Laura Griffith walks into "The Light..." — Page 4

I find the comparisons to Do I Hear A Waltz very interesting. I have no idea whether Mr. Guettel was influenced by that music or just the fact that it was happening when he was very young so he must have been exposed to it - but the similarities intrigue me. Last night in class, someone sang a piece from "Waltz" called Take The Moment, and I began to get teary-eyed at the first few bars of music. The song is very similar to something in Piazza - something I can't quite put my finger on - but if you get a chance, listen to it and see if you don't also find a similar quality. This is not meant in any way to take something away from Guettel's work - He may even have been paying Homage to Richard Rodgers at certain points (we can't truly know, can we?)...but both pieces are beautiful and deserve our attention.

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ahhhh... "Do I Hear A Waltz?"... "Take The Moment"... Sergio Franchi's voice... ahhhhhh

bump

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I'll save Redhot the trouble of bumping this again. To answer an earlier question, yes, the mechanic took the CD. I popped down this morning on my way to the DMV to return a tool that was left under the seat and gave him the case and booklet. He is totally into the show now, told me he took it home and made his wife listen to it. I figure that if my friends can give away Bibles, I can give away Adam Guettel CDs.

I find that, for a non-traditional type of piece that it is, it's quite full of longing, hope and a myriad of other emotions.
To each his/her own, I know. I stand by my feeling that Piazza is one of the finest pieces of musical theater written in my lifetime.

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All right then - I'll play - Namo, if not Piazza, then what, in your opinion, IS the finest American Musical written in the last 40 years?

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Red, I'm not playing a game at all. And I'm not a musical queen to the level that you are. In fact, when I was a little kid taken to see The Sound of Music movie I basically thought the songs were stupid and couldn't wait for them to be over. Except I am Sixteen Going on Seventeen and The Lonely Goatherd. So I was no Musical Queen in the Making, even then.

The Beatles had a much more profound effect on me than the musical theater did. And unlike many people who post here, I do not adore all cast recordings merely because they exist, I do not think all musicals "need our support." I certainly do not go see something specifically because people break out into song during it. I am more likely to go see a play on impulse than a musical.

I love what I consider to be GOOD musicals that I have been lucky enough to see, my flesh crawls at the ones I have seen that are cheesy and bad. Again, I know it's all opinions.

My point is, what I see here is somebody who is SUPER-enthusiastic in the afterglow of something he has seen recently. Who is making connections to the "spiritual side" of his life that he writes about in a lot of threads, particularly one about quitting his job. And I think that's great.

But I think ONLY somebody in that afterglow, who is so enraptured in the moment that is still so fresh in his mind, would continue to bump his thread. Why add anything at all if the only thing there is to add is the word "bump?"

I'm glad you were thrilled, I'm glad you loved it. And I gave my Purple Rain example because I think sometimes we need the distance of time to seriously examine a show and decide where it fits in our personal pantheon. That's all.

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I gotta tell you, I loved PIAZZA, but Red's (and others) flowery posts about how absolutely marvelous the show is and how it has changed his life is bordering on obnoxious. Why the need to continually bump this thread if not to establish your own feeling of self-importance. The show is doing well, has extended twice and is selling in the 80-90%. This thread will make absolutely no difference in the attendance for this show and saying that we must keep the thread alive is just laughable. If people want to post, let them post, but do we continually need to see Red bump the post for the sake of bumping the post. Let it die if no one has anything interesting or important to add to the gooey and syrupy nonsense already posted ad nauseum.

I have no problem with Red basking in his afterglow, but don't shove it down our throats. It is making us gag.

Well we see where Sue stands on this issue.

LOL - actually you didn't bump - you actually had something to say and I have no issue with that. But bumping for the sake of bumping to have others see your "talk" is self serving and obnoxious in my opinion.

Color me corrected.