Beautiful Theater and Economics

The first Broadway show I ever attended was My Fair Lady. My mom took me to the show, and I remember enjoying it but being disappointed by the ending. My only other live theater experience, when I was growing up, was going with my mom to Radio City Music Hall every time there was a new Cary Grant film, and where every movie was accompanied by a live musical performance by the Rockettes. In those days I had not yet experienced my first economics course, not yet majored in economics in college and not yet earned my PhD in economics. Fast forward to today and from that very limited initial exposure to professional theater, I now try to see almost every Broadway musical but, given my educational background, I also think a lot about the economics of Broadway.

Last night I attended a performance of Beautiful, The Carole King Musical. The show, not surprisingly, focuses on the life of Carole King and also on the music of Carole, Carole and Gerry Goffin as well as the music of their contemporaries, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. I grew up with this music and I enjoy it as much today as I did growing up. Songs like “So Far Away,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “Walking in the Rain,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” and “Beautiful,” are classics that are easy to listen to and have broad audience appeal. In Broadway terms, the fact that the music is known and liked also helps the show succeed and takes some of the risk away from the almost speculative investing that is part of almost every Broadway show. You need to look no further away than Spiderman which at its closing, almost three years after it opened, still had a loss of 10’s of millions of dollars. If the story is good, and that was certainly the case for Beautiful, and the music memorable to begin with, the show has a greater chance of success and the risk involved in the investment is somewhat mitigated. Added evidence in support of this conclusion include Jersey Boys, Motown, and Mama Mia. But great music is not a guarantee of a great show or even a modestly successful show. All Shook Up featured great Elvis music and a great cast, but a story line that just didn’t work. Other Broadway shows featuring the hit songs of very popular groups have closed before I even had the chance to see them. Nevertheless, beginning with top notch music is a recipe for financial and artistic success

Because the costs of putting on a Broadway show are as high as they are, and because there is very substantial risk in the investment, the ticket costs of Broadway show are high and very much limit the potential audience. Turning shows into movies (Les Mis) and into television specials (The Sound of Music) can increase their accessibility. So can not-for-profit- family theaters such as New York’s New Victory. College and high school groups also enhance accessibility. I am an advocate for the arts and for the profound impact that theater can have. I know that the economics of professional theater requires high tickets prices to cover costs and recoup investments but I also know we need to do a better job in promoting accessibility and providing alternatives. When done right, the experience and the educational impact is certainly beautiful.

The Nance

I was not familiar with the word nance until I looked it up after the announcement that Nathan Lane would be coming back to Broadway as the lead role in The Nance. A nance is an effeminate man and is sometimes also used to describe a gay man. I finally made it to The Nance last week and found, as is predictable, that Nathan Lane is terrific in the lead role, especially the comic aspects but also the sad aspects. I try to see Nathan Lane in whatever he does on Broadway and I am yet to be disappointed. He is a consistently brilliant performer, and for me The Producers and The Adams Family are just two examples of huge talent.

The Nance is an entertaining production but ultimately a very sad story. Nathan Lane plays Chancy Miles, a nance, both on and off the stage. For the early part of the story, Chancy’s life and success flourishes as a result of his vaudeville talent as well as a chance encounter with Ned. The encounter takes place in a Greenwich Village Horn & Hardart Automat. Automats rapidly disappeared when I was a young kid but I was one of many who were fascinated by having the food in little compartments, behind glass doors and just a nickel and a dime away. I’m clearly dating myself by remembering Automats, but when the last one in New York (42nd Street and Third Avenue) disappeared in 1991, I felt it was a real loss.

As The Nance evolves, Chancy and his behavior both on and off stage clash with increasingly conservative anti gay values and laws. He gets arrested, ultimately loses his job, and worst of all, he loses his significant other. Furthermore, vaudeville is dead in New York and Chancy can’t go elsewhere to work because of his parole board restrictions.

It’s nice to fast forward at moments like this and reflect on what has been a significant decline in discrimination in recent years. An African American President, and gay marriage are just two examples of what for me is a more free, more open, more tolerant world. I’m pleased to be alive at a time like this.

But I think we also have to remember what did happen, and be vigilant in making sure that progress is expanded and not eroded. We need to admit what we have done wrong. Our society and all societies have made and are still making mistakes. To airbrush history and sugar coat mistakes so that we look perfect and always virtuous is to deny reality. We have not always done the right thing, both at home and abroad. The mistakes we have made are serious, though overall our progress and our good work has been impressive.

In educating our kids from an early age, through lifelong learning, we need to pay special attention to teaching reality, the good, the bad, and the ugly. What we have accomplished and what we still have to do, is less likely to be taken for granted if we know where we started.

Kinky Product Differentiation

Kinky Boots is a wonderful new Broadway show. Absolutely topnotch and one of the best shows I have seen in years. It has energy, style, substance, great music, and is thoroughly enjoyable. It also has an excellent story which encompasses economics and marketing, as well as psychology. And I can’t think of a better way for learning to take place than a spellbinding presentation of what is basically a true story.

The story line revolves around Price Shoes which is a failing shoe company in England (losing out to low priced imports) that makes a “range” of shoes for men. Charlie Price, who has no interest in the shoe business, takes over when his dad suddenly dies and is faced with the prospect of firing people together with closing down the company. There is also a recommendation to turn the factory into a condominium project. While in London to arrange a sale of the shoe inventory, Charlie comes to the rescue of a women being harassed by a number of drunks. In the course of the rescue, the women accidently knocks Charlie out and he wakes up in her dressing room.

It turns out, however, that it is not exactly her dressing room. It isn’t the dressing room that is “not exactly;” rather it is the woman (Lola) who is in fact not a her and is instead a drag queen entertainer. Lola complains that there are no sturdy boots available that can easily handle the weight of male transvestites.

Charlie, however, seems to be at a loss of how to save the company. Coming to the rescue is a factory worker who says to Charlie that what they need is to change their product line and to differentiate into a niche market where there is a demand. Certainly excellent advice both from the vantage point of an economist as well as a marketing expert. We know that foreign competition is fierce in many product areas and we also know that product differentiation can make a very positive difference. By the way, I had a much easier time explaining product differentiation to my 11 year old than explaining the shoe needs of transvestites.

Charlie makes the decision that he will produce sturdy dress boots for male transvestites and that these boots will be designed by Lola. As you can imagine, not all the employees are thrilled with the transformation from producing a range of shoes for men to what is accurately described as producing shoes for a range of men. The story lines build until there is a major successful unveiling of Lola’s Kinky Boots at a Milan show. At the same time there is also an important message about respecting people for what they are.

It all comes together beautifully and this is a spectacular show that will run for years. And the show demonstrates the same lesson as Charlie’s shoe transformation. If you create a show that is very special from beginning to end, the demand will be there. Product differentiation is alive and well on Broadway. And Broadway has certainly put its best foot forward.

Matilda

In Matilda, the outstanding new Broadway musical, Matilda’s parents are horrified that she is into reading. The mom, who didn’t want this child, is into her looks and her dancing while the dad, who didn’t want a girl, is into scheming to sell his used cars at new car prices. Even with these revolting parents and an even more revolting school director, Matilda perseveres over all evils with her love for learning and reading completely intact and hopefully a Tony on the way as well.

My kids are bright and good readers and hopefully have a home life and school environment absent the stress that Matilda encounters. But this week hasn’t been a good week for my younger daughter who has spent three days and 4.5 hours taking a reading assessment. These tests will be followed up this coming week with math exams. Now some background on the reading exam will be helpful to the reader. First, the exam is based in part on the new common core curriculum; however, the students are just being exposed to that curriculum now. Second, the exam is being scored much harder than the exam in previous years so that the expectation is that failures will be up by at least a third. And third, the exam is not so much a method for grading the students as it is aimed at grading the teachers.

What is New York State thinking? I have written before on using student test results to judge teachers. I know from firsthand experience that excellent teaching makes an important difference but the home environment is nevertheless crucial. Household conditions and the support mechanisms at home make an enormous difference and there is a strong correlation between these conditions and test results. Why then do teachers shoulder so much of the responsibility with only a limited opportunity to make the difference? Every child is not a Matilda, able to overcome tremendous odds against succeeding in school.

The jury on the common core curriculum is still out but there is no doubt that most of the students being tested have had limited exposure. How then can you justify that tests are oriented around the common core? Do we want kids to fail? Once again, not every kid has the resilience of a Matilda. Which, of course, leads to the most critical point which is that an increasing number of kids will not pass this exam. How do we explain to them that we are really not judging them via the exam? Or how do we explain that the material is oriented to a curriculum design that is not yet fully implemented? The reality is we will not be able to successfully convince our children that it really isn’t a reflection on them if they don’t pass. There is no question that self respect will suffer and that some children will feel inferior as a result.

But as I have indicated before, what will suffer the most is the love of learning. Too much of an emphasis on tests and tests which are too flawed will impact our children negatively. And while the story for Matilda ends happily ever after, I am not at all convinced that this will be the result for a significant number of children in New York.

Film Ratings

Last year at this time, as a result of a snow storm, my family and I spent over two days at Newark Airport and ultimately returned home without ever getting on an airplane to take a scheduled vacation in Hawaii.  Newark is a nice airport but it can’t compare to spending time in paradise.  This year, we decided to stay local and all in all it was a very low-key relaxing week with lots of much appreciated family time.  Also lots of time for movies and shows.  So within the last ten days, we have seen Alvin and the Chipmunks, Sherlock Holmes, Mission Impossible, TinTin and Snowy, Bonnie and Clyde, The Artist, My Week with Marilyn, Ridiculous Broadway, and War Horse.  And what was my favorite?  Well the reality was I enjoyed all of the above.

Having enjoyed all the films and the shows does not mean, however, that I didn’t have favorites.  The Chipmunks was pure fluff, a cute but slightly ridiculous story; however even a provost can’t help but appreciate three talented chipmunks. The stunts and special effects on Mission Impossible were spectacular.  I always enjoyed Mission Impossible when it was a TV series, and the movies have just elevated the intrigue, the stunts and special effects to movie perfection.  The characters made Sherlock Holmes and TinTin very worthwhile action movies.  Sherlock Holmes also had an interesting sense of humor and had no resemblance whatsoever to the Sherlock Holmes/Basil Rathbone films I watched faithfully on TV.  And TinTin had Snowy, my idea of the ideal dog (though the dog in The Artist also comes close to meeting that ideal).  Bonnie and Clyde was Broadway fluff—an engaging pair of stars with lackluster songs and  featuring a continuing combination of loves songs/scenes followed by bloody violence.  Whatever happened to “make love, not war”?  The show was entertaining, had great staging with real Bonnie and Clyde news stories flashed on the background scenery but it was in no way memorable.  Ridiculous Broadway was great fun—especially the parodies of Les Mis, Fiddler, and Lion King—but once again nothing memorable. 

And now memorable begins. My Week with Marilyn, could only have been better if it was MY week with Marilyn and if it starred the real Marilyn Monroe.   Although she didn’t quite have the seductive face and perfect gestures and timing of Marilyn at her best, Michelle William’s acting was great and at a distance, she had the look and shape of the real Marilyn.  A movie without special effects or animation but a film at its best, easily transporting me to a different place and time.  Not profound but still a must see movie.

War Horse was a triumph.  The film is terrific, and as I had earlier indicated, the Broadway show is also a triumph.  For my older daughter, the film was better than the show.  She loved the background and vivid details of the film.  I loved the film but still prefer the Broadway show.  For me the story seemed more intimate and real on the stage, and the fact that the horses on stage were totally lifelike puppets made it all the more impressive.  Another must see film. 

And the winner is The Artist.  The film about the transition from silent movies to talkies gave me a real insight on the effectiveness of a silent film.  And the story of the silent screen star, who doesn’t believe that talkies are here to stay until it is too late, is clear and compelling in intimate detail even without words.  The Artist is my number 1 must see movie of this season.

Now admittedly, seeing all these films and shows does not make one a better provost or a better economist. What it does, is help create thoroughly enjoyable family time. And even without going to a warm climate, it made for an outstanding holiday break.  Plus, a second career as a movie or film critic might be worth exploring.

Spider-Man: Turn on the Academic Parallel

Today was the day but it actually started last August.  At that point in time, I purchased four tickets to Spider-Man so that my wife, my kids and I could attend. The tickets were full price and I was hoping this show would be a great family outing.  But this is a show we have all heard about almost non-stop.  There have been a number of accidents, equipment malfunctions, and delayed opening after delayed opening.  This is also a show that has cost to date $65 million, a huge investment which requires, according to the press reports, at least four years of sold out performances before the opening costs incurred are covered.  There have also been a number of critics who have provided reviews before opening night and it seems as if the majority of these preview /reviews have been far from positive.  The story line was criticized, the music was criticized, and even the staging has been questioned.

As the delays mounted together with less than stellar reviews, I became more and more ambivalent about going.  Why pay full Broadway prices for a production that was so wanting.  My ambivalence was heightened when it was reported that the show with the most previews up to this time was Nick and Nora which had 71 previews and only remained open for a week after opening night. I saw Nick and Nora at the very end of previews even though I expected that these tickets would be for well after opening night.  I am a long time fan of The Thin Man movies that this show was based on and for years the only dog I wanted was Asta.  The show was a huge disappointment.  I wasn’t surprised it closed almost immediately.

And so I entered the theater, as perhaps many others in the audience did, with ambivalence at best and perhaps even a feeling that an earlier closing could have saved me considerable money. And here is the bottom line—I loved the show.  I though the staging was brilliant as were the costumes and sets, the story especially in the first act was fun as well as engrossing, the music was fine (not necessarily memorable but it certainly was enjoyable and worked well with the story line), and the cast first rate.  I had thought that Julie Taymor’s work in Lion King was extraordinary.  I first saw it in 1998 and I have been back two more times.  I think her work here is even more extraordinary. And I have this very positive overall feeling even though, just as good has prevailed and the story was ending, there was a mechanical malfunction that left Spider-Man temporarily stuck in the air at the back of the theater.

Anyone reading this blog would be within their rights to say that I am not a professional theater critic and therefore really shouldn’t provide a review.  It is true that I am an economist and an educator and not a New York Times theater critic.  But I do have a considerable theater knowledge base.  If you look at the shows playing on Broadway now, I have seen or have tickets for 22 of the musicals presently playing.  That covers virtually all Broadway musicals.  And last year, I also attended almost every Broadway musical. And I have been doing this for many years.  I also take my kids to almost all the shows at the New Victory Theater and attend a number of off-Broadway and on-campus shows as well.  Theater is my relaxation.

The producers and directors of Spider-Man have indicated that given the complexity of the show, there were no available theaters out of town that would provide a more secluded venue for previews, and I agree with them completely.   The same requirements made it impossible for the show to start as an off- Broadway production that ultimately moves to Broadway and becomes a major success story.  In the Heights is a perfect example of such a show.  I loved it off -Broadway and felt that the Broadway touches made it even more effective.

At a faculty discussion earlier this week, the point was made that excellent writing and the works of our most memorable authors often required many drafts and many rewrites before the final product emerged.  And when we read the final product, we can rightfully base our judgment on that product.  We know that the effective teaching of good writing needs to be based on this evolutionary process. Some excellent writing requires more drafts, others require much less revision.  We should accord the same rights to Spider-Man.  This production is already excellent entertainment; it has the potential to even be much more.  Let the evolution continue.  It is certainly worth the wait.  And, PS, I can already recommend without hesitation that you see it.

Ragtime

On September 15th, I purchased tickets for my wife and me to go see the new Broadway production of Ragtime.  I had seen and very much liked the previous Broadway production and also a Hofstra production.  I think Ragtime’s music is excellent and the story very powerful.  In addition, the show serves as a helpful educational and historical vehicle.  The show opened in the middle of November and my tickets were for Saturday night, January 9th.  Just after New Year, I received an email that the last performance for the current production would be the 5th.  A day later, I received a follow-up email that the last performance had been extended to the 10th.  My timing turned out well and on the 9th we went into the city for dinner and the show.