If not for Grease, how aware would you be...

MrE1111 · Guru

If not for Grease, how aware would you be...

snickers · Veteran Member

Before Grease, Broadway was a place where other people went - but far removed from my own experience. After Grease, it is one of my favorite interests. We hope to bring our family to NY for one of our next vacations.

Eris · Guru

Broadway was always something that I loved to do. My first Broadway show was Miss Saigon when I was 18. I bought my mom tickets to the Pirate Queen for her birthday and I'm pretty sure I ordered them before the whole Grease thing started. I didn't go as often as I wanted to though because my friends always said they wanted to go but when it came to pinning them down they would hem and haw. And so I wouldn't go because I wouldn't go without them. Before Grease I'd have never gone to NYC alone - never have even thought to go see a show on my own. But now I'm doing it and I've seen more shows this year alone than I've seen in the past

gramps3 · Senior Member

Interesting question.

I have been interested in theater arts for a long time but not necessarily in Broadway specifically, certainly not exclusively. But I worked in the northeast for several years after finishing my graduate degrees and enjoyed the opportunity to see professional productions in NYC, Boston, Montrealand a few summer theater festivals. During the latter period of that 20 year stretch I had opportunity to play a few roles in summer stocknot leads or anything, but enough to be a part of the company.

Then my family and I moved to the Northwest where I took a position as Dean of the College of Fine Arts at a state university. The U had a strong theater program and I had a chance to be supportive of that both professionally and personally though I never acted there.

However I was interested in photography and decided to try to make use of the Us photography program and over the space of several years I took enough courses to have a degree in photography though I didnt bother to formalize it. I felt a little odd being in classes with the younger students but they were very friendly and I worked hard on fine art black and white photography, particularly in the portraiture and scenic areas. During those classes I became close friends with the man who headed the photography department and he and I wandered around Alaska a bit together taking photos

He had an advanced degree in Fine Arts and had worked for a number of years as a professional photographer in NYC.But what interested me most was that the last several years he had been in NYC he had worked fulltime as a photographer for a number of professional shows on Broadway---taking promos etc and helping supply the Company members with glossies for their personal resume package.

He frequently told me stories of Broadwaythings he had photographed, interactions with a number of big name actors, directors and producers and I found it fascinating. .I kept learning, won a few ribbons and a couple of best in shows. It was relaxing from the long days of supervising about 400 faculty and 14,000 students. I saw lots of theater because as a matter of principle I attended every show that involved any of my faculty.

Retirement plans for him and for me were much alike. We both wanted to settle around Seattle where we could enjoy the nice weather, the active fine arts of a large city and especially the free time to photograph some of the famous people who lived or traveled through there and the mountain and sea shore scenery nearby.

We often said, jokingly in part but not completely, that we would spend the next 20-25 years photographing every piece of weathered drift wood on the Pacific Coast shores.

We retired, built comfortable homes (each complete with our own darkroom) and began to shoot pictures. Only a year after he retired he became ill and less than 4 months later he died from a particularly aggressive throat cancer. I was with him only a few hours before he died, each of us knowing the end was close. I was devastated and since we were all friends, his family and mine grieved together.

I never was able to get back to my photography again---couldnt even stand to go in my darkroom anymore.

I continued to enjoy the artsmy wife did some guiding work at the Seattle Art Museum, and we both saw some theater. Most of it in Seattle but some in Kansas City, Chicago and on Broadway.

I tuned in to the first Grease show on NBC quite by accident. I found it interesting but particularly so because I could imagine my old friend being involved in the photography connected with that production. I was hooked. I followed the shows very closely, learned as much as I could about those who were involved with the production and that in turn lead me to the Grease forum.

I felt a little odd again at interacting with so many really young people but I found that there a few old timers and many in-betweeners involved too so I have enjoyed it. I have seen too much theater, very good to not so good at all, to be totally swept away that everything I see on the Grease stage is top of the line, but that doesnt matter. I have learned a lot about Max and Laura.really a lot as Lauras mom would attest I am sure,and I think they are very talented young people and would be very interesting people to know personally. And, I would like to talk about photography with Nate too.

So here I am. I cant get to NYC to see a production for health reasons but maybe a road show will come to Seattle. In the meantime I feel that Im there through others eyes and I only wish I could talk about the show with my late friend.He could have told me so very much more

Stan/gramps3

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-- Edited by gramps3 at 04:15, 2007-12-07

karidaberixx · Senior Member

i live an hour from the city and go all the time...i have seen 8 broadway shows (9 if you count legally blonde on mtv lol), 2 off broadway, and the Christmas show

i have loved broadway since i saw beauty and the beast in 2nd grade. over the next eight years i saw beauty and the beast, the lion king, 42nd street, the Christmas show, and a Christmas carol at madison square garden with my family. in high school, i went with my drama club to see all shook up and the wedding singer. In the past year, i have gone with friends to see wicked, grease, rent, and altar boyz. i also have another set of wicked tickets and i have tickets for jersey boys (mom's Christmas present) too. my friends and i are also planning on going to see spring awakening, the little mermaid, avenue q, and hairspray.

regardless of grease, i am still a broadway addict. grease just raised the # of shows i've seen lol

singingdoc · Veteran Member

Growing up in Philadelphia I was so close to New York and Broadway. My parents took me to my first Broadway show when I was very young (Stop the World I Want to Get Off). Probably not the ideal show for a youngster but I got hooked none the less. Over the next 10 years I must have seen 20-30 Broadway shows. After I went away to college, I kind of lost my interest in Broadway. Over the next 35 years I got to see less 5 shows total on Broadway although I did catch several touring productions. GYTOTIW reignited my interest. Since April I've seen 6 Broadway and 1 Off-Broadway show. My wife and I have made a promise to each other that we will return to NYC and Broadway once or twice a year from now on. By the way, our next must see shows are: A Catered Affair, A Bronx Tale and August: Osage County. Of course we're going to see Grease.

grannygreaser · Senior Member

I can't even tell you when my interest in Broadway and musicals began. I remember watching Ed Sullivan and seeing Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet doing songs from "Camelot" and over the years I saw many other Broadway "clips" on television. I watched the Tonys every year and loved to see what was happening on the Broadway stage. But being on the West Coast, I didn't think about going to Broadway to see a play too often. I actually saw London productions long before I went to Broadway.

But I made friends with a New Yorker and Hugh Jackman did "The Boy From Oz" and that was the catalyst! She and I saw it several times together, met Hugh and went to the Tony Awards! I've been back several times since and go when I can afford it (retired now and not as much dispoable income!) and it's as many plays as I can cram into the trip when I go!

My next trip is in January and I have a great lineup! Meeting my friend from Canada and we're seeing "The Beckett Shorts", "Is He Dead?", "Rock 'n' Roll", "The Little Mermaid" and, of course, "Grease." Really looking forward to it...

So yes, very aware of Broadway, but I credit Hugh Jackman with getting me there the first time.

DogsandBirds · Guru

If you live you entire life in NYC or its surrounding areas, you cannot be unaware of Broadway. Since I was a very little girl, I loved to sing and I used to create plays that my neighborhood friends acted out in front of my parent's garage, which gave us a backdrop, as well, as provided a stage, props and a place for people to sit. I wish I could remember the storylines, but we always sang something, somewhere in the show. I guess I watched a few too many Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney movies.

Musicals were common at the movies in my childhood and I attended almost every week. I can remember watching many pieces of musicals on the Ed Sullivan Show and seeing entire musicals on tv in what is referred to as its "Golden Age." My first musical was the Sound of Music with my childhood idol, Mary Martin. As a high school student, I was president of the "Drama Critics Club" and went to shows every other week at very reduced rates. We saw plays such as View from the Bridge and musicals such as Man of LaMancha before it was on Broadway. I dreamed of being an actress in my teens and in my role as teacher, I am acting in front of a very captive audience who seem to like my "method" acting.

There are many theories about why people pursue the careers or interests they have. One of my favorites is that the desires of the parents are transferred to their children and in a way, they fulfill the dreams the parent has about being a doctor, lawyer or actor. Maybe that is why both of my children are in some form of show business.

Broadway may be one of the reasons I cannot see myself moving away from NYC when I retire some years from now. I am a New Yorker born and bred and I thrive on the energy of this city.

shell8422 · Veteran Member

I live right in New Jersey and can get to New York by train in a little over an hour......But, Grease is the first and only Broadway show I have seen. I am now very interested though in seeing others. I have seen Phantom of the Opera in Philly and that was awesome!! I am so thankful that this whole Max/Laura Grease on Broadway thing happened....I wasn't so sure if I was going to see it if Max/Laura didn't win, but they sealed the deal, so here we are. I will see any show they are in!

Michele

MaxFan · Veteran Member

I have been aware of Broadway my whole life and always wanted to go. My children love the theater too, especially my son. I was born in Jersey and my dad worked in Manhattan when I was little girl. We take the kids to Jersey every year and always go into the city. Every year, we would say things like "we should try to go catch a show" or "next year, we'll go to Broadway." Every year my son would ask
if we could go to Broadway. It was the whole Grease show experience, more specifically Max, that finally motivated me to take the family to Broadway. We bought our tickets before the finale. We switched our vacation plans from Disney World to New York. "You have to believe in Max," my son kept telling me. Because of Grease, not only did we go to our first trip on Broadway to see it, we also saw Les Miz and Legally Blonde. The kids loved
the whole experience from the show to the stage door. We are already planning our return trip at spring break. The kids
are trying to figure out what other show we will be seeing, because of course we will be back at Grease. As I have posted before (but not in a long while), I am so thankful to Max and Grease for getting us to go to Broadway. My family really enjoyed our experience and my children can't wait to go again, especially my Super. Super can't wait to return to see Max and Jose, who he thinks is the most hilarious guy ever.

So, Grease did not so much make us aware of Broadway, as it did make us experience it firsthand. So worth it too!

Laura Mom · Senior Member

I am an avid theatre lover so even though I've lived in the Midwest all my life, I've considered it one of my favorite vacation options to take my precious vacation time and dollars to go to New York to see shows! Fortunately, my husband likes theatre too and so we have been to New York reasonably often--always with the motivation to see Broadway shows. But I am astonished at the number of people I know from Minnesota and surrounding area who have made first time trips to Broadway because of Grease. I think our Midwest loyalties went through the roof in supporting Laura and whole organizations and groups all over the place have arranged trips to go see the show. Mr. E., since you're so good at statistics, it would thrill me to know how many Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin zipcoded tickets have been sold to see Grease! Ticketmaster must be able to tabulate that kind of information. And I think it makes quite a statement for the motivation the TV show gave people to get out to Broadway when they're going in droves from places like Minnesota when they've never gone before! Now, it is interesting to speculate if these same people would be going if Laura had not won??? I think some would have but another state (where the winner was from) would have been more likely to be the state that pulled people in in greater droves instead of Minnesota. I recall Mrs. N who writes on this board, for example, being a big fan of Kate's because she's seen her perform often in Ohio. Many of these Minnesota people have been watching Laura coming up the local ranks here for a few years. And now, It's just plain outstandingly fun to go and support a local person who's beat all odds and won something big! It's a year later since all this started and I think there honestly will be at least a few "Grease" parties in people's homes this winter to re-watch the taped episodes of the show and relive the joy we all had. Sunday night's at Laura's house....be there! Ha!

MrE1111 · Guru

Interesting question, Jane. If I had connections within the box office, I'd do my best to figure it out. But I don't, so I can't.

If it's any consolation, this NYer will be seeing the show again sometime in January when I take a friend for their bday.

BroadwayDream101 · Veteran Member

I've had a passion for musical theatre, and have aspired to be a Broadway actress since I was 8, when I first saw Mamma Mia (Which, is predictably not that long ago..). Haha. Yep, I loved Broadway long before Grease, but it has become one of my favorite shows ever.