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Off Broadway Shows
There is a cult following of productions of Off Broadway shows. The theaters are usually smaller than Broadway ones and more appropriate for experimental work. Some shows begin life in these theatres and then successfully transfer to Broadway and the mainstream, including Godspell, Little Shop of Horrors and Sunday in the Park with George. Some productions have broken records, such as the musical, The Fantasticks, which is the longest running musical in the world and is currently enjoying a revival at the Duffy Theatre. The New York Times critics have a big influence on whether Off Broadway shows will get a decent run.
The current productions on offer illustrate the wide variety that Off Broadway shows have. The celebrated Cirque du Soleil is presenting a family show called Wintuk at the WaMu Theatre in Madison Square Garden. Children love the dog puppets, street performers and doll. Die Mommie Die at New World Stages on W.50th Street is a comic entertainment more suited to adults. It stars Charles Busch as a drag artist.
The Stomp show has traveled the world and become very popular on stage and on television. The group of performers have a unique act and use everyday objects as if they were musical instruments. They bear out a rhythm on items such as a garbage can or a kitchen sink. The result is a high energy evening that leaves the audience, uplifted. It can be seen at the Orpheum Theatre at 126 Second Avenue.
Familiar plays and adaptations are sometimes given an offbeat twist in Off Broadway shows. Richard III is normally produced by companies that specialize in Shakespeare's works. The version at the Classic Stage Company on E.13th Street is faithful to the text but puts more emphasis on comedy, bringing out Richard's evil sense of humor. There have been many adaptations of Mary Shelley's story of Frankenstein. The production at 37 Arts on W.37th Street does away with any gimmicks and tells a straight story.
The Joy Luck Club began as a novel by Amy Tan and the action takes place during the 1980s in San Francisco. It is about the relationship between four Chinese mothers and their American born daughters. The story explores the different cultures of feudal China and modern, urban America. Oliver Stone produced a movie adaptation in 1993. One of the Off Broadway shows playing today is an adaptation for the stage of The Joy Luck Club at the Julia Miles Theatre on W.55th Street.
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