Adults vs. Teens- Page 3

[Princess MimiChica]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 7:37pm

I'm 15 years old and I can't stand RENT, partially because of the wide range of obsession surrounding it.

see, this is a wrong way of thinking. I still don't get this mentality of hating a show because of the people who love it?
Understand, i mnot defending RENTheads because a lot of them are mean and annoying, but I still think its cool that young people gained a passion for theatre through this show. Thats all im saying on the subject =)

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 7:40pm

BwayTheatre11,

the bullies and disturbed posters here attack others, not just teenagers.

it has very little to do with age. I suppose younger people are simply easier targets.

most of the adults here conduct themselves with good manners.

do not model your behavior or opinions on two or three folks here who are best simply ignored.

[BroadwayBaby3]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 7:43pm

Let me clarify, MimiChica.

I did not mean to imply that the only reason I dislike RENT is because of the hype, but I will say that I have a good friend who is completely obsessed and it drives me nuts. We can never have a conversation without her somehow bringing up RENT or somebody in it. She even went as far as to have "RENT week" one week, where she'd dress up as a different character every day. That bugged me. I think she needs to expand her horizons and I've told her so. I don't think she's wrong for liking it, but I do think that RENT shouldn't be her whole entire life.

Also, I dislike RENT for a few other reasons. I don't like the book. The music is decent, but not all it's cracked up to be. I enjoy listening to "Light My Candle" every once in a while but for the most part, I'd rather avoid it. I don't like most of the "rock-musical" in general, though I'm willing to give most anything a shot. Anyway, I just want to make it clear that I don't dislike RENT just because everybody else loves it. I dislike it because it does not fit my personal view of good musical theatre. I'm sorry if I confused you.

Rachel

[Princess MimiChica]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 7:49pm

ok Baby, thanks for clearing that up! You're honestly the first 15 year old ive heard of who dislikes the show...but theres a first time for everything I guess =) lol Whats your friends name? I think me and her could be great friends!!

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 7:51pm

RENT sucks. Mwuaha.

[Princess MimiChica]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 8:16pm

"RENT sucks. Mwuaha."

yo momma!!

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 8:36pm

"yo momma!!"

Heh.

There's immaturity, and then there's youthful exuberance...

[broadway geek]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 8:39pm

I'm a teenager and I have to admit I'm more into musicals than plays just because of the issue of accessibility. You can get a cd relatively easily, but for someone without a car, parents who are busy and no friends into theater I have to say I'm not well bred in plays. I do read plays but it's not the same.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 8:46pm

That's a stereotype that people under 25 are stuck on the new shows and actors. It is a stereotype because that does not describe me and many others. You have to stop using that as an excuse, because sometimes it is not true. Now once again, if I drop this whole subject, not ask stupid questions that I can find the answer to, and act mature (which I do already), can you adults ACCEPT me?

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 8:46pm

Add me to the list of fifteen year olds that dislikes RENT. And Al, I must say, that is exactly my problem with the under 25 crowd, but realize that not all people under 25 are that way. I know I'm certainly not that way, I do try to expand my horizons, if not by seeing shows, by getting cast recordings from new composers and older shows that I cannot see.

I think the teens on the site are a little stubborn when addressed by people such as Namo and Al, and others. I appreciate people who will encourage me to expand my horizons, or look more deeply into a piece of theatre. Other teenagers should consider that and not take every comment they make as an ignorant insult. I think if many of the teens on this site would only try to expand their horizons and obtain more information, they will only become better and more mature human beings.

What I do not appreciate is people of the older generation claiming that every new piece of theatre is mediocre crap. You muzt realize that many new things will appeal to a new, younger generation that grw up with different surroundings and in a different era than you, and just because they value somethign new, doesn't mean they are ignorant or immature. If some young people will open their minds to older works of theatre, why do you refuse to open your mind to new theatre and respect a new generation?

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 8:51pm

Thank you BroadwayGirl107! You proved my point.

[Hello Gorgeous]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 8:52pm

BroadwayGeek, I know exaclty how you feel. In 6 months, when I get my "provisional" license, though, it's going to be a different story!

Being a 16 year old on this board, I do have to side with the adults and kids my age. I'll admitt it, for a couple of years, I would only listen to cast recordings with Bernadette Peters on them. I admitt it! But then, I started listening to other stuff and saw other shows, and finally thought "outside" the box. Now while I love GYPSY and AGYG to death, they aren't my favorite cast recordings. I listen to a variety of things to strengthen my voice/belt. Mostly now, I'm singing any Idina Menzel music that I can get my hands on, because I think that singing her stuff is a good way to help my voice (notice that I said mostly, I'm still listening to other things, but I sing her stuff a lot right now)

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 8:54pm

"That's a stereotype that people under 25 are stuck on the new shows and actors. It is a stereotype because that does not describe me and many others."

Stereotypes wouldn't exist if there wasn't some truth to them.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 8:56pm

Updated On: 11/17/03 at 08:56 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 11:01pm

This is a very positive thread of which we whould all be pleased--teens and us old fa, er adults.

There is annoyance when the same questions are asked over and over again and annoyance when a posting reads as if everyone else is an idiot. And nearly all of us are to blame. But this is a good sign that thing will improve.

Reflecting back to my own interest in theatre as a teen, I recall I was reading plays constantly--musical and non, and ranging from the then contemporary to the classics. I used the library constantly, and listened to almost every cast album I could get my hands on. I may be wrong but I don't sense that any similar thirst for theatre exists quite the same anymore. Teens appear to simply fixate on one show or performer and there appears to be next to no interest to expand their level of knowledge or interest. That saddens me because of the negative impact it has on theatre in general. There also appears to be an acceptance of mediocrity on stage begat by youth shaped by television and music videos.

All of us who aren't teens now were teens once. We can all benefit by remembering that. The adults here can be a wealth of knowledge to those teens who are truly interest in theatre.

Cheers! Broadway Bulldog.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 11:21pm

The only reason I am not always buying new cast recordings and reading new plays is a lack of money, and in the case of reading plays: time. I don't even have enough time in my day to finish the homework I'm assigned, much less read something for my own pleasure.

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 11:33pm

LOL damn, they should have made this one of the stereotype issues in Avenue Q.
It sucks to be me!

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 11:41pm

Unfortunatly I am 19 for the next three months therefore catagorized as a "teen". I have to say, I am very dissapointed in the current state of Broadway. I dreamed of coming to NYC my entire life and finally got to move here when I was 18 and see my first show-Aida. From then on I have seen nearly every show on Broadway. The shows today are pure fluff. They don't make you think about anything, they don't have that magical quality that I used to hear in my OBC cassettes as a kid.:P In the words of Bulldog...we really do need a "better broadway". I am an actress and singer pursuing a stage career, but someday I am also going to direct and produce some of the most inventive, brilliant, original and *good* theatre you have ever seen. But untill then dahhlings we must watch the sadness of the public going crazy for Producers Tickets:)

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 11/18/03 at 12:01am

I wouldn't say that shows today don't make you think. I mean, at least not any less than some of the more "classic" Broadway shows. I think there's a good mix of shows that make you think and those that are just there for pure enjoyment.

I could be remembering incorrectly, but as far as I know, in the early years, Broadway was around to take people's minds off of things, not to give them more to think about. I think that continues to be a redeeming quality of shows, because no matter what the state of the world, there's always people who want to see a show to forget about life. To me, there are shows around today that make me think. A lot of it is the show, but a lot of it is how much you put into watching it. Obviously you aren't going to come away from a show like 42nd St. thinking about all that much besides if you're humming the right tune to "Shuffle off to Buffalo", but you can come away from a show like Cabaret, or to me, Movin' Out, and think forever and still never answer your own questions.

Just a thought from a teen a year removed. Updated On: 11/18/03 at 12:01 AM

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 11/18/03 at 1:08am

yeah....my unanswered Movin Out question.....what the hell was that?

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 11/18/03 at 10:11am

newyorkuniq,

your comment starting with

"the shows today are pure fluff, etc." is a very, very worn out cliche.

this has been said about every Broadway season since the beginning of Broadway.

reading up on Broadway history, you will see that it has simply always been this way.

"the magical quality you used to hear in your OBC cassettes" --

don't you understand that you had those "magical" cassettes because they were the HITS or the shows of note?????? you probably did not purchase the OBC of shows that were fluff or you simply never heard of them.

Shows of varying degrees have always been around.

Since Broadway began,

every generation bemoans "the death of Broadway."

A Chorus Line was written almost 30 years ago and one of the charachter says

"I don't wanna hear about how Broadway's dieing, I just got here."

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 11/18/03 at 1:37pm

stop picking on 19 year olds. :o

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/18/03 at 1:40pm

You like that feeling, newyorkuniq??

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 11/18/03 at 1:41pm

You could always reply to the post that was addressed to you rather than play the "They're picking on meeeee!11!!!!1!" card.

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 11/18/03 at 2:30pm

wow obviously some people don't have a sense of humor....