Stage Rush TV: Episode 31
Talking points:
- Broadway on Broadway concert lacks new material
- Stage Rush’s top 3 most-anticipated musicals of the fall
- Diving into John Tartaglia’s mind in Imaginocean
- Broadway grosses
Were you at Broadway on Broadway, Rushers? Did you love the concert, or were you left wanting more performances from new shows? What show opening this fall are you most excited for? Have you seen Imaginocean? Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments!
Don’t forget to follow Stage Rush on Twitter and Facebook for on-the-go updates, news, and sightings!
Stage Rush TV: Episode 13
- Red set designer Christopher Oram kicks off Stage Rush’s Tony series!
- The cast of White’s Lies somehow enjoys themselves, despite the horrific writing
- Broadway grosses
My First Time
Social media has so quickly become a permanent aspect of our lives that we have already begun to see it seep into the arts. David Fincher is set to release his film, The Social Network, about the founding of Facebook in October. But years before Facebook even came across our computer screens, a website called My First Time was amassing mountains of submissions from Web surfers about their memories of losing their virginity. Those submissions have been turned into a delightful off-Broadway play of four actors, a projection screen, and a bunch of hilarious and touching monologues.
Seeing My First Time at New World Stages isn’t just seeing a play—it’s an experience. Go with a friend (not a parent), and if you have a good experience, the play should have you discussing the night’s subject matter long after you leave the theater. You and your buddy will walk in and find a survey (and a My First Time pen!) on your seats. Take a deep breath—they’re anonymous. The survey asks you to share how old you were when you lost your virginity, what your partner’s name was, where you did it, if you still keep in touch, if you felt pressured, how good the experience was, if you used contraception, and what you would say to your partner if they were with you today. Ushers collect the cards and they become part of the show (calm down! I already said they were anonymous).
While the audience waits for the performance to start, a projection screen flashes statistics, both domestic and worldwide, about people’s first sexual experience: average ages, percentages of people that felt pressured into it, as well as quotes from famous authors about sex. Minutes before the show begins, the statistics projected are ones tabulated from the audience’s surveys—a funny and effective way of getting the audience involved. Throughout the show, the actors pull out the survey cards and read from them—a segment which provided uproarious laughter when I saw the show. Read more 
Avenue Q
Avenue Q continues to surprise people, even six years after its Broadway debut. It surprised audiences when it opened because… well, foul-mouthed puppets are a little shocking. It was the upset win for Best Musical at the 2004 Tony Awards, beating out the favored mega-hit Wicked. And it announced what no one saw coming at its closing night performance on Broadway on September 13—the show was re-opening off Broadway!
The announcement sets a sort of precedent for struggling Broadway shows; The New York Times reported that the last incident of a Broadway-off Broadway transfer occurred in 1984. When last January saw the closing of three Best Musical Tony winners (Spamalot, Hairspray and Spring Awakening), enthusiasts claimed the shows were too good to be closing this soon. Of course, if a show’s not making enough to pay the bills, that’s just the way it is. But Avenue Q’s surprise move could start a new trend in New York theater. And it makes perfect sense—Avenue Q wasn’t selling well enough to earn its keep at the Golden Theatre, yet interest in the show was still strong enough to fill an off-Broadway venue. Perhaps Avenue Q’s strategy will give new life to future shows that have slipped in sales, but still maintain a strong fan base.
I saw Avenue Q on Broadway in 2005 and loved it. But a few years have passed and I forgot the reasons that made it great. Viewing it at its new home at New World Stages (where it opened last night) made me remember, and grateful that this show got its second chance. Read more