Great Musical vs Great Play?

Much the same as you Tigg. A good play stimulates my mind but rarely my emotions. A good musical can do both.

A musical comedy rarely makes me laugh as much as a good non-musical comedy - The Drowsy Chaperone being an exception (Scripps ducks to avoid the custard pies).

A great play, every time. Which is kinda weird; I've been a fan of musicals for years, and I wouldn't be the nerdy theatre fan I am today if it weren't for that. My iPod is filled with showtunes and I love being in musicals. But the turnover of plays and musicals in the West End means there's usually a much wider variety of plays to see (sure, there's plenty of musicals, but there's an array of longrunners and most musicals I'm sure hope to have open-ended runs rather than limited ones; compare this with plays, where there's only two real long-runners and a whole mess of limited runs, and there are WAY more plays available over an extended period of time than there are musicals). So I've seen a lot more plays, which has led me to a place where I genuinely get WAY more excited about plays.

Given the choice between seeing, say, Hairspray or Angels in America, I'd plump for the latter every time. Les Mis vs The Woman in Black? The play. Wicked vs War Horse? No brainer! Phantom vs The Mousetrap? Well, I'd probably cry off all together and go for a walk in the park. But you get my point; I'm a play person now, and long may it continue. Although I do just about remember to take in a musical every now and then as well.

Scrippsy, I think you'll find a good play can do both as well. In fact, War Horse is quite a bit like a musical in that it mayn't stimulate you intellectually, but if it doesn't stir you emotionally, you're obviously an unfeeling robot.

---

Updated On: 5/2/09 at 07:23 AM

It's because y'all are starving me for play-related chat; I'm ALL over any play reference like a hungry dog on a plate of cheese and crackers.

---

I am a man of music, not words, all those plays are well too camp for me!

For War Horse? Um, there is, actually. ;D It's not the *original* original cast though, it's from the second time through the National. XD

---