On Broadway (Jacoby, 2019)
I approached On Broadway expecting a yearbook approach highlighting the major shows that have shaped American theater in my lifetime. It does that, seamlessly moving from a Chorus Line to Hamilton with nods to the shows that helped redefine the industry in between.
What I did not expect was the element that elevates the documentary above a highlight reel. It charts the development of the region, tying the emergence of certain shows with the social changes of the communities it represents and serves. On Broadway turns out to be truly about Broadway and not just about Broadway shows. We see the gradual transformation of Times Square from a seemingly unsafe symbol of urban decay to a brightly colored tourist magnet.
It is to the film’s credit that it does not gloss over the costs — artistically or socially — of that transformation. There is stock footage of legendary performers somber and teary eyed as the demolition of American landmarks are begun. Never mind that some have holes in the ceiling or had been dark (without a show) for too long. The documentary presents the urban developers as cannily sacrificing some historic landmarks in order to prompt the the renaissance of the area.
If there is an underlying theme that unifies the various ages depicted, it is the resiliency of the theater. In fact, the documentary is almost Hegelian in its structure with threats being answered in unexpected ways only for the new shows to become the norms that create their own fault lines. The scope and pageantry of the British imports helps Broadway become a tourist draw but also contribute to making it prohibitively expensive. Plays like Angels in America and Rent speak to a younger audience but lean heavily on the public theater infrastructure to get noticed. Merchandising becomes a new revenue stream but also contributes to risk aversion. Technology and social media help create buzz around a show but also contribute to our ever shortening attention span. For those who believe in providence, Broadway’s ability to come up with just the right play at just the right time can seem to augur well for the theater district’s return from its present COVID-19 lockdown.
Will The Nap be the next show to save Broadway as the documentary suggests? It could be, but honestly the rehearsals for and development of that forthcoming play felt like the weakest element, a promotional product placement only thinly disguised as an act of prophecy. The fact that previous hits seemed to fly in the face of conventional wisdom doesn’t mean that anything that is different will be the next best thing.
No matter. That’s a small misfire in what is otherwise a solidly entertaining piece. I was a staple of the theater club in high school, so it is to be expected that the film would make me grin from ear to ear. I mean, I still know almost all the lyrics to Evita and Les Mis. But I watched this documentary with someone who was not a theater geek, and she agreed with me that the film was thoughtful and entertaining.
On Broadway opens in New York (as it should) on August 20, 2021, followed by a stint in Los Angeles and a national rollout.
