Arts & Theater
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Why Those Post-Show Diner Trips Meant Everything — OnStage Blog
by Chris Peterson There is something sacred about a post-show diner trip when you’re a theatre kid. And for me, that was especially true in college. Those Denny’s trips were sacred events. I do not mean that in some dramatic, exaggerated way either. I mean, truly sacred. They were the extension of the show. The unofficial final act. The place…
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The 10 Love Songs I’m Playing on Repeat This Valentine’s Day Weekend — OnStage Blog
by Chris Peterson Valentine’s Day weekend always does this to me. Some people buy flowers, some people book overpriced prix fixe dinners, and some of us sit around ranking musical theatre love songs like it’s a competitive sport, and our emotional well-being depends on it. So in the spirit of romance, longing, chaos, and people singing their feelings instead of…
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“Groundhog Day” is Underrated and I’m Done Being Quiet About It — OnStage Blog
And that’s honestly why I love it, and I need to say this clearly: I think Groundhog Day is one of the most underrated musicals of the last decade. And I don’t mean underrated like “it didn’t win everything and I’m still bitter.” I mean, underrated like, why are we not talking about this show the way we talk about…
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It’s Been 20 Years. Is “The Wedding Singer” Ready for Another Spin on Broadway? — OnStage Blog
by Chris Peterson A song popped up on my Spotify the other morning. No warning. No reason. Just algorithmic chaos doing what it does best. “And it’s your wedding daaaaay…” And suddenly I wasn’t making coffee anymore. I was back in the mid-2000s, when Broadway was featuring musicals that were loud, goofy, sincere, and completely unconcerned with whether it was…
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I’m Ready for a Broadway Revival of “The Full Monty” — OnStage Blog
by Chris Peterson I keep thinking about the shows Broadway doesn’t seem all that interested in revisiting. The ones that aren’t flashy enough to feel “event”-y, or nostalgic enough to sell themselves in a single Instagram post. And every time revival season starts creeping into the conversation again, I find myself thinking about one show in particular and wondering how…
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Ranking Frank Wildhorn on Broadway — OnStage Blog
by Chris Peterson The other day I realized that I’ve pretty much seen every Frank Wildhorn musical that’s made it to Broadway. Some more than once. Some in different productions. Some with the kind of anticipation that comes from loving his work, and some with the quiet dread of knowing exactly what you’re walking into. Which feels like the right…
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Give Us an Intermission, Please — OnStage Blog
Kate Peckham put it plainly: if a show runs longer than an hour and a half, it needs an intermission. “If the show is longer than an hour and a half, it needs an intermission, said Kate. “A two hour one-act play is exhausting and some of the story gets lost because you’re thinking about having to pee or you’re…
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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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