Theatre is for the Highbrow, the Lowbrow, and the Unibrow Alike

You have somehow come to the odd conclusion that you are not a theatre person. Why not? Have you been to a play or musical or ballet or opera since the last field trip you rolled your eyes through as a teenager? If not, you have no idea what you are missing in the world of live performance.

Plays are the original movies, with the added bonus of each and every show time providing a unique presentation of the production. Only the people sitting next to you see precisely the show you do. Some small variation in a line read or catching the matinee where an understudy becomes a breakout star makes the experience more special than knowing the DVD will play exactly what the big screen did.

Saturday Night Live is live theatre. Sure, you watch it on your television. That "live studio audience," however, gets an up close and personal view of the entire production as it happens. They see what's going on before and after the camera focuses on a particular sketch. They do not mute or fast-forward through commercial breaks. They catch all that the comedy troupe has to offer on that night. Also, the rehearsal audience catches a different episode. They see skits that get cut before show time. They hear a slightly different delivery of a punch line. Anything can happen live.

Smash is a television drama about the machinations and melodrama behind the development of a Broadway show about Marilyn Monroe. Each episode gives you a little song and dance from impressive talent and takes you one small step further in the process of going from rough idea to opening night. The episodic television rendition of this is great. Skipping ahead to the event calendar for your local theatre and catching the next presentation of a blend of great narrative, evocative music, and catchy tunes that stick in your head is even better.

The Nutcracker is a holiday tradition for a reason. It is a beautiful ballet. It is not, however, the only one. If you want to tiptoe in to expanding your familiarity with the genre, several classic fairytales have been choreographed to incredible symphonic compositions long ago. Grace of movement does not keep Cinderella's Ugly Stepsisters from being ridiculous to the point of comedy on stage.

Before you dismiss a night out at the theatre as elitist or high-brow or, far worse, boring, take a look at what's coming soon to a performance space near you. Keep in mind, one of the most critically acclaimed musicals currently on Broadway, Book of Mormon, was written by the guys who created South Park. Touring companies of Wicked bring to life Gregory Maguire's very different take on the Wicked Witch of the West. Shakespeare's comedies are actually very funny. If your high school teacher didn't let the humor shine through when you read A Midsummer Night's Dream, watch it as an adult. You won't regret the hours of laughter.