Something Next to Normal Would Be Okay

With the amount of closures this month, the scene on the Great White Way is anything but normal. Despite the influx of tourists that hit Broadway for the holiday season 16 shows closed this January. Among those 16 were Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,Promises, Promises,the revivals of West Side Story,In the Heights,A Little Night Music and Next to Normal.

Something that these shows have in common is that they are not overly commercial like many of the shows that are continuing their runs. While Next to Normal, for instance, provides audiences witha new perspective on love, loss and the things we do to keep up a "normal" lifestyle, it does not have the catchy ABBA tunes from Mamma Mia or the special effects of Spiderman: Turn off the Dark. In the past, dedicated theatergoers would see shows from both ends of the spectrum. The current state of the economy, however, has made those patrons choose between a familiar piece based off popular music, television shows, movies and comic books than something that is completely new to them. Unfortunately, the price of a Broadway ticket is too high to risk on something unknown.

For fans who chose to take the risk, these final weeks provided them with a chance to revisit their Broadway favorites for the last time and express gratitude for what those shows brought to their lives. The standing ovations that accompanied the closures marked the end of another era on Broadway. With the arrival of new shows opening in the coming months, theatergoers are challenged to take the risk and see ones that speak to them best. The marquees that light the Great White Way do not stay lit forever, and a show that could change spectators' lives may be as fleeting as its final standing ovations.