BROADWAY BABY: Theatre Scenes goes to Broadway
A Kiwi in NYC [by James Wenley]
A battle for Broadway Real Estate in Times Square
Where can you find Harry Potter leading a dance number, Samuel L Jackson acting as a civil rights Mofo, and Spiderman trying not to fall into the audience? The Great White Way, the Capital of the Musical: Broadway Baby. New York, New York.
Last month I travelled to New York in pursuit of a dream: To see a real live, all singing, all dancing Broadway show. I’ve always been a big fan of the Musical experience, so where better to go? But I didn’t want to see just one singular sensation. Oh no. My mission was thirteen shows in ten days. Every night, and some afternoons too, I’d be seeing a new Broadway show.
Many thought I was crazy. Some asked how I could possibly remember them all. Others feared for my wallet. Worth it? You betcha.
I stayed at literally the cheapest hotel in New York. The reviews were burning. But you can’t always trust reviews can you (cough)? Luckily, it was pretty decent, and the bed even quite large. It was on a street right near the heart of Time Square – Spiderman was playing right next door (a gentleman’s club was our other neighbour…). It proved an excellent base to check out the theatres, galleries and the odd Occupy Wall Street protest (a theatrical triumph in its own right).
And the shows? Ah, the shows.