I remember reading the wretched headline. Broadway will be closed until May 2021. I sat there reading it, the words burning into my eyes until I realized that I was tearing up. To any theater kid, this headline is distressing. To any New Yorker, this headline is distressing. I sat through the entire summer, anticipating a muscle memory of new shows and previews. All I got in return was the 2020 Tony Awards being replaced with terrible graphics and Grease. The questions of why we couldn’t get a newer recorded show or anything else infuriated me, sitting around watching Grease with lyrics and graphics that pop out of nowhere was painful and tedious. Finally, when the Tonys nominations for this year came out, they seemed to be just as painful to watch. For best Leading Actor, there is only one nominee--Aaron Tveit-- and there is a chance he can still lose. There is one nominee. Admittedly, this is pretty hilarious, but the emptiness I feel without true live entertainment makes me wonder: Will theater ever get back to normal?
Over the summer, I was able to watch Hamilton on Disney+. While I have never been a fan of Hamilton (or Disney), it was very comforting to see a theater and actors performing with each other. The acclaimed Hamilfilm, though, felt just like a film. I could hear the audience and see the change in lights, but it was in no way the same feeling of sitting in a theater and watching a show. Something about professionally shot musicals doesn’t land the same as live ones. It might be the fact that you don’t decide which part of the stage you want to focus on, the camera person does. Or that there are edits. I always enjoy when they have live shows on NBC because there is always an underlying threat of everything going wrong. In an edited show, there is none of this very entertaining tension between the worried viewer, the worried crew and the worried actors. It’s that circle of worry which is the backbone of true theater.
Fortunately for me, I actually did get to see this infamous cycle of fear recently. I was at the Bronx Zoo the other day, with all social distancing protocols and masks and such, and I saw that there was going to be a live magic show. Live? Magic? There was no choice; we had to go. Mind you, the Bronx Zoo’s magic show was for children five and under. I forced my family into the seats anyways. In a sea of toddlers and children, a group of four fully grown family members stuck out like adults hanging out at the zoo. But I cannot begin to explain the rush I felt watching a live performance with someone else. Sure, some 45 year old man was making kids guess where his penny went. I still felt that familiar connection with the audience, we were watching and reacting to live entertainment. Any person who has done any sort of theater can attest to the fact that the audience makes or breaks a show. A performance can be flawless, everyone can know their cues and blocking, but if the audience cannot be with you in the moment the whole show lands flat. It breaks its legs and falls to the ground. The audience at this magic show was perfect. Each young eye intently focused on a bunny coming out of a hat, on the edge of their seats to see if the number of marbles in a bag had changed. It reminded me of the human need to connect with each other through entertainment. While I can watch recorded Broadway shows, it’ll never replace or even come close to the feeling one feels in a theater watching something live.
While these shows aren’t exactly live, theater students still hold out hope for performing. Even though the future for their business seems uncertain, the students of NYU Tisch School of the Arts are still putting on shows. I had the privilege of being able to watch their latest production of Midsummer Night’s Dream. This performance was edited together, but was recorded live. From their dorms, homes and apartments, they somehow made it feel like they were all in a room, together. Obviously, all of these students were extremely talented, but I wasn’t expecting to be so moved by the performance. Theater is the original means for escapism and with this performance I felt like I was actually at an event. Sitting from my couch, I was able to see some of the most talented performers I’ve ever seen. These students don’t seem to plan on giving up on theater any time soon; with some creativity and hard work, they were able to almost perfectly capture the feeling of being in a theater. Without an audience, they were still able to feed off of each other and put together one of my favorite shows in modern history.
If you really love theater, you feel like the show you are consuming is the most important thing to focus on, if only for a few minutes. When performing, you can feel like the theater is the only place you should be at this moment in the universe. Storytelling is the backbone of every human society--it is almost a primal need. Having the honor of telling a story, whether you are on stage live or being recorded, is something that must be respected. So, when people tell me that live or community theater is not necessary during this time, I can’t help but laugh. It’s going to be different, but it’s not going away any time soon. This all makes me wonder what the Drama Club will be able to do for the next upcoming season. Nothing is certain except the fact that we are going to put on a show. We will go to any means necessary to share theater with the community. And when Broadway opens up again, whether it be 2021, or months from then, there will be a new resurgence for theater. New York can not fully reopen without Broadway opening its doors, the city will not be complete without it.
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