BroadwayWorld Book Club Week Eight Discussion Prompts: The Lyceum Theatre

[BWW Book Club]

Posted: 5/18/20 at 7:16am

Below are the discussion questions/prompts for the eighth chapter of The Untold Stories of Broadway: The Lyceum Theatre! Feel free to answer as many questions as you would like to get the conversation going! The author of The Untold Stories of Broadway, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, will be hosting a Facebook Live Q & A at 12pm ET today! Today’s live stream will be the final live stream for the Untold Stories of Broadway due to next Monday, May 25th, falling on Memorial Day. Please post any questions here that you would like Jennifer to answer today! There will still be a final round of discussion questions posted to the Message Board next Monday, May 25 for the Final Thoughts, Outtakes chapter, to wrap up the discussion.

Discussion questions:

·       Did you ever have the chance to see [title of show]? Were you familiar with the show before reading this chapter? Please share any memories you may have of seeing it/hearing about it/listening to the cast album etc!

·       The most recent shows presented in The Lyceum were Be More Chill, A Christmas Carol, and Sing Street. Did you have the opportunity to see any of them?

·       What show do you wish you could have seen at The Lyceum that you didn’t have the chance to?

·       What is your favorite memory of seeing a show in The Lyceum?

·       What is the most surprising fact you learned in this chapter?

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/18/20 at 9:15am

The first show I ever saw at the Lyceum was the play The Invention of Love back in 2001. This was pre 9/11 and I was a college freshman in nyc. I recall managing to get rush tickets in the morning for front row seats and really enjoyed the experience of seeing live theater, especially Robert Sean Leonard and Richard Easton.

In more recent years, I saw The Visit, View From the Bridge (first time I ever sat on the stage), OH HELLO, Play that Goes Wrong, and Christmas Carol. One of the most magical moments for me was the falling snow in Christmas Carol. They didn't use small pieces of paper (like in FROZEN) but instead used foam which made it more magical... and easier to clean. 

I've always had a positive experience doing stage door at the Lyceum. I still remember getting so nervous meeting Chita Rivera after watching The Visit. Instead of her going from person to person, she remaind by the steps and the security made us form a line so we'd be the ones going to her. We each got to spend 10-15 seconds with her getting a selfie and having her sign our playbills. It was quite orderly and I sometimes wish stage doors were more like that.

[ortizki]

Posted: 5/18/20 at 3:09pm

The Lyceum Theatre has always been sort of a mystery to me, mainly because I've never been to it, let alone have seen a show there. However, as a huge theatre history nerd, I really enjoyed reading this chapter. 

The one show that sticks out to me (because it was such a huge part of this chapter) would definitely have to be [title of show]. Although I've never seen it or heard the cast album before, the stories of camaraderie and love of theatre stick out to me. I'm excited to dig deep into this beloved show!

One thing I noticed about the Lyceum is that so many fan-favorite shows have played there, like [title of show] and Be More Chill. Maybe it's luck, but from what I hear, many people who have seen shows there or have worked in that theatre quickly fall in love with it, and fast. Such a shame that shows like that don't run longer there! A Christmas Carol and Sing Street both seem like shows that could've easily made their mark in that theatre (who knows, maybe when Broadway comes back, so will Sing Street along with it!).

As I was reading the chapter, I had no idea that I Am My Own Wife was a solo show, and that Jefferson Mays covered multiple parts! This would've definitely been a show I wish I had seen. In more recent shows, I also would've loved to have seen The Visit with Chita Rivera, The Nance, and A Night with Janis Joplin. 

There were a lot of things I learned about this theatre while reading the chapter, along with some fun facts from Jennifer's live stream today. One thing that stood out to me was the unusable dressing room G. Just hearing how Jennifer and Jeff Bowen were able to go inside and find old Truckload Playbills was a history lesson in itself! Similarly, I think it's so fitting that the Shubert Archives are located upstairs of the oldest operating theatre on Broadway. It would be a dream come true for this theatre history nerd to see a show at the Lyceum, then go upstairs and visit the archives!

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/18/20 at 3:38pm

Is the Shubert Archives open to the public via scheduled tour?