When I first walked into 54 Below, I had this kind of deja vu experience and tried to imagine what this was like back in the day when I would come here at night after doing 'A Chorus Line.'
You have in Vegas the most heterogeneous audience you're gonna get anywhere in the country. In Boston, Chicago, Miami, you know who goes to the theater. In Vegas, you have people who only see one theater show a year, and it's in Vegas.
Although the 'New York Times' annually declares that Broadway is on its deathbed, news of its demise is greatly exaggerated. There's a lot of life yet in the old tart.
There is already huge public interest in stage musicals.
The idea that the Tony committee and the New York theater community as a whole have embraced 'Billy Elliot' is very, very exciting.
The Broadway community means the world. That goes for the actors, that goes for the crew, the producers, the writers, and most importantly, that goes for the fans. The Broadway community is one that I will always hold very near and very dear to me.
If all the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players, where do all the audiences come from?
I've always wanted to do theater in Chicago. Chicago is a big theater town-and, in some ways, I think this city is savvier and smarter than New York. Sometimes, I think it's a little too chic to go to theater in New York these days.
I think New York audiences are some of the brightest in the world, and certainly the most enthusiastic.
But I can't wait to watch the Tonys this Sunday. I'm really glad Broadway is doing so well this year, especially with its straight plays. It's been a wonderful year.
Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we're all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.
Broadway shows in New York draw two times the attendance of all New York sports teams put together.
I have a wide spectrum, a wide demographic. I have the young girls, I have the gay community, I have many regular theatergoers. I do feel a tremendous responsibility and pride to be a role model for some of these young people.
Broadway has the most savvy audience anywhere. They see everything and they know their theater. As sophisticated and subtle as you think you can be, the houses you get here will want something finer.
What I don't find compelling is doing classical plays that everyone already knows - and people are following with the text in their hand because no one is listening.
'Wicked' has been one of the biggest hits in Los Angeles theatre history, and we are thrilled that theatergoers here have embraced the musical and welcomed us so heartily.
New York City is a big city but a small city when it comes to theater.
I love the Broadway audiences, who relish live drama and don't hesitate to display their enthusiasm.
We're trying to get as many people to become interested in seeing it, but if you like the theater and you're interested in seeing what live theater looks like in New York, you probably already set your DVR. It's gonna be a hard ask to get a bunch of college-basketball fans to tune in for three hours to watch the Tonys.
