All in Broadway Musical Musings
Well, Hamilton swept the Tony Awards and before the trophies could gather dust on the mantelpiece, news of original cast members departing the production began to get people (especially those who haven't seen it yet, down). In the coming weeks, the two male leads, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom, Jr., will depart the show, breaking the hearts of legions of zealous fans. True, they have spent quite a few months performing this show eight-times a week and have probably earned some time away, and they will most-likely return to the show for limited engagements. It's hard for many to imagine Hamilton without these two powerhouse performers.
This week, musical theatre lovers were greeted with the bittersweet news that the film adaptation of the mega-hit Wicked is going to happen, but we will have to wait until 2019 before they will see their favorite green lady on the big screen. The producers have been talking about the film version of Wicked for years, but they seem to be defying urgency in its path to fruition. Is there a reason why it is taking so long, or are they just waiting for the Broadway production's popularity to peter out?
The Broadway Theatre Community did a commendable job this week, using the spotlight of the Tony Awards to gracefully pay tribute to the victims on the senseless shootings in Orlando. Whether it was James Corden’s sincere and appropriately somber opening remarks, Frank Langella’s eloquent acceptance speech that deflected attention from himself and shed light on the atrocity, to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s now oft-quoted sonnet reminding us that “Love is Love is Love is Love.” It’s nice to know that the we (the theatre community) can hold each other up in times of darkness. It’s what we’ve always done.
Well, we are almost to the end of our wait and the Tony Awards will be given out this weekend. There has been a tremendous amount of hoopla leading up to the awards, something I affectionately refer to as “Tony Baloney.” I don’t know if there have always been this many publicity stunts surrounding the awards, or if certain theatre websites are just running out of other things to talk about, filling the void with the news of every photoshoot and luncheon that the awards season brings. I always liked that New York theatre took a reserved approach to handing out accolades, keeping it classy and about the work, without getting too caught up in the flash and trash aspect. Certainly, these hardworking artists deserve to be recognized for their work, I just hope that the current trend of over-promotion is not a necessity born out of keeping up with other awards shows. Surely, the trophy is enough
