& Juliet show how Canadian musicals can succeed without a Broadway "brand name"

Everyone knows the story: Romeo meets Juliet, Juliet falls to Romeo, and their fateful love makes the family fight with the family. With no other choice, Romeo drinks a vial of poison and Juliet ... escapes to a nightclub in Paris. 

It may not be the story you are used to, but it is the story told at the Princess of Wales Theater in Toronto. 

&Julietis a new musical in which she lives independently, seeing another story of Shakespeare's Juliet character, until August 14th. is. Life — Set in a song by Swedish pop hit maker Max Martin. 

And the 2019 play was originally premiered in London's West End, but long before it was staged in this country, it had a major connection with Canada. Behind the curtain, the writer David Westreed ofSchitt's Creekwrote a play with Martin, always with the intention of returning to his hometown of Ontario.

"It's really special for me to be here and work again with other Canadians," Reed said in an interview with CBC. "That is, for me, this is the best result. I'm doing the show here."

There is always a desire to bring large-scale theatrical productions to Canada, and in other Canadian industries. Despite his ability to work consistently, Reed says it wasn't that simple. 

Aside from COVID-related closures, the last closure closed theaters nationwide for almost two years, and the Marvish Theater in Toronto was only this year Announces the first full season since 2019— According to Read, the way the industry was established has prevented both spectators and actors from accepting Canada as the theater's capital. 

At the beginning of his career, Reed said he had to move to New York to find a way to his industry. This is a general decision made by many creators and actors in this country. But part of the reason, he said, is due to the assumption by both the performer and the audience that Broadway is all-encompassing, without recognizing the talent and diverse works here. 

"It can be difficult for Canadians to find their international stage, and I think Canadians may not fully celebrate other Canadians until they are celebrated by the world.

"I wish Canadians were a little more proud of their talents here."

To be fair, as a Broadway supplier to Canada There is no long history of.

In 2006, Don McKellar's satirical musicalThe Drowsy Chaperonarrived in New York after premiering in Toronto in 1997. Winner of five Tony Awards, including the best musical books and the best originals. Score — Only a few years later, Bryan Gil'sStory of My Lifewas briefly held on Broadway in 2009. 

B. C. The musicalRide the Cyclonebrought about six teenagers trapped in a cyclone roller coaster to Off-Broadway in 2015. Previously, there was a satirical piece aboutBilly Bishop Goes to War, Canada. World War I Nadian Flying Ace,Rockabye Hamlet,A rock musical based on the tragedy of Shakespeare.

And, of course, there isCome From Away

. This is the story of 7,000 airline passengers stuck in Newfoundland after the September 11th attack. Widely referred to as the most successful Canadian musical in history. Opened on Broadway in 2017, it surpassed the 674 performances of theDrowsy Chaperonand became the longest Canadian musical on Broadway . Closing in October of this year with more than a million guests and 1,670 performances, it's not only Canada's longest-running musical, but also the 49th longest-running in Broadway history. It will be a musical.

See | Actors condemn the execution of Come From Away due to the lack of government support: 

While these Canadian musicals have caught the attention, there are far fewer musicals from the Great White North on the Great White Way than Americans. Part of that is because Canada has few artistic creators, but it also leads to image problems. 

"Most of the shows on Broadway fail ... because of the nature of economics," said Canadian theater critic Lin Slotkin. But on average, only one of the five Broadway shows pays off their investment, but because it's a "Canada show where they don't have that good opportunity," it's also a struggle to make a profit in Canada. I have. 

Slotkin said the main difference in support theaters comes from the government. The Come From AwayBroadway run will end in October 2022, but Canadian production will cease in December 2021, just one week after returning from the 21-month COVID hiatus. Did.

Listen | David West is a jukebox musical&Juliet:David WestRead is doing well I'm going to. He is a writer and producer known for Schitt's Creek, but also wrote a book for the hit musical&Juliet. The book incorporates music from a huge list of songwriter Max Martin's pop hits. Joined Tom Power and talked about writing another ending for Romeo and Juliet and how he turned tragedy into a modern romantic comedy.

"In other parts of the world, the government is a commercial theater by providing a financial safety net for the sector to resume and play during a pandemic. We have strengthened to support the sector and thus protect the tens of thousands of good jobs that this sector creates. " 

"But Canada does not have such government support, and without such a safety net, further production cannot be extended. Second resumption. The cost is very high and risky. "

In the early days of the pandemic, the US government approved the US for about $ 16 billion to support entertainment productions.will be sent to Hamilton in the United States alone over $ 30 million — Slotkin is better than Canada He said it reflects the widespread tendency to support stage productions. 

Canada has announced $ 60 million in support for the live performance sector, which came into effect in April of this year, but many in the industry say it's too late.For embarrassed art workers who have had to work almost or not for almost two years already. 

"It's the difference between thinking and knowing that the theater, Broadway, whatever is important for tourism in your city and your country," said Slotkin. "And the government here isn't very valuable."

'It's hard to beat the Broadway brand name'

And the subsidized musical The knock-on effect — a mistake between the audience and the actor that the musical wasn't successful until it was staged in one of them, because has been successful on the same few roads in some rare places. It is a belief. 

"Every big city has really really good theaters. Canada has theater opportunities comparable to New York City," said Alta's Medicine Hat actor. David Jeffrey, who is, says.

"It's like dispelling this idea that if you didn't go to New York, you wouldn't be high enough to go. The Broadway brand name isn't defeated, but it's not. If you didn't go there, like the top of this chain, you wouldn't make it that way. "

Jeffrey himself accidentally fell into the role of Broadway, spurred the casting director, and then as Connor Murphy ondear Evan Hansen. I got a spot. -Momentary email. However, the difficulty of getting permission to work in the United States, going back and forth between the two countries, and auditioning as a non-American (which may require the Actor Equity Association to consider American actors first. (Because of the many), it means that you rarely go south, which is more appetizing than staying in Canada.

But still, Read, Slotkin, and Jeffery said that audiences often consider a musical to "achieve it" only when it's performed on Broadway. It excludes a huge number of works and leaves talented actors just because they don't have Broadway or West End names. 

Meanwhile,& Julietwants to go to the United States as well, which producers call "a run before Broadway." "But Reed explained that showing the musical in Toronto and delivering it to an audience that seems to be more enjoyable than London embodies the reason he made it. 

"The best musicals connect people and feel like a community," he said. "It's like the reason why we go to the theater and be with other people and feel the common bond of our experience."