Is THE BAND’S VISIT getting the Tony for Best Musical? — Page 3

BroadwayConcierge said: "BroadwayRox3588 said: "BroadwayConcierge said: "SpongeBob is great theatrically, but devoid of a substantive plot (and has a very disjointed score)."

Huh? While I do agree thatThe Band's Visitis a near sure bet for Best Musical, we must've been watching two completely different shows."

Do you disagree thatSpongeBobhas a thin plot and a disjointed score? Don't get me wrong, I lovedSpongeBoband thought it was fabulousfun. But the plot is pretty predictable (and most of the show is just character vignettes rather than plot development), and the score, while filled with individually excellent songs, sounds very disjointed during a single sit-down evening of theatre—at least I thought it was very clear that 40 different people wrote each song. Again, a truly fun show and theatrically imaginative, but in terms of a cohesive, substantive musical, I think it is lacking."

First of all, I apologize for my snippy way of voicing my disagreement.

I disagree in the sense that I not only had fun at SpongeBob, I felt fully engaged in the story for the entire time, and found multiple characters very relatable (namely Sandy and Squidward). I didn't have any issues with the plot of the show, because it allowed me to feel emotionally connected to multiple characters I have loved since I was very young. That was one of my favorite things about the show. In terms of the score, if you're saying that it is, for lack of a better term, a bit busy, then that I can fully understand. I personally enjoy it, but I understand where you're coming from. I have wanted The Band's Visit to win Best Score all season, and that has not changed.

And all this is to take nothing away from The Band's Visit or any other show. I think another thing worth noting here is that to compare The Band's Visit and SpongeBob is like comparing apples and oranges. Each is a wonderful show that offers very different things to very different audiences. I'm very happy both exist on Broadway right now, and which ever one wins Best Musical (it will be The Band's Visit) is very deserving of the honor.

I went to TBV's expecting to love it. And I started out really liking it. I thought the opening scenes were very funny, very engaging. As the evening wore on (and it does seem rather long despite being extremely short) I got sort of tired of the low-level wistfulness. Maybe I'm missing something but when Dina hooked up with Haled I was like "ok, so it really wasn't important." I just didn't feel moved.

Wait guys, can a fight like this maybe not start? I would love to keep discussing The Band's Visit substantively, and it's petty issues like this that ruin the boards. Please.

BroadwayConcierge said: "Wait guys, can a fight like this maybe notstart? I would love to keep discussingThe Band's Visitsubstantively, and it's petty issues like this that ruinthe boards. Please."

I'm not trying to start a fight. And I absolutely am all for substantive discussion about this awesome piece. I'm just rubbed the wrong way when someone tells someone else they misinterpreted the show. It A) it shuts down the validity of the receivers artistic being and B) shuts down the ability to have subjective discussion.

Oak2 said: "There is indeed no such thing as misinterpreting art. Death of the Author is absolutely a thing, so even the intent behind it does not matter. Part of the whole beauty of art and entertainment is that it's not just what the creator (and in stage, also other factors such as the performers and everyone involved with the production) puts into, but also what each individual takes from it. Every audience member can react differently and the mixing of their own views, values, tastes, and the like with what is consumed from the art is what creates the absolutely unique interpretation within that viewer. It is ultimately the choice of the person viewing the art to decide what it means for themselves, and every individual interpretation is valid, regardless of the creators' original intent.To call any one interpretation and reaction more valid than another is elitist and thus evil."

What he said (Ok maybe not evil lol)

GeorgeandDot said: "Everything seems destroyed and hopeless and depressing and then the phone rings."

Danielle49 said: “Wow. This is so beautiful and simply eloquent.”



Looking forward to seeing the show at the end of the month. “Answer Me” is probably my favorite song on the entire album. My favorite line: “In my dreams my beloved lies beside me. When the sun lights the room, I find its only me”. Can’t wait to see this is person from the front row.

GeorgeandDot said: "There is a *right* way to interpret the show.

Wrong.

Anyway in my opinion "Answer Me" is the single best song/moment/scene of any musical of this season. To me, it is the perfect emotional climax and it was written beautifully with the crescendo leading up to "Only You", which in my opinion basically encapsulates the entire message of the show in 2 words. I don't think I'll ever forget the amount of chills I got in that moment. This should absolutely win best score.

GeorgeandDot said: "Texas, this isn't high school art class. Many visual artists leave their work open to a lot of interpretation. TBV however, lays out how it should be interpreted. There is a *right* way to interpret the show. Of course there is room to make your own interpretations within that.

I agree that I don't want to get caught up in this conversation. It doesn't belong here.

Anyways, yeah, "nothing" happens in The Band's Visit to a typical outside viewer, but the show shows us that, that night was probably one of the most important nights in these people's lives. Nothing happens and yet everyone's lives are changed. The show also has this wonderful circular energy. The show doesn't really seem to begin or end. We're dropped in and then dropped out. We get a beautiful slice of a human, emotional journey and there's something just so beautiful about that. All we're left with is the hope that, that isn't the end of these people's journeys and the show suggests to us that maybe it isn't."



"Anyways" is not a word, FYI. And you are, as usual, off-base. There is no 'right' or correct way to interpret art. An author might hope and intend you have a particular experience but he/she cannot dictate an individual's interpretation. It's not conceptually possible.

BroadwayConcierge said: "Wait guys, can a fight like this maybe notstart? I would love to keep discussingThe Band's Visitsubstantively, and it's petty issues like this that ruinthe boards. Please."

I sincerely apologize if my intent was taken the wrong way, as I was not trying to start a fight.

I feel The Band's Visit has a tad too much comedy in the beginning. I loved it the second time after knowing what to expect, but the comedy part threw me off when I first saw it and didn't warm me up for the emotions that I was so taken by revisiting the show.