Musicals for Beginners

Don't start anyone off with the Euro pop operas. Have them start off listening to the complete Rodgers & Hammerstein canon in chronological order.

like a first opera, the wrong first musical theater production can turn someone totally off.

I would not suggest Les Mis as a first musical, just as I would not suggest Turnodot as a first opera. They are both much too serious for a beginner.

A beginner doesn't need to know that Les Mis is a classic......as they are not expected to know it.

Anyone who berates a beginner for not knowing something needs to turn in their ears and voice

I agree with Rogers and Hammerstein, even perhaps some Lerner and Lowe. Start easy and happy I always say, then work up to the good serious stuff.

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"I would say probably Les Miserables because it is probably the most famous broadway show of all time and to not know if it would make u look rather stupid."

Is this a joke? It is not the most famous Broadway show of all time, as there are many famous Broadway shows such as Showboat, Carousel, A Chorus Line, etc. Les Mis is a transfer from London, which does not make it an original Broadway show. And just because someone doesn't know it, does not mean that they are stupid. That has got to be one of the most ignorant statements I have seen on this board. Unless, of course, that is a joke (As if someone would say "Wicked", which would be even more of a funnier joke)

Essentially - West Side Story would be great for a beginner.

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Sound of Music, most definately....good choice

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I think it's important to keep whoever the beginner is interested in musical theatre, so you should balance something classic like Oklahoma! with something contemporary that they can relate to and really fall in love with like RENT. It's a little tough to appreciate some of the older musicals, so balancing it with something newer is always a good idea.

I'm directing some middle schoolers in Into the Woods Jr. right now and we had a day of just watching videos and listening to CD's of musicals. I played them clips of Fosse, Oklahoma!, Crazy for You, RENT, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hairspray, Wicked, West Side Story, Gypsy and A Chorus Line. It was interesting to watch them really enjoy the Hairspray and Wicked stuff, and then they would really pay attention to the older stuff that was in between all the newer material.

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I personally would have to say the best way to "pop the cherry" in musical theatre would simply to through the make or break curveball of "Rent"

If any given person with the slight interest in musical theatre could sit down, enjoy that show and not have any criticisms, prejudices and/or streotypes to honor then I think he or she would be able to handle anything, and would be willing to.

Yeah, Into the Woods is an interesting one. Sort of a double-whammy, because it gets them interested in musical theatre AND it introduces them to Sondheim.

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Eric, I disagree.....I certainly would never throw the Wagner Ring Operas at someone and then expect them to love opera.......start small move up.

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I say watch Broadway The American Musical- it takes you thru all the eras of Musicals from the beginning to now...

My first musical was Rent, and I hated it then...because I was eight. I <3 it now. The first musical I fell in love with and was obsessed almost exclusively with from the age of eight to twelve was actually Les Miz. I actually think it's perfect because it's accesible to even Republicans while not being super sweet, like some of Sondheim or 42nd St. or Annie.

Edit: By 'accesible to republicans' I was not dissing republicans intelligence, but suggesting that some more conservative people might be turned off musicals forever by starting with Rent or Ave Q. Not that they can't like them, but it's probably not a good first choice when they are in a formative stage. No offence, O Republicans, for I do not think badly of you. esp if you are reading this board

Updated On: 3/24/05 at 07:56 PM

how is sondheim super sweet?

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