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I’m the theater reporter at The New York Times, which implies I see a number of performs and musicals — about 100 a yr. But I don’t typically go to opening nights. Those evenings are celebratory, and audiences are full of the productions’ associates and supporters. The press is mostly invited to attend performances on the nights simply earlier than (these are referred to as previews) or after the openings.
This yr was completely different. My colleagues and I observed some months in the past that April — all the time a busy time for Broadway as exhibits scramble to open by the deadline to be eligible for the Tony Awards — was shaping as much as be extra congested than common. Twelve exhibits had been opening in a nine-day stretch.
This is a troublesome time for Broadway. Production prices have risen and general attendance has fallen because the pandemic. I steered to the Culture desk’s editors that it is perhaps fascinating if we despatched a reporter and photographer to each opening, chronicling these moments of hope at a time of problem.
As the saying goes, watch out what you would like for.
That’s how I wound up spending 9 days with the photographer Landon Nordeman, lurching from present to point out; watching as many performances as I might; hanging out on purple (and yellow, and pink, and blue) carpets; listening to curtain name speeches; and even popping in to a couple after-parties.
I labored with two picture editors, Jolie Ruben and Amanda Webster; a visible storytelling editor, Josephine Sedgwick; the theater editor, Nicole Herrington; and the Arts & Leisure editor, Andrew LaVallee, to hash out a method. We requested ourselves: How would we differentiate the openings from each other? And how might we use the ocean of occasions to assist our readers, most of whom stay removed from Broadway, perceive extra about this trade and this artwork type?
Our purpose was to attempt to seize a distinct exercise at every present — staple occasions like purple carpets, curtain calls and events, plus some only-at-this-particular-opening moments. We additionally needed to provide our readers a peek backstage at opening evening practices, such because the Legacy Robe ceremony, a backstage custom that honors ensemble members. I spent a number of time pleading with productions for entry.
We constructed a sprawling spreadsheet to trace concepts for scenes we’d need to witness and write about, together with theater areas and the contact data for every manufacturing. At one level, we contemplated organizing vignettes alongside a typical opening evening timeline, starting with an actor for one present on the brink of go to work, and ending with final name at one other present’s after-party. We ultimately deserted that concept because it was too sophisticated and confining. We determined as an alternative to arrange our article in line with the calendar of opening nights, starting with “The Wiz” on April 17 and ending with “The Great Gatsby” on April 25.
During the nine-day dash, Landon and I talked each morning. I might give him a plot abstract and a who’s who for the exhibits we had been going to go to, and we’d contemplate take advantage of our time. Each evening, I up to date the spreadsheet to let our editors know the way we had achieved, and what we hoped to search out the subsequent day.
Specificity is all the time a journalist’s good friend, so I used to be comfortable that on Day 6, the play “Patriots” allow us to {photograph} a backstage preshow recreation with a Koosh ball. And on Day 8, we had been capable of watch dancers from “Illinoise” heat up on a sprung ground put in in a basement under the stage. The scene was full of Broadway debut performers so exuberant and emotional that each Landon and I teared up.
There had been disappointments and compromises, in fact. I used to be unhappy that we didn’t get to {photograph} a “struggle name,” a nightly preshow follow through which productions with stage violence or sexual conditions maintain slow-motion motion drills to verify everybody feels secure. And I want we had captured an actor wrapping presents or addressing playing cards to castmates, which some do on opening nights.
But we had been capable of {photograph} a number of close-up moments. Gayle Rankin of “Cabaret” let Landon watch her get made up for her function as Sally Bowles. The actresses Rachel McAdams (of “Mary Jane”) and Jessica Lange (of “Mother Play”) welcomed him into their post-show dressing rooms.
After the ultimate opening, we had lots to work with, however not a number of time — 5 days to publish earlier than the Tony Award nominations had been introduced. On April 30, the day the nominations got here out, we revealed Landon’s photographs and my dispatches on-line.
The ceremony is June 16; we’ll have tons extra protection between at times. Stay tuned.
