I think it’s safe to say that what the world needs now . . .more than ever . . . is love, sweet love.
I think it’s safe to say that what the world needs now . . .more than ever . . . is love, sweet love.
Have you ever read a New York Times review of a musical and wonder, “Wait a second – I’m three paragraphs into this review and I still don’t even know if he liked it or not!”
Critics have a skill . . . it’s like a fisherman who doesn’t try to land the marlin on the first bite . . . they drag you in . . . all slllllloooooowwww liiiiiikkkkke. And get you to read all the way to the bottom.
SPOILER ALERT: This is not a New York Times review.
So let me get the rat out of the bag right now.
My review of Ratatouille musical?
I liked it.
You can stop reading now, if you like. And if you want a more in-depth analysis of it, you can read the actual New York Times review here.
But yeah, I liked it. I couldn’t help but get the e-chills hearing Daniel Mertzlufft’s orchestrated version of Emily Jacobsen’s “Ode To Remy” (aka The TikTok heard ’round the world) sung by Titus Burgess.
I loved Andrew Barth Feldman, Kevin Chamberlain (who got in on this early), and can Adam Lambert please come back to Broadway now?
And kudos to the writers, Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley, for how fast they delivered something of this quality (with a score that was mostly pre-existing!) In a way, they wrote a jukebox musical . . . and they wrote it faaaaaast.
So yeah, I liked the show.
But I effin’ LOVED that it happened.
Seriously, Ratatouille should get the Nobel Peace Prize for musicals.
At a time when the theater is torn apart . . . because we can’t be together . . . leave it to the NEXT generation, Gen Z, to teach us to create something no matter what the circumstances.
Great leadership often comes from the young . . . because they aren’t trying to lead . . . they are just doing what they love and it’s impossible not to follow them. It’s why I jumped into the TikTok fray . . . I wanted to be in their group.
While I give so much love and props to this group of creators, the next generation of theatermakers, I so respect Disney Theatricals under the leadership of Tom Schumacher, for letting it happen.
20 years ago? This would not have happened. No way. Too many lawyers. Too much corporate fear.
Today? You must learn to give the people what they want. And Disney did that . . . while simultaneously protecting its brand (the musical was only available for viewing twice) . . . and helping to raise $1mm for The Actors Fund.
So yes, I liked the performances, the choreography, the costumes even . . .
But I loved what Ratatouille represents . . . the future.
And I predict that review will be a rave.
It took a pandemic for another network (besides our loyal friends at CBS) to give us an hour-long variety special . . . hosted by none other than Tina Fey! “One Night Only: The Best of Broadway” was a gift from the NBC gods. From the Jersey Boys opening to a number from Hamilton as well as performances from new shows like Jagged Little Pill, interviews with our stars like Rob McClure, a peek into the process of making a show, and more . . . this show did its job. It was a rest stop on this long highway of getting Broadway back up and running again. Now, NBC, what do we have to do to convince you to do this event next year??? (You can watch the special here on demand.)
So, I put it on the list. You can see the inspiring and action-initiating talks here.
Oh, and yes, we are doing it again next year. We already have a theme! Ready? It’s . . . “Places, please.” 🙂 Learn more here.
Ok, let’s be honest. Producers and Theaters are still figuring out how they are going to do theater THIS coming summer! And yet Berkshire Theater Group and it’s formidable leader, Kate Maguire, pulled it off LAST summer!
Godspell was the first production in the country to receive approval for production by Actors Equity . . . and even though the show had to pivot 147 times (including a last-minute change to present it outside), they pulled it off. And they got multiple NY Times articles as a result! While press attention wasn’t the goal, it did prove again that figuring out how to do something when no one else can, can get you a lot of attention. Luckily, because of the leadership of Ms. Maguire, that attention was all positive.