June 18, 2010
Millenials and Broadway
In last Sunday’s New York Times (when I get better at this I might even begin to provide links) the Arts section had a short article on how teens and young adults-the Millenial Generation- seem to see the Broadway musical as something “cool” rather than “geeky.” I loved the musical genre as a teen but as a baby boomer teen that was certainly considered “geeky.” The authors of the article chalked this interest up to at least 2 things. They cited the television sensation “Glee.” This TV show has introduced lots of teens and young adults to genres of music ( and Broadway musical actors and actresses) that they ordinarily wouldn’t pay any attention to. And they cited the amazing tolerance of this generation for other people’s lifestyles and interests meaning that one doesn’t need to hide his or her love for musical theater because friends are not going to make fun of it. Since I have a special interest in the millenials and the next generation coming up behind them (any one know if a name has been settled on for them yet?) I find any little tidbit about them interesting.
But this new found love and interest of these teens in musical theater does raise one question for me. Plays don’t have ratings the same way movies do and some times I think there is a question of appropriateness even in the muscial genre. For example, a week or so ago I attended a matinee of Promises,Promises. This is a revival of a musical that was a hit in the sixties. The plot is about married business men in New York looking for a place they can take their girlfriends. And there is a darker back story about one of these girl friends attempting suicide on Christmas Day. Not all musicals are about leprechauns in Ireland — which is exactly my point. At this matinee the balcony (where I was, the cheap seats) was filled with high school groups on school trips to NYC. I wondered to myself if the person who chose to take the kids to this play knew the plot or only knew that it was a musical starring a likeable TV star (Sean Hayes, Jack from Will and Grace). And Kristin Chenowith who had been in the young girls favorite musical Wicked and who had made a recent appearance on Glee. I’m not saying these kids were so innocent that they didn’t know that married men sometimes have affairs or that people some time commit suicide. What I am saying is that just because a play is a musical with famous and likeable leads doesn’t make it appropriate for all ages. I remember having the same uneasiness a few years ago when Equus was revived on Broadway with Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) in the lead. This play has an extended male/female nude/sex scene in it which I didn’t think was appropriate for the 14 and 15 year olds I saw standing in line for the play because they wanted to see Harry Potter live. I don’t mean to sound like a prude — I’m just asking the questions.
Ivy Beckwith's Blog 
Leave a comment