Should We Be Boycotting Broadway's "Chicago"?

Over the past couple of weeks, more and more information has been coming out about the alleged treatment of Chicago cast member Jeffrey Loeffelholz which, according to people close to him, caused him to commit suicide last month.

As more details are released and other former cast members are coming forward with their own experiences of bullying at the hands of Chicago leadership, the anger towards the producers and creative team is only getting more heated.

Now, with the addition of a reported legal battle between lawyers, some are saying enough is enough and are encouraging a boycott of the show.

BroadwayChristopher PetersonJuly 18, 2018Chris Peterson, Jeff Loeffelholz, Chicago

A German Theatre Did A Lot More Than Just Whitewash "West Side Story"

Behold. This is West Side Story in Germany last February. I swear.

The show was produced by the theatre, Staatstheater Kassel. Not only did they cast Caucasian actors in many of the Puerto Rican roles, but according to press materials they also flew in a dialect coach to teach them Puerto Rican accents.

BroadwayChristopher PetersonJuly 17, 2018Chris Peterson, West Side Story

How "Bandstand" Comforts Those Who Feel Like They're a Burden

Last month, I saw the movie release of the musical Bandstand. Thank God for cinema releases (seriously industry people keep them coming!) because this show resonated with me in a way few have and in ways I wasn’t expecting.

At first glance this looks like another post-World War II story; boys returning home from war, picking up where they left off, finding love, etc. That’s not this show at all. It’s a real, gritty, perfectly imperfect look at what happens when men and women have seen and dealt with horrific circumstances, and how each individual deals with those demons. This is the first time I’ve seen a show that so accurately portrays the horrors of war and what it must truly have been like for the majority of soldiers returning. This is the first time a show with such a seemingly unrelated topic resonated so much with my life.

BroadwayChristopher PetersonJuly 16, 2018Liz Chirico

Issues at Broadway's "Chicago" All Too Familiar When It Comes to Bullying in Theatre

After spending 22 years in a cast of a Broadway show, one deserves a curtain call worthy of that achievement. It could be a standing ovation during the final bow. Or a backstage celebration. Or parting gifts from the cast, creative and producers.

But instead of being recognized for a rare achievement in New York theatre, Jeff Loeffelholz ended his own life with a mixture of painkillers and alcohol.

What led Jeff to this point is going to be the subject of investigations by multiple organizations and their results could lead to a complete reshaping of working conditions in professional theatre.

While Jeff's alleged treatment behind-the-scenes at Chicago is horrific, for many other performers, it's all too familiar.

If the New York Post's "My Fair Lady" Piece Felt Like a Hit-Job, It's Because it Was

on July 5th. You can click here to read it.

All caught up? Good. Hopefully, as you were reading it, a couple of questions began to form. But one that should definitely be raised is, "Was this article necessary at all?"

I understand Reidel's methodology here. It's not every day one gets permission to publish extremely-candid quotes from one high-profile star bashing another. So clearly, from Reidel and the Post's point of view, there is a story to tell and clicks to get.

But from my point of view, the whole article feels like a well-orchestrated hit on a show's leading lady by portraying her as either a selfish diva or a fragile performer, incapable of meeting the demands of a lead role on Broadway. Even if either were true, the fact that this has gone public is wrong and is certainly a violation of the unwritten rules of being in a Broadway cast: You don't air your dirty laundry in public, especially not to the press, especially not to Michael Riedel.

We're Getting a 'Cats' Movie that No One Asked For

News broke yesterday that the long-rumored Cats movie is officially on for production. It was announced that the Tom Hooper(Les Misérables) film is slated to start filming in November. No casting has been announced yet. Wayne McGregor(Woman in White) will serve as choreographer.

United Kingdom, BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 22, 2018Chris Peterson

Musical Theatre in the Trump Age

What will be today’s Musical Theatre legacy? What work will be left behind for the next generation to look back on with admiration, commenting on how ahead of its time it was? Should producers be dusting off old chestnuts like South Pacific, Hair and La Cage in this time of turmoil? Or should Musical Theatre simply be an escape for its audience to forget about the turmoil this nation is facing?

Observations, BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 16, 2018Matthew Miller

My Favorite Covers of Musical Theatre Classics by Contemporary Artists

First up: Here’s a fun collection of some of our favourite artists covering the musical theatre greats. It’s not meant to be a comprehensive list; not everyone’s faves are going to be on it. Not everyone is going to make every list every time. This isn’t a list of the “best,” it’s just that: a mixed tape. Also excluded were more recent folks from the theatre community covering theatre songs.

Observations, BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 15, 2018Melody Nicolette

Let's Be Honest. Patti Murin was Screwed.

Just so we're clear:

Patti Murin is a hundred times classier than to publicly or privately agree with anything said in this article.

Patti Murin is a hundred times more professional than to acknowledge anything said in this article.

Patti Murin is a hundred times more respectable to say anything similar to what is said in this article.

To be quite honest with you, I hope she never reads this article.

BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 15, 2018Chris Peterson

All That's Right with 'The Play That Goes Wrong'

What, to me, was most interesting about the production was how well the ensemble, to include production staff, recreated chaos. The intent was to appear inept, which, at first thought, you’d think would be easy. Just a matter of screwing up on purpose, embarrassing yourself by being blatantly incompetent. How hard could that be, right?

But it is remarkably well-crafted and staged. To affect the kind of audience response that it earned so adequately, required a precision of purpose and execution. Split-second timing, extraordinary attention to details, an exceptional script, experienced performers and a meticulous director.

BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 15, 2018Skip Maloney

The Unsung Winners of the 2018 Tony Awards

There were many amazing, memorable moments from the 2018 Tony Awards: The students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School's incredible and touching rendition of "Seasons of Love", the Carousel cast's show-stopping choreographed performance, Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles' quirky yet charming hosting, the Dear Evan Hansen cast's beautiful medley of "You Will Be Found" and "For Forever", Lindsay Mendez's acceptance speech, the #TonyDreaming montages, the list could go on and on.

Observations, BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 13, 2018Sarah Cagle, Tony Awards

How Much Singing Should there be for an Acting Tony in a Musical?

A debate has arisen over Sunday night's win for Tony Shalhoub for his performance in The Band's Visit. While other nominees such as Ethan Slater sung and danced through Spongbob Sqaurepants and Joshua Henry had to take on the musical theatre doctorate known as "Soliloquoy", Mr. Shalhoub hardly sings at all. While I don't have the sheet music in front of me, having seen the show, I would guess that he sings roughly 32-64 bars in the entire show.

BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 12, 2018Chris Peterson, Tony Awards, The Band's Visit

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