Broadway Composers You Dislike- Page 2

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 2/18/08 at 6:47pm

Dislike, but respect:
Cole Porter
Michael John LaChiusa
Andrew Lloyd Weber

Just plain dislike:
Frank Wildhorn (my god!, this man sucks!)

[nate2]

Posted: 2/18/08 at 6:54pm

Larson!! Can't stand Rent or Tick Tick Boom!

[philly03]

Posted: 2/18/08 at 6:56pm

I actually really like both Wildhorn & Lloyd Webber!

But I dislike Schwartz a lot. Othrer than Wicked, don't really like anything! And not a big fan of Sondheim either, but I can usually find something I like about the majority of his shows...

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 2/18/08 at 6:59pm

Schwartz's music sits really oddly. I find most of his "melody" awful.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 2/18/08 at 7:01pm

Kevinoes - "Legally Blonde"s score was written by Larry O'Keefe (Bat Boy, Sarah Plain and Tall) and Nell Benjamin (Sarah Plain and Tall). "The Wedding Singer"s score was written by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin.

There is no composer that I truly can't stand. All of them have something to offer, the problem is some just can't offer enough to make a decent score. Ha

[roseaddams]

Posted: 2/18/08 at 7:23pm

Andrew Lloyd Webber. I cannot stand pretty much everything he's written. I kinda liked Evita a little bit, but I've listened to it once and don't really feel the need to do so again.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 2/18/08 at 7:35pm

Andrew Lloyd Webber.

There is nothing wrong with his melodies, he knows how to steal from the masters (Puccini, et al.) effectively. But the man has NO understanding of where to place songs, or how to use music to enhance the dramatic effect. He (purposely?) chooses weak lyricists so he can plaster his name -alone- over the show's title. (He's even plastered his name on the incoming SOUND OF MUSIC revival.) He has taken some properties which should have made excellent musicals (SUNSET BLVD, WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND) and turned in sloppy hack work...in the case of the former, recycling dozens of trunk songs that didn't even sound like they belonged in the same score.

His shows have become theme park attractions with about as much substance as carnival candy floss.

And it burns me to read comments from some of the younger members here who think PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and CATS are great musicals.

[Brick]

Posted: 2/18/08 at 7:53pm

Wildhorn.
Lippa.

[justabwaybaby]

Posted: 2/18/08 at 8:04pm

Wildhorn. My friends from high school absolutely love his work. I never quite got it.
Webber...although, I actually don't mind Evita so much. Interestingly enough, my friend who practically worships ALW hates Evita...go figure.

I'm not a huge Schwartz fan, either.

[dramagirl487]

Posted: 2/19/08 at 2:36pm

Schwartz i can only handle in small quantities.

and, i HATE to say it, but the Elton John/Tim Rice thing is sooo cliche and repetative.

don't get me wrong, i generally love the productions their music is in, but i think a lot of their stuff sounds the same

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/19/08 at 3:19pm

Elton John
Ricky Ian Gordon (though he's Off-Broadway)
Mel Brooks

And I'm not a huge fan of Irving Berlin. For me, he's hit-or-miss.

If I'm not mistaken, Webber produced the Sound of Music revival in London, which would account for his name plastered on it, just as other productions often feature the producer's names on posters, cast albums and in Playbills (often over the title). Though most of the internet advertising I've seen for Sound of Music rarely mentions Webber at all. Most often, they feature the new Maria beginning Feb 26, though I've never heard of her.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 2/19/08 at 3:21pm

Okay, I lied. I have absolute disdain for Ricky Ian Gordon. That's all.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 2/19/08 at 3:27pm

Frank Wildhorn. I will never forget or forgive DRACULA.

[Pippin]

Posted: 2/19/08 at 3:28pm

sometimes Ian Gordon can be hard to listen to, but Audra sings his songs so well, it's a perfect match. Listen to Audra's first cd, "way back to paradise" She does wonderful with the Ian Gordon stuff, as well as Guettal.

[Jonny boy]

Posted: 2/19/08 at 3:32pm

Other than into the woods... I dont care for sondhiem. I like most of ALW's stuff. Especially Joseph and Phantom.

[jv92]

Posted: 2/19/08 at 3:32pm

Wildhorn
Webber
Lippa
Schwartz
LaChuisa (Not really...I do like him sort of, he just has to realize that you don't have to be uber serious when you're creating a dramatic musical. He's humorless, that's my problem with him.)
Mel Brooks
and...
(shoot me)
Irving Berlin

[tazber]

Posted: 2/19/08 at 4:00pm

Ricky Ian Gordon

And whoever wrote the scores for
a)Promendae
b)Catebury Tales

Both awful.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 2/19/08 at 4:17pm

Have you SEEN a LaChiusa musical?? Humorless isn't something that seems acurate at all to me...why yet ANOTHER negative thread. I'll never get these.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/19/08 at 4:36pm

I actually like several songs from Canterbury Tales. Especially I'm All A-Blaze. I think there are some good melodies in there, but the lyrics are pretty bad.

I think I listened to Promenade once. I don't remember a thing about the score.

[jv92]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 10:32am

Jazzysuite- Indeed I have. They aren't funny. Sorry. I think he needs to listen to Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Light in the Piazza, Grey Gardens, Carousel and West Side Story again and finally realize you can be FUNNY in musical plays. That's why they're called musical PLAYS. They should make you LAUGH and CRY.

[AvenueQResident]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 10:44am

ALW, though it's more the fact that he's such a media darling. I like Evita and JCS, but I loathe Joseph. Phantom is overhyped.

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:23am

Webber and Schwartz

[Pippin]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:28am

I don't really think Webber is a media darling. His shows almost always get bad reviews, he's constantly made fun of and spoofed, and most of his shows have flopped. It's just the fact that he has both Phantom and Cats to his name, that people can't see past the commercialism. I feel sorry for the guy. Well, no I don't. I'm sure he's crying all the way to the bank, but he just can't get a break from people in this business.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:34am

Glad that John Kander, Cy Coleman and Jule Styne have thus far escaped the hate.

[Pippin]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:40am

that's because hardly anyone on the broadway board know who these people are.