Broadway Moments
I was blessed last week by having the opportunity to see
five Broadway musicals in one week. Yes,
I am a straight old dude with limited singing skills, two left feet, and I love
musicals! Appreciation for this art form
crosses all stereotypes and belongs to all us theatre nerds! It firmly reinforced my love for this genre
and each show we saw was representative of different styles and approach. It occurred to me that our lives are a series
of Broadway “moments” and we only need to realize when they happen. Let me try to illustrate.
To begin, there are different levels of moments. There is the in your face, look at me, BIG
number that brings the audience to their feet with cheers. “On Your Feet” deals with the story of Gloria
and Emilio Estevan who brought to the world the glorious rhythms of Cuban music
and eventually spilled over into the pop scene.
The BIG moments consisted of the cast spilling out into the audience
with the big conga number pulling audience members to dance with them. It was Gloria’s return to music after her
near fatal bus crash when she appeared on the American Music Awards stage in a
wonderful moment. However, there were
wonderful little moments when Emilio said to a record producer who would not
deal with their non-Spanish numbers because he believed it would not
appeal. Emilio tells him that when the
agent saw him that he saw only a Cuban immigrant with limited English. He stood before the producer and told him to
look at his face…this was a face of not just a Cuban immigrant, but an
American. There was a wonderful duet
between Gloria and the spirit of her father that ripped our hearts out. Good stuff.
“Sunset Boulevard” has its share of BIG moments. However the little moments pull it all
together. “I’m still big, it’s the
films that got small!” Yes! Witnessing the near hysteria of Norma Desmond
when she fears that her “boy friend” might desert her. The BIG moments during the “it’s as if we
never said goodbye” number that left us gasping for breath along with that
staircase descent…”I’m ready for my close up, Mr. DeMille.”
Witnessing the vocal prowess of Patty Lupone and Christine
Ebersole in the new musical, “War Paint,” was (as my dear daughter Melissa
described) a master class on how to do it.
This is a good example of a musical being more of a play with
music. It was the little moments of
witnessing Lupone singing and speaking about ethnic and religious prejudice and
Ebersole reacting in a heartbreaking fashion as she dealt with social bias and
being unaccepted because she was a successful woman. Bravi, ladies!
“Kinky Boots” has a ton of BIG moments that bring cheers
from the audience. However it was the
little moment when Lola, the drag queen, sings of the bullying and how his
father disowned him that makes us all pause and understand.
When Dolly Levi stands at the top of those stairs going into
the Harmonia Gardens in that wonderful red dress and the music begins the big
“Hello, Dolly” number it is the quintessential BROADWAY MOMENT. The wonderful musical numbers in this show
are the perfect examples of musical theatre.
But, again, it is that small moment when Dolly gets her “sign” from her
deceased husband that makes us all realize that this is a Thornton Wilder play
and this is a woman who not only “fixes” things, but loves strongly.
I dislike the term musical comedy and prefer musical
theatre. Musical theatre has the
ability to transcend. It is not limited
to the spoken word, but rather extends those words with music and sometimes
with dance. It’s the whole package. It can push your emotion to the brink and
offers a marvelous catharsis. We all
have a little “song and dance” in us.
I suggest that we all find our “Broadway” moments. Wouldn’t it be grand if we could express them
like Midler or Lupone? However, we are
all stars and our moments are ours to own and express in any way we feel. Our moments can come at times of great joy,
satisfaction, or sorrow. My moments
include first seeing Diane coming down the aisle during our wedding. Seeing the faces of my children for the first
time are moments that will always resonate with me. Great sorrow also brings moments. That moment when I realized that Diane had
transcended certainly qualifies and also that terrible day when Diane’s mom and
my dad had passed away on the same day.
The list goes on.
Create your own musical theatre. Be aware of your existence and realize the
importance of it. Realize your unique
self and learn to celebrate it. Your
world is your stage and you are the star.
As Mama Rose exclaims in “Gypsy,” “Sing out, Louise! Everything’s coming
up roses!”
