Favorite and least favorite Richard Rodgers shows

[CastAlbumFan]

Posted: 5/25/04 at 8:45pm

The first person that comes to mind when I think Broadway is Richard Rodgers. What are you favorite and least favorite Richard Rodgers scores? My favorites are:

The Boys from Syracuse
Babes in Arms
Dearest Enemy
Oklahoma!
South Pacific
Pipe Dream
No Strings
Do I Hear a Waltz?

My least favorite is The Sound of Music. I never really cared for the show (Although Julie Andrews was great in the movie).

My favorite Rodgers songs are "Falling in Love with Love", "My Funny Valentine", "Where or When", "We Kiss in a Shadow", "A Wonderful Guy", "The Sweetest Sonds" and "No Strings". By far my least favorite is "A Real Nice Clambake". Our theatre group did "Carousel" two years ago. "Clambake" was far and away the most despised song in the show.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/04 at 8:48pm

Favorites:
Oklahoma!
The Sound of Music

Least favorite:
South Pacific

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 5/25/04 at 8:49pm

Carousel! HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[racerchiquita76m]

Posted: 5/25/04 at 8:50pm

Favorites:
Sound of Music, Cinderella

Favorite Song:
The Sweetest Sound, anything from the Sound of Music

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 5/25/04 at 9:29pm

They're all tied for least favorite.

I will say that I prefer his work with Hart to his work with Hammerstein. Updated On: 5/25/04 at 09:29 PM

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 5/25/04 at 9:31pm

Thought this might be a trick question.

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 5/25/04 at 10:23pm

how someone can hate Carousel - which IMO changed the future of dramatic musical theatre - is beyond me.

favorites:
Carousel
Babes in Arms
Pal Joey

least favorite:
Allegro
south pacific

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/25/04 at 10:43pm

Favorite:
Oklahoma

Least Favorite:
I Remember Mama

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/25/04 at 10:53pm

Least Favorite

CAROUSEL

Least Least Favorite

OKLAHOMA

[Jon]

Posted: 5/25/04 at 11:11pm

No one has mentioned my favorite for sheer melodic brilliance - THE KING AND I!

Worst - PIPE DREAM - got the cassette from a cut-out bin for 5 bucks - listened to it once - never again!

[bob8rich]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 4:19am

Favorites:
SOUTH PACIFIC
CAROUSEL
PAL JOEY

Least fav:
Fly With Me

Difficult to pick fav. Rodgers songs cos I love so many, but here are a few of his outstanding songs:

LITTLE BOY BLUE
MY FUNNY VALENTINE
SOMETHING WONDERFUL
I HAVE DREAMED
I DO NOT KNOW A DAY I DID NOT LOVE YOU
SOLILOQUY FROM CAROUSEL
THIS NEARLY WAS MINE

I could go on all day................

[mominator]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 8:47am

Favorite- Sound of Music.
Least- Oklahoma.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 10:04am

Allow me to quote myself leomaxfrank :
"I like one song from Carousel (You'll Never Walk Alone) but I HATE that book! You're gonna tell me that a guy who abuses his wife then commits suicide to escape his problems is going to heaven? And then when he comes back from heaven, he hits his daughter too?! I'm sorry, I just can't stand it!"
That is why I don't care for Carousel.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 10:33am

I have lots of problems with CAROUSEL too.
I think the 'Soliloquy' is one of the worst theater songs ever written ("What if it's a GIRL??!!") and I'm generally not fond of all those 'crinoline and gingham' musicals of the 1940s, which feature Hammerstien at his most fake-folksy.

But the CAROUSEL waltz is one of the most ravishingly beautiful pieces of music ever written. My heart leaps in pleasure whenever I hear it.

[magruder]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 11:27am

I'm surprised to see Carousel pop up so often on the "least favorite" lists here. It's my favorite Rodgers & Hammerstein show by far. I think it's the most complex and multilayered of their works, and filled with some of the team's most idiosyncratic writing.

To say that Billy is allowed into heaven despite beating his wife and daughter and committing suicide is a misreading of Act Two, and frankly, the entire show.

Have you ever loved someone who is wrong for you, but you just cannot help yourself? Ever see a child go out and make the exact same mistakes made by their parents? Ever feel a sense of anger and frustration when you just can't communicate what you really think and feel in your heart? Have you ever hurt someone you love and regretted it immediately after you did it? All of these strike me as some hard truths of life that are what Carousel is really about.

Billy is a well-intentioned thug and failure. He's a lout who hopes for better things, but has a cycle of striking out at the people who love him most. He has romantic and poetic aspirations, but resorts to violence when he cannot make himself heard. He is initially not let into heaven, because he has led a worthless life. When he returns to earth, it is to perform a selfless act, which he tries to do, and fails yet again. In utter dejection and futility, he leaves behind the star and confesses his pure, unadulterated love for Julie, which brings comfort to her and redeems him.

I'm not sure how those who are citing Carousel on their least favorite list have experienced it. If it's through the movie version, which cuts some important songs, gives away the narrative in the opening moments, and is generally a ham-fisted treatment of the material, you really haven't seen Carousel.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 11:48am

I have the same problems with Carousel as mentioned above. I have a lot of trouble feeling compassion for the characters. Though I must admit, I've only seen the movie and the finale of the first act of the revival. I wish I could see the full stage version. Perhaps I would change my mind.

"Have you ever loved someone who is wrong for you, but you just cannot help yourself?"

Yes, and then I wised up. Now I'm smart enough to know how stupid I was at the time.

I do like the score (except the awful clambake song) and agree that the Carousel Waltz is one of the most gorgeous pieces of music ever written. Has anyone else seen the biography of Richard Rogers entitled "The Sweetest Sounds"? I was flabbergasted that they made the claim that Rodgers is the most performed composer of all time in the world (including Beethoven or Mozart). I wonder where they got that info? Anyway, it was a very interesting film.

[bythesword84]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 12:08pm

Okay as much as I dislike the movie version of Carousel. I absolutely ADORE the stage musical. I love that show very much, and I think "Soliloquy" is one of the greatest musical numbers...Plus the Carousel Waltz in the beginning is absolutely beautiful

[robbiej]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 12:21pm

I can't even begin to try to express my love for CAROUSEL as well as magruder.

It never fails to move me. And I have no problem feeling compassion for every person in this glorious musical. Because R&H never judged them, I feel I can't either.

[Plum]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 12:32pm

I can't imagine how you think "Soliloquoy" is one of the worst theater songs ever written. It is, literally, what its title says it is, so the "What if he is a girl?" line makes perfect sense in that context. And it helps make Billy into a textured, layered, (hopefully) somewhat sympathetic character in a very graceful way.

I don't particularly adore the ending of Carousel myself. I understand what it's about, but something about the execution seems off to me.

That said, the music of that score is just glorious. It's much the same situation as Oklahoma!. As long as I don't think too hard about that ending, I can just be carried by the score and be happy. :)

[robbiej]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 12:38pm

I agree, Plum.

The 'What if he's a girl' line actually sets up the rest of the show. If not for that realization, he wouldn't commit the robbery, commit suicide and be forced to make amends.

And I have NO PROBLEM with the ending. Reduced to tears EVERY SINGLE TIME.

'Know that I loved you, Julie'. MY GOD!!!!

[dano]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 12:54pm

I agree with Plum and magruder regarding Carousel. Absolutely one of the best shows ever written.

Now South Pacific, on the other hand, has some wonderful songs (You've Got to be Carefully Taught, This Nearly Was Mine), but also some of the worst. Bloody Mary and I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair sound like children's nursery rhymes both melodically and lyrically. Maybe that's what they were going for. Did they want the seabies to be "childish" in their praise of Bloody Mary? Maybe. But too much of that style is in that show. You've got Happy Talk for the childish song.

I know some think it "sugary", but I love the score for The Sound of Music.

LOVE: Oklahoma and Pal Joey.
King and I: It's OK.

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 1:07pm

thank you magruder, dano, robbie and plum..saviors!!

robbie..i cry at the ending too - and actually also when im singing soliloquy which i just did in my senior showcase i always get choked up by the end of the song. billy takes such an amazing journey throughout the number.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 1:34pm

Confession: I have only seen the movie and a really bad dinner theatre karoke production when I was 10. I have never seen the stage show in full. However, after reading several of the postings here, I'd be willing to give Carousel another try.

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 1:38pm

I was privileged to see my first Rodgers show in 1926 as well as dance in many of the Rodgers shows. So which is my favorite? I'd have to break it into two categories: Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein. One was street-wise, cocky, prickly and prone to depression. Lorenz Hart, yes but also Oscar Hammerstein. Hammerstein played quite a bit at being folksy and quaint. Perhaps that's the reason why many of his shows do not play today, and I don't care who the director is!!!

That said, I will have to say BOYS FROM SYRACUSE was my Favorite Rodgers show. I was in the original production in 1938. A beautiful production, wonderful songs, performances and the choreography!!! I wish that could have been preserved. The most beautiful piece of choreography was cut prior to the opening. It was an extended dance piece to FALLING IN LOVE WITH LOVE. Geroge Abbot thought it slowed down the action. What did he know!!!!

My least favorite Rodgers show was SOUTH PACIFIC. I saw the original, which I found dreary. To my eyes, Martin and Pinza had absolutely no chemistry and the production was directed to the usual Joshua Logan cheesy standards. I liked Juanita Hall and Myron McCormick. But somehow I found it ponderous. Well, I was in the minority!

Miriam

Updated On: 5/26/04 at 01:38 PM

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 5/26/04 at 1:58pm

Ms. Miriam, did you see the recent revival production on Broadway? If so, what did you think of it?