How Does The Show Go On? - An Introduction To The Theater
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"I pitched the book at 9-12 year olds as frankly it was the book I wanted to have when I was a kid. I knew I was interested in theater but did not have the resources. I was curious not just about the shows themselves but also the mechanics of what it takes to mount a production," Tom continued. "Most kids aren't really aware what it takes to put on a show. I think as adults we take for granted that they know what is required. I mentor some high school kids in Brooklyn and I showed them a ticket for a Broadway show and they didn't know what was what. Obviously you and I know it shows the seat location, what area of the theater and even the location of the show but I wanted to communicate that to them and make it fun and interesting so you can actually pull out a The Lion King replica ticket and the book shows you want all of the writing on it means. I have written it in my own voice and it wasn't intended to be patronizing to kids � it is about trying to help them understand what we do. I think you can hear a different voice in this book as most of writing from a specific point-of-view. Most books about theater are from observers. My point of view is very different as I am a participant and a producer."
On of the most striking aspects of the book are the interactive elements. Scattered throughout the edition are artifacts including reproductions of a ticket for Disney's The Lion King, a Playbill for Opening Night of the show and a collection of sketches for the Tricksters by the show's director and designer Julie Taymor (the characters are integral to the I Just Can't Wait To Be King segment). In addition there are a host of interactive elements that can be either pulled or unfolded out such as Before and After photos of actors prior to wig set-up and a pull-up of Mary magically producing her standing lamp from that famous carpet bag. The theatrical world is inherently tactile and therefore it was important for Tom to be able to give kids something to hold. Tom turned to becker&mayer! a Washington State-based innovative printer who Disney Editions have used to produce other artifact-based books such as Robert Tieman's The Disney Treasures and The Disney Keepsakes.
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The tome calls upon Tom's extensive knowledge as a Broadway producer. "I specifically only used examples of theater that I have worked on as this had two benefits � I could be anecdotal about the work we have done at Disney and it meant I had extraordinary access to material," Tom explained. "I've done a lot of community theater in the past but that has been addressed by a lot of people in different ways so I concentrated on the most complicated type of theater namely Broadway. I sent an advanced copy to everyone featured in the book and many wrote back saying thanks, that this was the book they really wanted when they were kids and that they actually learnt something! Both Natasha Katz [lighting] and David Brian Brown [wigs] both said "I didn't know that!" when they were reading the sections for other creative roles."
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"The point is that we always have something to learn," Tom upheld. "I recently took some high school students to see The Color Purple. This was my third time but it was a completely different experience seeing it through their eyes. There is so much history and life experiences bundled up in the show that those kids will never be exposed to personally. There is such power to the theater and that is often different as an audience member, backstage participant or actor. Anytime you know more about something you get more interested."