Making a musical means getting actors, dancers, and musicians to all work together to tell a story. And “previews” is the time period when producers get to finally find out from audiences whether they like what they see. Cirque du Soleil’s first Broadway show, “Paramour,” is the story of a love triangle set in the golden age of Hollywood. And now that the musical is in previews, the creators freely admit that the story still needs work.
Part of the problem, though, may be expectations.
“Especially the international folks expected more Cirque and less Broadway,” said Scott Zeiger, president of Cirque du Soleil Theatrical. “The Broadway audience didn’t know what to expect.” By one measure, the show is already succeeding: it’s playing to packed houses and passed $1 million in revenues in the first week. But Zeiger said the show is far from finished. Every night, there are changes to the script and songs and stage cues.
Jack Viertel, author of “The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built,” said whether audiences can connect to the story often determines whether shows fail or succeed. “It’s hard to do one of these things without a good story. Almost no matter how much spectacle you put out there,” Viertel said.
“Paramour” opens May 25, 2016.
{ SOURCE: WNYC | http://goo.gl/6rWZAG }
