Attending Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre
Of the many theatre experiences that I have had in New York City, by far the most memorable of them was when I was afforded the chance to see the iconic play Wicked with my friends. Having never seen a Broadway show live before, we found that our excursion proved very worthwhile. Though many aspects make up the whole of the wonderful time we spent going to see the show, by far what struck us as the most important were the venue, the service, and the high level quality of the production, which all proved to be the most defining components of our adventure through Wicked’s land of Oz.
As we approached the Gershwin theatre, we marveled at the sleek and pristine building that towered above us, which bore the classic image of the green and white witches from the play. Though from an exterior view the venue gave off an almost futuristic aura, its interior was decorated richly in fairytale-like splendor,
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Though it was a longer show than what we were used to seeing, every minute of it proved to be worthwhile. Through mostly song, dance, and a bit of spectacle, the story of the wicked witch of Oz came to life before our eyes, which we found had some very important messages to consider. For one, Christine Dwyer (Elphaba) and her struggle to do what she believed was good mirrored our own experiences in trying to get ahead in this life by working hard toward our goals, all the while fighting detrimental influences such as the corrupt Mary Testa (Madame Morrible) and the evil Tom McGowan’s characters (Wizard). In all, the stars of the show did a fantastic job in portraying the aforementioned key message of the story in their acting and other aspects of their performances, and did so in a way that was rich in artistry and entertainment. We emerged from the theatre enlightened with newfound wisdom, which we believed was the greatest benefit of
Last April Something Rotten! came to Broadway at the St. James Theatre on 44th Street.
2o years later and still confrontational A revival of Nick Enright’s Good Works, was demanded after not been staged in Sydney since 1994. Almost two decades forward, Darlinghurst Theatre company have collaboration in order to produce a play a year by Australian writer Nick Enright. Enright’s Good Works spans across the political, cultural and social Australian history from the nineteen sixties to the nineteen eighties.
One of the main magic’s of the theatre is for the audience to go into it unaware of what they will see, and exit with a whole new view in mind. This is still possible in jukebox musicals even if the audience member is familiar with some of the songs. Songs, text, and all literature can be interpreted in different ways based on the individual. Theatre is meant for all different people to enjoy. Some may like going to a show featuring songs that their favorite artists wrote or that speak to a memorable time of their life. It becomes a discussion about how the audience can relate to the characters.
Have you ever wished you could travel to another land like Oz and go on a magical adventure? Well I know for after seeing the Wiz with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, I sure wanted did. I finally got my wish of traveling to Oz by being in a production of the Wiz in elementary school. Ever since then I have been going to see as many productions of the musical because it is my favorite so why not choose this as one of my third shows to see for class. Wrong!!! To my hearts dismay, I should have relived the glory days of myself. In the production of the Wiz I saw, there were only 30 children so most of them played multiple roles ranging from being a background dancer to the main character. My goal was to focus on the main characters: Dorothy, Scarecrow,
The play Wicked, written by American lyricist Stephen Schwartz, was a play that demonstrated several conflicts that a person went through during their lifetime. Elphaba, the protagonist, was born with green skin because of a choice that her mother made. She had to deal with the fear and the looks that people gave her because of her appearance. Elphaba dealt with the mockery of others during her years in school. When reading the play, one could compare Elphaba’s circumstances to discrimination or racism towards African Americans in the nineteen sixties. In college, she discovered that she had magical powers that she could use for good. The people in the town of Oz stereotyped her and assumed she was a witch who wanted to harm everyone because of her
The children’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, which was published in 1900 by L. Frank Baum is conceded as a classic story that many people love. The book gained so much popularity and that led to the release of the film adaptation, “The Wizard of Oz” in 1939. Even though the film adaptation was very similar to the original book, there were some changes in the main character (Dorothy) and the roles of the witches, which were ineffective and effective respectively. First, I will talk about Dorothy’s character and her quest to get back home. Second I will talk about the roles of the witches.
“Shrunken perhaps by the vicissitudes and exigencies of the times, Broadway presented itself admirably throughout the Thirties. It not only managed to preserve the best, but also nurtured and expanded them. At the brink of the new decade, Broadway stood smaller but brighter”
Going to watch my first ever play for a studio one act was a different experience that what I had imagined. I was not expecting the theatre to be smaller in size and it be like a big regular theatre. The theatre in this case was a box shaped and the stage was in the middle of the floor instead in front of the audience. The lights I thought would come as a problem as they might be shined into our eyes but they were never on the audience which was surprising to me. Also the actors and actresses has a good amount of space to act.
As we dressed for the show, my thoughts were flooded with images and ideas. We descended the hotel stairs, hailed a taxi, and arrived at the theatre; while I remained in a pleasant daze. My first impression of the Nederlander met and exceeded all my expectations. I had envisioned an old theater, forgotten by the Broadway elite. As we walked to the door, we were able to see the wall signed by the cast and photos of the premier. The theater itself had a rundown feel to it and left you with the distinct impression that the magic was within the walls and on stage. As we entered the doors, I soaked in every thing. Our seats were located in the center, orchestra section, which gave us a perfect view of all the action.
“The Producers” is one of the most famous musicals in Broadway. Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan adapted the musical from the 1968 film of the same name. The musical is about two producers that oversell interest in a Broadway flop in order to become wealthy. The musical consist in play with in the musical. The producers, Max and Leo, choose the worst play ever written and the worst director. However, the play turns out to be successful and Max goes to jail and Leo escapes with the money to Rio. The two more important external event in the play are the event when Leo decides to help Max and the moment when the play becomes a success.
From the Ancient Greeks, to the Romans, and all the way to present day New York City, theatre is a tradition that has been passed down for thousands of years. The art of expression through live performance is something that will never go out of style. The history of Broadway is a rollercoaster with flourishing highs and devastating lows, but they both have significantly contributed to shaping the industry into the prosperous business that it is today.
Musicals were originally developed in the 20th century with the purpose to entertain, however, they have surpassed this and have accomplished to entwine with the emotions of an audience group through the manipulation of certain musical elements. One of the musicals that correspond to an unadulterated musical is The Wicked. The wicked is based on a book by Winnie Holzman with the Music and Lyrics written by Stephen Schwartz. The musical focuses on the basis of an unlikely friendship and who struggle with opposing viewpoints, personalities and rivalry. This friendship is shown through the pop melodies with an addition of sophisticated musical theatre song construction.
Theatre and Musical Theatre has been a form of entertainment since before North America was “discovered”. Broadway shows have been dated back to the early 1920’s and 1930’s. By 2016, over 25,000 tickets are sold to Broadway shows in a week. Thousands of people enjoy the shows that are featured on Broadway but have no idea the work and process that brought it to life. The process of getting a show on to Broadway can be broken down into three phases: pre-production, staging, and performance/promotion.
This is a must watch Broadway show that makes your fine, terrible, or even boring day, an absolute blast. The Play That Goes Wrong has finally made its way to America and right at the heart of New York City near Times Square at the Lyceum Theatre. Therefore, the experience is a win-win situation for the audience. The Lyceum Theatre’s architecture is astonishing as it is filled with ornaments, I also realized the letter ‘L’ around the theater, but the most interesting fact is that it is a landmark. It has a proscenium stage while the audience is in the orchestra, balcony, or the mezzanine seats, like where I sat, and there is barely any space if you are a tall person. My seat was near the far end of mezzanine, I couldn’t see a part of the left side of the stage, so I found myself bending sideways to see what was going on, but I saw nothing. I found the side stage lights and a side balcony blocking my view and yet I had a great time.
There is no theatre without an audience. The audience is as much a part of the playmaking experience as the artists—so how do we incorporate them more actively into what we do? We must work with them – and I’ve learned, in so doing,