Mormon Mania

Hello Everyone! No doubt what we have here is an incredible season on Broadway. And I mean quite literally everything is oozing with Talent. But something I wanted to maybe ask people is...Do you think the Mormon Mania is overshadowing a lot of other incredible productions?

My example would be Catch Me If You Can. A fantastic production that is so underrated and I feel being overshadowed this season! This show is such a true Broadway musical. What do you think? Any other shows overshadowed?

*This message board is not Anti-Book of Mormon in any way. The show is fantastic. This is just an idea I had and wanted to discuss.

You might want to peek in on some of the other Mormon threads as this is already being discussed.

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^Love.

"My example would be Catch Me If You Can... This show is such a true Broadway musical."

Really? Really???

The last time I checked, a musical that was originally intended to be a lavish book musical that chickened out and decided to hide behind the poorly executed guise of being set on a "variety show" for no real apparent reason other than the real Frank Abagnale apparently liked them does not read TRUE Broadway musical at all. (Frank Abagnale liked a lot of things... a lot of which are presented in this musical and have NOTHING to do with variety shows.)

TRUE Broadway musicals don't feature a unit set that has nothing to do with the plot or characters, a device that has nothing to do with the plot or characters, and a band on stage. Honestly, John Doyle could have done a better job with their concept than they did.

And why? BECAUSE MOST OF THE SONGS DON'T SPEAK TO BEING PERFORMED ON VARIETY SHOWS. And they weren't written to be.

The Book of Mormon has been written and presented in every aspect as a good old-fashioned American musical comedy and it succeeds on every level. And then some.

What IS Catch Me If You Can? A concept show? Leave that to Sondheim or Kander and Ebb, they do it much better. And it's definitely not a book musical. Book musicals don't frame themselves inside a device that leaves most of the audience confused. It's a confused piece of theatrical mess that people want to enjoy ONLY because The Book of Mormon is such a hit now, it's no longer "cool" to like it.

"TRUE Broadway musicals don't feature a unit set that has nothing to do with the plot or characters, a device that has nothing to do with the plot or characters, and a band on stage."
I don't think that's true. I agree with everything else you said, though. The Sweeney Todd revival had the cast doubling as the orchestra on stage and that was every bit as broadway musical as anything I've ever seen.

It has a sometimes fun sometimes painful score with a poor book, a boring set, and just overall mediocricy. In another season, like last, I may have awarded it best musical. This season, it's hardly deserving of its nomination. The other 3 noms + WOTV, BBAJ, or People in the Picture would have all been better, in my opinion.

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Updated On: 6/12/11 at 11:59 PM

Count me as someone who enjoyed Catch Me. It was no masterpiece, but it was entertaining and the score was quite good. Reminded me of a Jule Styne or Cy Coleman show from the early 60s. No masterpiece, but entertaining.

I think Mormon's overhyped personally. It's a very good Hasty Pudding Show.

I agree with you that SCOTTSBORO and BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON were the best new musicals of the season. Loved them both!