ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway (2007)
82%RT Audience Score: 70%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 1 nomination
Made with obvious care and attention, Showbusiness is an entertaining, insightful look into Broadway
If you’re a theater buff, ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway is a must-see. But even if you’re not, this documentary will make you appreciate the blood, sweat, and tears that go into putting on a Broadway show. From neurotic actors to puppeteers to Boy George (yes, that Boy George), this film has it all. And if you thought show biz was all glitz and glamour, think again. ShowBusiness will make you want to give a standing ovation to everyone involved in bringing a Broadway show to life, even if you’re only moved to polite applause.
Production Company(ies)
Universal Pictures, Studio Canal, Working Title Films,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for language and some sexual references
Year of Release
2007
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 25, 2005 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2010
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, Broadway, Tony Awards, Wicked, Taboo, Avenue Q, Caroline or Change, Idina Menzel, Rosie O’Donnell, Boy George, Alan Cumming, Euan Morton, directed by Dori Berinstein, produced by Dori Berinstein, written by Dori Berinstein, Richard Hankin, PG, $151.8K, critic reviews, theater, musicals, backstage access, success, producers, investment, big name, idea, horror movies, Netflix series, MCU movies, TV shows, entertainment news, Fresh Kernels
Worldwide gross: $151,792
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $217,452
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,916
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 23,713
US/Canada gross: $151,792
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $217,452
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,532
US/Canada opening weekend: $8,829
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $12,648
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,655
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Kristen Anderson-Lopez – self
Boy George – self
Carol Channing – self
Kristin Chenoweth – self
Jennifer Cody – self
Dori Berinstein – director, producer, writer
Richard Hankin – writer
Director(s)
Dori Berinstein
Writer(s)
Dori Berinstein, Richard Hankin
Producer(s)
Dori Berinstein
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (54) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (6)
Theater fans will give it a standing ovation; others may be moved only to polite applause.
November 5, 2018 | Rating: B
Jason Clark
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
There’s loads of talent on display (from puppets to Boy George), plus plenty of dish about them all.
November 5, 2018
Bob Mondello
NPR
TOP CRITIC
For those who believe there’s no business like show business, this documentary will be a singular sensation.
October 2, 2007
Joe Williams
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
For the Broadway babies out there, ShowBusiness will make you want to schedule a trip to the Great White Way.
July 12, 2007
Hank Sartin
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
This is an entertaining visit to a strange planet.
June 29, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Misha Berson
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
It is filled with neurotic people in greasepaint, some charming, most amusing, and by the time you’ve spent an hour and a half with them, you’re more than invested in their lives and cares.
June 21, 2007
Philip Kennicott
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
It’s really people who don’t see much theater – like me – who’ll come away having actually seen something new here.
November 5, 2018 | Rating: 4.5/5
Dave White
Movies.com
Anyone who thinks show biz is glamorous and easy should watch this film.
April 11, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
Phil Hall
Film Threat
It whets your appetite for the stage; it certainly made me want to watch every one of these plays.
November 5, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/5
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com
This sounds like the sort of thing that could bore to tears anyone not enamored of the musical theater, but in fact it’s a compelling, often amusing look backstage.
August 31, 2007 | Rating: B+
Marc Mohan
Oregonian
Thanks to Berinstein’s celebratory but lucid documentary, now have a better sense of what it takes to make it on Broadway.
August 30, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/5
Mark Keizer
Boxoffice Magazine
It’s a rosy and warty look at what makes the big shows happen, and what makes them tick. I hope you’ll see it, even if you’re not ‘into’ musical theatre — it’s really well done.
August 20, 2007 | Rating: 4.5/5
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina…
Plot
Follows the four high-profile productions that would eventually become Tony nominees for Best Musical of 2004: “Wicked,” (currently the highest grossing musical of all time), the Rosie O’Donnell/Boy George musical brought from London, “Taboo,” Tony Kushner’s “Caroline, or Change,” and a grown-up puppet show called “Avenue Q.” Digging behind the scenes, from casting and out-of-town previews to the suspense-filled Tony Awards, “ShowBusiness” provides an engrossing look at the inner workings of Broadway musicals. Listening in to critics around the dinner table, interviews with the creators, footage of rehearsals and openings all combine to make this one of the most entertaining documentaries (and dramas) about the world of musical theater.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features appearances from Broadway stars such as Idina Menzel, Rosie O’Donnell, and Alan Cumming.
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