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March 30, 2003

Urban Cowboy Redux

With the rapid rise and fall of the Broadway version of the 1980 Travolta/Winger film hit "Urban Cowboy", I am left to ponder what went wrong with this ode to Texas honky tonk culture. The show closed after only three official performances (It ran previews for about a month.) making it the shortest lived Broadway show in over a decade.

I saw the Broadway version in previews and while it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I was really disappointed. There was little or no resemblance to the Texas I know and love...save for the beautiful final rendition of a Texas Sunset done with some elegant lighting. It didn't help that the two leads had no charisma, chemistry between each other or serious acting ability. They could sing though. Lead actor Matt Cavenaugh did have the hottest set of abs I think I ever seen in real life...and according to Time Out New York he's straight. Score for the XX's! Jenn Colella, the Broadway version of Sissy, can certainly fill out a pair of jeans and ride a bull in such a way that even I had trouble watching the scene that played out across the stage. (Rhett didn't even realize there was a scene playing out across the stage. Minus one for the XYs.) Bud and Sissy are so much more than hot bods in tight jeans though and these two youthful beauties just didn't have the depth to interest the people who can afford to see a Broadway show. I watched the movie again last night after recently scoring the DVD in the previewed bin at a local "Coconuts" store. Deborah Winger and John Travolta make a formulaic story a sensitive, honest portrayal of simplefolk (see also Poor, White Trash if you're one of those people who ever say such words together.) striving to overcome their flaws and misconceptions about the opposite sex.

It could have worked. It should have worked. It's not the Odyssey to be sure, but it is a truthful honest look at a young couple in love learning to love without killing each other. Two kids grow up in a marriage and, in this case live happily ever after. That's nice, quality, satisfying pulp fiction. So what could have made it work?

What would you have done to create a successful version of "Urban Cowboy: The Musical"? Feel free to comment.

Here is my master plan for a successful Urban Cowboy:

First, I think Broadway is really in trouble because Proscenium staging is dead. The beauty of live theatre is that it is three dimensional and alive. You want two dimensions...go see a movie. Urban Cowboy: The Musical (UC the M) really suffers in such a limited format.

I would have put the show in a honky tonk with a 3/4 thrust stage so that the action happens all around you. This isn't a new concept. A very successful revival of Cabaret uses this concept and is still playing years after its opening night.

Texas and "all that that implies" should be considered a character in the show. The real "UC the M" could have been staged in Wisconsin save for the the occasional use of the word "ain't" and that beautiful final sunset. People get stupid drunk everywhere. The way Texans do it makes it a unique part of the show. And my version would also include the positive aspects of Texas the real version either forgot or didn't realize existed: sense of humor, honor, respect for family.

Finally, and most unique to my version: I would have kept all the original songs, dumped all of the misguided attempts at making the "Shania Twain-esque" Top 40 Hits look natural in the show and made any new songs really prove their worth. I would also have all of the songs sung by the band which would become more like a traditional Greek chorus..

You put all this together in a smaller, unconvential Off-Broadway venue and you've got the next big thing in NYC and Texas. Too bad the Broadway peeps didn't ask me about it...or any Texan for that matter.

Posted by mermu at March 30, 2003 01:13 PM

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