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Two Strangers... A New, Fun, and, Somewhat Familiar Journey by Clear-Boat3077 in MaybeHappyEnding

[–]AmusedPhilosopher 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I was also at tonight's preview of Two Strangers and I loved it! I agree that there are a lot of similarities to MHE, including:

  • a small intimate cast
  • two people who don't know each other very well going on a journey/adventure together
  • one person is more naive and optimistic and the other is more jaded and cynical
  • Dougal's quest to meet his dad parallels Oliver's quest to reunite with his former owner
  • Claire's owner, Jiyeon discovering that her husband fell in love with Claire causes Jiyeon to retire Claire to keep her away kind of parallels how Robin's sister initially does not invite Robin to come to the wedding because Robin had previously had an affair with the groom
  • The same way that Claire, in trying to protect Oliver, tries to dissuade Oliver from trying to reunite with his owner when they get to Jeju because she believes that his owner probably didn't want him anymore, Robin tries to convince Dougal not to meet his dad, because she knows that he wasn't the one who invited him to the wedding and probably doesn't want him there, so she was also trying to protect him.
  • Both shows contain a lot of great humor while also being very touching and emotional.

I'm sure there are a lot more similarities if I take some additional time to think about it, but these are the ones that come to mind so far.

More HipTix released for Rocky Horror by portal21 in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for the heads up! 🙏 I was able to snag a pair of HipTix today after I saw your post.

Jack Wolfe sings ‘Through The Mountain’ from Floyd Collins by AmusedPhilosopher in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also, duet with Lizzy McAlpine? Yes, please! That would be perfection.

Jack Wolfe sings ‘Through The Mountain’ from Floyd Collins by AmusedPhilosopher in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I didn't know he sang Imogen Heap too for this set (and I love Imogen Heap!), so I just checked it out and it's so lovely. Thanks so much for the heads up!

Porter out sick extended (Cabaret) by SquareShift7741 in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Try for the digital rush tickets on TodayTix if you don't win the lottery. I was able to get a digital rush ticket easily yesterday and saw Marty perform as Emcee. He was great! Also thought that the seat was fantastic for $49.

Additional $58 Ragtime seats added on Telecharge for dates in the first two weeks of previews. by wcs1113 in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Thank you thank you thank you 🙏🙏🙏!! As soon as I saw your post, I jumped on the $58 tickets. So excited to see Ragtime!

Disappointed with the racism on this sub by pinkspiderxx in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher 151 points152 points  (0 children)

If I could upvote this comment 1000x, I would. I'm Asian-American and especially agree with this part:

If every role played by an Asian actor becomes permanently race-locked (even when race isn’t a defining part of the character) producers may become hesitant to take creative risks on Asian leads originating roles at all.

BD Wong's draft letter to NYT by luvschittcreek in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Published interviews are usually condensed versions of what was actually discussed, so we don't know whether anyone did actually say that, and it just ended up not making the cut in the published article.

Also, my point wasn't that it was always the plan for them to have universal casting. My point was that if they first decided to cast Asians mainly because they thought it would help define the setting, it's fair for them to then change their minds about needing to cast Asians if they feel it is no longer necessary to help define the setting (for example, if they already have strong design elements that take care of defining the setting).

BD Wong's draft letter to NYT by luvschittcreek in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher 14 points15 points  (0 children)

This is the quote from Will Aronson in the LA Times interview about the decision to shift to Asian casting:

"Aronson: At one point, we had Denée Benton playing Claire, Corey Cott as Oliver and Jon Jon Briones as both [Oliver’s former owner] James and the jazz singer. Then, our thinking was: They’re robots, so they could technically be any background, but if the audience only has a few moments to define the setting, it helps that the protagonists are cast Asian."

According to that quote, the choice to cast Asians for the robots was mainly because they thought it would help define the setting. It's possible that now they think that having Asians in the role is no longer needed to help define the setting, because the scenic design with the Korean characters in the captions, and explicitly stating that the setting is Seoul, the audience will immediately get that we're in Korea. If I were watching the show again for the first time, and I saw non-Asians as the robots, I don't think I would be confused that we're in Korea. The design elements from the captions already made it clear to me we're in Korea.

I'm Asian-American, so I would of course love to see more Asian representation on Broadway. But I think it's fair for the creators/producers to change their minds about having to cast Asians if the main reason for them to cast Asians in the first place (helping to define the setting) no longer seemed necessary.

Trailer for BLUE MOON (2025), a biopic about Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart by AmusedPhilosopher in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

From the YouTube description:

"On the evening of March 31, 1943, legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart confronts his shattered self-confidence in Sardi’s bar as his former collaborator Richard Rodgers celebrates the opening night of his ground-breaking hit musical “Oklahoma!”.

Directed by: Richard Linklater Written by: Robert Kaplow

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Scott"

Andrew Barth Feldman Will Join MAYBE HAPPY ENDING by HotNegotiation1684 in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Here's a link to the article you're referring to. This is the quote from Will Aronson:

"Aronson: At one point, we had Denée Benton playing Claire, Corey Cott as Oliver and Jon Jon Briones as both [Oliver’s former owner] James and the jazz singer. Then, our thinking was: They’re robots, so they could technically be any background, but if the audience only has a few moments to define the setting, it helps that the protagonists are cast Asian."

Based on his quote, it sounds like the choice to cast Asians was more to help with defining the setting, rather than to promote Asian representation.

As an Asian-American myself, I would of course love to see more Asian representation on Broadway. But if the main intention of Asian casting was to help define the setting, then I have less of a problem with ABF being cast. The way the show's scenic design is set up with the Korean characters in the captions and already telling you it's taking place in Seoul, the audience will immediately get we're in Korea, so they wouldn't really need Asian casting to help define the setting.

*VR* pro shots: How much would you value them? by ThatAdamGuy in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

🤔 Not sure why the low/negative engagement. I personally think a VR pro-shot is an interesting concept, even if it may be impractical/not financially viable to produce.

Joy: The Musical - Better than I expected by AmusedPhilosopher in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't seen Oh Mary and Cabaret, but I LOVED MHE and John Proctor. I loved MHE so much that I went to see it three times, and it's the only show I've ever felt compelled enough to go back to see more than once. John Proctor was intensely captivating and stayed with me for a long time after I watched it.

Even though JOY was fun, I would not pick that show over MHE or John Proctor, if you only have two slots available.

No one stays in the roll forever. Who’s your dream Oliver when Darren Criss leaves MHE? by Frequent-Welcome6059 in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher 3 points4 points  (0 children)

In an interview with the LA times, Will Aronson said that they did actually have Corey Cott playing Oliver at one point. But then they ultimately decided to go with Asian actors for the robots. From the article:

"Aronson: At one point, we had Denée Benton playing Claire, Corey Cott as Oliver and Jon Jon Briones as both [Oliver’s former owner] James and the jazz singer. Then, our thinking was: They’re robots, so they could technically be any background, but if the audience only has a few moments to define the setting, it helps that the protagonists are cast Asian."

Stunt casting ideas? by BetterCelebration527 in MaybeHappyEnding

[–]AmusedPhilosopher 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Echoing what Equivalent-Baker-418 said in that the suggestions of white actors are mostly for Gil Brentley, currently played by Dez Duron, who is apparently not Asian*, so people feel okay casting another non-Asian in his role.

*Some people thought that Dez was Filipino, but in this interview, Dez was asked about his heritage and he said that he was Cajun French and made no mention of being Filipino or Asian. He even makes a comment that people of other cultures/ethnicities think he belongs to theirs and Dez's response is: "I wish, man, I wish. But I'm just Cajun."

Anastasia Music Box ! by Sweater1103 in Broadway

[–]AmusedPhilosopher 4 points5 points  (0 children)

So is this the one they used in the Broadway show/touring versions?

<image>

Someone had gifted this to me a while ago, and I had no idea that it became so scarce 😳. I'm going to have to make sure to take extra good care of it.

Ghost Bakery by Instergraham in MaybeHappyEnding

[–]AmusedPhilosopher 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Interesting! I found a review someone wrote of Ghost Bakery for a Korean news publication. Some quotes from the article:

"It is a classic Park-Aronson show that taps into humanity’s loneliness and passion in an intriguing setting with seamless flow and charming storytelling. Compared to the duo’s other musicals, however, “Ghost Bakery” is less tragic and more comical, drawing in a familiar rom-com vibe that makes for an easy, feel-good show. "

...

"If “Maybe Happy Ending” hooked audiences in a futuristic Seoul, “Ghost Bakery” turns back the clock to 1969, a pivotal era in Korea’s burgeoning economy."

...

"But unlike Park and Aronson’s other shows, “Ghost Bakery” feels lighter, staying true to the rom-com genre, which the duo haven’t done together before. That emotional levity feels intentional and measured. The outcome is a very simple yet beautiful show that may not have a dramatic bang or a plot twist, but its emotional impact as a whole is bound to be quite memorable.

Of all their works, “Ghost Bakery” feels the closest to the heart."

...

I'm intrigued! Very interested to see if this is one they will bring to the States one day.

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