People need hobbies. These pastimes are crucial for helping people expand their horizons, meet new/like-minded folks, and escape the doldrums of daily life. And while some men find hobbies in cars, technology, and art, Steve Young has found something completely unique – corporate-produced musicals performed at business events.
As we learn in the trailer for the documentary “Bathtubs over Broadway,” there’s an entire, almost completely unknown genre of musical theater that is devoted to performances at corporate events highlighting new products. Whether these performers are singing about soap, Fords, or bathrooms, the talent on display seems to rival anything seen on Broadway, which leads Young to find the whole thing incredibly fascinating. And as he develops this hobby (or obsession, depending on how you look at it), the comedy writer finds a whole subculture of people that celebrate these lost gems.
“Bathtubs over Broadway” is the directorial debut of Dava Whisenant and features interviews with David Letterman, Chita Rivera, Martin Short, Florence Henderson, Susan Stroman, Jello Biafra, and many more.
“Bathtubs over Broadway” is in select theaters now.
Here’s the synopsis:
When he started as a comedy writer for the LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, Steve Young had few interests outside of his day job. But while gathering material for a segment on the show, Steve stumbled onto a few vintage record albums that would change his life forever. Bizarre cast recordings – marked “internal use only” – revealed full-throated Broadway-style musical shows about some of the most recognizable corporations in America: General Electric, McDonald’s, Ford, DuPont, Xerox. Steve didn’t know much about musical theater, but these recordings delighted him in a way that nothing ever had. In BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY, filmmaker Dava Whisenant follows Steve Young on his quest to find all he can about this hidden world. While tracking down rare albums, unseen footage, composers and performers, Steve forms unlikely friendships and discovers that this discarded musical genre starring tractors and bathtubs was bigger than Broadway.