I have been a theater critic and performing arts writer for nearly 20 years. I’ve seen theatrical productions all around the country — from Atlanta to Houston to Los Angeles to Chicago. I’ve seen live shows in Canada and Germany.
However, until fall of 2023, I had never been to New York or seen a show on Broadway.
This often surprised, or even shocked, people who knew me. They asked how I could be such a theater person and not have been to New York City.
My answer: theater doesn’t belong only to New York and and the big Broadway names that perform there.
The trip to New York underscored a truth I’ve always believed: theater’s magic is everywhere.
It also reinforced an important difference between artistic mediums. I’m no expert on television or movies (I haven’t owned a television since 1991 and I rarely see movies), but I can state with confidence there are major differences between storytelling on screens and live performances.
When you go see “Wicked” in the movie theaters, it will always be the same, no matter how many times you see it. It doesn’t matter where it was filmed, everyone who sees it in any part of the world will experience the exact same show, with the same cast of performers.
The stage musical, on the other hand, has had many, many performers in all of the roles. While Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth originated the characters, the majority of people who have seen the stage musical have seen someone other than them in the title roles.
No matter how many times I’ve seen “Hamlet” (and I’ve seen it many, many times), it is different every time. “Hamlet” isn’t any less “Hamlet” because the title role isn’t being inhabited by Sir Ian McKellan or John Barrymore.
Live theater can live in a space entirely divorced from celebrity culture. It can (and does) exist anywhere and everywhere — in a small town, rural barn or big city storefront.
You don’t need a budget of millions to create theater. I have seen stunning shows with budgets less than what a family would pay to attend an MSU hockey game.
I took in five shows while in New York — three musicals, a play and a Shakespeare improv performance. While I enjoyed them and was glad that I went, none were in the top 10 of musicals or plays I’ve seen. The experience was far less comfortable and more expensive than theaters in Detroit, Chicago or Lansing.
I’m glad Broadway exists and want to see it thrive. It generates excitement for the theater and launches touring shows that take theater to where people are. I’m glad Broadway generates tourist enthusiasm.
However, if you ask me where theater lives, my answer is not Broadway. Broadway, to me, with all its dazzling glitz, felt more like a shadow of Hollywood where the importance is found in celebrity performers, on big budgets and on providing a commercial experience for its audiences.
At its most powerful, theater does something different. Theater creates community. Theater generates discussions in the places where people live because the storytellers live in the same community. Theater boosts the quality of life for its audiences, its performers and the cities and towns where it lives.
The ecosystem that is theater supports everything from children’s shows to community theaters to professional regionals to touring productions — and all of them serve a valuable purpose. While Sutton Foster and Brian Stokes Mitchell have an impressive amount of talent that has inspired many, you don’t have to have their levels of talent to make art.
Because theater doesn’t require a huge budget or a lengthy creation time, it is more responsive to changing times. It hosts discussions that are important either through presenting new works (such as Williamston Theatre’s first commission, “Thirst”) or by creating a new interpretation of an existing work (such as Flint Rep’s “Godspell”). Talkbacks and other events connect theater-goers, which fosters long-term relationships that build community.
Local theaters develop audiences that become loyal to their organization — either because of the stories they tell, the opportunities they provide to participate or because of the experiences they offer. Each develops their own character, their own personality.
An Ixion promotes new works both local and otherwise. All of Us Express opens the doors to performance to generations of children. Lansing Community College’s theater department strikes a balance between launching professional theater artists and providing lifelong learning for those passionate about theater.
And while New York has its celebrities, each local community creates its own stars. Riverwalk Theatre’s nearly four decades of performances have produced a community where season ticketholders have come to recognize and love actors they see again and again.
For the price of a trip to New York and a Broadway ticket, you can buy yourself a year’s worth of theater — dinner theater at Starlight, a Broadway touring show at Wharton, a season ticket to Peppermint Creek. You could catch a free show at Michigan State University’s Summer Circle Theatre or experience the unique presentations of Audio Air Force.
Quality theater, meaningful discussions and intense experiences are available right here where you live. In 2025, skip the plane ticket and take your seat at one of the many local theaters.