The old is often brand new on Broadway. That is, when a revival comes back to the stage. Revivals often stir up a mixture of feelings, especially if you have a strong opinion about the original. But revivals can be genuinely great shows, and they can be a lot of fun to go and enjoy in person. Broadway tickets go fast, and that might be even more the case when it comes to revivals. If you’re thinking of going to go see a show, revival or not, be sure to secure your tickets well ahead of time so that you don’t have to worry about last minute details.
So, what’s all the fuss about?
Simply put, a revival is a relaunch of an older show. We see this constantly with movies and television shows nowadays, but a revival on Broadway is fairly different in the sense that it doesn’t change much. The script and music are kept the same (for the most part), but the big difference is that the set design and production have changed. Typically, these shows benefit from the modernization of the set and the stage effects that can be introduced.
Take a show like Les Miserables for example. The show originally launched on Broadway in 1987. The revival of the show then began in 2006. In that span of nearly 20 years, there were a lot of developments in the field of technology. The story could be told again, but in a much more effective manner than before thanks to those improvements. In fact, the revival was so strong that it became incredibly popular to a whole new generation of theater and literature fans.
Les Mis isn’t the only show that has been brought back into the public’s attention. There have been many revivals over the years. Some of them have been very successful, while others have faded away without much fanfare. As you might have suspected, not all Broadway revivals are equal. Some are very well done, and some are notoriously bad. If you’re going to catch a revival, you want to make sure that you are seeing one that fits in the first category, and not the second. This is why online reviews can be so helpful—especially if you check out a variety of experts. Getting the opinion of others, whether they be professional theater critics or not, is a good way to gauge whether or not you will enjoy the show yourself.
One of the coolest things about revivals is that there is often a Hollywood film involved somehow. Think about shows like Evita, Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables, and Chicago. All of them had hugely successful revivals, and they either inspired or were inspired by a Hollywood rendition of the show. A successful film does not necessarily equal a successful stage performance, but it can help encourage the other and increase popularity.
The bottom line is that if you’re thinking of catching a show that is not an original, you want to give it the same consideration that you would if it were the original cast performing it. Revivals can be breathtakingly different and equally powerful as the original. If you’re looking for tickets to see a revival, there will likely be that same demand as there would be for any other big name show. In fact, in the opening days of a major revival, tickets might even be harder to find. Be sure to check out the usual sources such as StubHub and SeatGeek to find the best seats you can get. Revivals might not be originals, but that doesn’t mean that their tickets won’t sell out.