I miss the old-fashioned Broadway musical...

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 3:28pm

I am watching Broadway's Lost Treasures and I just realized how true that title is. Whatever happened to shows like 42nd Street? I know there is a current revival and it is wonderful!

Great music, amazing performers that look like they are having so much fun, exciting dancing. Don't get me wrong, I love the modern musical, but we need shows like these to keep Broadway alive.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 3:34pm

I agree with you 100% but the world has changed a lot since then. If you look at broadway now, it appeals a lot more to the masses and it is more of a business. Almost everything is commericial, which is a big shame.
^just my point of view

[BreakingTheCircle07]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 3:39pm

I dunno; if I could go through the next 10 years and never see another "Oklahoma" or "42nd Street"-type show, I'd be a happy theatre goer. Times are changing and we need shows to represent the current situations we face. Composers like Sondheim and Finn (especially) show us that theatre doesn't have to be bubble gum. It can be gutsier than that.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 3:41pm

I agree with both of you and unfortuantly, "Broadway's Lost Treasures" is no truer of a title. Think about how "sucessful" old broadway musical have been in the past couple of years.
42nd St.- yeah its on broadway but with a 5/6 year run
Gypsy-nuff said
Wonderful Town- a show that doesn't deserve the crappy attendance its getting. Not of mention the bashers.
Anyways, saddly, the days of old broadway musicals are gone. I loved though how Thoroughly Modern Millie really touched roots with it though. That was a GREAT show.....
Renee :)

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 3:45pm

I totally agree.

"Don't get me wrong, I love the modern musical."

I just miss these shows, that is all.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 3:07am

If we can't work with the modern times, which is Wildhorn's intentions (but a lack of execution), then Broadway can not sire future classics. It's the bleeding truth

Don't cling to the past

(which includes all those jukebox shows)

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 5:56am

I don't consider stagings of earlier film musicals to be REAL Broadway musicals.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 6:42am

"42nd St.- yeah its on broadway but with a 5/6 year run..."

A 5/6 year run is pretty good. By the way, it was a 9 year run, which is excellent. Plus there is a revival now.

I bet you haven't even seen the shows you mentioned.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 7:30am

Sorry about my inaccuracy. Anyways, no need to doubt. I am actually an avid theatergoer.
Renee :)

[Glebb]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 7:54am

I love old book musicals but I love them when they are done fresh. "42nd Street" was boring for me. That huge theatre and those broad performances did nothing for me. It's not enough to just put on huge dance numbers and dazzling old fashioned sets. I need to be brought into a world of great imagination and vision I would have never imagined myself.

The Nicholas Hytner CAROUSEL is a perfect example of taking an old show and making it new and interesting. It was engrossing and graspable.

Almost everything ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY does is like that. CABARET, FOLLIES, NINE. They all had new, highly imaginative and engrossing takes on an old musical.

[RagtimeRay]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 8:07am

You won't miss them for long. The fact is that, increasingly, Broadway is relying on revivals to ensure business. The risks associated with producing new material are great. It costs a lot of money to bring a new Musical to B'way these days, and with no guarantee of what the critics will say (which, face it, is a big factor in how long a new show stays open), it is easier to remount a familiar title that might have a chance of recouping its investment.

[Glebb]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 8:09am

And then there are new musicals such as RAGTIME and WICKED. Both enjoyable in my opinion.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 8:16am

"42nd St.- yeah its on broadway but with a 5/6 year run"

5-6 year run is nothing to sniff at. And it will probably recoup. Noth of which are rather rare and admirable accomplishments.

"Gypsy-nuff said"

Anyone who says "'nuff said" usually doesn't say enough. Gypsy has never done well. Not one Broadway production of Gypsy has EVER done well. This is nothing new.

"Wonderful Town- a show that doesn't deserve the crappy attendance its getting. Not of mention the bashers."

A matter of opinion, of course, but perhaps it would have fared better had it been fully staged. The "concert" staging was a misfire on this show. This is definitely your old-fashioned musical comedy that should have had the fun, splashy sets and scenery. Removing them just waters down the dated book and doesn't give the audience much to look at. Unlike Chicago, there was no concept involved. Merely a show with missing sets and often missing leads. If I paid full price, I would probably feel ripped off.

[PleaseChangeMe]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 9:18am

I sort of miss the old fashioned Broadway musical, but I really miss GOOD musicals, with GOOD storylines, GOOD music, GOOD all around. Not crap like Wicked or Hairspray.

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 9:23am

* bowing down before PleaseChangeMe *

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 9:52am

No Broadway production of GYPSY has done well? The Weisslers might take issue with that. And the original ran 702 performances...that's kind of doing well...

Updated On: 9/27/04 at 09:52 AM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 12:32pm

Not sure how Harspray qualifies as "crap".

GOOD book - yes
GOOD music - yes
GOOD all-around - yes

While the original Gypsy ran almost two years and is definitely well-respected, it was not considered a "success". Out of four Broadway productions, that was the longest run. The Weissler revival, while winning two Tonys, and running almost two years as well clocked in fewer performances at 476.

Updated On: 9/27/04 at 12:32 PM

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 12:41pm

Anyone who likes to get new "real" showtunes, gotta listen to Flaherty&Ahrens. Like in Ragtime and My favourite Year I am pretty sure they will provide a lot of great material in upcoming shows.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 12:54pm

Hairspray's book is easily it's weakest link, it is deeply flawed and I personally don't think it qualifies as good.

But Gypsy doesn't have a weak link. And saying that a production of Gypsy has never done well is insane. I can't believe you're calling a 476 performance run not doing well. Especially as when Tyne Daly was in the role, it was VERY popular.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 12:56pm

"I miss the old-fashioned Broadway musical"??? Just what on Broadway right now is avant-garde or modern? EVERYTHING is old-fashioned! Nothing moves things forward. Less old stuff, more new, I say!

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 1:30pm

borstal, people have to be willing to see the new stuff... not these jukebox shows, or american-idol type belty music that sounds just like everything else on top-40... go off- and off-off-broadway for the good stuff! and inexpensive, too!

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 2:14pm

I think "Little Women" has the idea of being like an old fashioned musical. Its a wonderful story with many themes that the older musicals had. But at the same time we are not bored by the story it's verty emotional and touching. I hope they bring that through with LW. I hope it does well and is good. It's one of my all time favorite stories.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 2:16pm

LOL-when I read this thread topic, I got "Old Fashion Love Story" from The Wild Party in my head...
A Chorus Line-would that be considered old-fashioned? I know it broke a lot of ground, but I just think of it as THE classic. Maybe it's because it's the first Cast Recording I ever purchased.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 2:44pm

I don't know. It strikes me that "old-fashioned" Broadway is very well represented season after season and has never gone anywhere. With current revivals like "Wonderful Town," "Fiddler" and "42nd Street," upcoming revivals of "Sweet Charity" and "La Cage" as well as new shows that are throwbacks to the past such as "The Producers" and "Thoroughly Modern Millie" -- not to mention that we've seen revivals in the last few years of "Gypsy," "Man of La Mancha," "Oklahoma," "Kiss Me Kate," "Annie Get Your Gun," "Bells Are Ringing," "Music Man," "1776," "Little Me," "Peter Pan," "Sound of Music" -- the old-fashioned musical still has a very strong presence on Broadway.

[Benzy92]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 4:20pm

I thought Ragtime is the closest to an old fashioned musical from the past 5-10 years. As one can see, it didnt last. People want spectacle now and want to get their money's worth.