Robert DuSold

As a giant Sondheim fan, I’ve noticed that sometimes the second acts of his shows are very different from the first acts. I don’t know, the tone is different… and it seems they’re sorta mismatched with the first act, or go on tangents that aren’t entirely clear to me. I’ve always wondered, after seeing so many and being in a few, if that was intentional in every case or all the brilliant people in the room couldn’t quite figure it out. The first acts are astounding sorta complete musicals and the second acts make me miss the first ones. But there’s always some song, or moment that sucks me in.

During intermission at all of his shows, I can’t wait for the second act, because I was placed on a cloud by the first one.

This intervallo ala Pandemmy(c’mon I’m trying) will be the longest wait for Act 2 in American theater history.

The first act was amazing , but now we’re stuck at intermission just praying the second act will, maybe this time, be as glorious as the first.

Enter the Chromalume.

Act 2 opens with a shadowy figure, walking into the light… her voice faint at first, and growing louder. “Flores para los muertos” she sings, over and over. In tritones. Of course.

So, there’s that. The voice you hear is every theatergoer, actor, stagehand, musician, playwright, composer, bartender, dresser, company manager, usher ..everyone …thinking Blanche du Bois wasn’t that crazy after all. Will I catch this thing? Will I just get sick? Or will I get really sick? Will I not even know I have it? Ok. It’s ok…. Ok. Maybe I won’t get sick. I’m fine….Wait. I wanna have a good time for fucks sake. I’m going to the theater! Will I die a horrible death from it?

It’s going to be a fascinating second act. I think it’s inevitable that this plague will have a devastating impact on commercial theater. Everything is gonna be stripped down… much smaller casts, barer sets, less of everything. Costumes. Mics. Musicians. What runs through my mind is this: there was very little cooperation between theatrical unions in the first act, let alone producers. How are the stagehands gonna take cutting their house crew? How are musicians gonna take cutting the minimum number of contracts in Broadway houses? How are they all going take making less money?Are they gonna walk away? Strike? Will every union support each other? Will every union survive?

I think if the musician’s union playing hardball a couple weeks ago denying permission for their members to participate in a benefit is any indication of what’s to come, it doesn’t bode well. They later reversed their decision, but not before calling union musicians “slaves”.

No one really knows what Act 2 will be like, but one thing is certain. The model for producing any commercial theater production is gonna change. There will simply not be enough money. From regional theaters to Broadway. Theater investors are an interesting bunch… most shows don’t really return on the investment. It’s a glammy, prestigious undertaking to produce a Broadway show… but with an economy that will rival the Great Depression in a few months, fun money is going to either dry up or get very tight. Shows that are capitalized in the pipeline are faced with the grim prospect of losing that money… you can’t hold on to other people’s money forever. Foundations that have been relied on for not for profit theaters to survive are gonna have to think twice. Corporations that produce theater have a bottom line to their shareholders, so that money will also be scrutinized like never before.

None of this ominous stuff takes into account that traditional theaters will have to reduce their capacity by 50-70%. How does that affect their bottom line? How do you make up for that?

The audience. I almost forgot. Will they show up? Will they pay 2 grand a pop for a ticket to “Hamilton”? What kind of shows will resonate with them as we come crawling out of our holes like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt?

As an observer of social media and the inter webs and life in general, I’m noticing quite a few people thinking the second act is gonna be like the first. I’ve always wondered if that’s purposeful, or naive. Is it filled with hubris? It’s all very Sondheim. The truth is that every Thursday when an actor gets handed that paycheck, there will be less money on it. There will be less paychecks. There will be less of everything.

This intermission is brought to you by a virus. The virus will decide how long it will be. We’re all in mourning.

The brilliant moments in Act 2 of the current Sondheim musical we’re now all living inside I’m looking forward to are gonna be there. Act 2 is gonna happen… but it’s definitely interactive at this point. We’re all writing it.

I think theater is gonna have to find a new home for the time being… maybe abandoned shopping malls that could house the same show going on every half hour so audiences can be socially distanced, like a multiplex movie theater. I know, that ain’t gonna be cheap. Different venues… and now more than ever theater will be local. Theater will be simpler.

I know the second act will happen. I don’t know how long intermission will be. The first act is over. Theater people are the most creative and resilient in the world. This act is on us.