He has legions of young fans, numerous awards (including a TONY nomination), incredible hair, and does not wait for “permission”…but what really keeps JOE ICONIS going? Theater Pizzazz explores the life, work and mind of the artist The New York Times calls, “The future of musical theater.”
Joe Iconis is best known for his quirky Broadway musical, Be More Chill for which he received a TONY nomination. Be More Chill is/was currently running in London and will see a Chicago run this summer. He’s a native New Yorker and an NYU alumni who is as heartbroken as the rest of us that Broadway is another victim of the coronavirus.
CL: Before we get to your current projects; Punk Rock Girl and The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical, let’s talk about what’s one everyone’s mind, the proverbial elephant in the room…the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on Broadway. What will closing down New York theater mean for the long-term?
JI: What a nightmare. I think only time will tell in so far as the long-term impact. Theater is already a skating-on-thin-ice existence under the best circumstances. This is going to wreak havoc on the lives of actors, creatives, producers, theater companies and all the people who work because of those folks – house managers, agents, set builders, etc. It’s just unimaginable.
The only thing that continues to give me hope is that you can’t beat theater people.
CL: Take us back to that moment when you heard Broadway would be going dark…indefinitely.
JI: The moment it was announced that Broadway was shutting down, I got ten emails from people asking me to take part in streaming events. Theater people are scrappy and passionate and no matter how devastating the effects this period of time prove to be, theater will bounce back. Even the shows and the companies that close down. The people who make up the shows and the companies will sprout back up through the cracks. Theater people are magical, unstoppable weeds.
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