This Can't Be Broccoli

Perhaps one of the greatest moments in cinema occurs in Tim Burton's "Big Top Pee Wee" when at the end of the film, Pee Wee Herman, playing himself, asks his girlfriend Dottie if she wants to leave the big movie premiere detailing the events of the movie we've just watched. It's one of my earliest meta-memories, but that's not what I love about it. What I love is the line he says when Dottie asks why he doesn't want to stick around and see the ending of the film. "I don't have to see it...I lived it." While I think that line might be borrowed from another film, it really doesn't matter, because the point I'm trying to make here is that I lived through 2020 and I never need to experience it in any other form ever again. But I probably will. If this year has taught me anything, it's that you shouldn't start any think-piece or hot take with "If this year has taught me anything," but if it's taught me two  things, it...

Here it is. The final interview in this series. I've got a new project that'll be launching in a few months, but I wanted to make sure I gave this two-year extravaganza a proper send-off before I reboot it in five years, because that's how everything works these days. What was supposed to start out as an essay about my disillusionment with theater turned into a two-year odyssey featuring some of the best (and worst) I never knew theater had to offer. It seemed like the only way to finish it was to go back to the beginning and speak to the first friend I interviewed who was in a similar position to me. Their willingness to let me publish their thoughts, even anonymously, helped a lot of people realize that there's no shame in struggling with what you love. Thank you to everyone who has been reading these every week for the past two years. I know it's been a little dramatic, but hey, that's theater, right? Here's the interview: ME:  We're back. THEM:  If I...

Before we start You should play it You should play Do You Hear What I Hear Now, I'm not religious So it's a little strange That my favorite Christmas song Isn't a secular one Don't get me wrong "Santa Baby" Makes me very happy But my FAVORITE? It's "Do You Hear What I Hear" It starts out with the night wind Talking to a little lamb Now what don't you love about that? Strong imagery A cute little lamb And a night wind Whispering That something big just happened A star is dancing in the night Right away It grabs you It pulls you in And it features my favorite thing-- GOSSIP The lamb goes to a shepherd boy And tells him there's a song playing Sung by a voice as big as the sea And don't you love the repetition You say it once softly Then you sing it out as loud as you can You get the best of both worlds! Then the shepherd goes to the king The mighty king Isn't that something? That the shepherd boy Can actually go talk to the King? Lik...

Before the final interview in this series arrives next week, I thought we should acknowledge that turnabout is fair play. That's why I asked my friend Caitlin Howle to turn the tables on me and fire off any questions at me that she wanted to ask. If you're keeping track, that makes this (Interview #99) the only that isn't anonymous. Here's the interview: Caitlin:   For those people who don’t know you, let’s start off with a refresher. Who are you, and how would you describe yourself? Kevin: My name is Kevin Broccoli. I am the Artistic Director of Epic Theatre Company in Cranston, Rhode Island. I'm a writer and an actor and I am way too loud and constantly in need of attention. Caitlin: What is your earliest theatre memory, and can we get a picture? Kevin: If I had a picture, you could totally have it. I was in second grade, and we did an adaptation of that story about the monkeys who steal the guy's cap when he's sleeping? I wanted to be the guy, because ...

Okay, don't freak out. This is not a thinkpiece about James Corden playing a gay man in The Prom . I've died on that hill so many times, they've put up a memorial for me on it, and I'm not totally done fighting that fight, but in the meantime, I want to approach this from a different place. Because every time a play or musical gets made into a mainstream movie, you always hear the same outcry-- Why couldn't they have gotten Broadway actors? And while I usually join in the chorus of people yelling-- Because no matter how much we all love Kelly O'Hara, people in Iowa have no idea who she is. This time around, things are a little different. Here's why. This movie was part of a deal Netflix made with Ryan Murphy. They essentially paid  for this movie upfront, and while there may have been a plan at one point to release it in theaters, Netflix doesn't actually worry about making money off the limited number of movies they actually bother putting in theaters. ...

Hey Everyone, We are three interviews away from the end of this series. Next week we have a very...unusual interview scheduled. Then the final piece of the series--for now. I have a big project planned for 2021, and I'm excited to tell you all about it. Before that happens, I'm excited to share this interview with someone I've spoken to in the past. I wanted to check in with them again, because they've been working with theaters on putting together action plans regarding equity and coming back better. I wanted to hear how that was going. Here's the interview: ME:  How have you been? THEM:  Busy. ME:  I've been keeping track. THEM:  Not as busy as you though. ME:  You've been way busier than me. THEM:  You're doing this, you're doing the theater-- ME:  I'm interviewing my friends on Streamyard. THEM:  Do you like Streamyard better than Zoom? ME:  I do. I like it a lot more. THEM:  I need to start using it. ME:  You should. Even thoug...