Once Upon A One More Time.

Robert M. Massimi.

Well, I lost that bet! I predicted that "Once Upon A One More Time" would outlast "Bad Cinderella" and &Juliet". Turns out &Juliet is the last show standing! In my review about "Once Upon" I stated that the lead actors were strong, the plot weak, the costumes absurd and the sets and lighting were good. I said that the music would carry the weak, woke plot. I was wrong. This show is set to close on September 3erd; a very fast closing date.

Where I was right, however, is that the general public is shunning the over-the-top woke, ultra gay themes in favor of more traditional shows. I have written several articles as to why shows like "Bad Cinderella" and "1776" aren't making it. I have also commented as to why "Passover" was one of the worst things to hit Broadway since "Moose Murders".

With so many woke shows that are to in your face with equity, diversity and inclusion, big, recognizable producers are balking at producing and it has shrunk the pool dramatically. New shows are scrambling to get produced. Many of the new musicals in particular are not that good. As Such, early closings like "Once Upon A One More Time" and "New York, New York" as well as "Bad Cinderella" have closed to poor attendance, poor reviews and an embarrassment to producers. Not to mention the shellacking producers have taken financially as well.

It mystifies me that shows like "The Lehman Trilogy", "The Ferryman" and "Some Like it Hot" do so well while other shows bomb. Great writing and deft performances kept and keep the aforementioned tight with great fanfare. These shows either extended their runs or moved to bigger venues because of the following they had. "Some Like it" plays every night to a large audience; "Funny Girl and "Hadestown" also see BOFO box receipts.

The expression " go woke, go broke" is so prevalent on Broadway right now. Woke shows with weak plots are getting killed financially. The same can be said for regional theater and regional theater companies; they are losing money at record pace. They have asked the government to bail them out because people are not attending theater the way they used to. Clueless they blame Covid still. Many state that the theater goer has not returned back. Really!? Then why are the lines around the block for good quality Broadway shows?!

Theater companies better wake up to the fact that people will not spend money on any given show. It must be well written and have the escapism factor. Do people really want to see climate change shows? Shows about immigration? I think not. The weak box office to these shows proves my point.

Where Broadway has failed and failed to realize with shows like "Once Upon" and "Bad Cinderella" is that parents will not take children for the most part to see shows like those. Open lip kissing with men, gay themes in a classic fairytale will drive away kids. Ultra liberal and gay audiences are not enough to support these shows, hence the early closures.

I think Fall 2023 and spring 2024 will bring better quality, atleast I hope so. Many of these shows that I review are an exercise in futility; painful to sit through. With crime on the rise, illegal immigrants flooding our streets, some will stay away, but if the quality languishes, all will stay away. It still boggles the mind, however, that companies think that some of the shows produced are good quality and well written.

Broadway, "Once Upon A One More Time", "Bad Cinderella", "Funny Girl", "Some Like It Hot", "Lehman Trilogy", "The Ferryman", Oscars, Tonys, Josh Groban, www.nimbusmagize.org, Dramatists Guild, www.broadwayworld.com, Telecharge.