songs without any relevance to the musical- Page 2
songs without any relevance to the musical
strelimyn
Stand-by Joined: 9/17/06
#25re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/22/07 at 9:43pmTotal ditto, gumbo2, about Soft Shoes. Actually, I was about to post it - but you beat me to the punch! :)
sumladfrompa.tumblr.com
#26re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/22/07 at 9:48pmI may be wrong, but "Motherhood March" from Hello, Dolly!
OOTI2004
Broadway Star Joined: 10/29/05
#27re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/22/07 at 9:54pmReferring to Rythm of Life, Sweet Charity is almost like a parody of the time in which it premiered. Rythm of Life is mocking on all of the "religions" that were just popping up in the sixties. Although it is a bit out there, thats basically the point of the song. One could say that Rich Man's Frug is a pointless long dance number. But once again, it was there to make a comment on the "rich man" of the time and people's actions.
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#28re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/22/07 at 9:55pmI believe this was added later, but "Gifts of Love." Genevieve's situation is fully explained in "Meadowlark"; we don't need some long ballad about a failed relationship.
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
yellibean2
Featured Actor Joined: 5/17/06
#30re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/22/07 at 11:27pm
A lot of Kiss Me, Kate; mostly Too Darn Hot. Great number, though.
#31re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/22/07 at 11:39pmSpring Awakening - Mama Who Bore Me, Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise), My Junk, Touch Me, And Then There Were None, I Believe, Blue Wind, The Word of Your Body (Reprise), The Song of Purple Summer
"In theater, the process of it is the experience. Everyone goes through the process, and everyone has the experience together. It doesn't last - only in people's memories and in their hearts. That's the beauty and sadness of it. But that's life - beauty and the sadness. And that is why theater is life." - Sherie Rene Scott
#32re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/22/07 at 11:39pmJonart beat me to it. Shipoopi is a fun little number, but totally irrelevant to the plot.
http://community.livejournal.com/ltd_brands_suck/
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#33re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/22/07 at 11:41pm
Spring Awakening - Mama Who Bore Me, Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise), My Junk, Touch Me, And Then There Were None, I Believe, Blue Wind, The Word of Your Body (Reprise), The Song of Purple Summer
I was SO tempted.
#34re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/22/07 at 11:41pm
Surely Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde doesn't need ALL of those songs.
Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You in the Music Man.
I know someone mentioned Memory, but once it's over, so is the whole musical in my mind. Why the Addressing of Cats?
Doin' the Latest Rag in Titanic.
The Lusty Month of May and Then You May Take Me To the Fair and Fie on Goodness (but I love all of these songs) from Camelot.
I'm sure you can find arguements for all of these, but they don't do enough in my mind to develop character or advance the plot to exist.
#35re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/22/07 at 11:42pm
"In theater, the process of it is the experience. Everyone goes through the process, and everyone has the experience together. It doesn't last - only in people's memories and in their hearts. That's the beauty and sadness of it. But that's life - beauty and the sadness. And that is why theater is life." - Sherie Rene Scott
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#36re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/22/07 at 11:45pmYES, Lucy doesn't really need "Someone Like You" (because of "Sympathy, Tenderness." Unless you'd want to cut that one.) And "A New Life" just stops the action too much. And you sit there screaming "Stop singing and LEAVE, Lucy! He's gonna kill you!" And guess what? He does.
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
Fenchurch
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/16/06
#37re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/22/07 at 11:46pm
Boom Chicka Boom
from
Nick and Nora
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual."
-Keen on Kean
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." - muscle23ftl
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." - muscle23ftl
#38re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:06am
AH. I love "Turkey Lurkey Time" with a passion, but yeah, its kind of irrelevant.
Concerning Wicked, all the ones mentioned are pretty much character development related or have some plot or something but "What is this Feeling" is the most unnecessary song ever. They don't like each other. We get it. They could do the letter part and just move on.
"...and in a bed."
#39re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:08amI'm Not Wearing Underwear Today
"The theatre is so endlessly fascinating because it's so accidental. It's so much like life." - Arthur Miller
#40re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:11amI'll agree with Rhythm of Life. When I saw Charity performed at my university, I was completely confused about why on earth that song was there. It was never alluded to before or after. I guess it's not just me, then.
Hear the words I sing: war's a horrid thing. So, I sing sing sing... Ding a ling a ling.
LuPonatic
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/12/06
#41re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:11amShipoopi is there so those of us who always play the funny sidekick can have a song!
#42re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:14amMotherhood March from Dolly is used to distract Horace from seeing Barnaby and Cornelius in the hat shop. Doesn't really forward the plot, but it does have purpose.
"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." -Stephen Colbert
goldenstate5
Featured Actor Joined: 5/8/06
#43re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/23/07 at 2:01am
"I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today"
Wrong. This introduces the bar scene in proper fashion (usually scenes in musicals that end in song do not transition to a new dialogue scene without either a play-off or new song), as well as furthering Brian's character as a guy who thinks he's funnier than he really is, like many wanna-be comedians in real life. All of the characters in Avenue Q have dreams that they can't get accomplished simply because like in reality, we just don't have what it takes...and it does indeed suck. So, yes, it is a character song and it also moves the plot along, so wrong.
"Coffee Break" from H2$ also qualifies in this category, though it does serve for parody purposes, but advances the plot? Hardly...and I really hate to say this, but "You're Timeless to Me" doesn't do anything to further the plot, because when you think about it, the relationship between Edna and Wilbur isn't mentioned at all before the number, and it doesn't affect the plot in the long run. Fun number, good duet showing the relationship, but the point and plot of the show is not served at all by it.
And who could forget "As We Stumble Along" from the Drowsy Chaperone! I can't believe no one's mentioned that yet!...
sidjones09
Leading Actor Joined: 1/4/07
#44re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/23/07 at 2:41am
"Spring Awakening - Mama Who Bore Me, Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise), My Junk, Touch Me, And Then There Were None, I Believe, Blue Wind, The Word of Your Body (Reprise), The Song of Purple Summer"
I'm not going to go song by song and tell you why you're incorrect, although I could with the exception of The Song of Purple Summer, which I still can't figure out. But the point stands that if you have read the numerous interviews with the artistic team and cast members of the show than you understand that all of the music in Spring Awakening is meant to be a kind of inner monologue of the life of each character and the thoughts that each new situation or feeling brings out in them. They are not supposed to be directly connected to the dialogue or book scenes. They should stick out. That's the concept of the show. But to say they have no relevance is just incorrect.
"If you've got something to say, say it, and think well of yourself while you're learning to say it better." - David Mamet
#45re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/23/07 at 2:47amThose songs are MUCH more disconnected from the show than the rest of the score. And I have read practically every interview . . .
"In theater, the process of it is the experience. Everyone goes through the process, and everyone has the experience together. It doesn't last - only in people's memories and in their hearts. That's the beauty and sadness of it. But that's life - beauty and the sadness. And that is why theater is life." - Sherie Rene Scott
sidjones09
Leading Actor Joined: 1/4/07
#46re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/23/07 at 3:10am
"Those songs are MUCH more disconnected from the show than the rest of the score. And I have read practically every interview . . ."
You practically listed the entire score. And that's my point, yes, you are right, the music IS disconnected (def. - To sever or interrupt the connection of or between) from the storyline because it was meant to be. That's part of the shows design. But the music is not IRRELEVANT (def. - having no bearing on or connection with the subject at issue)to the story.
For example, in my opinion these songs are arguably irrelevant to their shows:
'Officer Krupke' - West Side Story
'What A Game' and 'Atlantic City' - Ragtime
The shows would sure be a lot darker without them though.
"If you've got something to say, say it, and think well of yourself while you're learning to say it better." - David Mamet
Updated On: 2/23/07 at 03:10 AM
#47re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/23/07 at 3:56am
sidjones, I was just waiting for some kneejerk response from SA fans denouncing defyingravity's post. Similar to the reactions of any other negative posts about the show, you pulled the standard "I could say why you're wrong, but I won't" non-answer. You claim the music is disconnected, then say it's not irrelevant, giving the definition of "having no bearing on or connection with the subject at issue". If something is disconnected, it has "no connection with". You proved your own argument wrong.
In addition, I can't see how songs even the creators admit have a non-connection with a show are somehow more relevant than Atlantic City in Ragtime, which are obviously connected with the show due plot progression in the storylines of main characters within it.
Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how
Wanting life but never knowing how
sidjones09
Leading Actor Joined: 1/4/07
#48re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/23/07 at 4:39am
Maybe I am finding disagreement with how we interpret CONNECTION and RELEVANCE. I see them as two different things. Maybe you don't. The only reason I even said anything about SA, is because defyinggravity practically listed the ENTIRE score as irrelevant to the show, that doesn't seem strange to you? Defyingravity is talking about the music in SA's CONNECTION to the storyline in relation to the material before and after these songs, and I agree the songs come out of nowhere by design. But if you look at the lyrics, it's very plain to me that the songs are RELEVANT to what's going on in the story. As where songs such as 'Atlantic City', 'What A Game', and 'Officer Krupke', although CONNECTED to the material preceding it and fitting in the flow of the show, are not necessarily RELEVANT to the story. If you took these songs out, IMO the show would not lose any clarity. The music in SA gives you a lot of insight into the actual characters in the show, which you don't necessarily get in the dialogue, hence there RELEVANCE, but not CONNECTION.
I'm not some crazy SA fan. I'm just trying to state what the difference is IMO. It's completely your perogative to disagree.
I'm done arguing this.
I'm editing this post to make a correction. DefyingGravity, I am wrong in saying that you are wrong about SA. I just strongly disagree with you.
"If you've got something to say, say it, and think well of yourself while you're learning to say it better." - David Mamet
Updated On: 2/23/07 at 04:39 AM
camp_actor
Featured Actor Joined: 1/5/04
#49re: songs without any relevance to the musical
Posted: 2/23/07 at 5:54am
A lot of the songs that have been listed - especially songs like "What a Game" from Ragtime etc - may not be directly relevant in terms of furthering the plot or exposing character, but they have a purpose in terms of stage craft. Writers have to put in bits of light relief into a musical (generally) or else the audience gets restless. A lot of the time, when artists are talking about writing the show you'll hear them say something like "And then we realised that it had been doom and gloom for 30 minutes already so we put in an upbeat number for light relief."
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