A tsunami of nostalgia it about to hit the Great White Way as several new productions based on familiar themes and revivals from as far back at the 1920s are set to open on Broadway in the next several months. "'Night, Mother," originally produced in 1983, opened at the Royale Theater on
November 14. "Little Women" opens December 7 and "La Cage Aux Folles" opens December 9. In 2005, Broadway will welcome "Monty Python's Spamalot," based on the 1975 film "Monty Python and the
Holy Grail;" "A Little Princess;" "A Streetcar Named Desire;" "Barefoot in the Park;" "Brave New World;" "Death Takes a Holiday;" a revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Pacific Overtures;" "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang;" Sam Shepard's 1983 "Fool for Love;" a new production of David Mamet's 1984 Pulitzer
Prize winning "Glengarry Glen Ross;" "Moonstruck," for which both Cher and screenwriter John Patrick Shanley won Academy Awards; "Steel Magnolias;" a revival of 1966's "Sweet Charity;" "The Pajama Game," which
originated in 1954; and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf."
Broadway will also be overrun by "classic rock" musical productions. Theater producers are hoping they can strike gold by re-creating the magic of Elvis on Broadway with "All Shook Up" opening March 24; the Beach
Boys with "Good Vibrations," set to begin previews December 20; and "Lennon," based on the music of John Lennon and scheduled to open May 24. Michael Kantor, producer of the PBS series "Broadway: The American Musical," recently suggested to me that he expected a new Broadway play based on country music to be developed in the near future, taking advantage of the popularity of
country music and the strong story-telling nature of the genre. Producers are hoping to capitalize on the success of the exceptional Tony Award winning "Movin' Out," which features the music of Billy Joel, and the long-running "Mamma Mia," which is structured around the songs of Abba. However, in addition to the power of Joel's compositions, a major contributor to the success
of Movin' Out is Twyla Tharp's extraordinary choreography, which overcomes the inherent weaknesses of the play's story line. Mamma Mia is an amazing serendipity of previously released songs miraculously organized in
perfect symmetry with a strong story, resulting in a solid traditional musical format that is a fun theater experience for all ages.
No one can question the potential power of Elvis or the probable relevance of the Beach Boys' music. Imagine the potential of John Lennon's incomparable lyrics if a Broadway production can truly do them justice. But
no matter how good the music, it will be a challenge for writers, choreographers, and directors to deliver audience experiences equal to Movin' Out, Mamma Mia, or the godfather of all derivative rock operas, "Tommy." To achieve popularity equal to Mamma Mia, Tommy or Movin' Out, these new productions must be more than oldies' concerts with dancing. There must be
scripts that audiences can follow and relate to. The choreography needs, at the very least, to fulfill Broadway theater-goers' expectations. With Las Vegas and Atlantic City acts becoming increasingly spectacular, including the direct move of London's production based on the music of Queen directly to the Las Vegas Strip, to compete Broadway musicals must aspire to a new level of
sensationalism. With these new musical productions, Broadway is competing for audiences not only with other Broadway offerings, but with "Imagination: Stars on Ice," the "Big Apple Circus" and the "Radio City Spectacular."
Broadway needs more audience-pleasing musicals. "Bombay Dreams" has bombed. The new musical "Brooklyn" appears headed for an early demise. Andrew Lloyd Webber's new "Lady in White" is receiving mixed to
poor reviews on London's West End, and financial difficulties are delaying "Jerry Springer: The Opera's" trip across the pond. There are hopes that an off-Broadway musical by Kathie Lee Gifford, "Under
the Bridge" at The Zipper Theater, and "The Immigrant" at Dodger Stages can breathe continued life into the off-Broadway musical following last season's successful "Caroline, or Change."
If "All Shook Up," "Good Vibrations" and "Lennon" bring new audiences to Broadway and are as long-running as "Movin' Out"
and "Mamma Mia," no one will argue with their value. But if these productions fail to deliver a higher level of quality than a Vegas spectacular or a touring company production, they could set back the
Broadway musical as a uniquely differentiated form of entertainment.
