Hello Beautiful People,
When a musical closes before its time, before it has ran its course, before the masses from outside the NYC/Metro area get to soak in the artistry and music…well, my heart hurts a little.
HANDS ON A HARDBODY, a new american musical made in America, is closing April 13th.
Ach.
There’s that pain in my heart.
For those of you who are not familiar with this show, let me fill you in. Yes, it is based on a documentary, also entitled, HANDS ON A HARDBODY. It centers around ten Texans, who have the chance to change their lives, and win a brand new truck. It’s a contest between ten people. In Texas. To win a CAR that will take them out of their godforsaken, undesirable, and/or vanilla situations. Is that the framework for a chorus number of sequins and acrobatics? No. But it is the framework for us to have our fears, hopes, and dreams mirrored right back at us. Isn’t that refreshing? I mean, I’m all for sparkle and glitter and pyrotechnics, but sometimes, it’s nice to have the option to see and hear a story for just that, the story. The people who the words and melodies are trying to represent, people who may remind you of yourself, your lover, your mother, your best friend, your cousin…it’s just…refreshing.
Look, I’m not about to start tearing down the glitz and glamour of “Blockbuster Broadway” hits. That is not the goal of this piece. But perhaps we have to remind ourselves to be a champion of the underdog once in a while. Perhaps, as artists, we need to remember what this craft is all about. For me, the most moving shows in my life have been the ones that resonate on a personal level. A deeper level…and those of you who appreciate and love musical theater know what I’m talking about. I’m talking about shows that get under your skin…
…They are the shows that make you stop and think.
They are the shows whose books and lyrics and acting and singing stand alone in their splendor and work their way into cementing themselves in a piece of your heart.
They are the shows whose songs you turn to when you need strength,
When you need clarity,
When you have no idea which way is up or down,
When you need direction.
When you need focus.
When you need a good cry and a good laugh.
They are the shows that stay with you, always.
The ones that when you turn on the soundtrack, well, it’s like coming home to old friends.
HANDS ON A HARDBODY, well, it’s one of those shows.
CS Lewis once said that we read to know we are not alone. I for one, believe that the same is true for theater. There is nothing in this world quite like watching a new show and feeling an instant connection. It’s that moment in your seat when you think to yourself, hey, I’ve been there! I’ve felt that, too! I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH, THANK GOD YOU SAID THIS, I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE!
It’s a moment of theater magic. And it pulses through the veins of so many new musicals and plays, and it pulsed through Hands on a Hardbody.
My dear friend Jennifer Tepper posted a rather poignant and brilliant quote regarding the closing of this show, (as to be expected from this phenomenal lady), and I’m going to leave you with her words:
HANDS ON A HARDBODY is one of my favorite, and one of the best, most important, exciting, original musicals I’ve seen on Broadway in years.
There are good Broadway musicals that are based on sparkly blockbuster movies and giant brands. I love many of them. But if we don’t support the musicals like this one, that are ORIGINAL, we will get less and less and then none of them on Broadway. I mean, risky subject matter, original new score, un-tested brand shows. The kind of shows that most of today’s best emerging artists are creating. That should concern every writer and producer and actor out there.
As someone who had nothing at all to do with this musical, other than that I LOVED it, this news is so so so disappointing. Congrats to everyone at HARDBODY for creating a beautiful, exceptional show, that will stay with me always.
To the cast, crew, and creative team of HANDS ON A HARDBODY – congratulations. You made it to 47th street, and, despite the early exit, you made your mark.
Live, Love, Learn,
I couldn’t agree more! I took my 14 year old son to this show, because I have been trying to teach him the lesson that “Everyone has a story, and it is likely NOT to be the story you THINK when you first meet them”…..
I am sad that it closed for many reasons :
1) I thought it was a good, heartwarming real-life story that was well-said
2) I thought the original music was terrific
3) I thought the cast and musicians were fabulous
But most importantly :
4) It was enlightening for my 14 year old son to see that while the “formula” success shows are highly entertaining, it is equally possible to be moved and entertained by something different, from a team of people brave enough to try to reach us in a different way….He loved it, even though no one flew through the audience, wowed him with the costumes, or lured him into the theater with their fame….
There is a time and a place for all of those qualities, but we ALL can work a bit harder to groom the audiences of the future to appreciate and and crave creativity and risk as well.
Bravo to all who created and performed Hands on a Hardbody for a job well done!
Thank you for this statement of truth about Hands on a Hardbody. With many musicals you walk out thinking, “That was fun.” and then you forget it. I thought about “Hands On” for weeks afterward. I still think about those people, whose dreary lives impelled them to endure a rigorous competition that gave each one of them hope. I hope this show travels the U.S. and reaches many more Americans. I can also see it as a great, accessible show for high school students to perform. I think Hands On will have a long afterlife and perhaps return to Broadway in a successful revival!