Yesterday, I met with Live Arts artistic director John Gibson to talk about the upcoming Live Arts Dance Festival. The fest ties to a long history of dance at the theater and, according to Gibson, is part of an effort by Live Arts to keep audiences on their toes with a greater variety of cultural events in the venue. "As artists, we’re eager to break our own pattern," said Gibson. (For details on the fest, including how to get tickets, look here.)
Sure, but as with good choreography, patterns yield interesting results. Take Jesus Christ Superstar, for example: Gibson mentioned that the musical, which involved 12 separate choreographers under his direction, was one of Live Arts’ most popular shows of all time.
When I asked Gibson how he calibrated the popularity, he gave me a list of Live Arts’ productions and the total attendance for each. So, without further ado, I give you…
The 12 most popular shows in Live Arts’ history
1. Ain’t Misbehavin’ (3,233 people)
2. Noises Off (2,946)
3. Sweeney Todd (2,731)
4. Jesus Christ Superstar (2,573)
5. Angels in America, pt. 1 (2,565)
6-7. A tie! Evita and High School Musical (2,546)
8. The Wiz (2,544)
9. Urinetown (2,519)
10. A Raisin in the Sun (2,396)
11. Amadeus (2,390)
12. Macbeth (2,379)
Now, the breakdown: Ten of the 12 productions were staged during or after 2004, and two shows from the most recent Live Arts season—Sweeney Todd and High School Musical—ranked pretty darn well. As did musicals, which made up 70 percent of the top 10.
Let’s hear your reactions. I mean, is anyone else flat-out shocked that Ain’t Misbehavin’ was top of the pops? That Macbeth made the list? That more than a few of these productions were also released as films in the last 10 years?
