Big Budget vs Low Budget Musicals

[moncruzz]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 5:22pm

I saw Scottsboro Boys a few weeks ago in San Francisco. While I enjoyed it, my boyfriend thought it was extremely boring and felt "cheap". That got me thinking that with a minor tweaks here and there, and a few special effects to make it look like a "blockbuster musical", more people would be enthralled. I mean, I don't even think they dimmed the lights to at least hide the scene transitions. The stage was just brightly lit the whole time.

Now I'm wondering if anyone else has ever felt that a musical being "low budget" has prevented them from fully enjoying the show.

Did Miss Saigon's helicopter really f**k it up for Broadway

[NotAnotherSN]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 5:26pm

There's a difference between "big budget" and high-quality. You can put on a show without many bells and whistles (so to speak) and still come off as high quality. It has to do with the work put into the sets, costumes, orchestra, etc. A show can feel "cheap" if the set isn't well built or doesn't have that "big-budget" polish to it.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 5:28pm

The size or amount of set or lights doesn't make a show feel cheap to me. I don't NEED fancy sets or tech to make me feel like I'd gotten my money's worth. But lots of folks do. Are there times when extraordinary tech enhances a show, sure, but most of the time I just want a great story with wonderful acting. If that's done well, I'm happy.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 5:37pm

Given the ticket prices nowadays, I don't blame people for wanting to be impressed technically. I wouldn't expect as much razzle dazzle when I see smaller productions for $20.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 6:10pm

Sometimes huge sets and all sorts of effects (a la Ghost) actually have the effect of looking cheap. Less can certainly be more.

[HumATune]

Posted: 7/18/12 at 11:10am

Dump your boyfriend.

No, okay but seriously, I think he missed something. There's a very valid reason the show looks the way it does. SPOILER








It's a show-within-a-show, specifically a minstrel show retelling of the story of the Scottsboro Boys. It looks the way it does because of that. Minstrel shows weren't going to look like big-budget 21st century musicals.

[emlodik]

Posted: 7/18/12 at 11:57am

Lowe budget productions of "Evita" and "Sunset Boulevard" are impossible to stomach. I love the score, but when the staging and actors are a joke and the orchestrations are shoddy midi files or a lousy 3 piece college band, I just can't take it.