Arts & Theater
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“December 24th, 9 pm…” – Make Jonathan Larson Your Christmas Eve Tradition — OnStage Blog
by Chris Peterson Every year, right around now, it happens. My feed fills up with the same line, posted earnestly, sometimes reverently, sometimes just tossed out into the void like a signal flare. “December 24th, 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.” No context needed. No explanation required. If you know, you know. It’s funny how a lyric from Rent has quietly…
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A Love Letter to “The Scarlet Pimpernel” — OnStage Blog
by Chris Peterson There are certain musicals that live quietly in the corners of your theatre-loving heart. They are not always in the current conversation. They do not get revived every ten years with a starry cast and a glossy marketing campaign. But they stay with you. And every so often, you catch yourself thinking, why aren’t we talking about…
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Let Middle-Aged Women Take Center Stage — OnStage Blog
This comment, from Megan Gifford, has been circling my head: “Middle-aged women are the lifeblood of theater, yet almost zero stories are centered in their experience. I don’t want to play Mama Rose or the loving grandmother.” She’s right. Let’s be honest, if Broadway and regional theater shut their doors to middle-aged women tomorrow, the art form would collapse in…
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The Warmest Musical You Might Be Overlooking — OnStage Blog
by Chris Peterson The other day, someone commented on why the musical Baby hasn’t gotten more love. I absolutely agree. I find myself wondering why this one is not pulled forward more often. Because Baby feels like us. It’s cozy and real and kind of laugh-in-the-middle-of-a-serious-moment funny. Not because it’s full of jokes, but because real life is funny. Real…
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You Don’t Always Have to Be Besties With Your Castmates — OnStage Blog
Johnny J. Gordon(Great performer name) left the following comment, “Cast mates are coworkers. Not automatically your friends. You are not required to be besties with everyone in the show (even though sometimes it feels like you have to). You should be able to work well and get along with them, though. That’s the job.” I agree. Castmates are coworkers. Not…
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Let’s Finally Have THAT Conversation About “Dear Evan Hansen” — OnStage Blog
by Chris Peterson It’s been almost a decade since Dear Evan Hansen first hit Broadway, and yet the question still lingers: is it actually a good show? Not “did you cry during it,” or “did Ben Platt sound incredible,” but in the simplest, most honest way: is Dear Evan Hansen good? It’s funny, because for a long time that question…
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Maybe We’ve Outgrown “Miss Saigon” — OnStage Blog
A commenter said, “We shouldn’t do Miss Saigon anymore. There are plenty of other shows now that actually portray Asian characters telling Asian stories that don’t rely on misogyny and racism.” And I’ll be honest, I get it. I really do. As a Korean American, I’m sensitive to how our cultures have been portrayed on stage. The stereotypes, the accents,…
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Shakespeare is Overrated — OnStage Blog
Kendra Robinson left the following comment which intrigued me. “Shakespeare is overrated. Don’t get me wrong, I love Shakespeare’s shows, but seeing his work as the gold standard is highly problematic. His shows are frequently racist, sexist, and offer minimal opportunities for any actors who aren’t able-bodied white men. And gender-blind multi-racial casting doesn’t fix that. So when theatre institutions…
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Bring Back Overtures — OnStage Blog
However, for some reason, over the past couple of decades, the overture has begun to fade away. I don’t know if directors wanted immediacy or producers worried about pacing. Maybe in an age of shrinking attention spans, the idea of sitting still through a three-minute orchestral introduction suddenly felt indulgent. But it feels like we lost something deeply necessary: anticipation.…
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Did “Newsies” Really Need Katherine Plumber? — OnStage Blog
by Chris Peterson I threw on the Newsies pro-shot the other night. You know the one, with Jeremy Jordan as Jack Kelly, Kara Lindsay as Katherine Plumber, and a cast of dancers so good they make leaping across scaffolding look like light cardio. I have seen it plenty of times, but this rewatch got me thinking again. For all its…
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