This morning NPR mentioned that Broadway had a good financial year thanks mainly to revivals. The two shows most responsible for bringing in the cash were revivals of West Side Story and Hair. The reporter commented that perhaps theatre-goers were drawn to revivals because they were longing for a simpler time.
My immediate reaction was, "Simpler time, my Aunt Bessie!" Though born after the periods depicted in these two musicals, I have a hard time of thinking of either - especially Hair - as being set in a simpler time. Hair is set under the looming mountain of the Vietnam War, complete with draft card burnings. The story, however, is optimistic and in that sense the show does have a simpler, carefree vibe. West Side Story strikes me as the opposite. It takes place in what might be considered a simpler time, the 1950s. The Cold War and bomb drills aside, Donna Reed, in thought and deed, dominated the domestic front. In this 'simpler' time we get a dark story of teenage alienation and violence. Both musicals are fantasies, there's the notable lack of parents in West Side Story. Hair has "The Age of Aquarius" and I think that sums it up as far as fantasies go.
But I think the NPR commentator was on to something, despite my disagreement that at the highest level these musicals are not about a simpler time. Revivals do remind us of a simpler time: the first time we saw a show. A time which probably was not as fraught with worries as today is.
About Me
- My 10 Cents
- Refugee from the East Coast, Now Living in the Midwest, United States
- I have a BA from Smith College and an MBA from a NYC school. I've been a management consultant to Fortune 500 companies, a Development Director of a Non-Profit, a fundraising consultant, a playwright, a poet, and a novelist. I'd be a Renaissance Woman except I like central heating, warm showers, take-out sushi, and equal rights.