Friday, February 20, 2009

Too Hot To Handle

1. NYC TODAY



(1)

Naked Boys Singing

New World Stages Stage 4

Opening October 14-Open Ended

Tim Burke

Eric Dean Davis

Tom Gaulitieri

Patrick Herwood

Bruce Linser

George M. Livengood

Robert McGown

Eric Potter

Steven Spraragen

Luis Villabon



(2)
"Naked Boys Singing is colorful, flamboyant, delightful and performed by a versatile and incredibly talented cast. You may not want to bring Grandma but you can certainly go with a bachelorette or group of friends (although I may not suggest the front row for the faint of heart)."

http://http//gonyc.about.com/cs/offbroadway/gr/nakedboys.htm



(3)

I don't think that this production is too hot to handle because if you look at it in retrospect it is basically just Chip n Dale's dancers to music on broadway. They probably assumed this was a way to sell tickets if they put it on broadway and had them singing. Now it is not something that I would go see, but if that is what the public wants then I guess just give it to them.



2. NAKED BROADWAY



(1)

The Full Monty

Opening:Oct 26, 2000

Closing:Sep 1, 2002

Eugene O'Neil Theatre

Patrick Wilson

Todd Weeks

Denis Jones

Jainie Jones

John Ellis Conlee

Emily Skinner



(2)












Jason Danieley, Patrick Wilson, Romain Fruge and Andre de Shields (Photo: Craig Schwartz )

http://www.curtainup.com/fullmonty

(3)
I definitly do not think this production is too hot to handle. The nudity is done in such a way that it is not tasteless and there for no reason. Since that is what the play revolves around I have no problem with it. The way the lights are done hides most of it anyway unless you happen to be that lucky audience member on the far right who happens not to be affected by the bright lights.

3. GAY BROADWAY

(1)
La Cage Aux Folles
Palace Theatre
Opening:Aug 21, 1983
Closing:Nov 15, 1987
Gene Berry
George Hearn
Walter Charles
Jay Garner
Brian Kelly
Merle Louise
Elizabeth Parrish
Leslie Stevens

(2)
"La Cage aux Folles on Broadway in 1983 was the first mainstream gay musical, as well as a landmark fusion of love story, show tunes, drag queens and feather boas. Aids was getting a grip, so writers Jerry Herman (music and lyrics) and Harvey Fierstein (libretto) decided to sugar the bad news pill with a big blast of gay men having fun for all the family."
http://http//www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/la-cage-aux-folles-playhouse-theatre-london-986200.html

(3)
Once again another show that isn't too hot to handle. I have seen this show and it is just a gay musical that kind of makes fun of itself and is extremely entertaining. People who have a problem with this show just need to get a life.

4. RACIST BROADWAY

(1)
Ragtime
Opening:Jan 18, 1998
Closing:Jan 16, 2000
Ford Center for the Performing Arts
Peter Friedman
Tateh
Mark Jacoby
Father
Marin Mazzie
Mother
Audra McDonald
Sarah
Brian Stokes Mitchell
Coalhouse Walker Jr.
Jim Corti
Harry Houdini
Tommy Hollis
Booker T. Washington
Judy Kaye
Emma Goldman
Lynnette Perry
Evelyn Nesbit
Steven Sutcliffe
Mother's Younger Brother
(2)
The result is a work that, in spite of some losses, is an organic outgrowth of the book and faithful to its multiple themes. Chief of these to American society's coming to terms with the new century's beckoning potential for both good and bad and the spirit driving its citizens to explore their broadened physical and personal horizons. http://http//www.curtainup.com/ragtime.html
(3)
I do not think that this production is too hot to handle. I have always thought that the way that racism is portrayed in this show is very tasteful and honest to the time period that the show took place. It also gives different types of examples of racism not only black and white, but white and irish lower class white.

5. RAIDED OR CLOSED

(1)Pleasure Man
Biltmore Theatre
Writer Mae West
Opening:
Oct 1, 1928
Closing:
Oct 2, 1928
Only had two shows
was raided and closed due to explicit material
Harry Armand
Mother Goddam
William Augustin
Steve McAllister
James F. Ayers
Ripley Hetherington
Edgar Barrier
Ted Arnold
Augusta E. Boylston
Mrs. Hetherington

(2)
It qualifies as a “gay play” only because one of the supporting characters is the star of a female impersonation act…and because this drag queen is one of the few people capable of seeing through the charming façade of the Pleasure Man, and openly loathing him for what he is: “If you're a man,” the drag queen says, “thank God I'm something else.”
http://http//www.arinndembo.com/Reviews/threeplaysbymaewest.htm

(3)
For the time that is play was produced I can see how this show would have been too hot to handle for the community. It was definitly a edgy piece dealing with homosexuality, sex, drag queens and much more. If I was around the same time period I honestly would have thought it would have been too hot to handle.

6. ARRESTED

(1)

Ragtime

Alton Fitzgerald White

played Coalhouse

was arrested and had to miss 4 performances of his show

was a wrongful arrest and displayed racism by the cops who arrested him, mirrored the show ragtime that he was in at the time

July 19,1999

(2)

He said the ordeal, which left him in tears of anger and frustration, had shattered his faith in the police and justice system and that his reaction mirrored that of Coalhouse in Ragtime. "When I was sitting in that cell I realised that my perception about good and justice would never be the same, just like Coalhouse, not to the point of violence but the naivete."

http://http//www.independent.co.uk/news/actors-arrest-revives-police-racism-row-1107573.html

(3)

I thought the police in this situation were too hot to handle. It was strange that this situation had so much comparison to the show that Mr. White was in. I think that it only strengthen the moral of Ragtime.

4. NEA 4

(1)

Holly Hughes

Tim Miller

John Fleck

Karen Finley

were vetoed by John Fronmayer in June 1990. Grants were overtly vetoed on the basis of subject matter after the artists had successfully passed through a peer review process. The artists won their case in court in 1993 and were awarded amounts equal to the grant money in question, though the case would make its way to the United States Supreme Court in National Endowment for the Arts vs. Finley. In response, the NEA, under pressure from Congress, stopped funding individual artists.

(2)

These were the N.E.A. 4 –– the four performance artists who, in that U.S. Supreme Court chamber, on June 15, 1998, heard Justice Sandra Day O’Connor declare, for the majority, that the National Endowment for the Arts had the right to “[take] into consideration general standards of decency and respect for the beliefs and values of the American public” in granting, or not granting, monetary support to individual artists.

http://http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_50/reunionofnea.html

(3)

I think this was very controversial. I don't think that it should have mattered what the subject matter was for the artists and I was glad to see that they did infact win. If the government is going to pay them it doesn't matter what they do or they should just not pay them at all.

8. REGIONAL THEATRE

(1)

Miami

Plantation's Mosaic Theatre

because of theatre subscribes and other individual protest the show was removed from the season.

the controversial play about a young American activist who died after she was run over by an Israeli-operated bulldozer in the Gaza Strip

Heather Raffo’s play 9 Parts of Desire

(2)

But Mosaic’s board of directors agreed to drop the play after phone calls, e-mails and comments on a special Rachel Corrie blog — which has now been removed from the company’s website — made it clear that an impassioned, vocal minority strongly objected to the play. There have been no such complaints about Raffo’s play, which actress Pilar Uribe will perform April 18 through May 13.

http://http://www.rachelswords.org/2007/04/04/theater-wont-stage-controversial-drama/

(3)

I think that the play was only taken off of the bill because it was not an appropriate show for the particualr audience members of the show. From what I have read about the show I don't see anything wrong with it and therefore do not think that it is too hot to handle.

9. COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY

(1)

University of Minnesota

Dario Fo

The Pope and the Witch

spring 2007

The play details the pope's nervous breakdown and the infiltration of the Vatican by unsavory women. Among other things, a Vatican security officer with mafia ties and several heroin addicts pepper the controversial show.

(2)

"The play is basically an insulting statement (to Catholics)," Donohue said. "A line has been crossed."

http://http://old.mndaily.com/articles/2006/09/18/69000

(3)

I think plays dealing with vuglar portrayal of religion are not suitable for universities. I would have to say that this production was probably right to be taken off of the season bill. I'm not even Catholic but I don't agree with criticizing religion in a learning enviroment.

10. HIGH SCHOOL

(1)

Corona Del Mar High School

California

Rent: School Edition

Jonathan Larson

March 4, 2009

The play was proposed for the spring musical but was banned by the principal because of the prostitution and homosexuality. The theatre professor appealed to the principal and had her reconsider the show and it was put back on the bill. The show was proposed by the theatre teacher because of homophobic statements made by students in the community on facebook and thought this would be a good way to raise awareness.

(2)

In the end, Asrani green lighted the school's production of "Rent." In a statement to the media the principal said: "I never had a problem with the play selected by Mr. Martin. The selection of our drama productions is his call. I just requested the opportunity to review the script before it was final.

http://http://education.families.com/blog/california-school-finally-approves-controversial-musical-production

(3)

Since there are many school editions of shows I don't think there is a problem with letting them be done in high schools. Ragtime has a school edition just as well as Les Miserables. If it is edited for school then there should be no problem showing them there.

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