Musicals for Beginners

[WiCkEd BaCcHaE]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 1:22pm

Even though I have been studying musical theatre my whole life and am by no means a beginner, I thought it it would be interesting to talk about which musicals should be investigated first by beginners?

In other words, if someone came up to you not knowing anything about musical theatre but wanted to learn about it, which musical would you introduce to them first and why?

Are there some musicals that are so essential and important in this genre that not knowing them would make someone look stupid?

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 1:28pm

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.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 1:30pm

WOO LES MIS!

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[riv]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 2:03pm

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

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 3:05pm

A Chorus Line is important.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 3:09pm

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.

[MissMonika]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 3:17pm

yea, i think the european stuff would be too hard on beginners. I agree with some of u here, do to Rogers and Hammerstein stuff or something like the Wizard of Oz. Or, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

[Justice]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 3:32pm

"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.

[Footlooser]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 3:37pm

I would start with a classic such as "The Sound of Music" then move on to some modern classics such as "A Chorus Line", "Cabaret", Then to Modern Broadway "Lion King", "Wicked", "Les Mis", "Rent"

[Elphaba]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 3:39pm

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

[Liz_Bennet]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 4:37pm

To name a few classics that should not be missed :
Show Boat
Oklahoma!
Carousel
West Side Story
Gypsy
My Fair Lady
Cabaret
A Chorus Line
Sweeney Todd
Hedwig and the Angry Itch or Rent (for a rock musical)
Extra credit: Porgy and Bess (really an opera), Anything Goes, Threepenny Opera, Guys and Dolls, The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, Company, Follies (after listening to lots of Gershwin, Porter and Arlen)
Of course there are lots more. But I think all of these would be useful to a beginner.
Please correct me if I have embarassing omissions. And no, Wicked does not count here.

[bjivie2]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 4:42pm

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.

[GirlforTartaglia]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 4:58pm

Wow, I thought about that for a while..and I have NO idea! It's so tricky..there are too many out there!

[Eric J.]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 5:05pm

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.

[Elizabeth_DeBris]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 5:06pm

I basically agree with bjive. Something like Oklahoma! or The Sound of Music, or My Fair Lady, but then something like Rent, or Wicked.
Then again, one of my friends got into musical theatre because of Into the Woods, so I don't think there's really a *standard* show that should be used to introduce people.

[bjivie2]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 5:10pm

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.

[broadwayfan24]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 5:16pm

I would say Lion King because when I first saw that I was amazed at every little thing on stage. It's also good because they will probably know the plot. So it's not a biiig tranfer. Then you can have them see something more original like Avenue Q or Rent or something like that. It also depends on the things they are interested in. Abba---mamma mia, Fairy tales---Beauty and Beast, Rock---Rent, Sex and the city---Avenue Q

[Elphaba]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 5:52pm

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.

[Eric J.]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 6:56pm

I'm sorry you disagree; what do you mean by "Wagner Ring Opera"?

Or are you simply making a comparison... Updated On: 3/24/05 at 06:56 PM

Posted: 3/24/05 at 7:03pm

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

[Elphaba]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 7:43pm

The Ring Cycle by Wagner is a very intense set of operas, which would scare any beginning opera listener away....whereas something like Barber of Seville would be asier to deal with......I'm comparing.
Through RENT at someone who has never seen a musical, and I think they'd freak........but start them say with Sound of Music (NOT my fav), and move up to RENT and they'd love RENT.
RENT is intense, perhaps too much so for a firstime musical.

sorry, I drone...making a comparison.

[Sporkie]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 7:56pm

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

[habbott]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 9:26pm

It depends on the person.. whether he/she likes serious or funny or classic or a certain time period. I would introduce somethign closest to that person's interests in a musical form.

[mollyllom]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 9:41pm

how is sondheim super sweet?

[Footlooser]

Posted: 3/24/05 at 11:20pm

I may be alone in this but if I had been forced to watch Oklahoma as my first shoiw I would have never touched theater again.