hugs for Starbuck and Wayman.
i don't understand why the same people who damn Lennon for being different from the traditional musical or the so-called "jukebox" musical are the same people who are condemning it for being too "out there", too "conceptual". Lennon is a leap, it is different without being so strayed from the norm that it is hard to grasp. i'm talking about the show and the concept, not the cast. the cast, in my opinion have done and can do no wrong. [squee! for terry and darin, namely]
why do people who loathe this show feel the need to come onto a thread of discussion and bash it, deeming it "worthless"? i am not a fan of Mamma Mia, Hairspray, or Phantom, but i don't stop on all of their threads and ripping the productions apart while a group of people who like the show, or who have an interest in the show and are looking for more information, are trying to have a civilized, adult discussion. if you don't like Lennon, congratulations, you get a gold star. some of us do, so let us have our discussions and opinions without tainting each thread of Lennon appreciation.
i am not ashamed to say that i enjoyed myself at All Shook Up and at Good Vibrations. while the former was a more quality show than the latter, i don't see why either should be condemned solely because its score was pre-existing. a show doesn't have to be Shakespeare for it to be a good theatre experience. i'd rather leave the theatre humming songs and with a smile on my face than with the knowledge that i saw ben brantley's (sic) [or any other critic's, for that matter!] opinion of "legitimate" theatre.
show tickets are not cheap. and, as it was already pointed out, many people go to the theatre on vacation and only get to see one or two shows a year. but is it anyone's responsibility to "TELL them what shows stink"? no. it is our responsibility as avid theatregoers to give complete reviews of different productions, and as avid theatregoers we should have the knowledge to realize that while we may not like a particular show, that doesn't mean the person on vacation will not. would i steer a vacationing disco fan away from Mamma Mia? no. i would, however, steer myself away from it, and i would tell them that while i was not pleased with the show, there's a boatload of talent on the stage and the music carries the show. not everyone is a fan of the Tony Awards' "best musical", and that is why it makes more sense to give a prospective ticketbuyer a clear, COMPLETE overview of the show, not just one statement that it "stinks" and should therefore be avoided.
and personally, i think many of these critics are crazy. brantley (sic) noted that there were 5 people playing john. beg pardon? what about the other 4? and one reviewer commented that julia sings "beautiful boy" as john's mother, to baby sean. did i miss something in my 7 viewings of the show? or the one who decided that the show would be better if marcy played every part and the rest of the cast were at other jobs? i love marcy, but let's be realistic and have a little appreciation for the overwhelming amount of talent, devotion, and drive that shines up on the broadhurst stage every night.
"It's not for sissies, contrary to popular belief." - Tommy Tune, on musical theatre.
My avatar: Yummy, no?
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