Broadway is undoubtedly one of America's favorite forms of entertainment. From Vaudeville, to the Fosse-era, to the Disney blockbusters, the industry of Broadway has transformed throughout the ages, yet its prevalence and reputation has remained unwavering. It has also been the pinnacle of success for stage actors, directors, and musicians alike, allowing many to make a career out of their passions. However, there has been a recent shift in the stability of Broadway, and many are now questioning the longevity of the once-thriving industry. In the past two months, fifteen shows have closed on Broadway, many closing unexpectedly early due to low-ticket sales and lack of funding that can no longer support the big budget productions, lavish sets, and large ensembles. The prevalence of the issue and its effect on audiences is depicted through the variety of genres covering the recent closures. Scholarly sources from The New York Times and BusinessWeek.Com to popular references such as Saturday Night Live have all reacted and reported on the current situation. Saturday Night Live's reaction uses its popular appeal to present a serious issue to a wide audience. By using a variety of comic actors impersonating real Broadway characters, the show is able to draw attention to the real issue at hand, which is that the budgets for shows are not being reimbursed by ticket sales. This particular source would be of the popular genre because it is a popular television show. However, its credibility is supported by its reputation for reporting current events, usually through skits or spoofs. While it's known for its humor and pop culture references, it is still considered an informative source. The tone of this particular genre is satirical, also highlighting stereotypes of particular musicals, and the Broadway community as a whole. The real significance of the characters coming together (at common Broadway meeting place, Sardi's) is to show that there is a foreboding, collective panic on Broadway, and in New York City in general. The author of the skit, Seth Myers, is head writer of Saturday Night Live, and is a long-time staple in the SNL family. It is clear that the cast/crew of SNL would be very aware of the Broadway recession because the show is based in Manhattan, at Rockefeller Center, which is in the Theater district. Thus, Meyers makes sure to include a certain sense of urgency in the scene. The larger debate centers around America's obviously struggling economy. With a financial recession that has been called the worst thing since the stock market crash of the 1920's, it is becoming clear that less and less industries are safe from the economic recession. Businesses from every industry are searching for a way out, or at least a way to escape bankruptcy. For some, like the auto industry, this means massive bailouts; Broadway on the other hand, has not received such financial assistance. Therefore, many shows are searching for gimmicks such as hosting reality shows to find their next star or hiring Hollywood celebrities to sell more seats. The skit is intended to bring awareness to the Broadway’s current instability in a manner that won't frighten the intended audience. By impersonating characters from older shows like The Phantom of Opera in addition to modern ones such as Avenue Q, Seth Meyers is able to appeal to viewers both young and old. Although the thought of an out of work Alphaba from Wicked is humorous, the underlying message is that if something doesn't change, such stage favorites may disappear from the lime light. Through this comical method, the writer is able to appeal to more than just a single group of readers. By using Pathos and personification, he is able to appeal to the viewers’ emotions in a manner that stresses urgency while refraining from chastising or talking down to them. Through this method Meyers and his cast are able to spread the message that the recent closures are a legitimate problem. By portraying the problem in a satirical manner, the writer is assuming that more people will respond to this particular genre instead of another format, like a public service announcement, or an informative publication. By utilizing humor to shed light on a pressing current event, Myers, and the cast of SNL were successful in their goal. Since the original airing of episode on January 10, 2009, there have been 161,505 views of the video on the official Saturday Night Live website, with the video receiving an average ranking of 5/5 stars. In addition, in true Saturday Night Live fashion, the addition of notable Hollywood celebrities such as Neil Patrick Harris and Taylor Swift to the recurring cast has landed the video on various entertainment “wrap-up” shows, Hollywood blogs, and plastered across facebooks and myspaces around the World Wide Web. In conclusion, the genre employed by Saturday Night Live proved to be a successful platform from which to spread the call to action explained so simply and strongly by the title of the skit, “Save Broadway.” By depicting a serious subject in a comical manner Meyers and the cast were able to target their intended audience, the same audience that comprises a massive portion of previous and hopefully future Broadway fans and supporters. The skit, with over 160,000 views under its belt, in addition to immense coverage by both scholarly and popular sources will hopefully facilitate a resurgence of Broadway success.
Welcome to the official WR121: Genre Blog. This site will allow students to take classroom converstions out of the private sphere of the classroom and into the public realm.
1 comment:
Broadway is undoubtedly one of America's favorite forms of entertainment. From Vaudeville, to the Fosse-era, to the Disney blockbusters, the industry of Broadway has transformed throughout the ages, yet its prevalence and reputation has remained unwavering. It has also been the pinnacle of success for stage actors, directors, and musicians alike, allowing many to make a career out of their passions. However, there has been a recent shift in the stability of Broadway, and many are now questioning the longevity of the once-thriving industry. In the past two months, fifteen shows have closed on Broadway, many closing unexpectedly early due to low-ticket sales and lack of funding that can no longer support the big budget productions, lavish sets, and large ensembles. The prevalence of the issue and its effect on audiences is depicted through the variety of genres covering the recent closures. Scholarly sources from The New York Times and BusinessWeek.Com to popular references such as Saturday Night Live have all reacted and reported on the current situation.
Saturday Night Live's reaction uses its popular appeal to present a serious issue to a wide audience. By using a variety of comic actors impersonating real Broadway characters, the show is able to draw attention to the real issue at hand, which is that the budgets for shows are not being reimbursed by ticket sales. This particular source would be of the popular genre because it is a popular television show. However, its credibility is supported by its reputation for reporting current events, usually through skits or spoofs. While it's known for its humor and pop culture references, it is still considered an informative source. The tone of this particular genre is satirical, also highlighting stereotypes of particular musicals, and the Broadway community as a whole.
The real significance of the characters coming together (at common Broadway meeting place, Sardi's) is to show that there is a foreboding, collective panic on Broadway, and in New York City in general. The author of the skit, Seth Myers, is head writer of Saturday Night Live, and is a long-time staple in the SNL family. It is clear that the cast/crew of SNL would be very aware of the Broadway recession because the show is based in Manhattan, at Rockefeller Center, which is in the Theater district. Thus, Meyers makes sure to include a certain sense of urgency in the scene.
The larger debate centers around America's obviously struggling economy. With a financial recession that has been called the worst thing since the stock market crash of the 1920's, it is becoming clear that less and less industries are safe from the economic recession. Businesses from every industry are searching for a way out, or at least a way to escape bankruptcy. For some, like the auto industry, this means massive bailouts; Broadway on the other hand, has not received such financial assistance. Therefore, many shows are searching for gimmicks such as hosting reality shows to find their next star or hiring Hollywood celebrities to sell more seats. The skit is intended to bring awareness to the Broadway’s current instability in a manner that won't frighten the intended audience. By impersonating characters from older shows like The Phantom of Opera in addition to modern ones such as Avenue Q, Seth Meyers is able to appeal to viewers both young and old. Although the thought of an out of work Alphaba from Wicked is humorous, the underlying message is that if something doesn't change, such stage favorites may disappear from the lime light. Through this comical method, the writer is able to appeal to more than just a single group of readers. By using Pathos and personification, he is able to appeal to the viewers’ emotions in a manner that stresses urgency while refraining from chastising or talking down to them. Through this method Meyers and his cast are able to spread the message that the recent closures are a legitimate problem.
By portraying the problem in a satirical manner, the writer is assuming that more people will respond to this particular genre instead of another format, like a public service announcement, or an informative publication. By utilizing humor to shed light on a pressing current event, Myers, and the cast of SNL were successful in their goal. Since the original airing of episode on January 10, 2009, there have been 161,505 views of the video on the official Saturday Night Live website, with the video receiving an average ranking of 5/5 stars. In addition, in true Saturday Night Live fashion, the addition of notable Hollywood celebrities such as Neil Patrick Harris and Taylor Swift to the recurring cast has landed the video on various entertainment “wrap-up” shows, Hollywood blogs, and plastered across facebooks and myspaces around the World Wide Web.
In conclusion, the genre employed by Saturday Night Live proved to be a successful platform from which to spread the call to action explained so simply and strongly by the title of the skit, “Save Broadway.” By depicting a serious subject in a comical manner Meyers and the cast were able to target their intended audience, the same audience that comprises a massive portion of previous and hopefully future Broadway fans and supporters. The skit, with over 160,000 views under its belt, in addition to immense coverage by both scholarly and popular sources will hopefully facilitate a resurgence of Broadway success.
Post a Comment