Category Archives: Productions

spotlights

Spotlight on a Broadway Powerhouse – Susan Stroman 

During these months when the lights are dark on Broadway, it’s a good idea to remember how good it all once was and will be again someday soon. This month, we focus our spotlight on the incomparable Broadway powerhouse, Susan Stroman. 

Considered one of the brightest lights of the new millennium, Stroman is an innovative choreographer, director, and performer. Her accolades include being a 5 time Tony award winner and honored with Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Lucille Lortel, and a record five Astaire Awards. She was also the director and choreographer for the Producers which was honored with a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards including Best Director and Best Choreography. There is really not much she doesn’t do, and does exceptionally well at all of it. 

Let’s explore her beginnings on the Great White Way and the shows that brought her such fame and awards. 

Susan Stroman
photo courtesy of Playbill

Who is Susan Stroman? 

Stroman began her journey to Broadway with her performances in a community theater in her hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. Her career in New York began with the show Contact, considered a “musical dance play” and the revival of the Music Man, a fan favorite about a fast talking salesman and con artist. In the spring of 2000, these two shows received resounding raves and got Stroman four Tony award nods for the two shows. 

young dancers

Stroman’s Broadway Credits 

Over the course of her amazing career, Stroman has a long list of shows and musicals to her credit. 

  • Crazy For You 
  • Prince of Broadway
  • Bullets Over Broadway
  • The Producers
  • Contact
  • Big Fish
  • Oklahoma!
  • Young Frankenstein 
  • Thou Shalt Not 
  • The Music Man
  • The Frogs
  • Show Boat
  • Big, Steel Pier

Her Off-Broadway credits include: 

  • The Beast in the Jungle
  • Dot 
  • Flora the Red Menace
  • And the World Goes ‘Round
  • Happiness
  • The Last Two People on Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville

As if all of this is not enough, Stroman also put her love of choreography to work in creating ballets for New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Martha Graham. 

Due to all of these amazing works and her efforts throughout her illustrious career on Broadway, Stroman was the recipient of both the George Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the American Theater and inducted as a member of the Theater Hall of Fame in New York City. 

If you would like to read more about Susan Stroman’s awards as well as her long list of credits check out Playbill’s list of Stroman’s accomplishments during her 66 years contributing to Broadway and the arts. 

Disney castle

Backdrops for Children’s Theaters 

Does your local or community theater love producing children’s theater?. Well, now that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for this global pandemic in the way of a vaccine, it is time to start preparing for your productions in 2021. From the Wizard of Oz to Aladdin, Pinnochio to Little Mermaid, Charles Stewart Backdrops offers a wide variety of backdrops to make your performance look professional and polished. 

Nutcracker scene on stage

Theaters Are Getting Creative 

Theaters across our nation are getting very creative in the ways that they are keeping theater going even in the midst of this COVID-19 outbreak. Some productions are taking place outdoors in parking lots with theater-goers hunkered down in the cars, while other theaters are going forward with virtual productions. It is vital to social and emotional growth that youngsters are able to be a part of a production no matter how it is produced. 

Top Children’s Shows 

According to Children’s Theater Plays online, some of the most popular plays and musicals currently are the traditional shows that we all grew up loving such as: The Wizard of Oz, Finding Nemo, Grease, the Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, and of course the Disney fan favorites. Maybe we are all craving a bit of the familiar and the comfort of a storyline that we can follow along with easily or have songs that we can sing along with. 

forest with dirt path and streamBackdrop Options for Children’s Shows 

Under the Sea Backdrops 

One of our most popular backdrops that can be used in a variety of shows is the “Under the Sea” backdrop. From Little Mermaid, to Finding Nemo, to SpongeBob Squarepants, our under the ocean themed backdrop can bring the audience right into the action by making it appear as though the action is happening beneath the water. Add to that the expertise of lighting professionals and the stage can seemingly be under the sea! 

Storefront Themed Backdrops 

Mom and Pop shops seem to be the setting for many plays and musicals, and Charles Stewart has a few options for backdrops to set the scene for each of these. Whether you are staging Geppetto’s wood carving shop in Pinnochio, or the famous flower shop seen in Little Shop of Horrors, Charles Stewart has the backdrops that can transport audience members into the action in each show. 

Tropical Backdrops 

Who doesn’t love the beach and a tropical destination? Broadway shows that have been adapted for children’s theater have produced some fan favorites such as Tarzan, Mamma Mia, and Treasure Island. Charles Stewart can create a tropical paradise at your location using high- quality backdrops to set the scene on a beach with palm trees and beautiful blue skies. 

Check out our categories on our website that can get your imagination going and your creative juices flowing for your next children’s performance. 

 

walkway backdrop

How Backdrops Add to Any Performance or Presentation

While we wait for the theater industry to reopen across the globe, we thought it might be a good chance for us to highlight how our backdrops can add to every performance, whether you are a small community theater, one of the famed theaters in New York Cities Broadway district, or one of the many businesses that use our backdrops for your professional presentations. 

desert backdrop

What are Backdrops? 

Backdrops are a large plain, printed, or painted curtain hanging at the back of a stage or set. Historically, these parts of the stage dressings are used as scenic elements of any theater production. Now backdrops appear in all kinds of settings ranging from performances on stage to events, conferences, trade shows, and more. 

Backdrop curtains are typically made from flame-retardant materials and sewn without fullness. They add depth to a stage and can turn a plain background into a lively scene when needed.

Our clients are generally theaters across the country, but we also do business with trade shows, business presentations, dance recitals, night clubs, photography, and television performances. While our primary products are large format backdrops, we also offer a growing selection of valances (or borders) and legs.

hall backdrop

The Benefits of Backdrops 

Theatrical backdrops can set the perfect tone, setting, and atmosphere for any performance. A properly chosen backdrop can create the illusion of another reality depending upon the setting needed for a performance. Audiences can be taken into an entirely new reality when they hear the music, see the backdrop, and follow the storyline. 

Backdrops used in professional business settings can add to any presentation by allowing for the continuation of a brand, creating a professional look to a presentation area, and by drawing the attention of the audience to the key speakers. Backdrops can not only engage the audience but also contribute to the theme you are promoting at a particular function. 

Backdrops also play an important role in professional photography. It can make the difference between a memorable photo and one that is merely one-dimensional. They help to make a photo memorable. A backdrop can add dimension and depth to a photo. Some of the popular backdrops used in photography include; painted canvas, paper backdrops, muslin backdrops, and textural backdrop. 

Overall backdrops are similar to a supporting actor or actress. They help make any performance or presentation rise to a better level. They add depth and dimension, as well as create the illusion of whatever scene you are trying to set. Check out our backdrops by color, category, show, or for those that are new to our collection for your next event.  

 

theater

Biggest Theater Flops 

Broadway has a long list of star-studded shows that have lasted years. Some of the longest running Broadway shows include the likes of Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Chicago the Musical, The Lion King, and Les Misérables. Unfortunately, at the other end of the success spectrum are the theater shows that were ultimate flops. What makes a show a flop and what are some of the flops we love to still talk about? 

Sometimes even shows that seem destined for accolades end up closing early or becoming infamous for being a Broadway disaster. Why one show soars and others flops depends on quite a few elements. However, as Theater Nerds so aptly puts it, “No matter how awesome the cast or how beautiful the score, there’s nothing for some shows to do but join a legendary list of Broadway’s worst-selling shows.”

Then there are the shows that are completely panned by critics but beloved by audiences. For example, the show You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown about the much loved “Peanuts” gang actually premiered in 1971. While high school and middle school drama productions still adore this musical to this day, it only saw the stage for 32 performances. It goes to show that the venue and target audience can play sharply into the success of any production. 

Bonnie and Clyde is yet another Broadway show that was only on Broadway for three months, lasting a measly 36 performances. This number and shortened run would categorize it as a Broadway flop, but there is still a cult following for this show. Most critics did report that while the show was short-lived, the score was amazing and the main performers has vocal aptitude that should have raised this show to success. 

So, these two examples of “flops” beg the question, what causes a show that may have a following to flop? For many shows that have a limited run there could be a multitude of reasons for the show’s demise. For some the acting, script, financial backing, or score was subpar, while for others the subject matter was not met with open arms by the American public. For a show to be successful, there needs to be emotion, passion, or content that strikes a nerve with the audience. 

Take the ultimate Broadway hit Hamilton. Not only does the acting, score, and theme resonate with the audience, but it comes at a time when Americans are looking to their past to find a path into the political decisions of the future. The kismet, therefore was amazing timing for this extremely successful Broadway show. 

For more “flops” whether they deserve the title or not, check out this article on the list of musicals and how long they lit the marquee on Broadway. 

 

Top 10 Broadway Musicals of 2019

Since we’re on the back stretch of the year, let’s take a look at what the top grossing shows on Broadway were in 2019.  The numerical information here is informational only and was shown on BroadwayWorld.com and provided by The Broadway League.

Show                                                                                                                                          Gross

Hamilton:  Showing at Richard Rogers                                                                       $111, 490,804

Lion King:  Showing at Minskoff                                                                                    $78,948,000

Wicked:     Showing at Gershwin                                                                                    $62,490,896

To Kill A Mockingbird:  Showing at the Shubert                                                    $62,100,280

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2:  Showing at the Lyric      $59,852,778

Aladdin:  Showing at New Amsterdam                                                                        $51,730,060

Frozen:  Showing at St James                                                                                          $45,497,898

Dear Evan Hansen:  Showing at the Music Box                                                        $45,281,312

Ain’t Too Proud:  Showing at Imperial                                                                         $38,753,669

Mean Girls:  Showing at August Wilson                                                                       $38,492,610

 

No real surprises here, I guess.  However, highest grossing doesn’t mean the most people saw the show.  When you look at the actual number of seats sold, there is some slight shifting.  Obviously, ticket prices contribute to the figures, but all of these shows performed around the same number of times, which was in the 285-290 range, with the exception of Ain’t Too Proud, which only performed 216 shows.

# Seats Sold

Wicked:                                                                                                                               516,477

Aladdin:                                                                                                                              485,734

Lion King:                                                                                                                           483,021

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2:                                                462,270

Frozen:                                                                                                                                 456,350

To Kill A Mockingbird:                                                                                                   417,959

Phantom of the Opera:  Showing at Majestic                                                        396,857

Hamilton:                                                                                                                               385,751

Mean Girls:                                                                                                                        336,557

King Kong:  Showing at Broadway                                                                             329,206

 

Interesting that  Hamilton was the highest grossing show of the year so far, but they haven’t had the largest audience.  Of course, some of this has to do with the fact that Hamilton has been running since 2015 while Harry Potter debuted in 2019.  On the flip side, Phantom first debuted in 1988 and still put more fannies in the seats than Hamilton.  The classics never get old as evidenced by King Kong having a top 10 attendance figure for the year.  Although the musical debuted in 2018, King Kong has been around since 1933.  Everyone knows the story, and like I said, the classics never get old.

Can Theater Effect Change? 

Every revolutionary idea began somewhere. A small flicker, a spark really, that can set the world ablaze. Musicals and theater productions can be that spark, that initial light that can start a revolution. That revolution can change the world. 

Theater has been motivated by the change that writers and directors need and want to see in the world: whether it is racial inequality, poverty, diversity, homelessness, marriage equality, women’s rights, human rights, or a whole host of other social issues. Part of telling a story on the stage is entertaining the audience, another part is enlightening the audience or teaching the audience about what is happening around them. Whether they choose to see it or not is their choice. But for some, the story starts a change in them that sparks action. 

Theater can change the world one performance at a time. For as long as theater has existed, since the time of the Greeks and Romans, the stage has been used to express opinions and gather public opinion. Theatergoers can gain empathy for the characters that are on stage and understand how “the other half” lives. For example, The Diary of Anne Frank and The Sound of Music probably gave the audience a point of view that they had never considered before, that of a family being hunted by the Nazis or wooed by the Nazis to join the Third Reich military machine. 

Theater productions can pose questions about the role of our government such as in Hamilton. Racial divides, immigration, and the underbelly of politics are just a couple of the topics that can open the eyes of theatergoers. Add in the music, fully developed characters, and a script that can touch the soul, and a theater production can most certainly spark a revolution in mind and spirit in the people who attend and later talk about the production. 

What products have you seen that have touched you or changed your thought process? I can remember seeing Annie as a young child and realizing that not all children have an easy life and that there will always be people richer than me and poorer than me. Tell us about your experience in theater and how it changed you. 

 

The Perfect Setting for Your Show

When it is important to set the stage or the mood, backdrops are the perfect item. From the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans, theater has been a way to express ideas and emotions. Theatrical renditions range from tackling the most controversial issues and historical events to depicting real life drama, fantasy or romance. The creativity involved in these endeavors is unrivaled. Great care is taken to create the most lifelike of scenes or to evoke a particular emotional response. The backdrop and the scenery are the canvas on which the drama occurs. This essential element transports the viewer to another place and time as the events unfold. Backdrop rentals can help to accentuate many functions.

Backdrops come in a variety of forms. This can range from a basic curtain to elaborate theatrical scenery. Backdrop rentals can be used for stage shows, weddings, photo shoots, and other special events. Muslin backdrops come in a variety of colors and shades. These can be hand painted or reversible for a variety of options.

The sky is the limit when it comes to choosing the best backdrop rentals for an occasion. Beautiful scenic backdrops of locations from the US to Europe to Asia to Africa are available. Exotic scenes from the jungle, the pyramids or an enchanted forest can also be had. Backdrops from a Broadway musical or scenes simulating a dance club are also popular. Religious backdrops can enhance the depth of any religious function, lending a more spiritual energy to the occasion. There are also holiday specific backdrops that can make any day special. You can even design your own custom backdrop, but these you would have to purchase.

Backdrop rentals are just a Google search away. Many options are available online with a vast array of choices that will suit any occasion. When confirming the booking, we may require a deposit with payment in full due prior to shipping. It is possible to hold your choice until you make a final decision. Backdrops are the responsibility of the customer from the time that they are rented until they are returned. Care should be taken with backdrop rentals. A clean dry surface is required for handling. Sharp objects can rip or tear the backdrops, resulting in costly repairs, so be careful when opening the box the backdrop arrives in. The backdrop of your dreams can make your special occasional a day to remember.

Are you Planning Your HS Fall Production?

The school year may be over and the classrooms all empty, but your mind is reeling about a potential fall production at your school. You sing show tunes in the shower and choreography is never far from your mind. You show all the signs of being a drama coach or theater teacher!

Now that the stage lights are off and the props have been cleared, drama teachers are already in full swing even though most of us are spending our days at the beach. A die-hard drama fan will be plotting and planning what might work for a fall production at your school. Here are some of the questions they will be sorting through.

What Show?

The biggest question on the minds of theater teachers is what production can we do? Choosing a script is not an easy thing to do. One needs to take into account how many students there will be in the program, especially now that the seniors have flown the coop. It is also a time to evaluate what skills and talents the potential future cast may have.

Picking a musical that’s right for your program can depend on many factors, including the size of your cast, the interest of your students and, of course, availability of performance rights. In addition, you will want to consider what the school’s current budget is and the size of the venue for the production you are considering. Also, keep in mind your access to sets, props, and costumes. Weighing each of these things can help you in determining which show will be the right fit this fall.

What is Your Population of Actors?

As we mentioned previously, how many actors are in your program can help determine whether you can have a performance with a large cast, medium-sized cast, or small cast. You should also consider who are your actors not just how many. Do you have more girls than boys? Do you have a handful of serious talent or just one or two brilliant actors in your group? If you are considering a musical, what is the range of voices that you will be dealing with?

 

What is Your Budget?

Before you choose your play, consider your budget. A straight play vs. a musical is more budget friendly. Consider what costumes, scenery, and backdrops you will need. Do you need to buy the royalties to the play or will you choose one in the public domain?

 

What About the Space?

What does your theater look like? Can you handle a larger production or will you need to relocate to a community theater? Will you have access to practice times or will that impact your budget as well?

These are all great questions to consider as you dream of your next production. If you are searching for inspiration, check out Theater World’s list of High School Musicals. When it comes time to consider backdrops, check out our wide assortment of options here at Backdrops by Charles H. Stewart.

 

Summer Planning for your Theater Loving Family

Does your family love the theater? Is Playbill one of your favorite bookmarked pages? Is your name constantly in the daily raffle for front row seats for Broadway musicals? Well, summer is here and that means time to catch all the shows you can!

Massachusetts is the birthplace of summer stock theater and there is no shortage of great playhouses all over New England. That’s why it comes as no surprise that if you want a summer filled with musicals and thespians, our region is the place to be!

If you are looking for musicals or performances that are kid friendly or will entertain, there is a long list of Boston Theaters that will deliver! For example, Boston theaters are currently performing Pete the Cat, The Lion King, Cirque Du Soleil, and the ever-popular Blue Man Group. If you are looking for showtimes or tickets, then check out this site to start your summer planning. Think of the fun you could have in Boston for the weekends.

If you are looking to get out of the greater Boston area, there are tons of summer stock theaters from Maine to Vermont and Connecticut to Cape Cod. In a recent blog, we examined all the summer theaters that you could make a road trip out of this summer. Check out the options for your family and make it a summer you won’t soon forget.

For more serious theater lovers or children who have a flair for the arts, some of these shows may be of interest this summer. Check out Dear Evan Hansen, Hello Dolly, Cats, the 20th Anniversary of Rent, Mean Girls, Miss Saigon, or Fiddler on the Roof. Depending upon the style of musical you like, you could catch a few shows before the end of the summer.

Looking for a list of theaters that can help you plan your summer vacation? Check out MassHome for theaters with family-friendly productions, musicals, community theaters, and even campus theaters.