Did you know that the 5th Avenue Theater develops and debuts a whole bunch of new musicals? One even one a Tony Award against Hamilton.
I did not.
This is a prime example of why you need to explore your city as a tourist from time to time. There is so much in the world to see that there is something new everywhere, even when we explore familiar places. I have driven past and walked past the 5th a great many times and I never knew. I never knew how rad of a place it was or how cool of work they were doing for the art community.
Okay, first I want to talk a little about this theater because I am in love with it. I have been to the Paramount a whole bunch of times. It is a big beautiful theater with crystal chandeliers and a classic Victorian Era feel to it. The 5th is not like that. The 5th Avenue Theater is about half the size and dressed up like an old Chinese theater, including a dragon holding up the main chandelier. It reminded me of the 1950s and of classic Hollywood but that could just be the way I associate things in my brain (my great grandparents went to China the year it opened its borders and they had that classic Hollywood feel to them as well). Everything about the space felt nicely maintained and good. Also the orchestra pit was located underneath the stage, which I LOVE. It isn't that I do not want to see the orchestra but I don't want to be distracted by them.
I would go to more shows at the 5th just because of the look and feel of this theater. It has a great stage, it has a great space, it is a good space to see a show.
Now, on to what I really want to talk about. The show.
A few years ago I wrote an article for The Silver Petticoat Review called 5 Films Every Jane Austen Fan Needs to Watch. If I were writing that article today I would add this play to it in a heartbeat because I think it may be my favorite rendition of Pride and Prejudice there is. Unfortunately, though, you won't be able to go see it because I saw one of the last shows of its run at the 5th.
Austen's Pride is the story of Jane Austen writing Pride and Prejudice (no zombies.). So you have a few different things happening on stage that put the story in a new light. The writers drew heavily from Austen's own love story, which inspired Pride and Prejudice, and they spent a lot of time with Austen making decisions about what would might logically happen next. Characters were introduced in the way they might have appeared in Austen's mind, walking in a telling a little about themselves, so that people who are very familiar with the book experienced some of the same surprise Austen expressed at them appearing everywhere they do not belong. Even interacting with the characters who would in turn ask her questions or complain about a turn of events. As a writer I loved that portrayal in particular.
The unique retelling of the story was enough to satisfy my literary heart but that was not all that made the show AMAZING and so worth seeing.
The props and staging were both minimal and technically complex thanks to the use of multiple trapdoors, a rotating stage, and an incredibly well-used scrim. And the talent on that stage! It blew me away! More than satisfying my love of the theater.
As a person who studied literature, writing, and theater in college, this play combined all of my loves and may be my new favorite musical. I will definitely be following its journey through the theater world and taking any opportunity I get to see it again.
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