ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway (2007)

Going behind the curtain to capture the most controversial, passionate, risky and high-profile Broadway season in decades.

Director:

Dori Berinstein

Writers:

Dori Berinstein, Richard Hankin

Stars:

Alissa Anderegg, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Rob Ashford

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Alissa Anderegg	...	Herself
Kristen Anderson-Lopez	...	Herself
Rob Ashford	...	Himself
Chris Boneau	...	Himself
Boy George	...	Himself
Ben Brantley	...	Himself
Harrison Chad	...	Himself
Carol Channing	...	Herself
Kristin Chenoweth	...	Herself
Wayne Cilento	...	Himself
Hope Clarke	...	Herself
Jennifer Cody	...	Herself
Dioni Michelle Collins	...	Herself
Nancy Marlowe Coyne	...	Herself
Alan Cumming	...	Himself

Storyline

Follows the four high-profile productions that would eventually become Tony nominees for Best Musical of 2004: "Wicked," (currently the highest grossing musical of all time), the Rosie O'Donnell/Boy George musical brought from London, "Taboo," Tony Kushner's "Caroline, or Change," and a grown-up puppet show called "Avenue Q." Digging behind the scenes, from casting and out-of-town previews to the suspense-filled Tony Awards, "ShowBusiness" provides an engrossing look at the inner workings of Broadway musicals. Listening in to critics around the dinner table, interviews with the creators, footage of rehearsals and openings all combine to make this one of the most entertaining documentaries (and dramas) about the world of musical theater.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | 

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Taglines:

The Real Drama is Behind the Curtain.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and some sexual references

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 April 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Showbiznes: Droga na Broadway

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,829, 11 May 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$151,792, 2 March 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dramatic Forces

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song that Idina Menzel sings over the credits is a much-changed version of "Lullaby of Broadway," written by Al Dubin and Harry Warren. The song originally appeared in the Warner Brothers film Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)and won the 1936 Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was one of many Warren and Dubin songs eventually included in the 1980 musical "42nd Street" (based mostly, but not entirely, on their 1933 movie of the same name). The version that Menzel sings in this documentary was arranged by Jan Folkson and Jeanine Tesori and given an almost entirely new tune, as well as some new lyrics - a spoken interlude drawn from Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay's 1920 poem "On Broadway;" Billy Porter performed the McKay portion of the song.

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Crazy Credits

The end credits are intercut with outtake footage of the film's subjects, including: a clip of "Caroline or Change" director George C. Wolfe discussing his love of dairy foods such as cheese and ice cream during a rehearsal, Alan Cumming visiting a psychic, and "Taboo" star Euan Morton lifting the kilt he wore to the Tonys to reveal that underneath, he is wearing boxer shorts with the Scottish flag on them.

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Soundtracks

Freak
/"Ode to Attention Seekers"
Written by Boy George and John Themis
Notthing Hill Music and Chrysalis
Performed by Raúl Esparza and the Taboo Cast

User Reviews

entertaining and informative

This documentary is perfect for both theater people and non-theater people --- really, anybody who's ever gone to a musical and had a good time. It gives a pretty good account of the long, sometimes arduous process of writing, rehearsing, and staging a musical. It's informative, it's entertaining, it's funny. It's very inspiring to see a group of people doing what they love to do (it's like Man on Wire in that sense), but it's very honest about the fact that shows close early, people can be out on the streets pretty quickly, and there is a sense of sadness as well as joy to the film.

The only reason I don't give it ten stars is that its issues are not as important as, say, "When the Levee Broke" or "Sicko." But it does what it sets out to do, is well worth watching, and I know I'll be watching it more than once.