A little over a year ago, Broadway came roaring back to life after an unprecedented 18-month shutdown. In the year since, we know how the pandemic has impacted the shows that returned to Broadway, for better or worse. But what about the people who made those shows? How about those members of the theater community who lived through all of the pain and uncertainty of the pandemic? It’s them that Amy Rice’s new documentary, Broadway Rising, focuses on. Featuring a wealth of interviews with actors and backstage talent alike, Broadway Rising offers a story of resilience in the face of tragedy. It’s less of a film about reopening a bunch of Broadway shows and more of a film exploring the highs and lows of the people who work on those shows. And the film is all the better for it.
A Love Letter to the Highs and Lows of Theatre
Told primarily through interviews with actors, musicians, producers, ushers, costumers, and more, Broadway Rising charts the entire history of the COVID-19 pandemic – from its earliest days through Broadway’s reopening last fall. It’s a journey that’ll fill you with melancholy as often as it fills you with hopeful joy. And as a theatre lover, it’s such a love letter to the highs and lows of live theatre. If you’re looking for a film that really explores how these shows reopened, then Broadway Rising might not be the film for you. Sure, it offers a peek behind the scenes of a handful of shows, but it’s not really about how those shows were restaged. Instead, Broadway Rising shines a light on the people involved in these shows. And that personal touch is what sets Broadway Rising apart from similar documentaries.
A Perfect Blend of Hope and Honesty
Broadway Rising is a surprisingly honest movie, especially when compared to similar looks at Broadway’s reopening. It would’ve been easy to focus on the positives, to just shine a light on the resiliency of theatremakers and paint a rosy picture of Broadway’s future. After all, that’s what PBS’s documentary on this very topic did. But Broadway Rising avoids that trap. Sure, the film radiates joyful hope. But it balances that hope with a realistic look at how difficult the pandemic was – and, even more importantly, a truthful look at the progress the Broadway community needs to make when it comes to representation. And that mixture of joy, hope, sadness, and honesty gives the film a bit of an edge that really hits home.
At times, that level of honesty makes for a hard watch. A good chunk of the film dives deeply into some of Broadway’s biggest losses during the pandemic – from Waitress‘s Nick Cordero to playwright Terrence McNally. Those scenes are deeply emotional, delivering a real gut punch. But the film also radiates a sense of hope. That no matter how hard things might get, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. Broadway Rising tells a story of survival, of perseverance in the face of terrible tragedy. It’s a story about individuals finding their way through an incomprehensible experience. But it’s also about a community coming together, rising from the ashes of what it was to create something even better.
Lacks a Driving Narrative
That being said, Broadway Rising occasionally feels a bit listless. By that, I mean that the movie kind of lacks a narrative. Broadly speaking, it simply follows the trajectory of Broadway’s reaction to the pandemic. The film cuts back and forth between everyone’s respective stories, connecting these very personal, intimate moments to the larger context of the rest of the pandemic. But there’s not really a driving force behind the film; no point of view or end goal. Sure, the movie broadly explores Broadway’s reopening. But it also briefly delves into some of the industry’s injustices – its lack of diversity and its need for a better work/life balance. But it doesn’t really offer any conclusions on the ideas it explores. To be fair, much of that isn’t entirely the film’s fault. After all, it’s only been a year since Broadway reopened.
But that lack of conclusion does hurt the film. Broadway Rising ends quite abruptly, basking in the glow of Broadway’s reopening, with no real follow-up on any of its biggest ideas. The credits do feature brief updates from some of the film’s key figures, but those updates don’t really hit the spot. And so, the film leaves off on an almost falsely positive note, given that the audience knows how rocky a road it’s been for Broadway since then. It almost makes you wish everyone would’ve waited a bit longer to release the movie, giving the dust more time to settle and the filmmakers a chance to better explore the pandemic’s aftermath. Your mileage may vary as to whether or not that bothers you, but it’s worth noting nonetheless.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, Broadway Rising delivers an emotional look at how the Broadway community weathered the COVID-19 pandemic. Director Amy Rice takes viewers backstage, inviting them to experience the highs and lows of Broadway’s reopening. The film itself perfectly blends a sense of joyful hope with the more emotional reality of the pandemic’s lasting effects. And while it would’ve been nice to have gotten more of a peek at how these shows were actually restaged, there’s something special about getting to hear from such a variety of theatremakers – many of whom audiences wouldn’t normally get a chance to hear from. If you’re at all interested in live theatre, Broadway Rising is sure to hit you right in the heart. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll feel hopeful about the future of Broadway.
Broadway Rising, releasing nationwide in theatres December 5 as a Fathom Event (https://www.fathomevents.com/events/Broadway-Rising), is directed by filmmaker Amy Rice (By the People: The Election of Barack Obama), and produced by Jesse Tyler Ferguson (currently starring in Broadway’s Take Me Out), Justin Mikita, and Sam Bisbee.
"Broadway Rising" offers an emotional peek behind the curtain of Broadway's post-pandemic reopening. The film balances the more hopeful, positive aspects with the more truthful, emotional moments, delivering an authenticity that's rare in these kinds of documentaries. It's an absolute must-see for any and all theatre lovers.
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GVN Rating 8
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