NOT REAL BROADWAY FANS.- Page 3

[Wicked_Elphie]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 11:05pm

Are you seriously judging people on the basis of their age now? So because they were not around for everything you were means that they aren't "worthy" of posting here. This is the most rediculous thread I have ever read, I am only 18 myself and I applaud the younger posters who already have such a great interest in Broadway. And now we're telling people what they should and shouldn't like. Broadway is an everchanging field and would cease to exist if it were not for the new and ever expanding talent. Get over yourself!

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 11:10pm

I'm perplexed. NuggetMonkey's been talking like she's ancient. Call me crazy, but I looked in the fan photo section and if NuggetMonkey is even old enough to vote, I'll eat my proverbial hat.

There's enough real intergenerational tension that goes on around here. As one of the more mature (well, at least chronologically) members of the board, I don't want that particular pot being stirred on my behalf by a 16 year old portraying herself as an adult while belittling the 12 year olds.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 11:17pm

Well, my Broadway favorite shows that I've seen include (in no particular order):
Cats
Les Miz
Ragtime
Kiss Me, Kate
Aida
Phantom of the Opera
The Full Monty
42nd Street
Chicago
Rent
The Producers
Urinetown
Gypsy
Hairspray
Avenue Q
Wicked
Yes, I know all of these shows are relatively recent but as much as I would have loved to see the original productions of Dreamgirls, A Chorusline, West Side Story, and Anything Goes, there's really nothing I can do about it. I'm sorry I can only reference shows from the last ten years but I wasn't even a fetus when Sondheim was King and believe me, I truly regret it. But please don't bash my age group. It's not like we asked to be young and we're trying to compensate the best we can with the shows we can see. And why shouldn't we enjoy them. We're the target audience for most of them anyway. Broadway is not just one thing. It needs variety and more young people to see it if it's going to stay alive for the generations to come.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 11:22pm

Wow, this thread is ridiculous! How can you judge or stereotype the young posters on this board? I know you didn't mean to offend anyone, but you really couldnt expect getting a whole lot of responses agreeing with you. Broadway is like any other entertainment field, there is the comedy, the dramas, the musicals, the plays, ect. For example, if a person likes Rap as their music choice, it would be hard for a person who likes the oldies to persuade that other person to like the oldies or belittle him for it. It's all about opinion and different tastes. And since i have first-hand experience on this, it is hard to find information on older musicas or what you call "good" musicals or "the golden age" because there isnt much publicity on it or you really have to search. So its not that easy. But if you take a show like Wicked, the news is all over the place and its more easy to talk about and relate to. you really can't condemn a person because of their personal choice to talk about or like the modern musicals of today. Just deal with it that Broadway IS changing for the good or bad..but again that's personal opinion.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 11:25pm

Calm down folks who list their favorite shows to show the range in genres! There's no need to be so defensive! Being a passive-aggressive Canadian (and a Libra), I guess I'm trying to give NM the benefit of the doubt right now, but even if there are people who look down on young'uns for their lack of experience, there's no need to feel the need to prove yourself to anyone! Even if you don't like all that many shows, the point of this board is to communicate with other theatre lovers so we can all learn about different shows/composers, etc. So I persnally don't care if you like 2 shows or 20 shows - unless you're the friend I mentioned in my previous post. (And this is coming from a tried and true, Broadway loving 20-year old.)

(BTW, this was not meant to piss anyone off, I just don't want people to think they have to justify their interests or "prove" that they like a variety of shows.)

Updated On: 5/22/04 at 11:25 PM

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 11:30pm

And I'm saying, defensively, that NM is *also* a youngin' who is criticizing other's in a similar age group. This is NOT an adults picking on the kids thread. That's how it's being perceived and it's annoying me no end.

Updated On: 5/22/04 at 11:30 PM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 11:44pm

At the same time, to hear anyone say that The Music Man is a bad show KILLS me. You might not have liked The Music Man, but is in NO way an example of a bad show. This is where Nugget has a point--new Broadway folk SHOULD learn about the history of musical theatre and understand what the classics are, respecting them even if you do not like them.

And, MusicPos2, your musical theatre history comments are incorrect. Rodgers and Hammerstein did not write trite music, nor force their songs into the plot as they are credited with being the first writers to write songs that advanced the plot. Maybe you do not enjoy Sondheim, but his accompaniments are not "way too big".

Finally, your comments about Webber and operas are way off. First of all, there were many operas, operettas and opera like musicals on Broadway well before Webber hit the scene. His musicals are not operas. A sung-through musical does not equal an opera. There are musicals with no dialogue and there are operas with dialogue (Carmen?). While Webber did start a new trend in musical theatre, he did not bring opera into the 20th/21st century.

You might check out a couple of musical theatre history books. I recommend Stuart Ostrow's A Producer's Journey as one such insight to musical theatre history. :)

Updated On: 5/23/04 at 11:44 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 11:49pm

I don't think NM was ranting about the crappiness of new musicals so much as he was ranting about the fact that the vast majority of the posters here don't seem to know a lot about pre-Rent musicals. Just look at everyone's answers to surveys- most of the time you're going to get references to contemporary musicals alone, except from a few posters. All that sometimes makes me cranky, too, and I'm 19.

But there's no need to smear everyone of a certain age group like that, and there's no need to get pissy. It's great that there's young people who like contemporary shows. It's wonderful. They (we?) are going to keep Broadway alive. But it does sometimes get annoying to see every musical measured against nothing but other musicals from the past 10 years, with no reference to the classics of the past. That's all.

Peace, everyone. :) Updated On: 5/23/04 at 11:49 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 11:51pm

Sorry for the double post, but...Sondheim's accompaniments are "too big"? Was I reading that right? What does that mean?

Reminds me of Amadeus..."Too many notes!"

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 11:54pm

Nicely said, Plum. But I would go farther and say it's not so much the post-Rent references that are annoying (I do really enjoy Rent) so much as those who have no interest in broading their horizons to include classics, or really, any other shows in general. (MelB4Ever, anyone?)

[lc1965]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 12:08am

I can't believe it took until p. 3 of posts for someone to say something like that. I used to post frequently, but don't post as often because it's difficult to talk about theatre with so many of the participants having such a limited idea of what has been produced. One of the respondents on this thread named a series of shows he appreciates as an illustration of how he DIFFERS from NM's idea of the young 'uns... the oldest of which was The Secret Garden! Is that even considered "old"? Nevertheless, I do agree that said young 'uns should learn more about theatrical history -- BUT THEY WILL! And (IMHO) JRB_ACTOR was correct to say we might do better to educate than lambast. They have to be willing to learn & I think when they get tired of saying the same things about the same shows & see more they will.

To the person who said he'd seen 160 Bway performances...well, seeing one show dozens & dozens of times doesn't count as experience-expanding! Sorry!

[Plum]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 12:10am

Le sigh...I think I saw Rent too late- it was 3 years ago or so, and I didn't really like it. I actually found myself wishing the main characters would quit whining and get actual jobs, which was definitely not supposed to happen. :) And...well...some people might like the rock-concert feel, but I found it too loud and the lyrics were impossible to hear. That's cool at, you know, a rock concert, but at the theater words matter. To me, at least.

Okay, back on topic...youngsters today have no respect for their elders. Discuss.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 12:14am

People in general don't respect people who don't give them respect.

[lc1965]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 12:14am

lol! Whippersnappers!

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 1:33am

I like musicals.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 1:37am

OH MY GOD! ARE WE STILL ON THIS?!?!?!?!? Nugget apologized! Next Topic, please!

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 1:40am

I like musicals.

[brdwaybaby17]

Posted: 5/24/04 at 5:43pm

"By definition, "operetta" had a frivolous plot and large chunks of spoken dialogue. There isn't anything "frivolous" about the plot of RAGTIME."

Operettas have frivolous plots?? I am seriously asking, because I am obviously confused... could you explain??

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 5/24/04 at 5:46pm

oh damnnnn. why did this thread appear back at the top? ahh. come back for a second grilling? ...
-d.b.j-

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 5/24/04 at 6:51pm

I'm 31 and I assure you that 'The Music Man' is, in fact, bad.