The Olympics Opening Ceremonies: The World's Best Production 2012

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Every 4 years, the worlds of art and athleticism come together to celebrate the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics, celebrating all that is great about humanity - people from all over the globe stand side by side, smiling and full of goodwill.  In short, for a few hours, we are all one - no bigotry, religious and political differences are set aside.  I get teary thinking about it.

This year's festivities were huge on theatricality.  The British, lead by director Danny Boyle, do spectacle no one else.  Combining ingenious filmed sequences with live theatre, the Olympic stadium was transformed from a gigantic pastoral setting to a mammoth industrial  to a fantasy sequence celebrating children's literature and the national healthcare system.  There were many highlights: Kenneth Branaugh as the Shakespeare-quoying narrator, James Bond (Daniel Craig) and the Queen parachuting in, Mary Poppins vanquishing Cruella deVil, The Queen of Hearts, Captain Hook and Voldemorte; the stunning midfield cauldron.  I especially loved the lit panels in front of every seat, which provided amazing backgrounds for each scene and even the occasional filmed sequence.  The silhouette of an Olympic runner, taking "a lap" around the stadium was super cool.

It was a superb production full of giant strokes and subtle details.  It made me proud to be a human being.

FROM PASTORAL BRITAIN...

...TO THE INDUSTRIAL AGE

MARY POPPINS TO THE RESCUE

JAMES BOND AND THE QUEEN DROP IN

TO SAVE THE OLYMPICS

THE OLYMPIC BELL

PEACE - WHAT IT SHOULD ALL BE ABOUT

EVERY DAY

THE OLYMPIC CAULDRON

THE CEREMONIES CLOSE WITH A BANG!

(Photos from Getty Images)

Jeff

3.333

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The Broadway Olympics

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Tomorrow marks the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.  The Olympics is a showcase of some of the world's very best athletes, just as Broadway is a showcase for some of the world's best theatrical talents.  I look forward to the Olympics every time they come around, much as I look forward to each new opening of the Broadway season.  It's kinda funny, considering that I'm not really a sports fan, but there is just something about the Games.  It's probably the very human drama that plays out at each event - the stories of how these complete strangers make it to the pinnacle of their chosen sport, often against incredible odds are so compelling.  And the sheer emotion on display with each victory and defeat drives me to watch as much as possible - I scream at the TV, cheer at the winners, and even share a tear with the losers (and winners).  Doesn't everyone?

So, yesterday, as I started to zone out in my cubicle, my twisted little brain got to thinking: what if Broadway WAS the Olympics?  What events would they be in?  Who would be a star "athlete"?

The Olympic Committee/The Judges: The Cast of The Best Man

The Olympic Village: Rock of Ages (entertainment); Spider-Man (security); Clybourne Park (housing)

The Opening Ceremonies Parade of Nations: Greece: Mamma Mia!; The Nations of Africa: The Book of Mormon, The Lion King; Argentina: Evita; France: The Phantom of the Opera; Ireland: Once; Nigeria: Fela!; United Kingdom: Mary Poppins, One Man, Two Guvnors, War Horse; United States of America: Chicago, Jersey Boys, Memphis


The Games:

Equestrian: War Horse
Diving: Peter - Peter and the Starcatcher
Swimming: Peter and the Mermaids - Peter and the Starcatcher; The Boys of Mamma Mia!; Eileen Evergreen and the Bathing Beauties - Nice Work If You Can Get It

Rowing: Matron Mama Morton - Chicago; The Shipwrecked - Peter and the Starcatcher
Gymnastics: Floor Exercises: The Cheerleaders of Bring It On; The Newsboys: Newsies; The Sinister Six: Spider-Man

Gymnastics: The High Bar: Duchess Estonia Dulworth - Nice Work If You Can Get It (She always sticks the landing!); Timon: The Lion King
Gymnastics: The Balance Beam: Anyone who dances on the bar at Once; Rachel Crabbe and Stanley Stubbers - One Man, Two Guvnors; Bert - Mary Poppins
Rhythmic Gymnastics: The Double Dutch girls - Memphis; The Corps de Ballet - The Phantom of the Opera; The Merry Murderesses - Chicago; Eva Peron - Evita

Wrestling: Francis Henshall and the Trunk - One Man, Two Guvnors, Simba and Scar - The Lion King; Sam Wheat and Willie Lopez - Ghost The Musical; Spider-Man and the Green Goblin - Spider-Man
Track and Field: Long Distance Running: Elphaba and Fiyero - Wicked; Little Simba and the Wildebeests - The Lion King; The Subway Ghost - Ghost: The Musical; Crown - Porgy and Bess; The Cast of Peter and the Starcatcher

Track and Field: The Hurdles: The Newsboys - Newsies; The Sisters - Sister Act
Track and Field: The Long Jump: The Newsboys - Newsies; Spider-Man - Spider-Man

Shooting: The Gendarme - The Phantom of the Opera; Roxie and Velma - Chicago; Billie Bendix - Nice Work If You Can Get It; Willie Lopez - Ghost The Musical

The Closing Ceremonies: Judy Garland - End of the Rainbow (Who throws a better party?)

Jeff

3.331

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Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a professional baseball game.  Which game and where isn't all that important, but that I had never been to this stadium before and that it was something I haven't done in years is what matters the most here.  You see, the experience opened my eyes to the fact that the world of sports and the world of theatre aren't as far apart as I had always thought.

I guess this epiphany isn't really all that new - I had similar revelations about these two worlds colliding after seeing Lombardi.  And, yes, baseball fans have as much in common with theatre fans as football fans do.  But actually attending a game reminded me so much of going to a Broadway show.  There are many similarities!

The pre-game excitement is the same.

• Theatre Fans: We buy tickets in advance for our favorite shows and all of the exciting new ones.  We look forward to it for weeks, gobbling up every tidbit of news and gossip we can get our hands on.  Sometimes we prep for the show by listening to the cast recording or watching show clips on YouTube.
• Baseball Fans: They buy tickets in advance for their favorite opposing teams.  They look forward to it for weeks, gobbling up every tidbit of news and statistics they can get their hands on. Sometimes they prep for the game by studying the box scores or by watching game clips on SportsCenter.

Arriving at the game is the same.

• Theatre Fans: We get to the theatre a little early, checking out the marquee, reminiscing about previous trips to the same place, getting a pre-show drink and checking out the merch booths.  There is a buzz in the place as people scurry to their seats.
• Baseball Fans: They get to the stadium a little early, checking out the banners and posters featuring the home team, reminiscing about previous exciting games at the same stadium, getting pre-game beers, hot dogs and sodas, and checking out the merch booths. There is a buzz in the place as people scurry to their seats.

Being shown to your seat is the same.

• Theatre Fans: We hand the tickets to the ticket taker, who then scans the tickets and directs us to the appropriate section.  An usher takes our tickets and shows us to our row, hands us our Playbills, and grumbles something about how many seats down the row we have to go.  Sometimes we see people selling drinks and snacks in the aisles - over-priced candy and a variety of beverages.
• Baseball Fans:  They hand the tickets to the ticket taker, who then scans the tickets and directs them to the appropriate section. An usher takes the tickets and shows them to their row, wipes off the seats and hands back the tickets.  All over the stadium, people are selling drinks and snacks in the aisles - over-priced cotton candy, hot dogs and a variety of beverages.

Before the event starts is the same.

• Theatre Fans: We chatter about what we are going to see, including the understudy slips, other shows that are featured in the Playbill, and we eye the show curtain.
• Baseball Fans:  They chatter about the line up, including injured players, the game they are going to see, other games that are featured on the Jumbo-Tron, and they play along to games on the screens around the stadium.

During the event, behavior is the same.

• Theatre Fans: We listen intently when it is good, we (rudely) whisper to our companions about things we like and things we don't, we cheer and "woo hoo" our favorite moments and stars, and we stand up when the performance is exceptional.  The actors and dancers are in top form.
• Baseball Fans: They stare intently when each batter is up and at each pitch and fielding play, they(sometimes rudely) yell to their companions about things they like and things they don't, they cheer and "woo hoo" their favorite moments and stars, and they stand up when the performance is exceptional.  The players are at their peak of performance, executing difficult plays with finesse.  (Damn Yankees barely scratches the surface compared to what real ball players do.)

Leaving the event is the same.

• Theatre Fans: We slowly shuffle out, stop to buy a t-shirt, and loudly chatter excitedly as we re-live the entire thing we just saw.  Or, if we hate the show, we loudly proclaim our disappointment, and loudly rip it to shreds.
• Baseball Fans: They slowly shuffle out, stop to buy a t-shirt, and loudly chatter excitedly as they re-live the entire game they just saw. Or, if the home team loses, they loudly proclaim their disappointment, and loudly rip the game and the players to shreds, inning by inning.

Sure, I could probably list 50 things that aren't the same about going to a ballgame.  But at its root, attending a game or a show is the same thing for the most passionate fans of both.  Maybe the gulf between jocks and theatre geeks isn't as wide as we thought it was in high school, after all.

FOLLIES TICKETS CONTEST!
TRIVIA QUESTION #4

Jan Maxwell appeared in all of these musicals on Broadway EXCEPT:

A.  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
B.  City of Angels
C.  Crazy For You
D.  The Sound of Music

CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE CONTEST RULES AND TRIVIA QUESTION #1.

Question #2 is with Tuesday's blog, and question #3 was with yesterday's blog and #5 will appear in Friday's blog.

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Jeff
2.341

Broadway: Sports Center?

The impetus for today's blog is really two things: I was reacquainting myself with the OBCR of Promises, Promises, which is soon to be revived, and later, I was watching Dancing with the Stars, which, tonight, included a send up of ESPN's Sports Center. While the powers that be continue to haggle over whether ballroom dancing should be considered an Olympic sport - it looks athletic to me, especially considering that figure skating and ice dancing in particular ARE Olympic sports. Anyway... Promises, Promises features the great number, "She Likes Basketball!" and that's what got me thinking...

I started to think about which Broadway plays and musicals feature a sport. Now, mind you, the level at which they are portrayed varies, and I am including recreational sport as well. And I am NOT including movie musicals - though Grease 2 does have a spiffy bowling sequence...

Aerobics: The Goodbye Girl; Legally Blonde: The Musical; Carrie: The Musical

Archery: Shogun: The Musical

Baseball: Damn Yankees (of course); Falsettos; Take Me Out

Basketball: Promises, Promises; Disney's High School Musical (the stage version); A Chorus Line

Boxing: Billy Elliot: The Musical

Bull Riding (Mechanical): Urban Cowboy: The Musical

Cheerleading: Grease

Cricket: Blood Brothers

Dodge Ball: Hairspray

Double Dutch: Memphis: The Musical

Fencing: The Scarlet Pimpernel

Fishing: Mamma Mia!

Football: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas; the new Vince Lombardi play

Ice Skating: Meet Me in St. Louis

Lawn Games (Bowling and Croquet): Me and My Girl

Pouncing: The Lion King

Roller Skating: The Rink; Xanadu

Scuba Diving/Snorkeling: Mamma Mia!

Shooting: Annie Get Your Gun

Soccer: The Beautiful Game aka The Boys in the Photograph
Surfing: Good Vibrations

Swimming: Sunset Boulevard (LOL)

Tennis: Doubles; Deuce

Track and Field: Grease

Can you think of others? Send 'em in! Jeff