Everyone Loves It But You...Why?- Page 2

[magruder]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 12:05pm

Taking a cue from Frank Rich's review of Sunday, the stories of the characters in the painting build to a boil and stop abruptly. The point, says he, is that the stories are not important. As per George, they are fodder for dots. As such, what seems arbitary may be deliberately so.

I've never found Dot to be a misogynistic creation. Domina? Cora Hoover Hooper? Joanne? Phyllis? Gussie? Mrs. Lovett? Mme. Armfeldt? Those I could see. Those women border on the grotesque. I just don't see it with Dot.

I have to say, I love the scene with the American tourists.

The fact is, I may just not have any objectivity with Sunday, but I'm enjoying talking about it.

[rlbgbc]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 12:13pm

Rob-A-Boo-Boo:

We could never hate you, darling! I loved SWEENEY TODD, but to each his own. That's what makes all the brilliant hues of the rainbow -- each and every drip-droplet special and unique.

[robbiej]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 12:15pm

See, I recognize it's brilliance. And singing the music was amazingly fulfilling. Perhaps that's why I can't bear to watch it (or really even listen to it) anymore. Perhaps once you've seen Paree, ya can't stay don't on the farm.

[King Stevos]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 12:18pm

For me I don't get hairspray. Everything about Millie, except the people I saw in the performance- it was like lets take time to give our stars a caberet number which they will perform to perfection, and then now back to the horrible staging of a bad show, CATS, never got it, never will, I can't enjoy a show that is based only on costuming, to me musical theater is about the interaction of all arts, not just to show off one.

STEVOS

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 12:21pm

I don't think 'Sunday' builds to a boil as much as a boil simply happens because the writers needed one to happen. Most of the characters have never even met, let alone interacted, let alone established relationships that were 'building to a boil.'

[King Stevos]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 12:23pm

I forgot three huge success that I never have liked nor gotten: THE WIZARD OF OZ, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN annd shoot me, and lastly MUSIC MAN.

STEVOS

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 12:32pm

i know what you mean about WIZARD ( a LOT of sentiment there) and ANNIE, which has a jury-rigged book to get a lot very good specialty numbers to string together (BOY FROM OZ, anyone?)...but i think MUSIC MAN does what it sets out to do beautifully, and the score is a treasure. Take a look at the film if you haven't...the Preston performance is an engine that has kept a show going for decades. And personally, there is a debate for me over Shirley versus Barbara...having not seen Barbara, i lean toward Shirley. But both are delightful.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 12:36pm

Anyone who hates "The Music Man" is ok in my book.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 12:42pm

THE MUSIC MAN is one of those gosh-darn Amurricana-in-crinolines musicals that came over fast and furious on the wake of OKLAHOMA! and CAROUSEL. I have never warmed to them at all.

I also have a hard time with any show with any school-of-Agnes DeMille 'dream ballet'.

Updated On: 11/20/03 at 12:42 PM

[sparky310]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 12:47pm

always..i figure if everyone likes and i hate it it will be a hit..isnt that backward logic.

[sheekala]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 12:58pm

OKLAHOMA no likey. LES MIZ never likey. AVE. Q I likey but not as much as everybody elsey.

[robbiej]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 1:04pm

But your icon, sheek, I LIKEY!

[~*The Broadway Baby*~]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 1:13pm

Mamma Mia (good god why did they put this on Broadway?)
Music Man
Starlight Express
and for some reason Sunday In The Park with George didn't do it for me either, and I'm one of Sondheims biggest fans.

~*Broadway Baby*~

[sheekala]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 1:22pm

And it loves you back longtime robbiej!

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 1:31pm

Wicked and Millie :) hehe!

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 1:31pm

Wicked and Millie :) hehe!

[orion59]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 1:35pm

Pippin.

Everyone loves this show but me. I have no real reason that i can expalin. I just don't like it.

I've also never been crazy about Chorus Line

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 1:37pm

robbiej,

Sweeney is a show to fall in love with on cd or videotape. It is very difficult to enjoy upon initial viewing in a theater.

Most people do not like Sweeney in the theater, its word of mouth was awful. Of course, Sweeney was loved by passionate theater folk and Sondheim enthusiasts. But it was a show that you wanted to be very careful in recommending to a "civilian."

Lots of folks will chime in and say how much they loved Sweeney etc., Funny, this volume of folks never showed at the box office for the original production or its revival with Bob Gunton and Beth Fowler.

Again, this is another case of people falling in love with a show on video or cd and then "romanticizing" the facts to "what a magnificent Broadway show it is."

The cd of Sweeney is ravishing and I loved the show. The original production had a fun performance by Angela Lansbury and a boring one by Len Cariou.

The production was confusing, bloated and boring. However,

I did fall in love with Sweeney when I got the album and was enthralled the second and third time I saw it in the theater.

Sweeney Todd is a masterpiece, but it is certainly not a "must see" for the casual theater goer.

[lc1965]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 1:38pm

Phantom of the Opera
Sweeney Todd
the revival of Into the Woods (perhaps the worst!)
Sexaholix
oh, there are so very many....

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 1:40pm

King Stevos??

there has never been a huge success of a stage version of The Wizard of Oz.

What were you talking about, the Judy Garland movie?

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 1:43pm

Txtwostep, What "Wizard" were you talking about?

anybody? I am soooo very confused

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 1:46pm

actually, in regionals, the National, and even tours, OZ on stage has done extremely well. NYC is hardly the only place for a show to have commercial success.

[A_Boy_From_Oz]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 2:06pm

Never have liked "Guys and Dolls" and probably never will. Loved "Pippin" until I was part of a horrible production of it, now the show always leaves a bitter taste with me.

[robbiej]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 2:29pm

Orion,

You ain't the only one who has NO IDEA what anyone sees in Pippin.

When everyone was screaming that the WICKED score had to be wonderful because Steven Schwartz wrote it, I was like 'Huh???'

I mean...he writes some good songs...but scores as a whole? Not so much.

The only score that I truly enjoy of his was, oddly enough, from his biggest flop, THE BAKER'S WIFE...truly ravishing.

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 3:07pm

TxTwostep?

what OZ onstage? I have no idea what you are talking about.

Was the film adapted for a stage production? Was it an original musical? Was anyone of particular interest in it???

Are you talking about the Judy Garland movie? Thanks:)