Coveting The Geeks

You might expect a show entitled “The One-Man Star Wars Trilogy” to attract a bunch of costumed nerds and one-track-minded sci-fi geeks, but… oh, okay, you’d be right. But though Charles Ross’s tour de Force “may seem like just an oddball summer gimmick, it is in some ways the logical extension of where commercial theater is headed. The crowds at ‘Spamalot,’ a highly polished imitation of old Monty Python skits, laugh before the punch lines. And the many jukebox musicals – which, don’t fool yourself, are not going away – preach to the converted. The element of surprise matters less than the comforting pleasure of seeing something familiar. The geek audience has become highly sought after by Broadway producers. And everyone else, if they want to be in on the fun, has no choice but to join in.”