I thought โIn Retrospectโ was an apt title for an in-depth review about a musical set in 1957. Here I am using it again to reflect on and provide more insight on my theatre reviews for The Ticker.
At the very least, Iโd like to acknowledge copy, fact and web issues.
ISSUE 6 โ โConfederatesโ
This theatre column started when my professor suggested to my playwriting class to see this new play by Dominique Morisseau, whose other play โSkeleton Crewโ was showing on Broadway at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Naturally, I turned this idea into work for The Ticker, and suggested to classmates that we could co-write a 450-word review and proposed a theatre review column. I wasnโt the only one who saw the show, but I ended up being the only one to write a review. Still, the column was encouraged by my professor, and I pitched the column to the newspaperโs arts and culture editor.
โConfederatesโ was the show I first reviewed for a college student audience. I had a lot to work with, considering that I saw it on a student night that featured Morisseau and three other panelists in conversation. What I stuck to me was the dark comedy. The climax at the end is designed to bring discomfort โ at least, among characters who arenโt โ amid a revelation
CORRECTION: Iโd like to acknowledge that Morisseauโs name is misspelled as โMorriseauโ in this piece. Itโs an odd thing to be missed by the editing team, given that we are trained to fact-check names, especially with my section.
ISSUE 7 โ โCompanyโ
I got into the show in late 2019 by listening to the cast albums from 1970, 2006 and 2019. I also saw the professional recording of the 2011 performance at the New York Philharmonic. I was drawn to the show not just for Stephen Sondheimโs music and Patti LuPone but also to see how George Furthโs story was modernized.
Iโm glad to say that I was able to book a cheap seat in the front row. Then again, I saw it in the dead of January, when the omicron variant of the coronavirus raised concerns, when the cold weather usually keeps people from seeing shows and when there were concerns of people being attacked on the subway given the recent deadly push at the Times Square station.
Iโd like to note while Sondheim is a composer and lyricist, he is a playwright in his own right by telling the story in his music, hence the decision to credit him as such. If anyone takes issue with this, please forgive me, but I will stand by my opinion.
ISSUE 8 โ โBeetlejuiceโ
I donโt have a lot to say about this review other than that I was tempted to write in more puns than there are in the published article. I wrote the review unsure if it was going to be uploaded in the hours before or after the showโs opening, given articles are usually uploaded on Fridays. In this case, they went up on a Saturday morning, so it was a good call to write as if the show already opened.
ISSUE 9 โ โHow I Learned to Driveโ
I also donโt have a lot to say about this review, given that my thoughts on the play were covered here. Looking back, I do love the simplicity of the set. Iโve seen at least one review noting it was lacking, but the acting and the story give so much for audience members to watch and process that the set shouldnโt be their focus.
ISSUE 10 โ โCome Togetherโ
When I pitched the column, I also suggested that Iโd cover the theatre programโs spring performance to save the arts and culture editor time and energy finding someone else to cover it. Also, I figured last semesterโs reporter and reviewer would be busy taking on certain tasks this time around, and she did end up having another story to cover.
I did the behind-the-scenes coverage and the show review. To do this, I saw the show three times: at the first sitzprobe during spring break, at the dress rehearsal and at the opening performance. I wanted to get a full perspective of the show, watching how the performance grew in the days before the show and keep an eye on changes, the latter being very important when one cast member tested positive for COVID-19 before opening night. I ended up making last minute changes to how Iโd structure both articles.
If I had to address anything that I didnโt include in the article โ because I wrote the articles throughout the night and turned them in the wee hours of the morning, before I presented a final project presentation โ itโs that I really appreciated the Ikea bag, lamp and storage box used. I was moved by the powerful vocal talents of the performers since they resonated with the songs. Iโd love to see where each of the performers go in their professional careers.
I could compare the show to a jukebox musical given the song selection, but a playlist fit more in my imagination, a playlist one would make to lift oneโs spirits.
What still sticks with me, and it was made apparent by my playwriting professor, is that Baruch Collegeโs theatre productions donโt usually have 50 members, even with the technical crew. I could have misheard the line when I was transcribing the interview. I figured it must have been 15, but even that number isnโt the usual number. Iโve been told later that the most people the program has had working in a production is 13, for the previous semesterโs โAnd Then There Was Us.โ I suppose thereโs more incentive to get more people involved in the collegeโs productions now.
Iโm aware the show was advertised as a musical โreview,โ but the correct word for the show, as with AP Style in consideration, is a musical โrevue.โ
Additionally, for the review of the revue, there was originally an editorโs note in all drafts acknowledging that one of the performers is a regular photographer and arts writer for The Ticker. This was done for ethical reasons.
However, based on what Iโve asked the main web editors, it appears that an assistant who uploaded that article neglected the note for some reason. The note is on the print layout as well as the behind-the-scenes article, the latter of which was uploaded by one of the main editors, not the assistant.
ISSUE 11 โ โThe Minutesโ
In case the review and coverage of the musical revue was bumped to the next issue โ albeit, doing so would make it less timely โ I saw โThe Minutesโ during spring break.
First and foremost about the review, Iโm well aware that the last word of it was cutoff. It should read โnomination,โ but I figure that if the show doesnโt win the Tony Award for best new play, Iโd say this technical glitch was apt. I was surprised that the show only received one nomination. Noah Reid, Danny McCarthy and Tracy Letts gave strong performances. The lighting design and sound design also deserved something.
There was a lot more insight that I could have written in the review, but I would characterize it as โnice to knowโ information rather than โneed to knowโ information. I could have noted that the decision to depict Mount Rushmore for he showโs Presidentsโ Day social media post was clever, given the history of the mountain and the revelations made toward the end of the show. I also couldโve analyzed the showโs usage of a crow wearing an American bald eagle mask as its symbol, but this was a review, not a thesis.
Letts wrote a well-structured play. What I didnโt get into was Sally Murphy and Austin Pendletonโs spot-on acting. Their characters were mostly there for comic relief, and they really brought in the giggles before the dramatic turn in the showโs latter half.
ISSUE 12 โ โA Strange Loopโ
I came across Michael R. Jacksonโs show when its off-Broadway production was making rounds in the theatre community in 2019. Sadly, Iโd only heard about it on its closing date. I was elated to hear of the showโs 2020 Pulitzer Prize win and its 2022 Broadway run.
For the final review of the semester, I wanted to write one for an original musical, following an original play and some revivals. This column gave me more incentive to see the show, happily on a bigger stage with an updated musical arrangement and new leading performer.
While my turn-around time for โCome Togetherโ was short, between me seeing the show and submitting the articles, I had an idea of how both articles would be structured since I saw the show three times within eight days. For โA Strange Loop,โ I had the shortest turn-around time of a little over 18 hours, so I felt bad about not being able to write all I wanted in time.
I remember that at the end of โIntermission Song,โ I was delighted to see stepping implemented in the number. I wanted to make note of it in the review, but I forgot about it while listening to the version from the off-Broadway cast recording, which does not include the stepping. It came back to me when I was listening to the version from the Broadway cast recording, which was released days after I wrote the review and included the sound of stepping. I donโt see it enough in mainstream entertainment, and Iโm glad that I was introduced to the dance form in high school.
I love the balance in seriousness and comedy in the show, as well as the instances where the cast breaks the fourth wall, especially before the closing song. I think I wanted to highlight some of the showโs more emotional numbers, like the last two songs, but I would have spoiled the rest of the show.
I do plan on continuing the theatre column for the rest of year, or at least try to. This column started half way into Volume 121, and I was able to cover a number of the shows because I saw them before the semester.
The summer issue might include a review of โBetween The Lines,โ depending on my ability to acquire tickets, or โGolden Shield,โ depending on whether the show is still running. I can guarantee that there will be reviews for โCome From Awayโ for its fifth anniversary and โThe Phantom of the Operaโ in light of post-pandemic changes and spooky season. I have high hopes for โSing Streetโ finally opening.
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