In the course of journeying through the internet - which I am in the habit of doing, something tells me you are too - it occurs to me that The Hip Thing to blog about right now is the economy.
I could dip my foot into this esoteric pond of bitching and moaning - not to be confused with the proactive pond of doing - but then the terrorists win. But since they are persuasive terrorists, I'll meet them halfway. (Possibly someone from Homeland Security will stumble upon this and I'll be on my way to Guantanamo within the hour.)
Let's talk theatre. I'm an admitted theatre junkie. Philadelphia is my homeland, though I live primarily in Chicago these days, and New York is that one and a half train hour ride I take only when there are shows to be seen. I've never been to the Statue of Liberty, I have little interest in Central Park, and the Empire State Building is just that skyscraper I catch a glimpse of on my way from 42nd Street to Penn Station. Some might say I have a bias.
However. I often hear people complaining about the high price of theatre tickets these days - "astronomical!" they say, "sky high." Maybe. But these are live shows we're talking about, comrades. This isn't like going to the movies. Do you have an idea what it costs to put on a production eight times a week? Actors, crew, ushers. And these people are not rich, let me tell you. You do not do theatre for the money, you do it purely for love.
On January 4th, nine Broadway shows closed for good. Nine. In the coming weeks, quite a few more shows will go dark. Why? Because the first casualty of an economic crisis is entertainment.
Well. I hope you'll all be satisfied with your joyless existences, listening to the radio for entertainment like your forefathers did while you watch Broadway come crashing to its knees. But seriously, folks? Once you've taken care of the rent, groceries, and your electric bill - buy theatre tickets. Think of it as supporting a good cause.
At the very least, the experience will last you a lot longer than Pay-Per-View wrestling or porn.
Oh, Erin,
ReplyDeleteHow right you are. Of course, when CATS closed, that was a good thing. But I've been to NY more in the last year than ever, cramming everything I could get in, in the time I was there, but I'm so scared that it's on its way out...and not just for the recession, but permanently. The other sad fact is that, in a desperate bid to bring in the masses, regional rotating reps are scrambling to do MORE peformances, MORE productions, MORE MORE MORE marketing, instead of focusing on making the pieces themselves something that could be inspiring and life-changing for an audience, which is what would really bring them back to live theater (of course, there are exceptions).
In your neck o' the woods, Steppenwolf and the Goodman keep the standards so high...I think they will continue to do so; Chicago is home to an amazing group of artists, as far as I can tell.
I too have a strong dislike for Meryl. I think she's WAY overrated, and just the thought of seeing Mama Mia made me gag...I hope to ride out the rest of my days without having to endure that one.
As to the plastic bag knitting, THANK YOU so much for that link...I am going to fuse plastic bags immediately. My mom has never made anything but that one tote...it's very similar to the second tote pictured on that page, except the sewn-on straps go all the way down and under the bag, for extra support. My grandma did the sewing.
Enjoying your page,
Nell, of the Valley
Nell,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, your comment about Meryl Streep made my night in ways you cannot imagine. I am so discontent to be alone in this, because to me it's so clear how overrated she is. I think the only explanation can really be brainwashing. Mamma Mia! was possibly the most painful viewing experience I have ever suffered through - unwillingly, of course. The kind of movie where you have to cringe and close your eyes to keep your sanity intact. So, thank you for validating my anti-Meryl stance.
As for the theatre aspect, you're absolutely right and it's terrifying. That's why I've been sticking to the smaller theatre company productions lately, off-Broadway, and I find them to be far more worthwhile, not catering to the masses.
I'm a huge fan of Steppenwolf's productions - they just blow me away consistently every time. Though I hate being so far from New York, Chicago's theatre scene is fantastic, and tends to be really innovative.
I'm glad you enjoyed the link, and that it was helpful. Now that I've looked up the paper bag trend, I'm fascinated by some of these (daunting) creations.
So glad you're enjoying my page, as I'm enjoying yours!
-Erin