Grey Gardens a Musical or a Play with music? — Page 2

Well, of course, some adjustments would have to be made for the book songs, but as a whole, the book of GREY GARDENS plus a few alterations would make an equally amazing show. IMHO.

Goodnight!

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American boy, I understand where you're coming from but Grey Gardens has always been about the music and performing arts starting from its beginnings as a documentary and workshops into a fully stage musical. I don't think the show would be as powerful and emotionally moving for its audiences if it hadn't been for the music.

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okay a play with music is a play that includes music that does relate to the play...has nothing to do with the story but adds a little something and is in the same era

like the show im in right now
Spoon River Anthology, is considered a play with music
because it has a bunch of folk music that does not relate to the play but comes from the same era.....
Grey Gardens and Spring Awakening music, if taken away, the story would be completly lost and make no sense at all.
there for classifying them as musicals

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Updated On: 7/31/07 at 02:44 AM

Again, a play with music uses music to punctuate and comment on the action. A musical uses music in place of dialogue to further the action.

It's a musical.

I think americanboy was born in '99.

~Jacob.

It's a musical. People are just confused because it's actually good.

BSoBW2- I think that Coram Boy is the perfect example of a Play with music.

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I think I know what they're driving at when they say, "It's a play with music."

I actually made a similar comment to my friends, the night I saw it on Broadway. I said, "This feels like a play with music, rather than a musical."

It was a compliment, actually, and I was even asked at the time what I meant by that.

The show focuses on the acting, and makes it the Number One priority above all else... and the "dialogue" whether sung in verse or spoken. It's not a "singer's show" (and certainly not a dancer's show). It's an ACTOR's show. It's clearly approached that way too, from the set design (that looks more like a play's design than a musical's), right down to the blocking and direction. It wasn't an accident, either, if everyone involved seemed to be creatively approaching it that way.

But I put in a few extra words in my comment, when I said it "feels like" a play with music, rather than a musical.

They said it WAS a play with music, rather than a musical, and that's not true technically.

By definition of genre and format, it's a musical.

But none of them envisioned it that way... and I think they were successful in their goal, since I clearly got what they were doing.

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Actually you said it was by definition a play with music because the focus was around the book.

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To me, GG is a musical.

How would you classify Jersey Boys?

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Well, the music in JERSEY BOYS is a crucial part of the storytelling, and the story would not be able to be told without it.

So, JERSEY BOYS is, undoubtedly, a musical.

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"Actually you said it was by definition a play with music because the focus was around the book."

No, I didn't. Re-read my post.

I said it FELT LIKE a play with music, when I was sitting in the audience. It left me with that impression, because they "approached" it that way creatively.

I didn't say it WAS a play with music.

It's not. It's a musical.

I can't be more clear than that.

...and Jersey Boys is a big, fat musical. It doesn't "feel" like a play with music at all.

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Ya, I was talking to Americanboy.

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