Theatre Calgary show making right kind of noise
The Louder We Get attracts attention of an experienced New York publicist
The noise that Theatre Calgary’s The Louder We Get has been making has reached the ears of top New York publicist Keith Sherman.
Sherman worked with TC’S artistic director Stafford Arima on a number of projects during the 1990s and early 2000s and is currently working with Calgary theatrical producer and promoter Jeff Parry.
On Parry’s request, Sherman flew into Calgary during the 2020 High Performance Rodeo to discuss the feasibility of an off-broadway run for Mark Tewksbury’s solo show Belong and is consulting with Parry on Calgary-created shows such as Celtic Illusion and We Will Rock You. Sherman also wanted to see what all the hype was about with TC’S premiere of The Louder We Get.
“The show is definitely Broadway ready but Broadway might not be ready for it at the moment,” says Sherman, who has been a publicist for almost four decades.
“Everything about The Louder We Get is Broadway calibre including the direction, designs and performances, but Broadway just had Prom — a musical about a girl wanting to bring her girlfriend to the prom. It may be too soon for such a similar premise even though the shows are very different.”
Sherman stresses, “Broadway is extremely important for branding a show but it is not the only destination. The Louder We Get should be going in some form to Toronto and other regional theatres in Canada to preserve and intensify the hype about it. Broadway will be listening.
“The desire (that) directors and producers have with every new show is to surprise and delight their audiences and that doesn’t usually happen, but it certainly did by the audience reaction I witnessed at The Louder We Get.”
Sherman believes Arima “has been empowered by TC’S board to shift the paradigm to creating and showcasing new works and this is a good thing for the company, the audiences and theatre in general. Everyone benefits when directors like Stafford create new theatre pieces.”
Sherman says Arima has an international reputation in theatre and will be directing a new production in Japan of the musical Allegiance about Japanese Americans facing internment during the Second World War. He directed this same play in New York with Lea Salonga and George Takei.
There are ways of getting shows to New York without being on Broadway, which was the case with Parry’s Queen musical, We Will Rock You, that played in the Madison Square Garden theatre and enjoyed a robust tour in both the U.S. and Canada.
“We Will Rock You is a show that is feeding off the recent success of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody. Audiences love the familiar. They love knowing the songs in a musical. Jeff is preparing a second North American tour of We Will Rock You beginning January 2021 and he’s eyeing to do the same with Celtic Illusion. There is definitely an appetite in smaller cities for such touring shows.”
Despite the current economic climate, theatre is enjoying a real resurgence.
The Louder We Get enjoyed the best audiences at Theatre Calgary since A Christmas Carol, and Stage West set all-time records with its production of Mamma Mia!. The world premieres of Snowblind and Whispers in the Dark were hits for Lunch box and Vertigo and Alberta Theatre Projects enjoyed capacity houses for the recent tour of Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story.
Sherman is not surprised and says it is part of a trend.
“Broadway is enjoying the most robust time in its history. Audience attendance numbers have never been higher. Broadway was doing just under $3.5 million a week last year.
“Theatre needs to be supported because the cost of creating these shows is ballooning. The original 1950 Broadway production of Guys and Dolls cost $30,000 to mount. Moulin Rouge, which opened last year, cost $30 million. In proportion, the same is true for plays regional theatres are producing. They need the support of audiences.”