Changes in attitude, changes in latitude
While contemplating writing this blog post, prolific beach bum musician Jimmy Buffett entered the Margaritaville in the sky, and I began...
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Jake Lewis
Jan 1, 20234 min read
Into the Woods (review)
It's been a Sondheim-palooza in the past year since the legendary Broadway composer passed at the age of 91. In addition to his musicals...
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Jake Lewis
Dec 31, 20223 min read
A Strange Loop (review)
It feels somewhat inappropriate for me -- a straight, white guy -- to critique the new musical A Strange Loop (which won the Tony and...
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Jake Lewis
Nov 12, 20222 min read
November play of the month: DETROIT by Lisa D'Amour
I read a lot of plays, not only for pleasure and storytelling but also because i'm always on the lookout for potential future Jakespeare...
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Jake Lewis
Oct 26, 20224 min read
Don't forget the lyrics!
Picture it: You've grown up listening to the cast album of a musical, memorizing every word and vocal inflection to be heard, and then a...
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Jake Lewis
Oct 10, 20223 min read
Is Broadway over the overture?
Take a look at almost any musical written in the past decade, and you'll notice that the overture -- that instrumental "settling music"...
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Jake Lewis
Jul 19, 20223 min read
Closing the curtain on virtual theatre -- for now
In just a few weeks, Jakespeare Virtual Theatre Company will cease operations for the foreseeable future. I made this difficult decision...
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Jake Lewis
Jun 17, 20223 min read
The curious case of Jason Robert Brown
In my mind, Stephen Sondheim and Jason Robert Brown are the two most interesting Broadway composers of all time. That doesn't mean, mind...
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Jake Lewis
Jun 10, 20224 min read
What community theatre is and isn't...
One thing I've been hugely surprised by since starting my own theatre group is how many people do not seem to understand what "community...
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Jake Lewis
Jun 5, 20226 min read
Are movie-musicals a thing of the past?
(Editor's note: A "movie-musical" refers to a film based on a work that was originally produced for the stage, as opposed to one written...
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Jake Lewis
May 31, 20223 min read
Must the show go on?
I can't imagine a worse feeling in theatre than letting down your castmates, crew, and audience. But that is likely the emotion coursing...
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Jake Lewis
May 18, 20225 min read
My theatre role model
When I was eight years old, my mother signed me up from a summer theatre workshop at our local civic league downtown; she knew I was a...
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Jake Lewis
May 1, 20224 min read
The rent is too damn high!
In my family, talking about money was never a taboo subject as I came to discover is the norm in many other households. The idea of...
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Jake Lewis
Mar 19, 20224 min read
To NOT be continued: sequels to plays and musicals
I think it's pretty safe to say that theatre is the only place where sequels never work. Think about it: Can you name one sequel -- or,...
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Jake Lewis
Feb 23, 20224 min read
Don't yuck somebody's yum
I recently had a conversation with a new theatre friend about what their favorite musical(s) is/are, and I said something that I...
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Jake Lewis
Feb 12, 20224 min read
How did you fall in love with theatre?
When I first tell people I meet that I love theatre (and musicals in particular), they always ask me the same question: How did you first...
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Jake Lewis
Jan 14, 20224 min read
Actor shortages and under-representation
Ever since I began doing theatre around the age of 10, I never had any problem getting cast in shows. At the time, it made me think that...
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Jake Lewis
Dec 20, 20213 min read
Christmas plays that aren't done every year
It's the same every year: theatre companies often producing plays (and sometimes musicals) that are Christmas-themed. You'll likely find...
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Jake Lewis
Dec 3, 20213 min read
How to write a one-minute play
Attention spans being what they are these days (short), one-minute plays are the latest fad in theatrical performances. Covering an...
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Jake Lewis
Nov 19, 20212 min read
The hallmarks of choosing a good virtual play
Are you thinking of producing a virtual play, but you don't know what show would translate well to the Zoom (or any other streaming...
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