Censoring Broadway
Let me begin by saying that I spent a year working for Steve
Wynn, the former owner of the Mirage Hotel and Casino. In my
time with Steve I spoke to him occasionally but otherwise went
about my duties. However I did glean from my experience at The
Mirage that every major decision passes by Steve, especially
when opening a show. Steve has now opened the Wynn Hotel and
Casino, home to Le Reve produced by Cirque Du Soliel, and the
Broadway Theater which boasts a line-up of current Broadway
musicals (mostly Tony Award winners).
Broadway in Las Vegas, fabulous idea! People have a vast choice
of US destinations not just for vacations but also for
conferences and conventions; of these destinations New York and
Las Vegas are the top two picks. You can't gamble in New York,
but you can see a Broadway show in Vegas! NO YOU CAN'T!
The money sucking punks behind the desks in Vegas have
determined that they couldn't possibly handle keeping their
beloved casino guests from the slots and tables any longer than
absolutely necessary. They have decided that the Broadway shows
that take residence in the Broadway Theater must be re-written
into a 90 minute, no intermission version of the production. Not
only that, but in the case of Avenue Q, Steve-O has demanded
that any political humor be "scrubbed" from the show. Isn't that
whole point of Avenue Q? So not only are we trashing half the
show, but censoring it as well.
We Will Rock You, the London rock show based on the music of
Queen, has been playing in London since 2002. Historically the
natural progression would be New York City for a production of
this size and scope. Not in this case, the first US production
of We Will Rock You, was a sit-down production at the Paris
Casino in Las Vegas, again a 90 minute, one act attraction.
The point here is that Casino owners are abusing what many of us
would call art as an attraction to drain your pockets. During my
tenure at the Mirage I watched as the Bellagio, another Steve
Wynn property, took form and opened. Featured at the Bellagio
was the exhibit of Picasso paintings, a great attraction. Thank
G-d Stevie didn't demand that they be modified to ensure that he
got the most money possible from his patrons. At least in that
case there was no censorship. The Vegas approach to Broadway
show production translates to "Produce a bare minimum of the
show so as we can use the name and the logo, cut everything
else". Yes folks, all for roughly the same price you'd pay in
New York!
A Broadway show ticket for the full length, politically
incorrect, TONY AWARD WINNING musical Avenue Q, will set you
back about $100. For $90 you can see half the show, stripped of
its questionable content in Vegas. But ask yourself, would the
modified Vegas version win a Tony Award in New York? I hardly
think so.
I'd like to think that when I buy a ticket to a Tony Award
winning show, that I'll actually get to see the parts of it that
earned it a Tony the in the first place.
I'd like to hear your comments.
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