Support and Respect

Happy Tuesday! Hope my East Coast friends are getting ready for this snowstorm that's headed that way. So, I decided that this week I would blog about theatre. It's one of my passions, and even though I'm still learning about it, I have already formed some strong opinions about a few things. This was not intended to be my first topic, but I think it is important to talk about.

I always seem to notice encouragement, respect and support, and the lack thereof, that people "in the business" exude towards different projects. For example, "Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella" just opened on Broadway this week. It grossed over a million dollars while it was still in previews. For those of you who aren't really familiar with theatre, that is a BIG deal. The Midnight Reviews poured in and everyone adored it. Laura Osnes as Cinderella has been praised, and rightfully so. (I'm basing that on her previous performances and Tony nomination. I haven't seen "Cinderella"  yet.) They praised the new social-justice commentary that so many of my generation advocate for. I haven't seen any unsupportive Tweets about Laura Osnes, her Prince Topher, Santino Fontano, or the show as a whole. When Tina Fey talked about the possibility of a "Mean Girls" musical, the internet exploded! The one liners coming from everyone about this project were insanely hilarious. I can't think of a single person who would scoff at that and say "A 'Mean Girls' musical is a terrible idea. Tina Fey should quit while she's ahead." People involved in theatre, and people who aren't involved in theatre seem to be really excited and supportive of these two projects, which is great!
Then there are people on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. I hesitate to call them elitists, because I'm sure all theatre people have fallen into that category at some point. But the way they word their opinions about shows and actors makes me question their credibility, motives, and integrity. And far be it from me to play God in that way, but as someone who wants to be in theatre, it makes me upset and nervous.
Today, however, I was fed up with the attitudes "in this town." (I say that in quotes because I don't actually live in NYC, it's just a good phrase to use in this situation.) Broadway Buzz posted on their Facebook page that the new Spice Girls musical, "Viva Forever"  has been re-imagined and will be coming to Broadway very soon. This is what happened next:

Well, then. I don't know if I was being overly sensitive, but I felt sad for anyone who worked hard on the show and might see these comments. I don't know what the probability of that is, but it's the principle of the matter. I know what it's like to pour blood sweat and tears into a show. I've been the victim of people saying "I hear that show is stupid. I don't know where I heard it from, I just heard it," without asking me what the concept was. (I mean, come ON we had six wheelbarrows full of dirt, and you had the nerve to tell me it sounded stupid??) 

Shows take work.They don't just crop up and land in a vacant theatre. Sometimes there are hundreds of people involved. From the beginning, there are composers/authors, financiers, and casting directors, all of whom have some investment in the show; Even if they don't like the concept of the show, they are still needed to get it off the ground. After the initial stages of a production, the directors, actors, and designers spend hours upon hours working to nail their areas of the production. 

Sometimes, it becomes their child. And no one likes it when their child is bullied or disrespected. 

Shouldn't we, as patrons of the arts, actors, designers, etc..., be glad when new job/entertainment opportunities come up, instead of berate the type of show it is? 

Obviously, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I'm guilty of rolling my eyes at certain concepts. But think about it this way: even if you think a show will be awful or fail, shouldn't you support your fellow theatre artists who have worked hard?  Don't close it before it opens. Obviously, no one wants a bad or under-developed show, but every producer, director, actor, musician, and custodian deserves some level of recognition. Am I wrong in thinking that? Am I that naive about this business? Is it too much to ask for some respect all across the board, and not just for the people who have become rich because of their talents?

It's my hope that someday, we can all appreciate the fact that theatre exists. No matter what pop-group a show is based on, no matter how many vampire-human-lovers are in it, and no matter which British award-winning songwriter penned it. Let's be thankful for theatre, and continue to support everyone in it.