BAT BOY & LEGALLY BLONDE

[TheatreNerd23]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 7:54pm

I swear I did a search and couldn't find a thread on this subject.

WHY is every other song virtually identical in Legally Blonde and Bat Boy? Accident? Coincidence?

Similarities include:

Legally Blonde/Comfort & Joy
Chip on My Shoulder/Three Bedroom House

[Chance]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 7:56pm

They have the same composer. Larry O'Keefe wrote the music for both shows. Often times different shows by the same composer have similar sounds. I know some people will deny it, but a fair number of sondheim songs sound the same to me musically.

[FuturePenny2]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 8:27pm

I noticed that too and it bothered me for the LONGEST time..Legally Blonde and Comfort and Joy are like.. IDENTICAL.. then I looked at the Legally Blonde CD and noticed Larry O'Keefe was involved and I knew he did music for Bat Boy so my question was answered haha.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 8:30pm

While some Sondheim songs are similar technically. No two of his songs are "identical."

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 8:34pm

Same reason that The Pirate Queen sounded like Les Mis and Miss Saigon. The same people did all of them.

[Chance]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 8:40pm

I wouldn't say any songs from Legally Blonde and Bat Boy are identical ljay, but they do sound similar musically.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 8:47pm

And yet I would say all Andrew Lloyd Webber music sounds the same to me.

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 10:16pm

Most composers have a distinct style that they use which comes through in whatever they write (even if they try not to). You can easily identify a show's composer by hearing these tendencies or styles they use. Almost all broadway composers have something about their compositional style that makes them unique -- but also makes a lot of their works sound similar.

You can tell when a piece is written by Sondheim, Lloyd Webber, Boublil/Schoenberg, Yazbeck, Kander, etc. In the golden age the music of Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter, and even George Gershwin sounded similar and was easily recognized as having their particular "sound".

Heck you can even go back to the classical period and earlier. Beethoven and Mozart had easily recognizable styles and tendencies of their own as well.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 8/2/08 at 12:11am

I'd press you to find any composer, modern or classic, who doesn't repeat themselves. It comes down to personal style.

The only exception to this is Cy Coleman who never wrote in the same style twice.

[oohshizz146]

Posted: 8/2/08 at 1:13am

Same composer. Was it really that hard to find?

[mormonophobic]

Posted: 8/2/08 at 3:44am

How do I go about listening to the Bat Boy tracks? I have heard a lot about the show on here and it sounds interesting. I would love to hear anything, but especially those mentioned by the OP. thank you!

[tazber]

Posted: 8/2/08 at 4:02am

Buy the cd.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 8/2/08 at 4:02am

I'm sure Amazon has clips up.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 8/2/08 at 9:17am

Never heard of a CD, mormon?

[sondhead]

Posted: 8/2/08 at 9:31am

This isn't a style issue. It's a using-the-exact-note-string-from-an-earlier-piece issue. Totally different.

You can say you don't hear it, but Comfort and Joy and Legally Blonde sound almost identical, and this is only backed up when you compare the two on paper.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 8/2/08 at 10:46am

They are similar yes, but not 100%. Having done Bat Boy, there is some similarities. But all composers have their own style and flare. O'Keefe does a lot of random key changes and also always has the people in the background doing something (which is seen in BB and LB)

the major similarity for me is "I'll eat nothing but soy... to be Legally Blonde."

[Chance]

Posted: 8/2/08 at 3:05pm

I didn't hear the similarities til i listened to the Legally Blonde Remix.

Was it obvious to me as I was listening that Larry o'Keefe had written it? Yes, but i didn't hear "identical" things, just echos and similarities.

[tazber]

Posted: 8/2/08 at 3:38pm

I think it's an outrage.
I hope that Mr. O'keefe sues Mr. O'keefe for plagiarism.

[Chance]

Posted: 8/2/08 at 3:42pm

Mr O'keefe's chances of winning would be good.