Broadway is many things to a marginal number of people. After all, Broadway is just one street in New York -- itself one city among thousands in America. While it's a well known New York institution, Broadway relies (like most things in NYC) on tourist dollars to keep it going. This might serve to justify all of the national press coverage for the musician's strike, but I'm going to come out and say it: Nobody outside of New York cares about Broadway. If you meet someone in Des Moines who knows a lot about Broadway, they're the exception; and a pretentious one at that.

Broadway's fans seem to be suffering from some sort of delusion, making them incapable of accurately judging the importance of the live musical. The musician's strike should be a catalyst for thought: Exactly what good is Broadway? What does it do for us? What, exactly, is their deal?

"The Great White Way," is nothing if not tremendously anachronistic. Live theater, even though it's a respected art form, it's not very popular, outside of Broadway. And why should it be? Seen from a technological standpoint, we've gone way beyond live performances. Television and movies bring special effects laden humdingers to our cities and homes, allowing us to be entertained even though we stupidly decided not to live in New York.

Talk all you want about the amazing technological innovations of the live stage -- the special effects, the sets, the music -- it doesn't change the fact that the core of it is outmoded. It's like putting a Bose stereo system in a steam powered car.

What of the other so-called "benefits" of Broadway? Well, it's often said that it's a starting place for new actors who later go on to work in Hollywood. Even if that were true, who the hell wants there to be more actors? Don't we have too many of them right now? Ask any waiter in Los Angeles for the answer to that one. The other problem with the "breeding-ground for new talent" theory, is that even a casual look will put paid to it. Where's Donny Osmand? Or Annette Bening? Or Ned Beatty? Why, they're on Broadway! If anything, it's the place where minor celebrities eventually go so they can get some work for a change.

Broadway aficionados are right about one thing: It's a magical place. Think of it -- a place where an oboe player can make a decent living! On Broadway, you can see things that are strange and unfamiliar, like white collar workers who are actually protected by a union. (A union... how outdated is that?)

The only halfway decent argument for the continued existence of Broadway is purely economic. A mere four day work stoppage cost an estimated $10 million. Hundreds of ushers, ticket sellers, and janitors were sidelined by this little show of force, to say nothing of the actors and producers who were also hurt. How sad, how trite, Broadway seems if the only reason for it's continued existence is that it makes a dandy work fare program. After all, the TVA put a lot of people to work too, but it wasn't pretty or inspiring.

Of course Broadway will remain right where it is, almost completely unchanged, for a long time yet. Not for any of the aesthetic reasons outlined above, but simply because it generates an huge amount of money for all the people involved (except for the aforementioned menial workers). Like tobacco, oil, and catalogue shopping, it's an outdated concept that will continue to exist as long as there's money to be squeezed out of it.

If you want to support the theater, by all means do so. I'm in no way suggesting that people should stop going to plays (musicals on the other hand...). But if you must see a live performance, do yourself and your community a favor: Don't go to New York. Grab the local paper, check the Arts & Entertainment section, pick something that sounds interesting, and go.

Just because you don't have access to the fat, bloated, distinctly mediocre products of Broadway doesn't mean that you're a less cultured person than some tourist (and it's mostly tourists, people) who went to see "Urinetown".

Keep it local, keep it small. You'll be doing good, not only for yourself, but for your community as well. The important thing is to keep at it; at least until Broadway gets the hell over itself.

-B. C. Silvia