How to Fix the State of the Musical Theatre
The truth is that there is no "dearth of first-rate young writing talent. There's a "dearth of first-rate" producing talent. In bygone days a producer took on a project he had faith in, something he believed in and believed could break through to an audience. Yes, he was looking for a success, but he also believed that he could find winners, or failing that could make winners. The old-time producer was both showman/huckster and impressario. He made the choices, guided the project, placed the bets. And they were bettors. Like a stock portfolio they would create a "show portfolio," knowing that one hit in the bunch would offset a pack of modest successes and failures. They created a climate where new talent could be tried.
That climate does not exist in commercial theatre today. But there are writers out there whose work gets in front of regional theatre audiences and wins them over. People like Mark St. Germain & Randy Courts (Gifts of the Magi, Jack's Holiday, Johnny Pye), Doug Katsaros (Elizabeth & Essex, Abie's Island Rose, Just So), Jeff Lunden and Art Perlman (Once on a Summer's Day, Wings, Another Midsummer Night), Glen Roven (The Five Thousand Fingers of Doctor T), Scott Warrender (Das Barbecu, Happy Pants), Laurence O'Keefe, Nell Benjamin, and Julia Jordan (3hree, Sarah Plain and Tall). Not to mention former regional standouts with New York successes: Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Jeanine Tesori. Or the newer voices who, although without major financial success, have achieved a degree of critical success: Adam Guettel, Ricky Ian Gordon, Michael John LaChiusa. Et. al. and etc.
Restoring the stature of original material on the New York musical stage will come from several directions. One direction which has begun is the stronger and more serious contribution of regional theatres in the development process and of their continuing participation in moving a project forward. This may take the form of partnership with other regionals (creating, in effect, mini-tours), financial participation with commercial producers in subsequent higher visibility productions, development of their own commercial producing arms, or simply the clout and draw to get the producers out to see the production.
The current crop of producers, solely fiscally-oriented, will argue that the subscription-based regional theatres have the luxury to carry one or two failed premieres in a season otherwise permeated with tried and true audience pleasers (and where is the entrepreneurial genius to develop a subscription-based commercial theatre?). But this misses the point, which is that shows are being tried elsewhere in the country that are finding success with audiences that no one is willing to take a gamble on in New York! Why is it that the producers with
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