Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin, Meet Steve Jobs

Technophiles, Mac fan boys, Apple geeks. A strong community of like-minded individuals, but perhaps not the likeliest of patrons sought out by Broadway marketers. That is, of course, until New York’s Public Theater and its production of The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, written and performed by fellow geek, Mike Daisey. Timing for this Off Broadway production’s opening proved opportunistic, following the recent passing of Apple’s Steve Jobs, the subject of this one-man show. Daisey professes his deep-rooted connection to technology, specifically, Apple gear. That obsession led to a startling, and somewhat horrifying discovery after Daisey travelled to China and interviewed Apple factory workers. Needless to say, those pristine iPhones and iPads have a less than pretty back story, thanks to work conditions that the Western World would likely refer to as nearly slave labor. It’s a sobering play, best seen by business-minded individuals, humanists, and most importantly, Apple users, which sums up nearly every twenty or thirty-something living in the New York area.

With all of this tech talk on the stage, it begs the question, how tech savvy, or at least how enthusiastic about technology is the New York theatrical community? The Public Theater decided to highlight its own staff in a video, titled “iPublic,” which describes how Apple technology is used behind the scenes.

As you can see, they are a pretty savvy group. Then there is the current Broadway duo of Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone. Let’s just say, these Broadway stalwarts are making an effort to stay socially relevant, as can be seen in a recent spoof video created to promote their new show, An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin, playing on Broadway through January 13, 2012. It’s hard not to love their zest for social media.