Sue's News

Theatre is Nothing Like Going to the 7-11

September 23rd, 2010

In The Stranger’s interview with Broadway producer Kevin McCollum (Rent, In the Heights, Drowsy Chaperone) there are some pearls of wisdom and tasty morsels to chew on and contemplate. (His drug dealer analogy is killer too.)

Amongst all, my favorite quote (regarding how he chooses which shows to produce)was this:

My shows initially sound impossible. If it sounds like a sure thing, I run away. Theater is an inconvenient business, and you have to surprise people. I am an enemy of cynicism, and the cynicism comes when you aim too low.

With the advent of movie and jukebox musicals, it seems like so many producers, and audiences, keep going for the “sure thing”… but the problem is, it insulates and isolates producers and audiences so far from risk that new works suffer. Yes, a show might suck, but it might also be great — and that’s what makes theatre great… stumbling on the show that turns out to be a gem.

Sometimes, something might seem inconvenient on the surface, but the payoff can be truly amazing.

–Sue

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