Controversial musicals

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Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/8/15 at 6:57pm

So I made a video explaining some controversial musicals and how I think they are important as they let us be able to speak about things we can't usually speak about. I'm aware that I could of gone into more detail with each one but thought that I can do that in future videos. Also, this is just a fraction of musicals. I could of done more but didn't want the video to be too long. Do you agree with what I said, or not and if so why? I'm quite interested in what people have to say on this!

https://youtu.be/yFgwrIaKFeE

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/8/15 at 7:23pm

It's interesting that all the musicals you chose were hits. I think most of the shows you picked had controversial material in them, but all of them were received extremely well and therefor I don't see how they were controversial.

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/8/15 at 7:25pm

Would the scottsboro Boys be a controversial show?

My father (AIDS) My sister (AIDS) My uncle and my cousin and her best friend (AIDS, AIDS, AIDS) The gays and the straights And the white and the spades

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/8/15 at 8:10pm

I chose hits as I thought that more people would actually kinda understand where I'm coming from as they'd have background info on the shows (presuming they'd seen them) and with the material being controversial is what I meant. That's my fault for not explaining correctly and I see what you mean now. Do you agree with what I said or not?

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/8/15 at 8:11pm

I didn't think about that to be honest. I haven't seen it but I know the outline and I feel like you are correct!

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/8/15 at 9:24pm

Could HAVE. Would HAVE. Should HAVE. Never "of". (Sorry, one of my grammatical pet peeves.)

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/8/15 at 9:35pm

dramamama611 said: "Could HAVE. Would HAVE. Should HAVE. Never "of". (Sorry, one of my grammatical pet peeves.)"

Lol dramamama, that's a peeve of mine too. They mean "could've." One of my favorites is "who'd've."

"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/8/15 at 9:37pm

Dealing with sensitive issues/characters is not really the same as being controversial. The subject matter in A Chorus Line is far from controversial. Nor was the info in Ave Q. Shocking maybe, but hardly controversial.

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/8/15 at 9:39pm

The Life

Oh Calcutta

Let My People Come

Poster Emeritus

Updated On: 11/8/15 at 09:39 PM

#10

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/8/15 at 11:11pm

I imagine some of the old Cole Porter musical audiences were shocked by the frank sexuality of some of his lyrics.

#11

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/9/15 at 2:04am

Call_me_jorge said: "Would the scottsboro Boys be a controversial show?

Weren't there protests at the show? I'd think that that would make it controversial... I believe (I may be misremembering, but I know that there definitely were complaints of this nature, even if it's not what the protests were about) that people were angry about its minstrel show format.

#12

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/9/15 at 2:51am

Don't worry it's ok. I'm aware that I do this!

#13

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/9/15 at 2:54am

The thing is, you have to put it into context of time on when it was released and you may have just found avenue q shocking. I think I remember one Princeton/Rod puppeteer said that a group of nuns once watched the show and said that the place is going to burn down (something like that). And what they say about Germans in Avenue q

#14

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/9/15 at 5:52am

Shocking and controversial are not the same thing.

#15

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/9/15 at 8:37am

Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd" and "Assassins" are two that come to mind regarding being controversial in subject matter. Though considered a classic now, I recall that when Todd opened in 1979 there was a fair amount of press decrying its subject matter as being inappropriate for a musical. There were many walkouts during previews and some critics dismissed it on those grounds.

As recently as last year I attended a production of "Assassins" in Boston and during the talk back after the show audience members repeatedly questioned its viability as the subject for a musical.

#16

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/9/15 at 11:11am

I see what you mean with some of them but Avenue Q and Book of Mormon they put disclaimers on and I was also thinking about the controversial things that happened off-stage like with chorus line. I do get where you're coming from though

#17

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/9/15 at 2:38pm

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR caused an uproar even when the concept album was released.

Keeping BroadwayWorld Illustrated

#18

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/9/15 at 2:51pm

The disclaimers were so you didn't bring children that were too young.

#19

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/9/15 at 7:38pm

That may be true for Avenue q but not for Book of Mormon because of the religion side of it (once again, not having a go at you, just a friendly debate)

#20

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/9/15 at 10:29pm

I don't believe we had such warnings here in the States.

#21

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/10/15 at 1:42am

In today's climate MARY POPPINS would be controversial.

#22

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/10/15 at 3:57am

There's a parental advisory on every ticket to Book of Mormon that states "Parental Advisory: Explicit Language" as well as signs explaining that and more in the box office. However, there is no mention on any ticket or sign that it is controversial because of it's take on religion, just warning on the language suitability.

Edit: I just took a gander at the Book of Mormon London Instagram and not a mention of the religious nature of the show was mentioned on any of the tickets tagged to the account. The only warning on the tickets is the same as the one I mentioned from the Broadway tickets - the parental advisory about the language.

"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.

Updated On: 11/10/15 at 03:57 AM

#23

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/10/15 at 5:46am

That's what I thought, thanks for confirming, Clumsy.

#24

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/10/15 at 9:33am

PRETTYBELLE was a pretty controversial musical for it's time.

EDIT: It didn't fly in 1971 and it certainly would not today. PRETTYBELLE is the story of a manic-depressive nymphomaniac alcoholic who learns her husband, who is the local sheriff, is a racist and is responsible for the deaths of innocent blacks and other minorities. To atone for his sins, Prettybelle decides she must sacrifice herself by having sex with as many minority men as possible. The story is told in flashback as she is writing her memoirs in a mental institution.

Not exactly MY FAIR LADY....LOL

Updated On: 11/10/15 at 09:33 AM

#25

Controversial musicals

Posted: 11/10/15 at 9:32pm

Call_me_jorge said: "Would the scottsboro Boys be a controversial show?

No. Which is exactly what is wrong with the show, in my opinion. "Racism is bad" doesn't even require a reply, in this day and age, much less 2 hours of illustration.

A better show would "argue" for its villains, as the saying goes, and probably include the excuses people still make for racism: "But people like to stay with their own kind." "You can't expect people raised under the old system to change too quickly." "Black people are overly sexual; they can't help themselves." "If they didn't commit the rapes for which they were convicted, they probably got away with other crimes we don't even know about." "It's really just a few rotten apples that spoil things for everyone."

The above are just off the top of my head, obviously.

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