Sunday, June 15, 2014

Forbidden B'wy Takes a Bigger Broader Bite out of B'wy

Forbidden Broadway (FB) has become a beloved parody on NYC's revered Great White Way.  I'm a huge fan of B'wy musicals.  I also love irreverance aimed at cherished establishments.  FORBIDDEN BROADWAY COMES OUT SWINGING is the most recent rendition.  It's evolved into its most hilarious, clever & caustic parody to date.  And, for the sanctimonious musical lovers, get over yourselves and enjoy the jest.  Gerard Alessandrini, the creator, writer & dir. for all 25 editions over the past 3 decades, has been honored by Broadway's own.  He received the 2006 Tony for Excellence & the Drama League Award for Lifetime Achievement.  Thankfully, Alessandrini can't be subverted.  He still slings arrows that strike their mark.  Mounting a successful B'wy show has become extremely risky & cost prohibitive.  FB COMES OUT SWINGING  lands hard punches on the casualties ensued:  big corp. now control big productions {Disney cheese is easy to please,} revivals have overrun ground breaking new material (Les Miserables {one run more}) (Cabaret {what good is sitting through something new?}.)  Musicals alleged exploitation of children (Mathilda, Billy Elliot & Annie.)  Most detrimental of all are the compromises to quality.  Harvey Fierstein & Cyndi Lauper explain how simple & formulaic it is to create an inane hit. "Use a cookie cutter mold & don't aspire to take it higher."  The tentacles of Alessandrini's lashes out laughs at celebrities' expense:  Liza Minelli, Sylvester Stallone, Idina Menzel, Michelle Williams & Alan "coming" to name a few.  The audience is also fair game for its obnoxious cell phone use.  The show opens & closes with the cast thumbing their noses.  Revivals may come & go but FB is here to stay.
   

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