TBT: I Love NY

In the late 70's - early 80's, before I had ever stepped foot inside a Broadway theater, before i even knew I loved musicals, I was enamored of the glamorous dancing and catch beat of the "I Love NY" commercials.  Before I had ever seen A Chorus Line was, I knew I loved the "One Wedge."  In my room, I practiced every step, kick and flip of the hat.  And though, I had not yet seen Cats, every stolen moment alone found me striking feline poses and staring down any mirror  could find as I hissed into it.  I am sure I'm not the only kid who ever did that.

I remember vividly, running to the TV every time that tune came over the airwaves.

Now, of course, I look back on them with nostalgia and appreciation, able to identify each show and several cast members on sight.  I think the need to bring this back and fast!

Here are 5 I found for your viewing pleasure!  Share your thoughts in the comments section, please! (I'm sure I've missed some of the "names" in these... the images aren't too clear - if you know any of them, let me know!)

1.  Cats (Terrence Mann), The Rockettes, Nine (Anita Morris), Dreamgirls, Lena Horne (The Lady and Her Music), A Chorus Line, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Brooke Shields

2.  A Chorus Line, The Wiz (Stephanie Mills), Grease, The King and I (Yul Brenner), Annie, Judd Hirsch, The Gin Game (Hume Cronin and Jessica Tandy), The Magic Show, Dracula (Frank Langella)

3.  Beverly Sills, The Rockettes, They're Playing Our Song (Lucie Arnaz and Tony Roberts), Evita (Mandy Patinkin, Patti LuPone, Bob Gunton), Sweeney Todd (Angela Lansbury and Walter Charles), Ain't Misbehavin', Dancin' (Ann Reinking dead center), Peter Pan (Sandy Duncan and George Rose)

4.  Sugar Babies/The Little Foxes (Mickey Rooney and Elizabeth Taylor), The Rockettes, Barnum (Jim Dale), Woman of the Year (Lauren Bacall), Lena Horne (The Lady and Her Music), Sophisticated Ladies, The Pirates of Penzance (Rex Smith and Linda Ronstadt), Lena and the Rockettes

5. Beverly Sills, The Rockettes, Sugar Babies (Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller), Evita (Mandy Patinkin, Patti LuPone, Bob Gunton), Ain't Misbehavin', Dancin' (Ann Reinking dead center), A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine (Priscilla Lopez)

Jeff
6.020

Broadway on TV: The Last Ship

Every season, there are one or two shows that seem to be extremely polarizing.  People either love it or hate it, with very little in between.  The chat rooms are full of people throwing around words like "masterpiece," "moving," "brillliant," and "deeply flawed," boring," "a hot mess." This season one show spawned a new term in the "hated it" column.  "Dirgical" (sic).  That show is Sting's new musical The Last Ship.  I haven't seen it yet (this weekend I will, actually), so I can't - won't - even guess what my reaction will be.  And I won't share until the morning after it opens.

But I will give my two cents' worth on its TV commercial.  If the show is as well done as this 31 second effort, I think I'm going to really like it.  Well, I guess that is the aim of such ads, right?  It has me interested and even looking forward to it.

Here's why:  I love that it reveals many of the elements of the story.  Hard working men, rallying around a cause, a pretty young woman (flowing red hair, a lovely smile)has a relationship with the outsider (dressed in black, sulky, watching the men go by, not joining the cause) of the town.  It looks to have it all - passion for a common goal, overcoming obstacles, passion for a risky love.  Is this Les Miz?

And the tune it is set to tells a lot, too.  It's a catchy seaworthy number sung with a British accent... it sounds like it totally fits a show about a ship.  And it sounds Sting-y enough that his fans might just be willing to give his latest endeavor a shot. And there's even some Riverdance-y dancing.  This is a MUSICAL!

I'm sure some will grouse that it mostly shows locations that are real places, not the stage production.  But lots of other shows have done that to some success - the "No Day But Today" campaign for RENT, the recent revival of Hair.  Heck, the whole "I Love NY" campaign of yesteryear.

My one complaint with it is that it doesn't tell you anything about where it is playing or where to get tickets.  Just "Now in previews."  It's a small quibble really, in this day and age.  The ad should certainly get people to look for more about it on the Internet.  Right where most people buy their tickets.

Grade: A

Jeff
6.018

Broadway on TV: This Is Our Youth

The ad campaign for the play This Is Our Youth, which opens tomorrow, reminds me a lot of the ad campaign for RENT, from the street ad motif (right down to the duct tape and irreverent "placement") to the angst-filled moodiness of the characters they depict. The production photos also support this similarity.  Now, I haven't seen the play, but from the look of everything that has come out about it, I'll assume it is going for the same audience - 20-somethings, full of self-importance and a sad disenchantment with life that love to see themselves and laugh.

The biggest selling point of this production has to be its star, Michael Cera (and to a lesser extent Kieran Culkin, whose older brother is more famous).  Mr. Cera's career to date is largely made up of late teen/early 20's angst-ridden, plain-guy-is-awkward-and-therefore-cute roles.  The TV spot for the play in which he and his cast mates will be making their Broadway debuts plays up this forlorn and goofy quality throughout.  A very wise move - fans of Cera and his type of films (read college students and recent grads) will flock to the Cort Theatre.  I'm guessing that they are throwing in the critical acclaim quotes to legitimize the decidedly un-just-out-of-college ticket prices (money is tight for a lot of this group, after all.)

For those of you who this show is being marketed to that can afford it, this looks like it could be pretty good.  If the show is a well presented as the ad, it'll be a winner.  Of course, they're struggling to get bigger houses and the gross potential percentage is low so far, so maybe the target audience isn't coming.  And maybe their parents, who can afford it, aren't interested.

(I hope my pseudo-negative sarcasm, with a tinge of angst and a disheartening dose of reality comes across.  Get it?)

Grade: A

Jeff
6.007

The Tony Awards: The Best Revival of a Play Nominees on TV

The nominees for Best Revival of a Play represent a wide variety of plays - comedy and drama, classic American, classic modern European, and classic (in every way) Shakespeare.  They also represent some of the very best in theatre from the entire season!

The Cripple of Inishmaan



Grade: C Okay, they can claim "The Most Tony Nominations of Any Play On Broadway," but on a technicality... the plays that got the most, its competition, no less, isn't "on" Broadway anymore.  And a laugh track to show how "funny" it is?  Wow.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the play, and they are smart to include some of the visual comedy in the ad, but people shouldn't go into it expecting a guffaw-fest.  And, just as with the Tony nominations, the best thing about it, star Daniel Radcliffe gets the short shrift here.

Twelfth Night



Grade: A  Since it closed long before the Tony nominations, obviously they couldn't come up with/didn't need an awards-related ad.  But what is here represents the show perfectly, from the "Elizabethan" sounding British voice, to the visuals that match the critical huzzahs and still manage to capture Shakespearean grandeur and simplicity of the production.  Classy.  The ad, like the production, is first-rate.

A Raisin in the Sun
Apparently, there is no TV ad for Raisin, at least not one I could find.  Of course, who needs one, when your show is already sold out!

The Glass Menagerie
I've already rhapsodized over this brilliant show many times.  And the same for their commercial - HERE.

BONUS!: Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill






Both Grade A+: Let there be no doubt, even in these 15 second ads, that Audra McDonald loses herself (and any previous expectations the audience might have) in the role of Billie Holiday.  And the song choices tht go along with the montage of bits match the actual show's tone and serious nature.  Has anyone done "cut-up shtick" and looked so tragic doing it? The ads make this look like must-see theatre, and for Audra alone, it is.

Jeff
5.178

Broadway on TV: A Gentleman's Guide... and Beautiful

I thought that before the spring onslaught of new Broadway shows really hits that I'd take the next couple of days to talk about the TV spots for the shows that survived the fall and cranked up this winter. Today, I'll look at A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.  Tomorrow, Valentine's Day, I'll devote to the romance of The Bridges of Madison County.

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

This little spot manages to do a lot, hitting all the buttons it needs to push to get people in the seats at the Walter Kerr Theatre.  It certainly celebrates all of those things that make the show both unique and traditional.  It shows, successfully, I think, the zany qualities of the show, and it reveals the gorgeous costuming and multitudes of settings.  It manages to show singing, dancing and funny staging, while playing a sample from the score.  I think they made a wise choice in not highlighting the music per se, though, because the entire score benefits from being heard entirely in context of the book and the situations at hand.  And it really hammers home both the "they-don't-write-'em-like-that-anymore" idea and that the show is critically-acclaimed.  Oh, and it is "HILARIOUS!"  Believe it or not, I think they were smart to recognize that not every musical, and this one specifically, is not for everyone - the thick British accent of the narrator (if not actually Jane Carr, than a vocal doppelganger at least) lets you know up front that this show is "veddy Brit-ish...la dee dah." Grade: A-

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Despite my weariness over this sub-genre of musical, and my "meh" reaction to this show, I have to admit that they've come up with is a very good commercial.  Visually and in terms of the soundtrack, it makes the show look like a spectacle - they wisely intertwine the acts that benefited from Carole King's work (and very popular songs that they sang) and scenes from the life of Ms. King (ending with 2 of her signature songs as a soloist - "Natural Woman" and "Beautiful."  The overlay of critical quotes celebrate the show as a must-see and identify the biggest asset of the show, Jessie Mueller.  In the old days, this alone would have made her an overnight national sensation.  But those days are gone, and her name is not mentioned by the voice-over.  A wise move on two counts: one, they can use the ad, and take off the quote when she has long-departed and/or when the show inevitably tours; and two: the producers are smart not to closely identify the show with its star, never a good idea with a show that could become a brand.  Ask Mamma Mia, and remember The Producers.  Grade: A

Let me know what you think...

Jeff
5.107

2013 in Review: The Best of the Best: Non-Performance

For the last four years, I've been sharing my favorite things of the theatre-going experience at the end of each year. In previous such blogs, I have included some "worsts," but this time around, I thought I would try to stay totally positive.  (I will, however, list the "most disappointing" shows of 2013 along with the best in next Monday's end-of- the year column.)

As has been tradition, I've divided my list into two parts, with today's being all about the non-performance aspects of attending New York theatre.  Tomorrow, I'll tackle the performance categories.

THE BEST IN PRINT MEDIA ADVERTISING!

• Best Broadway Show Logo for a Play: Twelfe Night, or What You Will/Richard III: Captures the duality of two shows in repertory, the authenticity of the production and its magnetic star.
• Best Broadway Show Logo for a Musical: Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella: Captures the magic, the tradition and the update of the classic.

• Best Off-Broadway Show Logo: Passion: CSC's logo matches its marvelous revival!  Captures the, well, passion and austerity of the show perfectly.
• Best Re-vamp of an Established Show: Wicked: The 10th Anniversary of the show was top notch and so was the clever logo re-do.
• Sustained Excellence in Theatre-related Advertising: Gypsy of the Year: At 25, this classic fundraising tradition always looks so snazzy.

• Best Broadway Window Card - Play: The Nance: Sad and powerful.  Just like the play it advertises.
• Best Broadway Window Card - Musical: TIE: Hands on a Hardbody and Pippin: Both capture the spirit of their respective shows.  The former gets the story and the themes; the latter encapsulates the mystery, adventure and aesthetic of the Tony-winning revival.
• Best Off-Broadway Window Card: The Last 5 Years: Though not my favorite production by a long shot, the poster really captures the story, its stars and the specific production.

THE BEST IN TELEVISION AND INTERNET ADVERTISING!

• Best Television Commercial (Broadway Play): The Glass Menagerie: In 30 seconds, it advertises the critical acclaim, the stars, and the stunning production.  Not bad.
• Best Television Commercial (Broadway Musical): Pippin: As dazzling and exciting as this amazing revival is...

• Best Television Commercial (Off-Broadway): Fun Home: So much to see, and it only makes you want more.  And the end of the ad gives me the same goose pimples that that same moment gave me in the theatre.

• Best Theatre Information Television Series: Theatre Talk: Consistently great interviews.  Just one question: why can't Michael Reidel's obvious love for theatre that he shows here show up in his column, too?
• Best Theatre Information Internet Series: Broadway.com's The Broadway.com Show: Funny and informational - and told only as real theatre-lovers can.
• Best Behind-the-Scenes Series: Broadway.com's The Princess Diaries: OK, so I'd watch Laura Osnes do just about anything.  But her series of behind the scenes webisodes about Cinderella are funny and always keep the viewers in mind - not a second of self-indulgency!

• Best Show Website: Kinky Boots: Not only do you get the standard website with cast info, show info and ticket info, you also get the "Interactive Factory Experience."  Pretty cool!
• Best Theatre Website: Spotlight on Broadway: The history of every active Broadway theatre, told through archival photos of the building and productions, plus recorded interviews.  What more could a Broadway lover ask for?

THE BEST IN MULTIMEDIA ITEMS!

• Best Theatre-Related Book (Non-Fiction): The Untold Stories of Broadway: Volume I by Jennifer Ashley Tepper
• Best Theatre-Related Book (Fiction): Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle  

• Best Theatre-at-the-Movies: London's Merrily We Roll Along
• Best Broadway Documentary - Show: Broadway Idiot
• Best Broadway Documentary - Information: Six By Sondheim

• Best Theatre Person Concert CD: Live at 54 Below: Laura Benanti: In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention
• Best Packaging of a Broadway Cast Recording: Matilda (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Best Cast Recording of the Year: Pippin (The New Broadway Cast Recording)

THE BEST IN MERCHANDISING/COLLECTIBLES!

• Best Merchandising for a Musical: Pippin: Re-live the show with a hula hoop and stuffed duck of your very own!
• Best Merchandising for a Play: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike: The mug alone sets this Best Play's merch apart from the rest!

• Best Merchandising for a Long-Running Show: Jersey Boys: Oh! What a night! And what merchandise!  There's even a clock made out of a vinyl LP!
• Best Merch Tie-In: Hands down, the winner is the Cinderella tiara!

• Best Merch Trend: Revamping show t-shirts.  So many choices, and great for repeat fans!
• Best Souvenir Program - Play: The Glass Menagerie: a terrific tribute to the production and to the history of the brilliant play.
• Best Souvenir Program - Musical: Pippin: There's real "Magic To Do" with the supper cool slip cover that surrounds this picture book.

THE BEST PRE- and POST-SHOW MEALS THAT THE AVERAGE PERSON CAN AFFORD!

• Best Breakfast: Edison Cafe - It is fast, it is plentiful.  It is always hot - even the waffles!  And when was the last time you burnt your tongue on scrambled eggs?  I did just that on my last visit...

• Best Lunch: Dallas BBQ - Any location.  They give huge amounts of food (the kid's meal is a chicken finger dinner for adults in any other menu).  It also has the fastest service in the city, perfect for grabbing a quick bite right before curtain, even when you are a little behind schedule.

• Best Dinner: Junior's - Except for the crammed-like-sardines waiting area, the wait for a table on weekends is never as long as they predict.  And with a full menu and bar service, there is something for everyone in your party - a good sized kid's menu, sandwiches and salads, an enormous deli menu (with equally enormous portions), and an great selection of dinners - healthy stuff, comfort food, yummy indulgences are all on the list.  And, then there's the desserts... (My favorite isn't even cheesecake - I LOVE the yellow cake with chocolate icing!)

• Best Margarita - Frozen: Dallas BBQ- Texas Size with an extra shot!
• Best Margarita - Rocks: Junior's - Large and, uh, very potent...

THE BEST THEATRE-GOING EXPERIENCE!

• Best Theatre Lobby: The Foxwoods Theatre
• Best Theatre Seating: Stephen Sondheim Theatre

RELATED ARTICLES:

2013 in Review: Top Theatre Story #2: Spider-Man Again... and at Last!

2013 in Review: Top Theatre Story #3: Calling All Rock Stars!

Jeff

5.069

Broadway on TV: Big Fish

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE IN ROUND 6 OF HOT OR NOT: 
A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER EDITION!

CLICK THE SHOW LOGO TO YOUR LEFT AND CAST YOUR BALLOT!

THIS POLL WILL CLOSE AT 6PM ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD!

You are the producer of a big, expensive Broadway show.  Considering the level of talent both on stage and off, you are sure you have a blockbuster on your hands.  Then the show opens to very mixed reviews, and there is almost no buzz being generated.  People are talking, but it is mostly trying to guess when your show will close.  The producers of Big Fish are in just that position. How do they save this show?  

Step one: Grab TV viewers with an ad that highlights the more traditional aspects of a Broadway musical.  In this case, pay close attention to dance numbers, cross-cutting steps with the elements of fantasy - a giant, whirling witches, dancing elephant asses - that are a large part of this performance.  Make those scenes a rapid fire feast of visual wonders - leggy lines of all-American chorus girls, sexy chorus cowboys, tons of scenery.

Step two: Make those viewers believe it is a critical success - after all, how many of them read theatre reviews?  Say them aloud as they flash on the screen.

Step three:  Add a clever tag line - something about living life in "full bloom" - as you see a stage erupt in golden daffodil blossoms, as man and woman - obviously the heroes of the story - embrace and look adoringly into each others' eyes.  If you know the show or the book or the movie, you might get the joke outright.  But what fun for people who buy tickets, see the show and then get it, right? 

Grade: C+

I have to admit I was surprised that they didn't invoke the ghosts of shows past.  You know, something along the lines of "from the Tony-winning director of The Producers" or "starring two-time Tony-winner Norbert Leo Butz."  But then I thought about it... the vast majority of theatre-goers are casual theatre-goers.  Why waste any of your 31 seconds on a director no one knows by name or an actor that isn't a TV or film star?  If you are reading this, you know who Ms. Stroman and Mr. Butz are, and how great they are.  But to reach the widest possible pool of ticket buyers, you don't waste time name-dropping.  A wise choice.

Despite that, I can't help but feel that the ad is just like the show.  Much ado about almost nothing.

Jeff
5.039

Broadway on TV: First Date

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THIS POLL WILL CLOSE AT 6 PM ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27TH!

Of the two new musicals that opened over the summer, only First Date is still plugging along.  Although it is pretty steady at the box office, one wonders how much longer this little charmer (review HERE) will be around, as the bigger, splashier shows start opening.  I thought I'd take this time to see what they are doing to try and lure audience members, on TV at least.  And I found two commercials to evaluate.  I don't live in New York or the surrounding area, so I'm not sure which (or both) of these is being shown there.



TV Spot 1: "Clowns" Grade: A-

This ad finds a great balance between the typical Broadway musical commercial and utilizing the show's greatest assets, its leads, Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriguez.  There is the tried and true fast cut of scenes, revealing a charming character-driven show: lots of close-ups on the cast acting silly, and quite a bit of action, letting us know that, despite a single set, there's plenty of song, dance, movement and laughs.  And there is the expected voice-over, reading the critical quotes.  Cut into this brisk 31 seconds is a "reality" check of Levi and Rodriguez at a restaurant - just like in the show - telling us how fun this show is to be in, and ending with an out of place joke, which is exactly how the show goes.  You get what you expect, and them something fun and and unexpected happens.  The only drawback, kind of, is that it ends with the pair onstage kissing.  This gives away the ending, but I can understand that the producers want to draw in all the folks who dream of romance and a kiss from cutie pie Levi.  And I'm sure there are more than a few out there that wouldn't mind a lip lock from Ms. Rodriguez, either!

TV Spot 2: Audience Testimonial  Grade: A

This spot, like the other, offers both the typical Broadway musical ad and highlights a unique aspect of this particular show.  Long a staple of such ads, this one combines critical quotes with man on the street testimonials lavishing praise on the show they just saw.  What is interesting, and somewhat unusual, is that some of these testimonials are from men!  Smartly, the producers have included guys in the praise, showing tat this will appeal to both partners on date night.  And it is true from my experience - the day I saw it, the men were having as good a time as all the matinee ladies.  But this ad also wisely (and perhaps to appeal again to men) emphasizes two unique qualities of this particular show: it is short and there is a great after show street party where you can get pics and autographs with the stars.  We know it is short from the time stamp in the corner, and someone mentions that it is 90 minutes of fun.  And then the paparazzi film style shows the cast being silly for the camera while signing everything in sight and posing for photos with the adoring fans.  Clearly, First Date is as fun after as it is during!  The icing on the cake is the final image - the show logo with ticket info, emphasizing that tickets can be had for as little as $35 each.  Smart all the way around, if you ask me.

Jeff
5.035

Broadway on TV: The Glass Menagerie

When I left the Booth Theatre a couple of weeks ago, I had that "theatre buzz" feeling.  It is that rare excitement - a mixture of an aching soul and an exhilaration in my senses that would probably have allowed me to run the New York Marathon right then and there. Overwhelmed by the need to articulate my feelings, I'm pretty sure I babbled on and on, trying to get it all out.

So, when I saw this commercial for The Glass Menagerie, I had to smile and chuckle to myself.  Why?  I remember saying things like, "It took my breath away!" and "Zachary Quinto was a real revelation!" Lo and behold, what quotes are used in that ad?  See for yourself...

Grade: A+

As classy and powerful as the show that it is advertising, this TV spot is a textbook example of how to promote a play (versus a musical).  First, almost all such ads include pull quotes from the reviews, but it is essential for a play.  I've read that several surveys have shown that people who buy tickets to straight plays are most influenced by reviews.  This spot includes quotes from a variety of sources, some spoken aloud, others fading in and out of the visuals.  And the most prominently displayed (and spoken) are those from The New York Times, still the most influential source of criticism among those same ticket buyers surveyed.

The sound of the commercial also tells so much about this production.  The underscoring - a somber piano tune - comes directly from the show.  The male voice narrating it is deep and very serious - no hype here.  But it is the kind of voice that commands your attention - maybe even enough to make you not change the channel or turn around as you run off to the kitchen for a snack.

Visually, this commercial captures the show's theatricality, starting with a slow pan away from the outside of  the Booth Theatre, and then fading into a shot of a stage light shining on the title.  Tennessee Williams wanted all to know that this play was meant to be overtly theatrical (have you ever read the stage directions for this masterpiece?), and the production  and this ad embrace that concept completely.  As the ad goes on, images from the show fade in and out, colorful and extra vibrant against a completely black background.  And on the sides where the quotes appear in bright white, the black background ripples like water making rings after a pebble stirs it. Of course, the reflective water mirrors (literally and figuratively) a key design element in the show.

A memory play... a memorable production... this commercial pays off in enticing theatre-goers to get to the Booth, and it pays homage to an amazing production of an real American masterpiece.

Jeff
5.031

The 2013 Tony Awards: The Nominees for Best Play on TV

And now, the final look at the TV commercials vying for your theatre-going dollars: the Best Play Nominees! As with the Best Play Revival ads (HERE), the ads are limited to around 16 seconds each, as opposed to Best Musical Revival ads (HERE and HERE) and Best Musical ads (HERE and HERE).

NOTE: I couldn't find an ad for The Testament of Mary.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

• As terrific as the play it is advertising...
• The stars we love by first names, just like the title...
• A big joke about the long, easily mis-pronounced title...
• The Tony nominations...
• The scenes capture the zany fun...
• Ending with a friendly, family-like argument, like much of the play itself...and a great punchline!

The Assembled Parties

• A somewhat cryptic title is sort of explained,but more importantly, the voice, a commanding female voice, tells us what it is all about in very relatable terms...
• The visual tell us place - Upper East Side - and the relationship between the three main characters...
• The voice over reminds us of the acclaimeed members of the cast, award winners and nominees, all...
• Clearly aimed at the "ladies who lunch," and it is working, apparently... an extension and a nice Tony nomnations haul...

Lucky Guy

• The sentimental favorite of the season, it is interesting that the ad, much like the play's subject, is strictly by the facts... a smart move given that the female theatregoer is a shoo-in for sales, so why not get the men to show up, too?
• For the guys, Everyman Tom Hanks, a gritty New York setting and a gruff voiceover...
• For the gals, Pretend Lover Tom Hanks, the lovable and late writer of two Hanks ladies films, You've Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle, Nora Ephron...
• For the unimpressed theatre snob... George C. Wolfe is directing...

Clearly, the no nonsense approach works... it is a hot ticket, making scads of money, and has been extended.  Can the film version be far behind?

Jeff
4.270

The 2013 Tony Awards: The Best Play Revival Nominees on TV

As the countdown to the Tonys continues, I'm taking a look at the ways this year's nominees for Best Play Revival tried to entice TV viewers into seeing their show.  Unlike most musicals, these shows have but 16 to 30 seconds to get their message out there.

Two of these shows use very similar techniques:

Orphans

• A quick screen shot of multiple reviews, with eye-catching words like "powerful" and "dazzling" that hones into the important Tony nomination graphic
• A male husky voice reads us quotes about screen-now-stage stars, engaging the men that the horny housewives who'll want to see this hunky trio
• Hits all the right buttons and quickly... why didn't it work?

The Trip to Bountiful

• Vintage country scenes whiz by, suggesting a road trip, while a jazzy period number plays in the background. time and place, check.
• A gentle, but authoratative voice reads rave reviews
• The star power is rolled out; name and picture aurally and visually conveyed
• Well done... why aren't audiences flocking to this show?

Golden Boy

Leave it to Lincoln Center to create a piece of advertising art.  They take twice the time, and the result is mesmerizing.  I am kicking myself still for missing this one...

• Whether the viewing audience knows it or not, the opening seconds tell the time, place and story.
• The smoky montage is visually interesting and atches the masculine tone and subject matter of the story.
• "Musician" Seth Numrich cross-cut with "boxer" Seth Numrich... sensitivity AND athleticism.
• Sweaty/sexy... athletic/artistic.. appeals to a wide-variety of potential audience members.
• Nice work all the way around!

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

All these monrhs later, this one is still the one to beat.  It is a combination of the three above, substituting more quote for Tony info, at the time unknown to all...

• Fast cuts of the sparring and heavy action of the play are highlighted, a good thing when most people equate older plays with lengthy, stuffy monologues.
• Even smarter, freez-framing allows us to take in the emotions of the brilliant actors we are hearing about in the voice over, which is reading us the obligatory rave reviews.
• Again, it hits all the buttons, and the show got an extension.  If it really worked, wouldn't it still be running?

Jeff
4.269

The 2013 Tony Awards: The Best Musical Revival Nominees on TV

2 DAYS LEFT TO PICK THE NOMINEES FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL JKTS AWARDS! 

CLICK THE GREEN BOX TO YOUR RIGHT, LOAD THE PAGE, 

AND SCROLL DOWN TO BEGIN! 

NOMINATIONS CLOSE AT NOON ON SATURDAY, JUNE 1!

So, how are the Best Musical Revival nominees trying to draw full houses?  HERE's a look at the television commercials for the first two of the four nominees: Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella and Pippin.  Today, let's look at Annie and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

I offer a few thoughts below...

Annie

Commerial #1 - "Hard Knock Life"

Commerial #2 - "Tomorrow"

Commerial #3 - "I Don't Need Anything But You"

• With but 1 Tony Award nomination, it makes sense that the awards aren't even mentioned in these ads.
• At about 15 seconds each, again the producers have made a smart economic move - 3 ads for a little more than what one would cost.
• Bang for the buck: high quality video in front of a green screen - no fees for the set and lights and associated costs; and the look is both "traditional" Annie and it looks so slick and modern!
• Even if the TV viewer leaves the set for a potty break, he'll/she'll still hear the infectious "Hard Knock Life" and "Tomorrow," the ultimate Broadway earworm.
• And for theatre fans who might be more interested in the show if someone was in it they want to see, there's Anthony Warlow and up-and-comer Lilla Crawford in "I Don't Need Anything But You."  No Jane Lynch, you ask? Well, that's a lot of cash to put out for a limited run.
• Overall, I'd say that the producers have taken the show's depression-era themes to heart and have spent their money wisely.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

• Sadly, Drood is no longer with us.  But this commercial probably helped it extend its limited engagement.  And they sure crammed a lot into 30 seconds!
• Want stars in your show? How about all of the abve-the-title celebs doing appearances in character?!
• Need to know that the critics loved it? A full screen list of news logos while the voice over tells us the "raves are in!" should do the trick.
• But to really hit home a common theme of those reviews and the show itself  the screen shows "fun" quotes!
• And the show itself shows well - cross cuts of the lavish sets and costumes, the dancing and the stars in action (you can't beat a glimpse of Chita Rivera's gams)!
• All of it makes me sad that the show has closed.  It was certainly a bright spot in an iffy season.

Then came the news that Drood wouldn't be on the Tonys, either.  In typical Drood fashion, Tony nominees Stephanie J. Block and Will Chase offer this funny video.  Isn't it nice and kinda sad to see that everything from Drood is still up at Studio 54?  Enjoy!



Jeff
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The 2013 Tony Awards: Best Musical Revival Nominees on TV (Part I)

4 DAYS LEFT TO PICK THE NOMINEES FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL JKTS AWARDS! 

CLICK THE GREEN BOX TO YOUR RIGHT, LOAD THE PAGE, 

AND SCROLL DOWN TO BEGIN! 

NOMINATIONS CLOSE AT NOON ON SATURDAY, JUNE 1!

So, how are the Best Musical Revival nominees trying to draw full houses?  Here's a look at the television commercials for the first two of the four nominees: Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella and Pippin.

I offer a few thoughts below...

Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella

This commercial hits all the right buttons, in my opinion:

• Right off the bat, the voice over tells us it is the Rodgers and Hammerstein version, while a bouncy tune plays in underscore.  The point is later emphasized when he mentions South Pacific and The Sound of Music.
• Visually, we see the iconic image of all versions of the story: Cinderella running down the palace steps at midnight (the clock looms largely), with the Prince in hot pursuit.
• The words on the screen start right off with the 9 Tony Award Nominations, then in between scenes, the critical quotes hit home the idea that the show is a hit.
• The scenes shown do double duty: we see scenes familiar to any version of the story - the wicked step-mother and sisters in cahoots; the pumpkin coach on the way to the ball, the fairy godmother overseeing it all.  At the same time, the scenes show that it is a big splashy musical - lots of dancing, pretty costumes and magical stage effects.
• And it ends perfectly: Voiceover says, "Broadway's most romantic night," just as Cinderella and her Prince share a magical, romantic kiss.

Pippin

A commercial that is as thrilling as the show it is advertising:

For the avid theatre fan:

• Notice that the commercial mimics the show logo

For the Fosse/original Pippin fan:

• The Fosse moves start in silhouette, and are featured at each "punch" in the music
• The underscoring is a montage of the most familiar tunes of the original score: "Corner of the Sky," "Magic to Do," and "Morning Glow."

For fans of new, modern musicals:

• Nothing about this looks like an "old show."  Sexy costumes, spectacular effects and circus/magic tricks.
• For the teen/college crowd - a key demographic for this production:
• Sexy young guy featured prominently. Sexy, young, muscular chorus boys.  Pretty girls in sassy outfits being tossed about by the sexy, young, muscular chorus boys.

For those who need critical affirmation:

• "Best musical of the season!" fades in with 4 or 5 newspapers listed.  "30 Award Nominations!" Enough said!  Bravo!

Jeff

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The 2013 Tony Awards: Best Musical Nominees on TV (Part II)

FINAL TWO DAYS TO VOTE IN THE FINALS OF 
THIS YEAR'S HOT OR NOT CONTEST!

POLL CLOSES TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7PM!  VOTE NOW!!  
(CLICK THE PIC TO YOUR RIGHT!)

Yesterday, I talked about the TV ads for two of the four Best Musical Tony Award nominees (HERE).  Today, I'll take a fast look at the other two: A Christmas Story: The Musical  and Matilda.

A Christmas Story: The Musical

The people behind this show are the smartest of the season.  Don't tell me all of those banner ads for the show "looking for kids for the upcoming tour" weren't also there just in time for Tony nominations to be made by sheer coincidence!  Haven't seen one since the show nabbed a coveted nod in the Best Musical category...

• This ad plays to all of the familiarity of the beloved film.  It trades on the audience going in knowing what they are getting before they get there.  People will part with money faster for a "sure thing."
• Using critical quotes adds legitimacy to fans on the fence and regular theatre-goers who usually snub shows made from films.
• You gotta love the film-like narrator, the vintage wrapping paper on the gifts, and the Ralphie (from the film) lookalike.  And what else can you do but smile at that crazy leg lamp?
• Slick!  And it doesn't contain a single second of the show - no pesky "original cast" to have to fess up about for future productions.  The ultimate in "Broadway Green" - reusable with no changes needed!

I admire the audacity of the whole thing.  And as one unfamiliar with the film before seeing the show, I still wanted to see it.  What more can you ask for from a TV ad?

Matilda

Instead of ignoring that it is a British import, this ad celebrates it while seamlessly celebrating the sheer "Broadway-ness" of it all.  Love the British voice over!

• The floating letters emphasizing certain words in critical quotes does triple duty: you get plum critical huzzahs, key words ("extraordinary" and "believe the hype" are but 2 examples) emphasize why you NEED to see this, and it recalls the set and "discovery" of Matilda's brilliance.
• The narration giving way to the "Revolting Children" number is good: it gives audiences a sample of the score, and it tells us that the show is child-centric.
• Notice you don't see much of Matilda herself... emphasis is on the kids and their adversary, the evil Miss Trunchbull, seen in eerie light, staring evilly in a smoky room, versus the good girl of Miss Honey, sweet in her flower print dress and pink sweater, giving hugs.
• Notice, too, the emphasis of the mysterious - cross-cutting between all those odd, over-the-top characters: how could all of these oddballs fit into one show? - and again, lots of eerie colors - yellows and greens - and tons of soupy fog.
• And then there is the subliminal nod to Spring Awakening: doesn't a lot of that dance sequence look a lot like those "Totally Fucked" moves, anchored by a kid lead singing a la "The Bitch of Living"?  Is this the Spring Awakening for the grade school set?  Or does this show that even though the show is teeming with little tykes, that it will appeal to the all-important 18-49 demographic?  What is more exciting than watching adult-sized children swinging on giant swings with carefree abandon?

Exciting, colorful, thoughtful, mysterious and engrossing - the commercial and the show.  This much effort in a 80 second ad shows the same level of care taken with the whole show,  No wonder it should and will be the 2013 Best Musical.

Jeff

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The 2013 Tony Awards: Best Musical Nominees on TV (Part I)

DO NOT FORGET!  THE FINALS IN THIS YEAR'S HOT OR NOT POLL 

CLOSE ON SUNDAY!  VOTE NOW!!

As we have for the past few seasons, let's take a look at the television commercials for the Tony Award nominees.  Today is a brief look at Best Musical nominees Bring It On and Kinky Boots.

Bring It On: The Musical

• Slick, fast-paced and exciting, much like the actual performance.
• Modern music from the score in the background.
• Visuals should draw in fans of the film: two teams, one "suburban," the other "urban"; competitive cheerleading; modern dance moves.
• Has the feel of the familiar, but the urgency and vibe of the most modern trends.

The commercial represents everything the show was.  It was my favorite new musical designed to be fun and nothing more.

Kinky Boots

• The first, so far, of the Tony nominated shows to capitalize on its nominations.
• Emphasizes traditional Broadway musical qualities: big dance numbers, funny physical comedy, leggy show girls in glitzy costumes.
• Manages to tell the main story: those flashy red "kinky boots," factory workers coming together, some boxing, and pretty girls to the rescue.
• Manages to cross cut fast enough that you might just miss the drag queens.  Of course, the "gay thing" is so much less an issue than ever before.  Why emphasize the old-fashioned, nearly quaint aspects of the show?
• Ends with the one thing no one can argue - it is the most Tony nominated show of the season.

This commercial confirms what I thought about the show itself: flashy and fun, with a kick ass score, but also nothing new and almost behind the times.

Jeff

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2012 in Review: The Best and Worst: Non-Performance Categories

For the fourth year now, it is my pleasure (more often than not) and my occasional disappointment (still too often) to name the very best and some of the very worst of the year in both performance and non-performance categories in all kinds of "theatre scene" ways.  Pretty fitting for a blog by this name, huh?

Today, I'll share my favorites -and a few not-so-favorites - in 37 non-performance categories.  As always, I welcome your comments and your own "winners."  Write in (jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com), Tweet me (@jkstheatrescene), or leave a comment below!  I look forward to hearing from all of you!

THE BEST (AND WORST) OF THE 2012 THEATRESCENE: 
NON-PERFORMANCE

(* - denotes a repeat winner)

For Broadway Foodies and People Watchers:

*Best Cheap Eats: Café Edison - Not just cheap, but the best place to catch a glimpse of your favorite Broadway stars stocking up on soup and coffee to go!

*Best Cheap Eats w/ Drinks: Dallas BBQ - The frozen drinks are enormous, the portions are enormous, the prices are not!

Best Deli Sandwich to Go: Starlite Deli - Next to Bowlmor Lanes, this hole in the wall is easy to miss, but the chip/soda and deli sandwich choices are worth stepping into the door.  Some seriously good chicken salad!

Best Dessert: Juniors - You don't have to eat there to enjoy their desserts (though the whole menu is pretty darned good), since there are TWO to-go store fronts.  Famous for their cheesecake, I'd recommend the yellow cake with chocolate icing... OMG!

Best Comfort Food: Southern Hospitality - Fried chicken like you can only get in the South, and probably the best mashed potatoes and gravy in the city.  Plus the sides come on small skillets - too cute!

Best Place to Star Gaze Under Cover: Juniors Porch  - At the corner of Shubert Alley and directly across from the Marriott Marquis Breezeway, there is no better place to catch a glimpse of your favorite Broadway folks on their way to and from work.

Best Place to People Watch: TKTS Steps - A great view, a great breeze.  Unless it is raining. But at least you can sit and not be bothered...

Worst Place to People Watch: Times Square Pedestrian Mall - Last year's best has become this year's worst.  The pan-handlers are bad enough, but the ticket hawkers, fake Elmos and tourists taking pictures of themselves on the jumbo-tron make the whole area feel skeezy to me.  And is it me or does the whole place smell funny?  It has become the 42nd Street of the new millennium.

For Advertising and Print Media:

Best Logo Broadway Play: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf - Simple and eye-catching.  And the superb symbol of this boozy classic.

Worst Logo Broadway Play: The Lyons - Simple and boring.  Saw (and loved) the play and still don't quite get the pink background with the tear through it.

Best Logo Musical: Bring It On - Great image from a distance and even more interesting up close.  Young and sexy, fun and athletic.  Just like the production.

Worst Logo Musical: Jesus Christ Superstar - Not religious. Not super.  Not starry.  So straightforward it is dull.  Just like the production.

Best Off-Broadway Logo Musical: Bare: The Musical - A smart way to tell the story and capture the themes of the show.  And how trendy to use Instagram!

Best Off-Broadway Logo Play: Cock - Clever double entendre.  And they could still advertise the show this way...

Best Advertising Revamp of a Long-Running Show: Mamma Mia! - The new cast and the new photos have revitalized last year's worst revamp...

Best Advertising Revamp of a Broadway-related event: Broadway Bares - Just like Mamma Mia!, Broadway Bares got back on track with this year's Happy Endings. I'd love to follow Jack right up that beanstalk!

Best Window Card (Broadway Musical): Once

Best Window Card (Broadway Play): Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Window Card Off-Broadway: Bare: The Musical

For Advertising and Multitmedia (Internet, Social Media, Video):

Best Commercial (Musical): TIE Once and Chaplin

Best Commercial (Play): Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Use of the Internet: Newsies - Those boys everywhere! They Tweet, they Facebook and the produce so much behind-the-scenes video, it would take you a whole day to watch it all! (Way to go, Andrew Keenan-Bolger!)

Best Broadway Multimedia Trend: Music Videos by Broadway casts!  They get better with each new venture.  Right now, the cast of The Mystery of Edwin Drood takes the cake!

Best Broadway Social Media Trend: #SIP - Makes me look forward to Saturdays at about 3:30 every week... and when I'm at a Saturday matinee, now I always wonder what the cast is doing while we wait for act two.

#SIPs from Evita and Newsies

(and with founders Max von Essen and Andrew Keenan-Bolger)

Best Website: Bring It On - It is pretty standard for a show site these days, but it looks so slick and the content is uniformly entertaining...just like the show.

Worst Website: Roundabout Theater Company - It starts out promisingly enough, with the large colorful show logos, but the content is as about exciting as the reference section of the public library.

Best Theatre Wesite: Playbill.com/Playbill Vault/Playbill Memory Bank - The gold standard.  By far.

For Merch/Show Collectors:

Best Merchandising Musical: Silence! - So much like the show (and the film that inspired it), the merch is so disgusting I can't describe it here.  But it is merch perfection - variety, quantity AND show tie-in!

Best Merchandising Play: Peter and the Starcatcher - All usual stuff, only better.  Plus books! And 'Staches!

Best Merchandising Long-Running: Wicked - They are smart enough to keep the classics AND to rotate new stuff in for the legions of repeat fans.  They are almost as good as the Disney people...

Best Merch Tie-in: Leg Lamps at A Christmas Story: The Musical  - Actual lamps and mini-legs on a string of lights.  Actually, all of the merchandise was perfect for fans of the film AND the show.

Best Merch Trend: Tall Latte Coffee Mugs - OK, they've been around off and on for a couple of years, but more and more shows seem to be stocking these.  Great for coffee or for pen and pencil storage on my your desk at work.

Best Souvenir Program: Newsies' Pape - You gotta love it that Disney sells the program in a format that will allow the 'tweens to play Newsies at home...

For General Media:

CD Packaging of a Broadway Cast Recording: Bonnie and Clyde

Theatre Book: The Broadway Musical Quiz Book

For Best Theatre Experience:

Best Lobby: New World Stages - Spacious, modern and infinitely interesting.  Half a dozen shows (or more), plus merch stands, an art gallery, and there is still room to breathe!  Amazing!

Best Theatre: Barrymore - The most comfortable seating and best sight lines of all the old houses.

And REMEMBER: As always, I welcome your comments and your own "winners."  Write in (jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com), Tweet me (@jkstheatrescene), or leave a comment below!  I look forward to hearing from all of you!

RELATED ARTICLES:

• 2012 in Review: Top Broadway News Story #2: Les Miserables (The Movie) HERE
• 2012 in Review: Top Broadway News Story #3: Rebecca HERE

Jeff

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