For what their worth, a few theological thoughts.
Here's a piece I've written for Premier Christianity magazine about the 50th anniversary of the London production of Jesus Christ Superstar. It's a show that has been both embraced and rejected by Christians and atheists alike.
And I've always wondered why:
So, this is a fascinating article for a number of reasons.
It's about a new American musical, The Book Thief, with a famous novelist for a book writer, Jodi Picoult. And it's getting its premiere in the UK.
"Picoult has made a long journey herself, temporarily relocating from New Hampshire to Bolton, Greater Manchester..."
Bolton? I hope she likes curries and Peter Kay.
Back in the Broadway heydays, I'm sure that New Hampshire was one of those out-of-town try-out places. Somewhere a producer could safely put on a show and knock it into shape away from the withering gazes of the Broadway critics.
So, if Bolton is the new New Hampshire, that's quite a development and one that raises a few questions. Namely, why stop at Bolton? Why not Warsaw or Mumbai? It's a globalised world, after all. It'd be cost effective. In future, I wonder if we'll be outsourcing musical theatre development around the world in the way that some big corporations do with their call centres.
"Picoult has recently thrown herself into the world of musicals."
Brave lass.
"She was part of a team that adapted one of her own books, Between the Lines, which has just finished an off-Broadway run...But its preparations were ravaged by Covid..."
In normal circumstances, I'd say that it's easier to blame external events for a dud show than try and work out what went wrong with Act II. However, in the case of the pandemic, I suspect even the greatest new work would have struggled on or off Broadway.
Still, must have been a pretty bruising experience if it sent her all the way to Bolton for a follow-up. And why The Book Thief, a story set in Nazi Germany?
"And, for us, we're four Americans who have seen a rise to power of an administration that sought to divide America rather than unite it, that leaned into the ideas of lying, of calling the press fake news, of calling immigrants the enemy of the state, of banning books..."
Ah, yes. He Who Must Not Be Named.
I can't help wonder if this is another reason why they're in Bolton rather than the US.
It's a remarkable thing. After all, here is an American writer selling her product and, in doing so, dissing half of her potential home market. Whatever you think about Big Orange Donald Trump, half of America voted for him (and may do so again). I'd suggest that openly comparing his administration to Nazi Germany is not a great marketing move if you ever want Americans to see your show.
"In American right now, the gatekeepers of Broadway are a very small group of mostly older white men who are making the decisions about what comes to Broadway and what does not."
That's interesting.
"They like to see shows that reflect their own experience."
Are there lots of musicals about small groups of elderly white men? Does Hamilton count?
But here's the really concerning bit.
"Picoult believes 'the Broadway system is a little broken'...'And the UK has, I think, a much more generous system for creating new musicals and new content.'"
That's odd because it is literally the opposite of what I usually hear from UK writers: that Broadway has the systems to develop new musicals which the UK lacks.
So, if both systems are broken, then what's next?
Better call Mumbai.
