No Musical Numbers in Some Playbills

[rmusic11322]

No Musical Numbers in Some Playbills#1

Posted: 11/15/09 at 10:20pm

Why do some shows do that? For example, Next To Normal and The Toxic Avenger. Someone please tell me. And if it has to do with the story (N2N) please don't spoil it for me. I really would like to see it but with nothing to expect.

[millie_dillmount]

re: No Musical Numbers in Some Playbills#2

Posted: 11/15/09 at 10:39pm

So people aren't constantly looking in the Playbill for the name of the next song and can follow the story.

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

[CATSNYrevival]

re: No Musical Numbers in Some Playbills#2

Posted: 11/15/09 at 11:04pm

Except now they're just flipping through every page of the playbill multiple times trying to find a song list.

[trombonist]

re: No Musical Numbers in Some Playbills#3

Posted: 11/15/09 at 11:14pm

I don't know about Toxic Avenger, but I'm fairly sure it wa a conscious decision on the part of the next to normal team because the titles could give too much away.

Personally I don't even bother looking at the song list. Unless I'm bored out of my skull and am trying to figure out how much longer I'll have to sit there.

[TheatreFan4]

re: No Musical Numbers in Some Playbills#4

Posted: 11/15/09 at 11:24pm

I don't know if this how it was on Broadway but my Ave. Q tour program didn't have a song list. It did have a headshot page which is new for the theatre I go to.

[lstbutifulgrl2]

re: No Musical Numbers in Some Playbills#5

Posted: 11/15/09 at 11:30pm

Rock of Ages doesn't do it either, but I think it's because they want it to be suprising when each song starts.

"Sometimes on the strip, the dreams you come in with, ain't the dreams you leave with" ~Rock of Ages
"I'm a butterfly, trivial and small, and in the greater scheme of things, I don't mean much at all." ~The Story of My Life
"Forget Regret, or life is yours to miss." ~Rent

[millie_dillmount]

re: No Musical Numbers in Some Playbills#6

Posted: 11/15/09 at 11:32pm

"Rock of Ages doesn't do it either, but I think it's because they want it to be suprising when each song starts."

As well as Mamma Mia.

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

[TheatreFan4]

re: No Musical Numbers in Some Playbills#7

Posted: 11/15/09 at 11:33pm

Mamma Mia does have a list. It's alphabetical & not chronological though.

[millie_dillmount]

re: No Musical Numbers in Some Playbills#8

Posted: 11/15/09 at 11:44pm

Oops, yeah, that is what I meant.

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

[Unknown User]

re: No Musical Numbers in Some Playbills#9

Posted: 11/16/09 at 12:26am

It makes sense for some shows, I could see why Sondheim didn't have a song list for Passion, or why certain LaChiusa shows wouldn't--a song list wouldn't really help an audience anyway with the way the music is constructed (though they had to give titles for the CD).

It's funny but song lists can do a lot for audience expectations--Bennett talks about how in previews Val's song in Chorus Line wasn't getting the huge laugh they expected. Then they realized why--the joke was given away in the program by calling it Tits and Ass--so they retitled it Dance 10 Looks 3. (well Dance 10 Looks 1 at first...)

[Eris0303]

re: No Musical Numbers in Some Playbills#10

Posted: 11/16/09 at 12:47am

Marvelous Wonderettes has a song list in alphabetical order as well. I always figured they did this to keep the second act a surprise.

"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney We must have different Gods. My God said "do to others what you would have them do to you". Your God seems to have said "My Way or the Highway".

Updated On: 11/16/09 at 12:47 AM

[Eris0303]

re: No Musical Numbers in Some Playbills#11

Posted: 11/16/09 at 12:59am

"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney We must have different Gods. My God said "do to others what you would have them do to you". Your God seems to have said "My Way or the Highway".