Welcome Message

As you may know, this blog started life as a resource aimed at the members and Alumni of Birmingham University's Guild Musical Theatre Group.















Since then, I have realised that a great many artists I know could use a serious resource for discussion and debate of the major issues.















So, I open this network to any and all arts professionals who would like to use it. Over the years, I have seen some awe inspiring performances and productions by a great many talented and high ranking individuals, whose knowledge would be an asset to the artistic community. I invite these individuals and others to come forward, so that their achievements may be celebrated.






If you would like to write articles or make comments on this blog, please let me know. My contact email is on the link. Membership is free, and there are no obligations. Existing members are free to write as and when they want.








Its is also easy to forget, that we don't often have a chance to discuss or to think about the most serious issues affecting the arts. Despite all the progress made by online networks like Facebook and Twitter, there still needs to be a place where opinions can be viewed, and I hope that this will be such a place: a neutral ground, where all are welcome, and where knowledge can be shared.















Artists of all disciplines, I hope that this will assist your development and further networking. May this resource serve you well.















Best Regards,















James Megarry















Founder















Wednesday 12 September 2012

Modern Musicals: The case for Something New

Modern Musicals

The Case For Something New

James McGarry
(aka The Secretary)

Not long ago, a friend of mine told me how hard it is to perform new songs with his rock band. Covers of all the hits play to sell out audiences, but a night featuring new songs seems to leave a fairly sparse pub or bar.

It’s funny because in many ways, musical theatre is the same. Time and again, audiences only seem to want the classic song and dance routine, with well known hits, and a happy ending. From The Sound of Music, to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, these musicals seem destined to dominate the market, both here in the West Midlands, and in the West End of London. Even supposedly new shows like Dirty Dancing and Mamma Mia are based on classic films or classic hits.

Now maybe I’m biased here, but the wonderful genre of musical theatre is not just entertainment, but an art form. It has covered every subject and topic imaginable; from the story of Jesus (Jesus Christ Superstar), to the British mineworkers strike (Billy Elliot); from a social commentary issues of race and class (Ragtime), to the issues of modern relationships (Company). The list goes on, but suffice to say, that musical theatre has explored virtually every type of drama: after all, many plays have been adapted into musicals. The potential of the musical is limitless, and we should be willing to take it in new directions with new developments.

Yet far too often, people seem afraid to put on modern musicals. Time and again, if you look at the fixtures list for amateur shows in the region, the same classic 10-15 well known musicals are well in the lead. Of course, budget constraints’ have to be considered. It costs a lot of money to put on a show, and I can understand producers’ desire to see that money is returned through ‘bums on seats’ shows, that are proven to get a big audience.

But we need to remember, that like any art form, musical theatre must not be defined by ticket sales alone. At the festivals I have volunteered at so far, the companies involved have all put on very avante garde shows that are unlike anything on the conventional stage.

With this in mind, most people would point me in the direction of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which is certainly the epicentre of new developments. New musicals and shows can be tried and tested before a festival audience, and the money spinners let loose on the mainstream theatre goers at the National and/or the West End (remember Jerry Springer the Opera?) But I still say that the UK as a whole needs to be more open minded to new kinds of shows. How receptive might a mainstream audience be to something new?

The most obvious issue here is the entertainment factor: the average person on the street goes to the theatre to be entertained, not so much informed or challenged. I know this from many years of performance, and from working behind the scenes. It is true that audiences don’t always take to a new idea. Musicals with dark, adult themes can certainly discourage people. A performance of Jeckyll and Hyde I went to see was attended by only a select crowd of locals, despite the talent and energy of its performers. Also, serious dramatists, students, and collectors of art may wish for something deeper, but that doesn’t appeal to the masses. Or does it?

I have to wonder, because the most iconic musicals of all time include some of the most thought provoking. West Side Story, and Showboat, for example, deal with many complex issues of race, and rivalry, that are far beyond Broadway’s classic formula of frivolous entertainment. Likewise, some of the most famous musicals actually broke the mould at the time they came out. Guys and Dolls defied convention, by beginning with the instrumental Runyonland, whose movement sequence was a departure from the traditional opening chorus number. Oklahoma also traded a chorus opening in favour of a three handed first scene; and used dance to tell the story during Laurie’s dream sequence.

These classics were the modern musicals of their day, and the development of new ideas must continue if we are to have classics for the future. It can be done. Consider the groundbreaking success of Wicked. Not only has this musical taken the West End and Broadway by storm, but it has inspired a whole new generation of performers. I remember the songbooks for Wicked and Avenue Q lining the shelves of my music teacher’s room. Young students couldn’t get enough of this new musical.

Yet I worry that too many producers, companies and societies (both paid and unpaid) are playing it safe. The next Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Stephen Sondheim, and Steven Schwartz need to step forward. We need more groundbreaking, cutting edge modern musicals, that will take the industry in new directions. And above all, we should not be afraid to try new ideas. Production of any musical always involves taking a risk. And a brilliantly original idea; that could make a future classic, is a risk worth the taking.