They aren't similar that is my point. I assume if they hate a show like Blonde or 9 to 5 then they would love N2N for being artistic, deep and challenging.
"Never before has an American president been so closely tied to a foreign power that harbors and supports our country's mortal enemies."
I don't really understand how the two are related.
I love Next to Normal.
I enjoyed myself at Legally Blonde.
Obviously they're two very different kinds of shows... but I enjoy serious fare and occasional fluff. Variety is the spice of life.
Now what would you say if today I started over?
Without a thing but this taped together four leaf clover
And I'll pretend like everything is already alright
And I'll run toward the sun till the castle's out of sight
I just was amazed at some of the vitriol against Blonde. Most of the criticism seemed to be that B'way has gotten so shallow. Lot's of talk about being sick of movie musicals, and along come N2N which is a dark original work, so I'm curious if the theater snobs are grateful for that or are just as critical of it.
"Never before has an American president been so closely tied to a foreign power that harbors and supports our country's mortal enemies."
Well, I suppose this thread is intended to be yet another pre-school taunt to incite a useless debate about individual tastes, so I'll leave you to it.
While I have still yet to see Next to Normal, I like what I have heard/seen so far. And I also happened to enjoy Legally Blonde. I don't really see what this means, but I think tastes are a personal matter. It's not as if all snobs like only one type of show and I am sure it's not as black-and-white on the other end of the spectrum. What I really don't understand, however, is the amount of hate people had over Legally Blonde. I can understand disliking it or it not being some people's cup of tea, but people seemed to equate it with Broadway lowering itself. While I do think the MTV airing and MTV reality show kind of helped with this perception, I just can't swallow the whole movie-to-stage is bad for Broadway pill.
Look, I enjoy an original musical just as much as everyone else. I really do. I loved the crap out of [title of show], In the Heights, Drowsy, Parade, Urinetown, etc. and although I thought it was flawed I thoroughly enjoyed Happiness (which I think is actually one of the most original musicals in spite of its plot device). That being said, adaptation is adaptation. What makes something like South Pacific, which was based off a book, so much better than something like Legally Blonde? I mean both star an adorable blonde girl finding her way and showing us all that being true to yourself never goes out of styl...oh wait...no, that..that doesn't work.
But really the difference is in the execution. You can either have shows that are adapted brilliantly like Billy Elliot or you can have Shrek. I just think the idea that Legally Blonde and other shows like it are bad for Broadway simply BECAUSE they are in the movie-to-stage or "unoriginal"category is silly. The same category produced West Side Story, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Rent, Les Misérables, Carousel, Phantom, Gypsy, and countless other shows that were still considered pretty original when they came out.
I love both shows for what they are. I need a good, cheesy smile? I listen to or watch LEGALLY BLONDE. I need to cry? I see N2N. Sure, you can be in favor of heavier, more challenging works like N2N and hate BLONDE and vice versa, but it all comes down to personal taste. It's not a universal thing that you can only like one and not the other. This board is a very SMALL group of theatregoers, so any "vitriol" noticed towards BLONDE is not necessarily the consensus.
I think the difference with the shows you named (phantom, les mis, etc...) and the movie-to-musical shows (9-5, legally blonde, shrek, etc) is that the ones you named were created to cash in on the fact that they are considered 'classics'. They weren't trying to necessarily cash in on the fact that they were a major hollywood blockbuster movie.
I liked LB....thought it was pure fluff...but really well done and I really had fun.
I loved N2N, for being everything that LB is not.
So.....another one to shoot a hole in your theory.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
I absolutely loved Legally Blonde! Saw it 5 times... I loved 9 to 5.... I loved next to normal...
2008: Feb. 18- Rent, Feb. 19- Curtains, April 18- Xanadu, April 22- Wicked, April 26- Legally Blonde, May 31- Wicked, June 13- The Little Mermaid, June 28- Wicked and Young Frankenstein, July 2- The Little Mermaid, July 6- A Chorus Line and Legally Blonde, August 16- Xanadu, September 13- Legally Blonde and 13, September 28- Xanadu and Spring Awakening, Oct. 12-GYPSY and [title of show], Oct. 19- Hairspray & Legally Blonde, Nov. 9- Wicked and 13, Dec. 14-13, Dec. 26- Billy Elliot, 2009: Jan 1- Shrek, Jan 2- 13 and Wicked, Jan 4- 13, Feb 17- In The Heights, Feb 19- Billy Elliot, Feb 22- Sweeney Todd (tour), March 28- Mary Poppins, April 4- Mamma Mia!, April 15- Jersey Boys (on tour), April 25- next to normal & 9 to 5
May 1- Billy Elliot, May 3- Spelling Bee (tour), May 8- Chicago, May 21- Wicked, June 6- Everyday Rapture, June 23- The Wiz, June 25- Hair July 15- Shrek, August 9- Wicked, September 7- Rock of Ages, October 11- Next To Normal, October 23- The Marvelous Wonderettes, November 7- Ragtime November 29- Dreamgirls, December 25- Billy Elliot, December 30- Finian's Rainbow, 2010: January 9- Bye Bye Birdie, January 16- Memphis February 17- The Phantom of The Opera, February 18- God of Carnage, March 7- Billy Elliot, March 31- American Idiot