Runaways
Some things were revolutionary when they were created, and, because of that, there's a special place in the pantheon for them. That doesn't necessarily mean they're great things, that they hold up. Consider Citizen Kane . It was a declared a marvel in its time, pioneering in its cinematography, the storytelling, the material... But have you watched it recently? It doesn't hold up. Outside of appreciating its place in film history, there's not much to enjoy about it now. (A widely-revered classic that does hold up? Casablanca .) This was the feeling I had walking out of the Encores! Off-Center production of Runaways , the Elizabeth Swados musical that tells runaway children's stories. When the piece was created and mounted in the late 70s (first at the Public, then on Broadway), it was considered daring and dangerous, punk and important, urgent and vital. Not exactly a musical (there's no plot, linear or otherwise), Runaways is more a themed revue, mix...