Monkey in the media

This week: Histriomastix Multimedia Edition. Besides new print reviews of The Pirate Queen and A Moon for the Misbegotten, you can check out the TV version of my Moon review on NY1 here. Also, for your radio-listening pleasure, tune into WNYC 93.9FM tomorrow at 2pm to hear me on the state of Off Broadway—commercial and nonprofit—with Soundcheck's John Schaefer. Expect withering comments about OB artistic directors, subscribers and marketing of new plays.

Speaking of new plays, or rather musicals, a funny/depressing anecdote about The Pirate Queen. After sitting through this $14 million abomination that fails even to pander properly, I grabbed a beer with a friend at Ninth Ave's Circus bar. We were joined a little bit later by my friend's friend, who happens to work behind the scenes at PQ. No polite ambivalence was needed; everyone knew it was an abject piece of shit. What did surprise me, however, was the news that the costume budget for this show is shockingly wasteful. There are shoes in that trainwreck that cost $1k; shirts that were fabricated to the tune of $8k; and Christ knows how much Linda Balgord's baroquely sumptuous Elizabeth I frocks cost. Knowing that so much money was being pissed away on the costume budget seemed to make the whole thing even more obscene. Interestingly, I heard something similar from another person about Spring Awakening. Now, I really liked Spring Awakening, but someone who knows lights told me that the production only needs about half the units it has rented and hung. I wonder if there's a story there: Wasteful Broadway: how shows bleed money from design excess and visual overkill. You'd think a smart producer would practice thrift, paying the artists well, but cutting corners anywhere possible. Please, Great White Way insiders—enlighten me if I'm speaking out of place.

Comments

[Jaime]

Any way to hear the radio broadcast if we can't listen at 2? Podcast or somesuch?

[Robert Paterson]

Wow... 8K for a shirt? That's pretty depressing, especially knowing how little the musicians are getting paid in this show and others around the city (comparitively speaking, of course). Many high-quality new music concerts in NYC are produced for that amount. I hope this show crashes and burns and the producers choke on the audience's collective vomit.

[David]

WNYC archives its programs so you should be able to hear it online tonight or tomorrow. Of course, if you're on a computer at 2, you can just listen to the live streaming.

[Mike]

I believe that the show needs to be well rounded and attempting to cut corners anywhere can be devistating. Pay the actors what they are worth and find a costume company that will profit share with you when the show is a hit if you cant afford it. You dont need to be rich to have the best. Partner with the companies that have what you need give them a peice of the profit and believe me it will become a large success. Or pay the actors less and give them a peice of the profit when it is a success. Its is amazing how well people stive for excellence when they are getting a peice of it. Thank you for letting me post in this page! I wish you all the best!

Life is good!
Mike Tyler

Monkey Media.net is the leader in food industry erp catering and bakery.