Close Encounters of the Celebrity Kind...
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Broadway Lady
Expanded Edition of the 6-6-07 WCT Interview
by Richard Knight, Jr.
Expanded Edition of the 6-6-07 WCT Interview
by Richard Knight, Jr.
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway director Dori Berinstein, Berinstein and crew interviewing Raul Esparza from "Taboo" and
capture the first time Idina Menzel from "Wicked" gets the green treatment.
capture the first time Idina Menzel from "Wicked" gets the green treatment.
If anyone could get an entire season of Broadway on film Tony Award winning producer Dori Berinstein was the person to do it.
Having worked closely within the theatre community Berinstein was able to work out the complicated logistics that allowed her to gain
unlimited access to the shows headed for Broadway during the 2003-2004 season. A season which offered four landmark musicals
(“Wicked,” “Avenue Q,” “Caroline or Change,” “Taboo”) whose stories are told concurrently in ShowBusiness: The Road to
Broadway, Berinstein’s documentary that opens this Friday at Chicago's Music Box Theatre. The first time feature director drew on
over 250 hours of footage and the result is a hugely entertaining film that offers an All Access backstage pass into the world of
Broadway. Highlights from our interview:
WINDY CITY TIMES (WCT): I did not want the movie to stop. I’m like the biggest show tune queen and I thought I was in Hog
Heaven.
DORI BERINSTEIN (DB): Oh my God, that’s great.
WCT: But I kept thinking the logistics of filming had to have been a nightmare. Was it?
DB: Well, it wasn’t a nightmare because I loved every second of it. It was a complete gift. It definitely required tremendous
coordination and I was so fortunate to have such support from the community across the board. I think being part of that
community for as long as I had made it possible. I knew having produced so many shows at what point what was going to happen.
I had lived it and I never would have been able to do it if I was starting from scratch coming in from the outside.
WCT: How many cameras did you have going at one time? I mean you’re covering four shows at once – a big undertaking.
DB: It basically was living with a camera in the community for…we ended up shooting in total about a year and a half. Because it
was very intimate we didn’t want to be intrusive and I wanted very much for that “fly on the wall” feeling we rarely had more than one
camera. We really just wanted to disappear into the wall so that everything that was happening would happen exactly the same if we
were not there. The only times I really had multiple cameras was the day of the Tony nominations when we had to. They were
being announced that one time and we had to be in a lot of places at once and the Tony Awards where we also had to be in many,
many places at the same time. We also had a time lapse camera going outside Radio City, inside Radio City. The coordination for
that was pretty massive. I had 12 cameras that night but it’s not like you can go back and recreate any of that you know? (laughs)
Other than that we were as lean and mean as you can be.
WCT: There are so many amazing moments in the film. What for you stands out now?
DB: It’s those magical insider moments. They are firsts. They are only happening that one time. That for me was unbelievably
magical but also capturing genius at work. Watching Stephen Schwartz work on the recording of “Wicked;” watching George Wolfe
direct. That for me was unbelievably magical but also capturing genius at work. Also the Broadway traditions like the Gypsy Robe
ceremony and being at every single one that season. That was extraordinary because it’s so insider and just rich with history and
lore and a beautiful tradition and it was a thrill to be able to capture it. Watching the process of creation, watching Tony (Kushner)
and Jeanine (Tesori) at the piano that day – we were there for a really long time and they forgot the camera was there and they were
struggling and to see their process of creation to get to genius work was just such a thrill. That’s really what I was going for with the
film.
WCT: I loved that moment. How important is television exposure to Broadway? I mean are you the saddest person in the world
that Rosie’s left “The View” because she’s like the Broadway cheerleader.
DB: Absolutely. Broadway needs a hundred Rosie’s. I feel so strongly that the more people are exposed to theatre the more
people are going to fall in love with it and make theatre a part of their lives. Whatever’s on television about theatre just obviously
reaches so many more people than any local advertising that we can do on a show or what the internet and exposure on TV can do
or a great article in a major newspaper in a big city can do. All of these things make such a difference in getting the word out there.
WCT: That brings up something that I’ve wondered about. I know that they tape every Broadway show for this archive that’s kept at
Lincoln Center as a record and you can go there and see these tapes. I didn’t know about “Taboo” other than Boy George and Rosie’
s involvement but seeing the clips in the movie it’s now so tantalizing and it looks like it was really cool, really interesting. I’d love
to see that. Has any Broadway theatrical organization ever talked about not just documenting these but making them available to
the public? Maybe once the show closes?
DB: I’m right with you. I’d watch every single one all the way through a hundred times. I assume it’s been discussed and it’s
complicated as far as rights and clearances to be able to do something like that. Also, when they shoot for Lincoln Center it’s a
pretty simple shoot.
WCT: Yes – like a camera set up at the back of the theatre.
DB: Yes, it’s not what people who are used to watching television or going to movies would expect. It’s not shot for that medium. I
think if there was going to be something that was televised you’d want to really shoot it in a way that would do justice to theatre
onstage.
WCT: That’s true but it makes me sad because I’m one of the converted.
DB: Well I can tell you I’ve been to Lincoln Center over and over again to see shows that I missed because I grew up in Los
Angeles. There’s so many shows I think, “If only I could have seen the original cast” and I didn’t. I could name a hundred shows
so I hang out at Lincoln Center all the time catching up.
WCT: From Alan Cumming to a host of performers and behind the scenes creatives – notice I got everybody in there – the
Broadway scene and your movie is full of My People! Why is this seemingly the one performing art in America that’s left a person’s
sexuality at the stage entrance? It’s like it doesn’t…
DB: It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter.
WCT: Do you have a clue why that is? Because you’ve worked in film, TV and theatre.
DB: Well theatre has been around for centuries and centuries. Since the beginning of time – going back to Greek tragedy – plays
have been presented to make people think differently about the world. It’s been around so long, maybe we’re just more evolved –
the theatre community – and the rest of the world has to catch up with us. I don’t know, it makes no sense to me.
WCT: Me either. I was fortunate to speak with Alan Cumming a few months back. Wasn’t he originally going to narrate the movie?
DB: Yes. Alan and I had worked together quite a bit and I adore him and respect him so much. The idea at the get go was to tell
the story of a Broadway season narrated by Alan and seen through his eyes but as the season went along in the editing room it
started to become clear that we’d have a stronger film if we let the season tell itself. Alan was part of that decision and supported it
100% and it just gives us that much more to have that’s rich and fabulous on the DVD. We have great stuff with Alan interviewing
one on one with Liza Minnelli, John Lithgow, Patrick Stewart, Eileen Atkins, and on and on and on. It’s going to be a great DVD.
WCT: Rick McKay who shot and directed Broadway: The Golden Age talked to me at length about this mythical Broadway that inspired
him to seek out and record the stories of the Broadway legends. As someone steeped in the theatre did you feel a similar urge to
document your world?
DB: Absolutely. I love what Rick created. It’s magnificent. I was drawn to theatre in the first place because of the magic behind
the curtain and the risk and the passion and the creativity and everything that goes into putting on a show. That process to me was
so remarkable that it’s something that I wanted to capture and bring to life for a broader audience. It was also something that
captivated when I read William Goldman’s book “The Season.”
WCT: Oh yes, the greatest book on the subject. The Bible actually.
DB: Yes and that was such a phenomenal book that gave life on the written page of what it’s like behind the scenes and what goes
into creating these amazing shows so that was the inspiration – with the idea of bringing to life a season but on film.
WCT: Now you’ll have to do it for a film studio. I’m sure you’ve read John Gregory Dunne’s “The Studio?”
DB (laughs): I’d love to do that! I love that book.
WCT: So with shows like “Grey Gardens” and your own “Legally Blonde” – these are Broadway hits in different areas. Is this a sign
that audiences are now ready to embrace both artistic and blockbuster successes at the same time?
DB: Absolutely. I think you look at this season; you look at the season that I was able to capture there really is such a broad
spectrum of theatre. There really is something for everyone and ideally lots for everyone. You might one day be in the mood for
something that’s feel good, fun, happy and more of a spectacle and the next day you might want to tackle something that is
provocative that might make you think about life in a different way. It’s not just something out there for everyone; it’s something
out there for every day of the week.
WCT: Broadway, Broadway, get a ticket right now! Okay, you mentioned outtakes for the DVD – I can’t wait – any hints of what will
be on it? More Alan Cumming but what else?
DB: It was such a rich season and we had to capture everything that was going on because, who knew how things were going to play
out. We certainly have much more footage on the four shows that we focused on as well as a lot of really beautiful moments with
many of the shows from that season that unfortunately we weren’t able to focus on because people don’t go to movies that are 30
hours long. So there is a lot more plus all these great interviews that Alan did in dressing rooms with so many of the stars from that
season that were very intimate.
WCT: Yes – there’s a small clip of Kevin Kline and you want to stop and go back to it.
DB: Yes, from “Henry IV” and “King Lear” to “I Am My Own Wife” and “Golda” and “Bombay Dreams” and “Wonderful Town” and
“Fiddler on the Roof.” I mean on and on and on. It was a stunning season with great theatre history to capture.
WCT: Playwright Wendy Wasserstein once told me that there’s nothing that can compare with giving a child a gift of their first
Broadway show and obviously you’d agree with that assessment but why do you think that’s true?
DB: I think theatre is such a precious thing. It’s a living, breathing thing that is completely transporting. I heard George Wolfe talk
a long time ago about how Joseph Papp would talk about how when you go to see a movie you lean back, you have your popcorn,
you take it in but when you go see a Broadway show, you’re leaning into – physically – and you’re becoming one with what’s going on
onstage and you truly are transported. To give that gift to a child, to give them an opportunity to go into another world and have
them think about life in a different way with the great storytelling that theatre offers; to give them the gift to laugh and cry and
share this experience with other people sitting next to you…there isn’t anything else like it.
Having worked closely within the theatre community Berinstein was able to work out the complicated logistics that allowed her to gain
unlimited access to the shows headed for Broadway during the 2003-2004 season. A season which offered four landmark musicals
(“Wicked,” “Avenue Q,” “Caroline or Change,” “Taboo”) whose stories are told concurrently in ShowBusiness: The Road to
Broadway, Berinstein’s documentary that opens this Friday at Chicago's Music Box Theatre. The first time feature director drew on
over 250 hours of footage and the result is a hugely entertaining film that offers an All Access backstage pass into the world of
Broadway. Highlights from our interview:
WINDY CITY TIMES (WCT): I did not want the movie to stop. I’m like the biggest show tune queen and I thought I was in Hog
Heaven.
DORI BERINSTEIN (DB): Oh my God, that’s great.
WCT: But I kept thinking the logistics of filming had to have been a nightmare. Was it?
DB: Well, it wasn’t a nightmare because I loved every second of it. It was a complete gift. It definitely required tremendous
coordination and I was so fortunate to have such support from the community across the board. I think being part of that
community for as long as I had made it possible. I knew having produced so many shows at what point what was going to happen.
I had lived it and I never would have been able to do it if I was starting from scratch coming in from the outside.
WCT: How many cameras did you have going at one time? I mean you’re covering four shows at once – a big undertaking.
DB: It basically was living with a camera in the community for…we ended up shooting in total about a year and a half. Because it
was very intimate we didn’t want to be intrusive and I wanted very much for that “fly on the wall” feeling we rarely had more than one
camera. We really just wanted to disappear into the wall so that everything that was happening would happen exactly the same if we
were not there. The only times I really had multiple cameras was the day of the Tony nominations when we had to. They were
being announced that one time and we had to be in a lot of places at once and the Tony Awards where we also had to be in many,
many places at the same time. We also had a time lapse camera going outside Radio City, inside Radio City. The coordination for
that was pretty massive. I had 12 cameras that night but it’s not like you can go back and recreate any of that you know? (laughs)
Other than that we were as lean and mean as you can be.
WCT: There are so many amazing moments in the film. What for you stands out now?
DB: It’s those magical insider moments. They are firsts. They are only happening that one time. That for me was unbelievably
magical but also capturing genius at work. Watching Stephen Schwartz work on the recording of “Wicked;” watching George Wolfe
direct. That for me was unbelievably magical but also capturing genius at work. Also the Broadway traditions like the Gypsy Robe
ceremony and being at every single one that season. That was extraordinary because it’s so insider and just rich with history and
lore and a beautiful tradition and it was a thrill to be able to capture it. Watching the process of creation, watching Tony (Kushner)
and Jeanine (Tesori) at the piano that day – we were there for a really long time and they forgot the camera was there and they were
struggling and to see their process of creation to get to genius work was just such a thrill. That’s really what I was going for with the
film.
WCT: I loved that moment. How important is television exposure to Broadway? I mean are you the saddest person in the world
that Rosie’s left “The View” because she’s like the Broadway cheerleader.
DB: Absolutely. Broadway needs a hundred Rosie’s. I feel so strongly that the more people are exposed to theatre the more
people are going to fall in love with it and make theatre a part of their lives. Whatever’s on television about theatre just obviously
reaches so many more people than any local advertising that we can do on a show or what the internet and exposure on TV can do
or a great article in a major newspaper in a big city can do. All of these things make such a difference in getting the word out there.
WCT: That brings up something that I’ve wondered about. I know that they tape every Broadway show for this archive that’s kept at
Lincoln Center as a record and you can go there and see these tapes. I didn’t know about “Taboo” other than Boy George and Rosie’
s involvement but seeing the clips in the movie it’s now so tantalizing and it looks like it was really cool, really interesting. I’d love
to see that. Has any Broadway theatrical organization ever talked about not just documenting these but making them available to
the public? Maybe once the show closes?
DB: I’m right with you. I’d watch every single one all the way through a hundred times. I assume it’s been discussed and it’s
complicated as far as rights and clearances to be able to do something like that. Also, when they shoot for Lincoln Center it’s a
pretty simple shoot.
WCT: Yes – like a camera set up at the back of the theatre.
DB: Yes, it’s not what people who are used to watching television or going to movies would expect. It’s not shot for that medium. I
think if there was going to be something that was televised you’d want to really shoot it in a way that would do justice to theatre
onstage.
WCT: That’s true but it makes me sad because I’m one of the converted.
DB: Well I can tell you I’ve been to Lincoln Center over and over again to see shows that I missed because I grew up in Los
Angeles. There’s so many shows I think, “If only I could have seen the original cast” and I didn’t. I could name a hundred shows
so I hang out at Lincoln Center all the time catching up.
WCT: From Alan Cumming to a host of performers and behind the scenes creatives – notice I got everybody in there – the
Broadway scene and your movie is full of My People! Why is this seemingly the one performing art in America that’s left a person’s
sexuality at the stage entrance? It’s like it doesn’t…
DB: It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter.
WCT: Do you have a clue why that is? Because you’ve worked in film, TV and theatre.
DB: Well theatre has been around for centuries and centuries. Since the beginning of time – going back to Greek tragedy – plays
have been presented to make people think differently about the world. It’s been around so long, maybe we’re just more evolved –
the theatre community – and the rest of the world has to catch up with us. I don’t know, it makes no sense to me.
WCT: Me either. I was fortunate to speak with Alan Cumming a few months back. Wasn’t he originally going to narrate the movie?
DB: Yes. Alan and I had worked together quite a bit and I adore him and respect him so much. The idea at the get go was to tell
the story of a Broadway season narrated by Alan and seen through his eyes but as the season went along in the editing room it
started to become clear that we’d have a stronger film if we let the season tell itself. Alan was part of that decision and supported it
100% and it just gives us that much more to have that’s rich and fabulous on the DVD. We have great stuff with Alan interviewing
one on one with Liza Minnelli, John Lithgow, Patrick Stewart, Eileen Atkins, and on and on and on. It’s going to be a great DVD.
WCT: Rick McKay who shot and directed Broadway: The Golden Age talked to me at length about this mythical Broadway that inspired
him to seek out and record the stories of the Broadway legends. As someone steeped in the theatre did you feel a similar urge to
document your world?
DB: Absolutely. I love what Rick created. It’s magnificent. I was drawn to theatre in the first place because of the magic behind
the curtain and the risk and the passion and the creativity and everything that goes into putting on a show. That process to me was
so remarkable that it’s something that I wanted to capture and bring to life for a broader audience. It was also something that
captivated when I read William Goldman’s book “The Season.”
WCT: Oh yes, the greatest book on the subject. The Bible actually.
DB: Yes and that was such a phenomenal book that gave life on the written page of what it’s like behind the scenes and what goes
into creating these amazing shows so that was the inspiration – with the idea of bringing to life a season but on film.
WCT: Now you’ll have to do it for a film studio. I’m sure you’ve read John Gregory Dunne’s “The Studio?”
DB (laughs): I’d love to do that! I love that book.
WCT: So with shows like “Grey Gardens” and your own “Legally Blonde” – these are Broadway hits in different areas. Is this a sign
that audiences are now ready to embrace both artistic and blockbuster successes at the same time?
DB: Absolutely. I think you look at this season; you look at the season that I was able to capture there really is such a broad
spectrum of theatre. There really is something for everyone and ideally lots for everyone. You might one day be in the mood for
something that’s feel good, fun, happy and more of a spectacle and the next day you might want to tackle something that is
provocative that might make you think about life in a different way. It’s not just something out there for everyone; it’s something
out there for every day of the week.
WCT: Broadway, Broadway, get a ticket right now! Okay, you mentioned outtakes for the DVD – I can’t wait – any hints of what will
be on it? More Alan Cumming but what else?
DB: It was such a rich season and we had to capture everything that was going on because, who knew how things were going to play
out. We certainly have much more footage on the four shows that we focused on as well as a lot of really beautiful moments with
many of the shows from that season that unfortunately we weren’t able to focus on because people don’t go to movies that are 30
hours long. So there is a lot more plus all these great interviews that Alan did in dressing rooms with so many of the stars from that
season that were very intimate.
WCT: Yes – there’s a small clip of Kevin Kline and you want to stop and go back to it.
DB: Yes, from “Henry IV” and “King Lear” to “I Am My Own Wife” and “Golda” and “Bombay Dreams” and “Wonderful Town” and
“Fiddler on the Roof.” I mean on and on and on. It was a stunning season with great theatre history to capture.
WCT: Playwright Wendy Wasserstein once told me that there’s nothing that can compare with giving a child a gift of their first
Broadway show and obviously you’d agree with that assessment but why do you think that’s true?
DB: I think theatre is such a precious thing. It’s a living, breathing thing that is completely transporting. I heard George Wolfe talk
a long time ago about how Joseph Papp would talk about how when you go to see a movie you lean back, you have your popcorn,
you take it in but when you go see a Broadway show, you’re leaning into – physically – and you’re becoming one with what’s going on
onstage and you truly are transported. To give that gift to a child, to give them an opportunity to go into another world and have
them think about life in a different way with the great storytelling that theatre offers; to give them the gift to laugh and cry and
share this experience with other people sitting next to you…there isn’t anything else like it.
