Arts & Culture

Is Broadway More Desperate for Good Ideas Than Hollywood?

By Jason Diamond / March 3, 2010

Read the recent New York Times article "Road to Broadway Is Paved with Matzah" and be the judge for yourself.

"Aspiring musical composers and lyricists, take note: Using YouTube to show your performance chops and creativity could lead to gigs on Broadway!

The creators of a musical adaptation of "Sleepless in Seattle," the 1993 Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan date flick, said on Wednesday that they had brought the songwriter Michelle Citrin onto their team after becoming fans of the YouTube performance clip of her song "20 Things to Do With Matzah."

 

POST A COMMENT

  • By EstherK 3/3/10 at 4:15 p.m. UTC

    Hollywood and Broadway both want products that will sell commercially – it’s about business. This is why popular musicals become movies ("Nine," "Chicago") and popular movies become musicals ("Footloose") –  and sometimes, even popular movies become popular musicals which then become popular movies ("Hairspray," "The Producers"). It’s easier to sell an idea which has already been lucrative than it is to take a risk on something new. That’s undoubtedly one of the reasons that "Sleepless in Seattle," which had a very popular soundtrack and a loyal fan following, is being developed. 

    As for finding talent on YouTube, it can happen. (Hello, Justin Bieber?) Obviously, there’s a lot of garbage in the YouTube universe, but it’s nice that YouTube can serve as a terrific platform for deserving artists like Michelle to get noticed by people who can offer opportunities that they might have otherwise missed. 

Wanna post your own comments?