Musical Theatre Couples fall in love too quickly..

[NYC_or_Bust]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:41pm

Ever been to a Musical, and it kind of puzzles you just HOW quickly the central characters fall in love? For instance, I can totally believe that Jimmy and Millie fall for each other because they don't really even like each other in the beginning of the show...but God help me..there are just some shows that it really makes me aware that only in a musical could these people fall in love by the 3rd bar of the overture lol.

Here are the ones that REALLY bother me:

1) Tony and Maria (West Side Story)
2) Julie and Billy (Carousel)
3) Anthony and Johanna (Sweeney Todd)

Can you think of any other couples that seem to fall for each other SUPER fast?

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:42pm

Angel & Collins in ReNt - Two hours or less.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:43pm

That's kind of the point of all of the couples you mentioned. Their love is shallow but passionate, which is to be expected considering the adolescence/early adulthood of the characters.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:44pm

And, do you want to sit through a nine hour musical?

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:48pm

The author can make weeks go by in one minute, the funny thing is when they mention dates and times.

[zepka102]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:48pm

I thought the same thing seeing South Pacific last weekend...

[skb2010]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:49pm

mimi and roger: rent
millie and jimmy (kind of): tmm
rosemary and finch (rosemary mainly): How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:50pm

seriously?

it's music theatre...

[NYC_or_Bust]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:50pm

Theres not a lot of things in musicals that bug me, but that happens to be one. Deal with it.

It just does not present an enjoyable evening for me, knowing that like most REAL relationships where people fall "in love" too quickly...disaster lies ahead.

I'd rather see a story with the lovers that aren't shallow lol

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:52pm

NYC_or_Bust, I know what you are saying...
This is really weird, because I was watching the movie West Side Story yesterday and I was thinking...
Why are they falling in love so quickly??

I like musicals like Thoroughly Millie Millie where the characters come to love each other through the course of the show, but not at "first sight"

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:52pm

"It just does not present an enjoyable evening for me, knowing that like most REAL relationships where people fall "in love" too quickly...disaster lies ahead."

AGAIN, that is the point of every single couple that you mentioned. Disaster DOES lie ahead for every one of those couples.

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:54pm

I think you do have a point. There's The Most Happy Fella, for example, where the leads spend most of the musical getting to know each other, in spite of circumstances and the age difference.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:54pm

"Why are they falling in love so quickly??"

You could ask that of many real-life teenagers who fall into "love," or to be more accurate infatuation, too quickly.

I don't think Tony and Maria are really in love. Rather, they are infatuated with one another, so they think it is love.

[skb2010]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:55pm

when i say Millie, i mean they fall in love early in the show, or jimmy does with millie, but at least a week or two passes between their first meeting. or thats what i've gathered from the script

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:55pm

that is true...

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:01pm

It happens in non-musical theatre as well. Look at the basis for Tony and Maria- Romeo and Juliet made eye contact and we're supposed to believe that was enough to form a love worth dying for.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:03pm

I think Love is better when someone dies.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:05pm

Preferably the other person instead of you?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:19pm

Either one, really, just makes for a better story.

[SirNotAppearing]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:26pm

Nobody stated the obvious...
Marius and Cosette!
"My best friend Eponine died but I still only care about Cosette"!
"All my friends died but I still only care about Cosette"!

[Clarinetbiter135]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 8:38pm

I mean, would you rather it like modern day courtship... a few weeks of casual dating and a couple of weeks of awkward "what is this relationship" until you begin to feel those loving feelings?

[Weez]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 8:41pm

Just as we have to accept that people's internal monologues are suddenly external, rhyming, and set to music, we just need to accept the couples are falling in love quickly. It's necessary for plot advancement in many many cases. Just smile, nod, and go with it.

[shh282]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 8:47pm

Know what else drives me mad about musical theater?

everyone knows how to dance, so unrealistic!

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 8:51pm

Updated On: 5/6/09 at 08:51 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 9:04pm

And people FLY.