By Steven Suskin
04 Nov 2007

"The real drama is behind the curtain" is the tag-line for ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway [Liberation], and that just about describes it. Dori Berinstein, one of the producers of Legally Blonde, Fool Moon and other shows, took it upon herself to document a season of Broadway musicals, namely the 2003-2004 semester. Berinstein and her crew set up cameras all over Times Square, it seems, and accumulated hundreds of hours of film. Not knowing, of course, what the season would bring, or what she would end up with.

The resulting documentary turns out to be a fascinating snapshot of what some perceptive lyricist once called "the business we call show." (All right, it was Lee Adams.) If the season in question was not one of the more exciting ones in recent memory, that is neither here nor there. The drama — or shall we say, the real drama — was pretty strong. This was the year of (in alphabetical order) Avenue Q; Caroline, or Change; Taboo; and Wicked — two wonderful musicals, two not-wonderful musicals, two hits, two failures. The titles in column A are not quite the same as in column C, at least in my opinion; but that is one of the realities of Broadway, and one of the points of the film.

This quartet, it turns out, gave Berinstein a wide canvas upon which to work, and the show people involved gave Berinstein and on-screen co-producer Alan Cumming full and candid access. (At least, let us say that many of those involved granted candid access; there are certain people who seem to be missing in action.) Among the prominent and perceptive on-screen participants are songwriters Stephen Schwartz, Bobby Lopez & Jeff Marx, Jeanine Tesori and Boy George; performers Tonya Pinkins, Idina Menzel, Euan Morton and Raϊl Esparza; librettist Jeff Whitty; director George C. Wolfe; and producers Rosie O'Donnell and David Stone. Threaded into the proceedings are ongoing discussions with press agent Chris Boneau, advertising exec Nancy Coyne, and a half-dozen or so theatre journalists.

This last group, who usually toil in virtual anonymity, provide a highlight (or lowlight?) of the documentary. There they sit at Orso, trading in personal opinions and gossip about this show and the other; it is hard to overlook such pronouncements as the opinion that the puppet show will certainly close by January. The critics are revealed to be precisely what they are: enthusiastic theatre fans, with strong opinions (just like most enthusiastic theatre fans) and the ability to make said opinions known. They calls 'em like they sees 'em; sometimes they are right — which is to say, they praise shows that the public turns out to like — and sometimes not. Wicked is a case in point; producer Stone, interviewed as the reviews come in, looks like he is attending a funeral. During the early weeks of the run, he is optimistically cautious; by the end of the season, with the show breaking all-time box office records and well on its way to being one of the most successful American musicals ever, the harsh words of the most important and supposedly "critical" critics are forgotten. We watch as Wicked receives one last slap in the face on Tony Awards night; but from the vantage point of today, Wicked seems to have done okay. Even though it was decidedly not "Popular" among critics and voters.

Ben Brantley of The New York Times is present as well, although cloistered from the other critics. Brantley appears at what seems to be his office desk, which is dominated by a veritable pyramid of books the likes of which no art director, or even Santo Loquasto, could hope to design. Leaving one to wonder, where does Mr. Brantley keep his cappuccino?

"ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway" is studded with Broadway personages; part of the charm of the film is that Ms. Berinstein seems to have everyone on camera, pauper or prince. Look, there's Broadway's most famous composer with someone fixing his tie! Is he identified with a voiceover or one of those graphic overlays? Nope. Doesn't matter. Those that recognize him, do; otherwise, it doesn't matter. There's a prominent record producer having his nose bit off mid-recording session by a Kate Monster. It's all part of the tapestry against which the Broadway season functions (or dysfunctions). The playgoer goes home after their two-and-a-half hours at a musical with visions of the actors and chorus, along with perhaps the back of the head of the man or woman in the pit waving a stick; but the Broadway musical isn't about performers, it is about community. The musicians and stagehands, the dressers and hair-makeup people, the producers and rehearsal staffs, the advertising agencies and press departments and more. The Broadway musical is a community, and "ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway" gets it precisely right.

Berinstein apparently set out to compile a visual counterpart to William Goldman's ever-relevant 1969 chronicle of Broadway, "The Season." Look, there's Goldman himself dispensing some wisdom. What's that prominently placed on the bookshelf, stage left of his ear? The Holy Bible? Interesting detail. But "ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway" is brimming, every frame, with interesting detail.

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Little need be said about Ratatouille [Disney], the newest animated comedy from the Disney/Pixar combine, except that it is quite wonderful. Funny, smart and fragrantly delectable. Well-written, too, with the sort of comic sensibility we like to see in the theatre. We generally restrict this column to DVDs with at least some connection to the stage, so let us add that the key character of Anton Ego — while a restaurant critic by trade — is surely inspired by one of Broadway's most renowned, least lovable and arguably legendary sniveling penpushers. And deliciously voiced by Peter O'Toole, who is joined by the likes of Ian Holm and Brian Dennehy. Bonuses include deleted scenes and a new short featuring Remy, the culinary hero of the occasion. "Ratatouille" makes a joyful diversion, and is sure to please even the most egocentrically critical among us.

(Steven Suskin is author of "Second Act Trouble," "Show Tunes," and the "Opening Night on Broadway" books. He can be reached at Ssuskin@aol.com.)