Plum, you can disparage the RENTheads all you want, but you and your "bunch" of COCheads and others of your ilk, desperate to be perceived as members of a select, elitist minority, are just as bad. You clamor and applaud every "next new thing" that comes along, no matter how falsely intellectual, emotionally opaque, unintelligible, absurd, or just plain bad it might be, in the hopes of becoming charter members of an exclusive club, with its knowing winks and secret handshakes. Best be careful, though--while you're busy congratulating yourselves and patting each other on the back, you might fail to recognize real genius when it comes along. And, then, heaven help you, where would you be?
I don't hate Rent. I don't particularly like it, but I can see why other people do. But I don't see the point of going 500 times to that show or to any other. Why not expand your horizons a little? It doesn't have to be with Caroline or some other "highbrow" (ha!) show. Just try something new.
And I say this because I personally have Renthead friends who refuse to watch anything else. I'm not poking at straw men here.
I don't like Caroline because it's pseudo-intellecual, dearie. I like it because the music is lovely, the characters and ideas interesting. Obviously you don't feel the same say. You don't have to say I'm a snob because of that. It's just a matter of taste.
I like goofy musicals as much as the next girl, but I think it's a shame when people refuse to watch anything else. (And no, I don't think Rent is a goofy musical.) Liking Caroline doesn't make me a snob any more than liking Wicked makes my sister a vapid teeny-bopper. She liked Assassins, too. But automatically drawing conclusions about my character because of my opinions on one show? I think that makes you a bit judgemental, MusicMan. And that's the kindest way I can put it.
Updated On: 8/6/04 at 03:55 PM
Poor pathetic MusicMan. Attacking people for "thinking" they're "elite" when nobody said anything of the kind. In fact, what kind of elite club with secret handshakes rallies to get people to join, or in this case see a beautiful piece of theater before it closes? MusicMan, you're just another anti-intellectual American. Do they need a theater reviewer on Fox News?
I agree with Tuttle that shows close all the time. And I loved Caroline. As you recall, I was one of the first in the elite club!
Corine, your time would probably better spent organizing voter registration drives and registering people yourself. SERIOUSLY.
i am a foreigner, so yes i took the opportunity to see bombay dreams. and rent. and lion king.little shop. and wicked...etc etc etc when i went to new york
these shows (unless u want to discuss the political undertones of wicked or the social critique posed by rent) are brainless in the sense that my english as a second language brain can kick back and enjoy the show.
i DID however see assassins. and caroline or change. to me these were the best shows. i thought the assassins music was a little too much like sunday in the park, but the scripting was BRILLIANT! and then caroline or change, the MUSIC is brilliant. ive been studying music for 7 years now and there is no denying it, the music is GOOD! and the acting is amazing. and the scripts have substance - i know cause it was a mental workout for me. not cause im stupid - but because its not my first language.
but yes. broadway is going for the dumb. or maybe not the dumb, but the sappy happy musicals that give broadway a bad name amongst musical haters (GASP! i know! they exist, ive met them!) i think this is a direct result of all the things that have been going on lately in the world - people want to escape, not think. they dont want to have the lyrics to "everybody's got hte right to be happy" playing in their heads while they listen to another speech from their president. baaad idea. and minorities dont want to hear about what happened in the 60's when they're still dealing with the fact that hey! we're still minorities, we're still unequal!
people want to hear "i wanna be a producer" or "don't feed the plants" or "hakuna matata" cause it involves nothing of the real world. its like people watching shirley temple films during the great depression to avoid..well, being depressed. its normal, its a phase, it'll stop. but in the meantime, meaningful art like ASSASSINS AND CAROLINE OR CHANGE AND GYPSY and all those other extremely short lived musicals or plays will continue to close while people hum along to you cant stop the beat.
in other words...GO SEE CAROLINE OR CHANGE before it closes! its worth it, as an experience its worth it. and its a great show. even i, the foreigner, thinks so.
ps. i didnt mean to call rent dumb. i meant to call it pop. like avenue q. smart, funny, brilliant, but still pop. and i dont mean the music.
Tenme por lo que soy, por lo que puedo ser, y si te importo hoy, tenme nena, o vete!
I know Namo. I am just upset that all of the good shows are closing and crap stays alive. The Normal Heart Assassins Frozen And now CAROLINE. Why must tourists only see big broadway musicals? I am very upset by this. So Namo, I am speaking up. Save quality theater!
Updated On: 8/7/04 at 10:14 AM
I agree Corine2, i think the 03-04 season has so many flops but in the way that when they came out it wasn't a flop, but little did we know that only a few months later it would put up its closing notice. Also if Caroline or Little Shop can close than why the hell is Wonderful Town still here? ~*is Donna Murphy's nose that big that she can hold up that show? hehe
Don't bash Wonderful Town. I think it is also a show worth seeing and if people don't go to it it will be the next smart musical to close. I have seen Wonderful Town three times and i paid for the tickets.
it's also closing before bombay dreams and fiddler, which also have begun to average lower box office, but i don't see any comments regarding the ability of the physical attributes of the stars of those shows to keep them open... the fact that you are in awe of the fact wonderful town remains open should have nothing to do with the physical attributes of its stars...
Updated On: 8/7/04 at 12:04 PM
hey, I'm new here, but I got something to say. To everyone who is mad about the big broadway musicals still running, a lot of these musicals are WONDERFUL!!! look at hairspray, not only is it big, but it has, like caroline or change, got a great message! it's all about intergrating black and white! and wicked, It's a story about 2 best friends that go through so much together! So is it their fault that they attract audiences by being big! can you not get past that fact!
The point of this thread is to get tourists to see Caroline or Change and Wonderful Town. I loved Frozen and was moved by the acting but i think the subject matter does not appeal to the masses. Caroline will. Go see a show. Updated On: 8/7/04 at 03:27 PM