Ricky Martin.

COMING SOON


Historical Figures: Charlie Chaplin, Aimee Semple McPherson

WHO IN HISTORY: Two of the biggest celebrities of their time are being given the Broadway bio-musical treatment.  First up: Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin) the musical formerly known as Limelight, telling the tale of one of the most famous icons of all time - ladies' man, accused communist, brilliant comedian and enduring film legend Charlie Chaplin.  His life story seems like the perfect fodder for a hit show. Next up: Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson (Aimee Semple McPherson) tells the story of the most popular woman of her time - Evangelist, eccentric, dynamo - her life even included an alleged kidnapping!  With Carolee Carmello in the lead, the show should at least be interesting - she's no slouch!

THE NEAR FUTURE


Historical Figure: Harry Houdini, Hal Prince

WHO IN HISTORY: Already announced for the 2013-2014 season, Houdini (Harry Houdini) will show us all about the world's most famous magicians, and will star one of the biggest stage and film stars of our time, Tony winner Hugh Jackman.  Two other new shows could also be biographical, depending upon how they play out: The Prince of Broadway (Hal Prince) a revue of numbers from shows directed or produced by the Tony-winningest guy of all time, could tell something about his life, and Motown a musical about that musical empire could potentially tell the story of such legends as Barry Gordy and Diana Ross.  Time will tell!

Jeff

3.338

Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!

Still Another Trend: Biographical Plays

LAST 5 DAYS!  VOTE NOW FOR THE FINALS OF "HOT/HOTTER"!

WHO WILL BE BROADWAY'S MOST UNIQUELY "HOT" GUY?

NEWSIES' KYLE COFFMAN OR GODSPELL'S HUNTER PARRISH?

CLICK THE ICON TO YOUR LEFT AND VOTE TODAY!

In other blogs at the start of this season, I've talked about how a recent trend - religious themed shows - has all but petered out, while several other trends - adorable urchins, high school musicals - have cropped up.  (I consider 3 or more shows with similar themes or traits to be a trend.)  Today, I'm looking a trend that has been building over the past couple of seasons - the biographical show - both plays (today) and musicals (later this week).  SEE UPDATE BELOW.

GETTING STARTED


Historic Figures: Joseph Alsop, Maria Callas, Martin Luther King, Jr., Irving "Magic" Johnson, Larry Bird

WHO IN HISTORY: This trend is a pretty much a constant.  History shows that plays about real people are continually produced. But recently, that has really been ramped up.  Two seasons ago, Vince Lombardi was brought to life in Lombardi.  This season that just ended had 5 plays about real people open, and one continues.  Last theatrical year, there were plays about Joseph Alsop, a famed reporter, in The Columnist, famed opera singer Maria Callas in the revival of Master Class, The Mountaintop, a fictionalized account of events the night before he was assassinated were the story of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Magic/Bird detailed events in the sporting life of "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird.




STILL AROUND


Historic Figure: Judy Garland

WHO IN HISTORY: She was a star among stars, and decades after her death, her films, concerts and other appearances continue to be a part of popular culture. The Wizard of Oz alone keeps Judy Garland in our lives pretty much every day (ask the fans of Wicked), and certainly yearly when it is shown on television. Generations have marveled at her astonishing career and mourned her death.  Her untimely demise and the downfall leading up to it are the subject of End of the Rainbow which continues its Broadway run with Tony-nominated star, Tracie Bennett, as Garland.  The show continues through January 6, 2013. August 19, 2013, with a National Tour to follow,

COMING VERY SOON


Historic Figure: Mike Tyson

WHO IN HISTORY: This production, which begins previews tomorrow, is REALLY about a real-life person.  An autobiographical one man show, Undisputed Truth is performed by its subject, Mike Tyson.  One could even say his is part of a trend-within-a-trend - sports-themed plays (Lombardi and Magic/Bird).  Just how much poetic license he takes in telling his story remains to be seen.

Coming soon: The trend of biographical musicals.

Jeff

3.335

Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!