Thoughts on Theater 5 months into The Shutdown- Page 2

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/27/20 at 3:44pm

Updated On: 8/27/20 at 03:44 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/27/20 at 3:44pm

I miss my regular trips to NYC for theater, the Philharmonic and other cultural events. For me, it's quality "alone time".

I miss the train ride into the city, where I catch up on my reading or listen to music on my phone. A quiet lunch in the city. A matinee. If I know any of the performers, it's a visit and possibly grabbing a bite to eat with them. Then it's the train ride home.

I tried to compensate a bit yesterday by heading out east for a day at the Long Island Acquarium which included a two hour boat cruise on the Peconic River. The weather was beautiful, the boat ride was terrific and the aquarium itself was incredible.

I did some shopping at the farm stands on the way home and enjoyed the day but I still missed the theater.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/27/20 at 3:44pm

I miss my regular trips to NYC for theater, the Philharmonic and other cultural events. For me, it's quality "alone time".

I miss the train ride into the city, where I catch up on my reading or listen to music on my phone. A quiet lunch in the city. A matinee. If I know any of the performers, it's a visit and possibly grabbing a bite to eat with them. Then it's the train ride home.

I tried to compensate a bit yesterday by heading out east for a day at the Long Island Acquarium which included a two hour boat cruise on the Peconic River. The weather was beautiful, the boat ride was terrific and the aquarium itself was incredible.

I did some shopping at the farm stands on the way home and enjoyed the day but I still missed the theater.

[stoptheworld38]

Posted: 8/27/20 at 4:03pm

If anything, the lack of theatre (and other live performance) currently has made me appreciate it more, not less. I completely understand why the shutdown is happening and (for the most part) support it, but as soon as live theatre/music is back safely, I will be there to enjoy it and support the people who are doing it. And while I'm not involved in theatre as a performer, I am very heavily involved with choir which has been essentially non-existent for the past 5 and a half months and counting. It has been an extremely big part of my life since I was a young kid and to be going this long without it is heartbreaking, even though I know it's the best thing for everyone's health and safety.

Theatre and choir and other performing arts WILL come back, and when they do, I will be there enjoying and appreciating every minute.

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 8/27/20 at 4:10pm

I'm speaking from an Australian perspective where a major city might have 3 major theatrical attractions at once where Broadway and off might have 33.

Love of theatre can be easily satisfied, and quickly, until each season ends and we wait expectantly for the next attraction.

If I never see another show, my life will continue and another form of entertainment will, and has already, filled that void.

I get my 'fix' from show DVDs and that triggers memories of the show itself and if seen overseas the how and when and circumstances to get me to that theatre.

I feel for the performers etc and all others out of work due to this situation but throughout life we add, subtract daily and adjust accordingly to get us through each day. As humans we have that inbuilt ability to reinvent so now could be the time, as others have said above, to discover alternative pleasures that we had never considered.

I will always miss a live overture.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/27/20 at 4:16pm

unclevictor said: "iluvtheatertrash said: "If you think the city is “fine” in month 5 of a global pandemic that has decimated our economy, you’re delusional."

No, you’re delusional.

i think my eyes just rolled outta my head!"

My comments were specific to the economy. If you think our economy is “fine”, you ARE delusional. But whatever. 

[Wick3]

Posted: 8/27/20 at 5:10pm

SweetLips22 said: "If I never see another show, my life will continue and another form of entertainment will, and has already, filled that void.

I get my 'fix' from show DVDs and that triggers memories of the show itself and if seen overseas the how and when and circumstances to get me to that theatre."

Yup right now I've been watching more Netflix and Disney+ to fill that void. I recently started watching ENCORE! on Disney+ and loving it thus far.... especially the Anything Goes and Pippin episodes!

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/27/20 at 5:56pm

When I reflect on missing the theatre, I take it from two perspectives: (1) it has been an important part of my life for 55+ years, but this is not the first time that I have gone cold turkey or have had to greatly reduce my viewing, and I survived just fine and (2) for me, missing the theatre is magnified by the productions that I am missing.

Re prior cold turkey, My wife and I used to kid that the year before my first son was born (December 1990), we saw probably 30 Broadway productions (including repeats), 10 - 12 dance events, X concerts, at least 20 - 25 movies, and had a great time.  In 1991, we saw Miss Saigon (first preview) and I saw The Silence of the Lambs.  Period.  After waiting so long and having a mega-hour job, i wanted to be home.  I missed the theatre, but there were other rewards.  I also started living outside of NY 25 years ago.  That, coupled with small kids, meant that there were many dry periods.  I can still list the plays and musicals that I managed to miss because they did not come to the places I lived or were not open when I did get to NYC.  To this day, there are a number that I will always regret missing, e.g., Cherry Jones in The Heiress, Jane Fonda in 33 Variations, Brian Dennehy in Death of a   Salesman, and many more.  But, life went on.

Re productions that I am missing, I have to say that, FOR ME, if a pandemic had to happen, this was a pretty good time theatre wise.  Why?  The things I most wanted to see were revivals of shows I have seen many times, eg., I have seen Company at least 8 - 10 times, WSS the same (and I don't even love WSS), Virginia Woolf 5 or 6 times(and probably another 5 or 6 for the brilliantly filmed movie).  

I thought the NT Live production of Lehman Trilogy was so well done that I did not feel that I NEEDED to see it live (and was not sure I wanted to sit in cramped Nederlander Theatre seats for a show that, although I really liked it, definitely felt long in Act 2 and especially in Act 3).  Normally I would have been excited to see Six based on word of mouth, but I had not purchased tickets because I personally have a problem spending top dollar for a show that lasts 67 minutes (according to a friend who saw it, loved it, and clocked it).  

After Tootsie, I had no interest in Mrs. Doubtfire (until at least the reviews came out and I had a chance to listen to the score); I had zero interest in Girl from the North Country (i have never been a big Dylan fan, and an awful lot of people on this board thought that it was unrelentingly dreary), American Buffalo (I have been bored silly by this short play twice before: once with Robert Duvall and once with Al Pacino, Plaza Suite (PS was dated 30 years ago), and a number of others.  I had tickets to Tina, but was only going to see Adrienne Warren (who, based on reported attendance issues, I might have missed anyway).  So, RIGHT this minute, I don't feel like I am missing many shows that were for me MUST SEES.  I did have tickets for The Music Man for October, but even there the only reason I got tickets was because of Hugh Jackman, as TMM has never been one of my favorite shows.  For me, it has moments of musical comedy greatness (with the right Howard Hill) and moments that make me cringe, e.g., I have never remotely been entertained by the early number on the train or Shipoppi (sic).

Couple this with the fact that I have seen some incredible entertainment that I had never seen before, mainly on streaming services, e.g., Broadchurch, Bodyguard, Luther, The Handmaid'sTale, Prime Suspect, Fargo, Godless, Mad Men, The Crown, The Plot Against America (talk about prescient!!!), and i am surviving okay.

I would be saying something entirely different if I had been excited about the Spring season...I just was not.  So, for me timing plays a key role in managing down my normal disappointment.

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 8/28/20 at 12:53am

I don't feel like my interest is slipping away at all. If anything, it's going to make me more inclined to spend money and visit Broadway more when it comes back. I will never take it for granted again.

[bear88]

Posted: 8/28/20 at 4:25am

I'm with Mr. Wormwood.

I don't live in New York City and never attended every show in existence in my home in the San Francisco Bay Area. But during the pandemic, I watched taped local productions that had to shut down, eagerly consumed old shows on BroadwayHD for a while or recorded shows on YouTube or Hamilton on Disney+.  I went through a Sondheim kick, seeing a bunch of shows I hadn't seen in person. 

Whenever it's safe to sit in a crowded theater, and I have no idea when that will be, I will be more than eager to see live productions. And as someone who started attending Broadway shows again in 2016 after a long absence, I got reminded of how much I love New York City. (If the city goes back to its early '90s days, that would be OK. It had gotten a little too Disneyfied for my taste anyway.)

When shows return, and I can safely see them, I will definitely not take it for granted. 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 8/28/20 at 8:02pm

I miss actual theater and live performances in general. 

I watched the Stars in the House livestreams at the beginning but I haven't watched one in months. I've watched a couple of Met Opera streams. I watched one or two theater bootlegs. 

But in general, I've kept away from theater-related stuff. After a point, it just became depressing. I've gone back to other hobbies and interests. There are plenty of pop albums and live concert albums from theater performers or even more bootlegs or pro-shots to watch. I could track down movie musicals. But it just feels so depressing. I was never someone who loved being in a movie theater so I've found myself using the shutdown time to watch more movies and TV when I usually would go out and watch a play. 

I don't think I've lost interest in theater or musicals. I just can't really indulge in these substitutes right now. When we can gather for live performances again I'm sure I will watch and listen to all of this stuff. But right now it's just a reminder of what is missing. 

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 8/28/20 at 8:27pm

VintageSnarker said: "
I don't think I've lost interest in theater or musicals. I just can't really indulge in these substitutes right now. When we can gather for live performances again I'm sure I will watch and listen to all of this stuff. But right now it's just a reminder of what is missing."

I'm with you on that. I've had very little interest in the virtual performances or even filmed stage versions (aside from Hamilton's Disney Plus release). But that's not indicative at all of me losing interest, just not wanting to really make myself sad

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/29/20 at 2:59am

I've actually been watching a ton of theatre-related clips that have often been suggested to me on YouTube over the years (legal and otherwise), and it's been a fun catch-up. So far I haven't necessarily felt sad, though the hardest I've been suddenly hit with the feeling of wanting to be transported into a theatre was watching the most recent Les Miz staged concert. Though I realized it was because I'd had such a good time seeing it in a movie theatre more than actually wanting to get back to any form of live theatre.

But speaking of other forms of entertainment, since March, I've started (or restarted) Kim's Convenience, the She-Ra reboot, Star Trek: Discovery/Picard/Lower Decks, Schitt's Creek, ABC Australia's Planet America, and a few other TV/streaming shows I'd been procrastinating on, which has been pretty nice. I also finally watched Leslie Odom Jr.'s concert on PBS, and finished the original What We Do in the Shadows movie.

[BLs68]

Posted: 8/29/20 at 7:59pm

I haven’t necessarily been missing theatre but I have been missing the alone time when I take the train to NYC. Between grad school and my job, I’m constantly busy and have almost no time to myself. When I take the train to NYC, I’m alone and have time to relax, reflect, and enjoy the few hours to myself before coming back to reality.

I did go through a phase that I listened to the Little Shop of Horrors recording over and over and over but stopped because I was sad I couldn’t go to NYC the next day to see it. I wish all shows will return but selfishly, I want this one to return the most.

Since the shut down, I’ve noticed myself watching a lot of NatGeo and Smithsonian channel programs (yes, I’m a nerd). I’ve rewatched The Vampire Diaries and almost all of Gilmore Girls (my office was remote from March to July so I had a lot of free time).

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/1/20 at 11:49am

I love this thread. It's great to see people going deep! It's like we're at the part in our show when Zack asks, "What do you do when you can't theatre anymore?"

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/1/20 at 6:58pm

I miss NYC in general. There's no other energy like the one in NYC. I've pondered taking the train in one day just to walk around. I certainly can't make a whole day out of it. Majority of my working artists friends have left the city, so to even meet up with a friend probably won't happen either. I miss getting in rush lines and conversing with others in the line. Grabbing a drink [or two] somewhere, walking through Central Park, walking through the theater district. In general, I would typically visit the city once a month, less in the the winter. It'll be odd during the holidays whether or not to go in. Will the tree still go up? Will Macy's still decorate their windows?

[ImAProphet]

Posted: 9/1/20 at 7:42pm

ACL2006 said: "I miss NYC in general. There's no other energy like the one in NYC. I've pondered taking the train in one day just to walk around."

If there's any part of you that wants to, you should IMO (obviously depending on the level of COVID risk you're comfortable with). The theater district is sad but Central Park is as gorgeous as ever. Museums are opening (I went to the Met this weekend!). Most restaurants and bars have outdoor seating. Most of the shops are open. Some of the tourist attractions are open despite the lack of tourists - I'm thinking about finally checking out the Empire State Building now that I won't have to wait in line.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 9/2/20 at 3:12am

It is hard for people in the business on many levels. It is like a part of you is missing....a weird thing to describe...Usually the crisp air of fall in NYC brings a rush of excitement with new theatre seasons beginning, streets crowded with theatre goers and artists and industry folk rushing to meet their call times...if one thinks about it too much  there is a sense of loss....

[KKeller6]

Posted: 9/4/20 at 12:45am

I was feeling so pessimistic, thinking next September was the best case scenario, but with this talk of a vaccine between November and the new year, I'm feeling very hopeful for the first time in months that March may actually happen. I read Dr. Fauci said this is a very real possibility. I trust him. Not trying to be political here.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/4/20 at 12:55am

Faucci does NOT think a vaccine by Election Day is possible. No credible person does.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/4/20 at 1:04am

KKeller6 said: "I was feeling so pessimistic, thinking next September was the best case scenario, but with this talk of a vaccine between November and the new year, I'm feeling very hopeful for the first time in months that March may actually happen. I read Dr. Fauci said this is a very real possibility. I trust him. Not trying to be political here."

The November 1st thing is simply a ploy by Trump to race for a vaccine to win the election. It holds absolutely no weight.

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/4/20 at 1:12am

KKeller6 said: "I was feeling so pessimistic, thinking next September was the best case scenario, but with this talk of a vaccine between November and the new year, I'm feeling very hopeful for the first time in months that March may actually happen. I read Dr. Fauci said this is a very real possibility. I trust him. Not trying to be political here. "

Lol, if you're relying on a vaccine coming in the next few months, please expect a Broadway opening on April 1st.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 9/4/20 at 10:55am

A few years ago, I got promoted at my job and my schedule shifted to Wednesdays and Thursdays being my days off. Since then, I'd make almost weekly trips from South Jersey to New York on Wednesdays and catch a two show day, grab lunch or dinner with friends in between, and head home on the 11pm Greyhound bus. My last Wednesday in the city before the shutdown was March 11th the day before and I saw the matinee of Aladdin and the final [for now] preview of Mrs. Doubtfire.

That both feels like yesterday and also the almost 7 months it's been since the shutdown began.

I also work in Subscriber and Patron Services for a performing arts center so on top of missing my outlet, I also have to deal with the fall out of it all. The few weeks after the shutdown and most of April were absolutely awful and people truly showed their true colors during that time and I'd finish my work day and immediately feel like a train had hit me. Since then, things have gotten better, but we still don't know how things are going to pan out. Most of our seasons have been pushed to 2021 while our two major orchestras have begun providing paid digital concerts to provide their patrons with performances during the time they can't have audiences in person. I'm very grateful to still be employed during all of this, but it has definitely been a very trying experience. 

I miss being able to see a show/concert/anything in person so much and I know the minute things reopen, I will absolutely be there to welcome Broadway and performing back in whatever shape I can. I've joked I may take a week off and see a show every night, but honestly, I would. 

I also like many have mentioned here miss the city itself as I haven't been back to New York since the day before the shutdown and it feels so strange. I thought back on this and I'm pretty sure this is the longest I've been away from New York and seeing Broadway shows since I was in high school and we'd make trips up over the summer. 

I miss Broadway, I miss traveling to see a tour, I miss seeing friends in the city and seeing shows and spending time with them. I'm cautiously optimistic that 2021 will be better and things will reopen, but who is really to say. 

Updated On: 9/4/20 at 10:55 AM

[KKeller6]

Posted: 9/4/20 at 12:15pm

I re read some of the articles. He said it's conceivable. I got duped my some dubious headlines. But,I suppose, some writers could claim saying something is "conceivable" is agreeing something is "possible"

Updated On: 9/4/20 at 12:15 PM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 9/4/20 at 2:25pm

KKeller6 said: "I was feeling so pessimistic, thinking next September was the best case scenario, but with this talk of a vaccine between November and the new year, I'm feeling very hopeful for the first time in months that March may actually happen. I read Dr. Fauci said this is a very real possibility. I trust him. Not trying to be political here."

C'mon!!!  That is Trump politicking (sic).  Conveniently, a vaccine is going to start rollout day's before the election (most people will still go to the polls to vote IMO).  It is too obvious, but I guess there are plenty people out there who will believe that Fascist propaganda!