BWW Interviews: THANKS FOR PLAYING: THE GAME SHOW SHOW Creator Talks Retro Dome Premiere

BroadwayWorld talks with "Thanks for Playing: The Game Show Show" co-creator Shannon Guggenheim about the future of the show and of the Retro Dome, as well as the history, making of and themes of the show. Read the full interview below!

Tell me a bit about the show for those who don't know anything. Is it more of a general comedy or more of a spoof/melodrama?

Thanks for Playing: The Game Show! is a wonderful marriage of old-school musical theatre comedy with contemporary humor and wit, with an added bonus of unpredictable audience participation thrown in. Set in the late '50s, then early '60s, we see a game show struggling to get (and stay) on the air during the live TV era. The show, though, is really about the changing role of women in that era and the obstacles that they faced in being taken seriously, as well as the famous scandals that rocked the quiz/game show industry.

Retro Dome has done several live theater shows now.

We opened in 2009 with a revival of our immensely popular production of "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" Over the last 3 years, we've offered fans a mix of original works like "The MeshugaNutcracker!" and "Santastic", some tried and true pieces like "The Fantasticks" and "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown", lesser-known works but regional premieres like "Shout! The Mod Musical" and "Sisters of Swing: The Story of The Andrews Sisters," and of course, the first post-Broadway run of "Xanadu."

How does this new show compare to past shows?

Our new show is designed to give our audience everything they want in a night out: it's fun, it's silly, it's playful - but today's audiences also want something more, so there's a nice moral woven throughout that our players have to learn before they can move on to the "final round." We play tremendously on the "life is a game" metaphor and beg viewers to consider that it isn't about the prize, but rather how you play the game and what you do with the cards you're dealt.

How does this new show help Retro Dome grow? It seems like a pretty big step toward the future.

Any time a theatre company creates its own live theatrical property, it's a huge endeavor. We'd love "Thanks For Playing: The Game Show Show!" to enjoy a long life at The Retro Dome before packaging it for other theatre companies to present and perform.

So how do you see Retro Dome growing overall and specifically as a theatre company?

The Retro Dome is poised to be a place where local audiences can see new works. We welcome authors to submit projects for our consideration both as a production company and as a home where they can bring their project to perform. We have two intimate theatres to consider production so the properties we present will always be smaller in scale but huge in innovation and surprise.

What was the collaborative process like for creating this show? How long has it been in the works?

We've been batting around ideas for a new work that would fit the Retro Dome brand for the last three years, but it wasn't until March of last year that we really crystalized the idea of a show that would celebrate classic game shows. But we couldn't start work right away: we were already heavy in production with our existing season and had a musical theatre summer conservatory to run before presenting our holiday production of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown." We didn't put pen to paper until January 2012, but from there we were off like gang-busters. We had weekly collaborative sessions between the composers and lyricist (Shannon Guggenheim, Stephen Guggenheim and Tom Tomsalleo) and constant brainstorming sessions with Scott Evan Guggenheim who conceptualized the project. Ours is a well-oiled, theatre-making machine, so slipping into high gear to write, produce, and fundraise to get the show off the ground was natural.

Tell me about the inspiration for the show - the historical background. Why do a show on game shows?

Anyone age 35 or older will likely have fond memories of watching game shows on TV (or listening to them on the radio!). All of the creators of our show had at least a dozen specific memories of particular moments in game show history that made a huge impression and it occurred to us that perhaps there hasn't been anything created before quite like this when it comes to celebrating America's favorite pastime: game shows. We dove hard into research and found amazingly compelling and dramatic stories as well as a missing link: the roles of women in game show culture. We worked to create a script that showed women as the real brains behind the business.

How much audience interaction is there in the show?

Guests in the "studio" audience actually get to play the game "The Secret Square." We bring up five unprepared guests to play and they all leave with lovely parting gifts. The audience gets to play along, too, during the sing-along songs.

What's it like working as a family? Does that have any pros? Cons? How does it add to the quality and experience?

It's wonderful. When you're related (as Scott and Steve are), or linked by marriage, as I am with both Guggy men, you already have a camaraderie so it's not something you have to build. And you don't have to dance around comments - you just say what's working, what's not and move forward. True, one negative might be that when we're together it's all we talk about. I feel sorry for our family when we're together because we don't talk about much else! But that's a blessing for the strength of the show. It certainly would not have come together as quickly had we been working with non-relatives. Our 3 a.m. text-sessions debating the strength of a song would have had to wait until "normal" people hours.

I know you did a big fundraising campaign to support this new show. Tell me a bit about that.

We were very fortunate to have a successful Kickstarter campaign. We worked very hard to communicate our goals to our prospective backers and in the end successfully raised more than our goal amount. Was the money spent faster than it takes to read and answer the Final Jeopardy question? You bet. Mounting a brand new work from scratch with new music, new script, new actors, new costumes - nothing rentable or recyclable - made for a very quick use of the start up funds. So, now the trick is to fine tune the show into a piece our fans will rave about so it can enjoy a long life here at the Dome and beyond.

What do you see in the future for this show after it finishes at Retro Dome?

We're exploring the idea of touring the show to New York or Chicago to see if audiences there enjoy it as much as here. From there, there is no reason that "Thanks For Playing: The Game Show Show!" can't go on to be a staple in regional theatre as part of their season. Any age group can enjoy it and it plays like any traditional musical with the added bonus of audience participation.

What can audiences expect from the show? Any surprises? Familiar references?

If you have even a peripheral knowledge of game shows (classic and current) you'll see and hear hundreds of delightful references. The most charming part of the show is getting the chance to feel like you're part of a live game show and also spend a couple of hours with a wonderful bunch of crazy characters, all modeled after game show greats like Charles Nelson Riley, Brett Summers and favorite hosts like Dick Clark, Jack Barry and Gene Rayburn.

THANKS FOR PLAYING: THE GAME SHOW SHOW
The Retro Dome
Through June 3
www.theretrodome.com

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