CFA now the favorite for Tony? — Page 5

Most of the score of Great Comet was literally like nails on a chalkboard for me. I can't remember one song or what the show was about. The immersive nature of the piece started to feel gimmicky to me. Like it was a trick to distract you from how bad the show was.

Gensho said: "Most of the score of Great Comet was literally like nails on a chalkboard for me. I can't remember one song or what the show was about. The immersive nature of the piece started to feel gimmicky to me. Like it was a trick to distract you from how bad the show was."

See how people are allowing you to share a negative opinion about a show others enjoy without trying to silence you or call you a 'hater'? The same would be appreciated in return!

Anyway, I can very easily see how and why the Great Comet score is divisive, but for me it's the most imaginative, innovative, varied and one of only two cast recordings of the season that I keep returning to. I think it deserves Best Score for the amount of effort put in alone.

NYJoe said: "But worse than all that is the endless self-congratulating. I found it unbearable.

... it does sometimes straddle into self-congratulatory, overly sentimental or unrealistically idealised visions

I find this sort of remark odd, especially since much of the show is verbatim, with numerous participants confirming the veracity of the story, the sentiment, and the actual language used (word for word, in the case of some characters). It doesn't seem to me "self-congratulatory" at all. It's a true story, and while spending time on this board might suggest otherwise, many people are actually...well...good. See the lovely story on this board about the plane people who saw it just last week, how they got their tickets, and who said the show was entirely accurate.

In fact, actual science suggests that humans are wired to cooperate. That's why the show is resonating so far and wide.

http://www.salon.com/2016/06/21/the_science_of_selfishness_humans_arent_actually_hard_wired_to_be_jerks/



"

When I listen to the cast recording now I can't help but feel like I want to start reciting lyrics from Groundhog day (I've posted them at the end of this). I know it's somewhat ironic given the whole point of them in Groundhog day is to show how his attitudes change over time. But when you listen to "Welcome to the Rock" with the portrayal of good-willed but naive, if a little stupid, small-town folk talking about their sappy jobs (e.g., teaching, animal feeding), several references to the weather/the environments it's hard for me not to think about it.

It might be based on a true story but I can't help but feel it's a bit overplayed/exaggerated a little. Do I really think there was a naive man who had to go to a supermarket back and forth because he wasn't thinking what women/babies would need? Maybe, but I doubt it happened EXACTLY as portrayed. Maybe he forgot once and that was that. But it's hard for me to believe someone went to the store, came back - was told to get something for the Women/babies and then went to the store, came back and was told to get something else for the Women. They drag it out because it's funny/playing up the naivety of the man.

And it's this kind of thing that happens throughout - they are all naive, good-willed people. I'm sure there are definitely people like this but the constant focus on it is what makes it seem overly sappy/sentimental to me.

And speaking of Groundhog day "small ideas", when I say unrealistically idealised I really am particularly speaking about the way this musical deals with religion. Now, I don't want to bleed in too much of my rather unpopular off-topic posts here but it is annoying that this sappy musical keeps trying to push the unrealistic idea that religions are sacred, rather harmless things that people call upon in times of need to help them get by - and we can all live peacefully with these different belief systems. I mean, I'm sure many can. But come on - when the three religions that are called out in particular are responsible for so much physical and mental destruction of people in our world, such as minorities or the religions in direct conflict with each other (e.g., religious conquests, terrorism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, anti-scientific progress including attitudes towards climate change and medical research etc.) of course I would wish that the musical wouldn't take the easy way out and pretend there is nothing wrong here.

It's quite hilarious that this whole event - 9/11 - was caused by islamism/religious fundamentalist ideology and yet the only thing the musical has to say on the matter is that not all muslims are terrorists. I think we get that in 2017. Could you imagine if the musical actually took a bit of risk and had a song where the muslim character explored an inner conflict where he acknowledged the terrible things caused by the fundamentalist beliefs within his religion (e.g., misogyny, homophobia, violence/terror in islamic countries and western countries) and then perhaps call for muslims to come together, call for peace, reject the fundamentalist teachings/find ways to explain the religious dogma in a way that doesn't result in the terrible outcomes it currently has, including 9/11? It would be the most politically important and powerful song of the season. And hopefully make the score a little bit more interesting. Of course, it would never do this. It isn't the pulitzer prize winning "Disgraced", which manages to explore the issue much more. It's a fairy floss left-wing soundbite/tweet (and I say this as a 'left-wing' person).

These are only minor points though - as I said I still enjoyed it, and won't be disappointed if it wins Best Musical if only because the *general* message is so important (even if I think it is overly sappy/sentimental and executed in an amateurish way).


Groundhog day on Newfoundland as portrayed in CFA

Small towns, tiny minds
Big mouths, small ideas
Shallow talk, deep snow, cold fronts
One bar one store one clock
One diner one bank one cop

I mean, whats not to like in a quaint like this
Who doesn't dig a crocheted pillowcase like this
Watercolors of bucolic vistas, painted by octogenarian spinsters and
All of the people just getting together for
relentless analysis of the weather their
dumb superstitions and vacuous chat
I'm sure there was a pack of Xanax in this jacket
You couldn't pay me to stay here one more night
swear that there is no cheque you could write that might tempt me to stay and wake up in the morning in

I've not a bad word to say about small towns per-say
They're nice for an hour or at a stretch, half a day
And they're perfect for a stop off on your way, on your way to somewhere else
Pretty much ... anywhere else
And I've no qualm at all with your small town people
I admire their balls getting out of bed at all
to face another day in a **** hole this small
All haystacks and horses where there should be golf courses and

One bar one store one clock
One diner one bank one cop

How can they bear it to live in a place like this
Separate from the whole human race like this
One little store selling plaid shirts and rakes
And it's huntin' and fishin' and half-pounder steaks
And if I have a hope of a better career than this
This is the last time I'm broadcasting here, Jesus
I have been forecasting too many years to be talking to hicks about magical beavers
When I'm done I'm gonna call up the station and tell them I'm through with this crap
And never again will I wake in the morning in

Updated On: 6/6/17 at 04:24 AM

Thanks for your post cam5y! 2 post up doesn't realize how stupid she sounds while calling Newfoundlanders stupid. At least they did something to help other people. Has she??!

Updated On: 6/6/17 at 08:53 AM

Jarethan said: "And we only have to wait a few days to see who is right!"

No in a few days, we will see who wins. After which, everyone will assess why certain awards were the wrong choice and why they are still right... (See: Kinky Boots vs Matilda, pretty much every time either is brought up)

Other than on this board, and some online reviews that conveniently mention "go see DEH!" at the end of it, I don't see this widespread condemnation of Malloy's score/book. In fact, it has been lavishly praised by everyone, from Schwartz to Sondheim

haterobics said: "Jarethan said: "And we only have to wait a few days to see who is right!"

No in a few days, we will see who wins. After which, everyone will assess why certain awards were the wrong choice and why they are still right... (See: Kinky Boots vs Matilda, pretty much every time either is brought up)



That was what I was referring to...who wins. Agree with your post, otherwise, although I am from the camp that enjoyed Kinky Boots a lot more than Matilda.

If we want to talk haters, I don't remember hearing this negative opinion of The Great Comet when it played Off-Broadway. I only heard "you gotta see this" type of word of mouth. Also heard that when it played Boston. Not until it reached Broadway, of course...

In my opinion, I think it's a fascinating score. It may be uneven and not 100% successful, but Dave Malloy has a voice that no one else has and it's amazing that this kind of a score is playing Broadway. I listen to the two cast recordings and find something new and interesting about the music and lyrics each time. It's very carefully crafted. Sorry if it's nails on a chalkboard to some people, but every note and lyric he wrote seems to have intention.

If the Drama Desks are any indication (which it might not be), there is still love for The Great Comet in the industry. After all, it won every award it was up for this year (I'm thrilled that it tied in Direction of a Musical with The Band's Visit). Plus, it's the out-of-the-box option, a total "this shouldn't have made it to Broadway but it did" option, a cool and edgy but retro option. I think it would be exciting if it won Best Musical. (And it would be the third longest title to win Best Musical behind How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.)

wonderfulwizard11 said: "I will say that I'll be very disappointed if Dave Malloy walks away completely empty-handed on Sunday. I understand if the score isn't to everyone's taste, but he wrote the entire show and orchestrated the whole thing on top of it. It's a remarkable feat that very few composers have ever accomplished, and he at least deserves Orchestrations just for pulling it off with the level of skill and detail he has."

100% this.

THE GREAT COMET is an opera, and I think this contributes to the widely varying opinions of its score. Generally, people like arias, because they're melodic. However, I suspect that many would consider the recitative in classic operas to be just "noise," especially those who need a melody in order to stay engaged. Is Malloy's score my favorite this season? No. Is it well-crafted, intricate, and consistently surprising? Absolutely. I have to acknowledge the talent that went into creating it.

^

PaulWom,

Pssst..... I see it.

I just don't buy it.

The music he mocks is infinitely superior to his.

"most of the well respected composers on Broadway (including Sondheim himself) disagree with you."



Well-respected by whom? Themselves? The so-called "critics?"

As for Sondheim, well, since he wrote that godawful song in the first place, it stands to reason he would disagree with me. But frankly, I don't give a hoot in hell what he thinks.

And I don't need you, him, or any "well-respected" composer to tell me what good --- or bad ---music is.

I know.

"Well-respected" was referring to Sondheim, Schwartz, Lin-Manuel, Adam Guettel, and many others.