Please Tell Me That Not All Younger Musical Theatre Fans...- Page 2

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 6:12pm

uncageg, that is exactly right. What makes shows extremely popular, though, are movie adaptations. So many people (who aren't big theater geeks) who talk about Hairspray, Mamma Mia, and Chicago would know those shows if it weren't for the movies. Into the Woods is probably remembered most because of the filming. If Passion hadn't been filmed, I probably wouldn't know anything about the show.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 6:23pm

I'm 15 and was initially only exposed to modern shows. The first 4 I saw were Wicked, Legally Blonde, Jersey Boys, and Young Frankenstein. Then, I began listening to more classic shows from Sondheim and Cole Porter. The next show I saw was Gypsy, with LuPone, and I looked around the balcony and felt proud that I was the youngest person there by 30 years. While I love the modern shows because they are really relatable, I believe the Golden Age was fantastic (from the cast recordings I've heard) and get pissed off about the misconceptions that young people "can't appreciate the older shows." The reason I can't appreciate them as I should is because I haven't experienced them. I've only heard them on my white plastic earbuds on the rides to and from school and not seen how the characters struggle and develop, which brings the theatergoing experience full-circle.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 6:25pm

I'm 19 and honestly, most "golden age" musicals bore me to tears. I love Sondheim, but there are few musicals written before Gypsy that I have any interest in. It's weird, because I like a lot of the music, and I'm interested in the history of it and the people who were there, but when I sit down to watch something from the 30s to 50s, I almost invariably feel like the characters are flat, the plot drags, and the book's just an excuse to bring out one song after the next. They're all so...cheerful and so often simplistic.

I recently saw Lincoln Center's South Pacific and I gotta say, I thought that the score was often lovely and the production could not have been topped, but the show itself is a dated, bloated, two-dimensional bore. I think musical theatre writing, the best musical theatre writing, has gotten better in the past few decades as people learn from what came before. There's obviously a ton of crap being produced for commercial reasons, but I think shows like Grey Gardens and Passing Strange and Ragtime are better art than just about any "golden age" show I've seen. And it's not because I'm an insulated, uncurious teenager.

[TheKandyLife]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 6:28pm

i'm 17, and my number 1 musical is Gypsy, not the revivals (although Patti and Laura did deserve their Tony more than any other that year) Ethel Merman gripped me!

the only reason i don't like more musicals from the past...is because i found them boring....dragged on too much....acting to be bad....voices i couldn't stand....too "opera voice" for me (particaularly July Andrews...nice voice, would never buy any of her albums, if she has any haha also those cheesy cheesy male opera voices haha).

All of these things put me off The Sound Of Music, Anything Goes, South Pacific, Pal Joey, Phantom Of The Opera, Hello Dolly, Mame etcc HOWEVER...i did like 1 or 2, maybe even 3 (that's pushing it to it's limit) of the songs featured in these shows/films, but could not stand the entire show.

shows after i was born (1993) i have prefered, The Drowsy Chaperone, Wicked, The Wild Party, Rent, Everyday Rapture, The Addams Family, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Billy Elliot, Avenue Q. particularly film adaptions, The Producers, The Little Mermaid, Young Frankenstein, Shrek, Legally Blonde, Sister Act, Hairspray, 9 to 5. because these shows didn't drag and don't have horrible voices (yes they have weird voices, but not the opera voices that i deteste), their songs are more upbeat that that "vaudville" music...i LOVE vaudville though, and ragtime etc.

also, more importantly the musicals that were made after i was born, their lyrics relate more to me (particularly "Who I'd Be" from Shrek), than any song from musical history. "Rose's Turn" relates to me a lot though (sadly) haha

[JOak]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 6:35pm

Don't say older musicals have horrible voices. Simply accept that you dislike those voices, no need for bashing. I actually prefer an operatic quality in a singing voice.

[TheKandyLife]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 6:36pm

it's just my oppinion...and i appreciate that you like the operating quality...i just cannot stand it, and think it sounds horrible.

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 6:45pm

I am 20 and a bass-baritone so obviously I've had to go back to before I was even an idea in my parents head to really find suitable material. But I joined the boards what 2 years ago? But had been watching/reading since about 2006 and it is thanks to people like Mildred and the other long-timers on here that chat about the shows that really have opened my eyes to a whole other side of musical theater. As snarky and stupid and catty and childish this board can get, it really is a great learning tool for people interested in musical theater.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 6:49pm

Yours is the kind of younger poster's post that probably makes Mildred plotz, TheKandyLife. You are equating something that you don't personally care for or can't relate to with "horrible" and "dragging". Your posts are full of misspellings, lack of capitalization and improper punctuation ("haha" doesn't count). Just things to consider if you want others to take your opinion seriously.

And it's Julie Andrews, not July.

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 6:50pm

"I hate when people make assumptions about younger generations."

You wont when you're older, sweetie.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 6:50pm

I feel like my post came off as a little more snarky than I would have liked, so I have to say that I agree with BroadwayBound that this board has been a great learning tool for me about Broadway history and all of the personalities who were there, and I really enjoy that, and realize how important that is even if my personal favorite shows don't go back more than a few decades.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 7:18pm

Interesting discussion! And I'm glad it hasn't gotten ugly (for the most part).

The Internet has made such a huge difference in discussing theatre, sharing information, and video clips of shows long gone. You have access to a lot more "data" staring you in the face than any of us older folks did, growing up.

It took years for me to grow interested in theatre history as a youngster. Even with a mom who had been a Broadway actress. But I grew up in the Midwest, and my big exposure to a show "before my time" was its cast album. I really started to get into musical theatre around the time of "The Wiz." I was 13. Before that, it was my mom's original recordings of "Guys and Dolls" and "Hair." Two entirely different shows, but both considered "musical theatre." I remember thinking at the time that this wasn't a type of recording limited to a certain kind of music. I still didn't understand why those two shows could be so different and yet fall under the same umbrella of "cast album."

As I got older, I listened to more, as I'm sure some of you are doing now. I have to say, I always appreciated the older shows with great respect: Oklahoma!, The Music Man, Brigadoon, Show Boat, ...

I came to know them either through local productions or, in many cases, their film adaptations. Occasionally, a revival would be mounted as a national tour. Nothing like it is today with so many revivals. But I did get to see Yul Brynner in "The King and I" in college, when he played Kansas City in the early '80s.

I don't ever remember thinking they were stuffy or out of date or bad. I appreciated them exactly for what they were---masterpieces from a bygone era. I do remember being hugely aware of Sondheim as the "current" king. I also remember when "A Chorus Line" was the brand new show to end all shows.

In my eyes, I lived through a golden era myself that included A Chorus Line, Annie, Ain't Misbehavin', The Wiz, Sweeney Todd, Evita, Nine, Dreamgirls, Pacific Overtures, Merrily We Roll Along, etc. Each of these shows inspired me and affected me deeply, and they are shows that resonate with me to this day.

I wonder if today's "younger generation" is feeling the same way. Is this your golden era?

One difference I see is that many people today feel they have to choose. They have to decide which musical show or musical era they like better. Which one is the "winner," probably an influence from all the game shows on TV today that masquerade as "reality shows."

I never felt it was a contest, growing up. I could like A Chorus Line AND Brigadoon. It was an inclusive club not an exclusive one. I also didn't keep silent about liking "older stuff."

(I didn't keep silent if I hated it either. And not all old shows were and are good. Some of them stink, in fact.)

I feel lucky to have grown up at a time when I could learn about and appreciate all of them, old and new.

Updated On: 7/26/10 at 07:18 PM

[esparza 333]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 7:18pm

I agree with awesome danny that our favorite pieces of musical theatre are influenced by our experiences at the theatre. For them seeing Alice Ripley in Next to Normal or Kristin and Idina in Wicked is a theatrical experience that in many cases changed their life. For all the other young ones on the board like me I recommend Broadway's Lost Treasures 1,2,3 which are compilations of some of the greatest tony award performances of all time and they include introductions by legends and small interviews. I also recommend Broadway: The Golden Age by Rick McKay which is a riveting documentary where numerous broadway legends share their experiences and reminisce about the golden age and the different world in theatre. Also great is broadway the american musical which is broadway history from the 20's to the Wicked era. These are wonderful introductions to theatre ones that I have enjoyed for years.

[TheKandyLife]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 7:21pm

ghostlight2: i do care for singers and the shows or films they perform in (i do not personally care for them, because i don't know the performers personally) because i'm a singer myself, just starting an HND course (which in the UK is pretty high place to start at college for music) on voice and piano. and like i said and will continue to say, these are my oppinions. i think they drag on too long, i think the opera voices are horrible.

Yes, i don't write correctly. so? any person can read my posts and understand what i mean...you did. just because i miss capitals, use a comma in the wrong place, put an E before and I and much much more does not mean others will not take my opinion seriously. it shouldn't matter. and it doesn't matter. their are plenty of grammer errors, everywhere on these boards, and i as well as many other still take the posts in the way they are inteded, wehter that be serious, joking, sad etc. and Mildred wasn't talking about grammer, Mildred was talking about shows. whether Mildred (or anyone else) wants to take my post serious, it's up to them.

yes, there are plenty of grammer errors in this one too...i'll live with it.

[othell]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 7:38pm

I am a certified baby boomer (born in the mid 50's), and love musical theater in general. Of course I love to talk about the older shows, because I grew up listening to many of the cast albums, and was also a big Hollywood musical fan, loving everything going back to the early 30's. I also love a whole lot of the new shows and love many of the new composers who are trying out many original ideas-- something that is necessary, of course, for the form to continue and grow. Of course, when you look at past or present you run into an occasional unfortunate attempt at musical theater or film, but that, too, is part of the growing process, and hopefully we use these mistakes as examples and grow from these experiences also. Sorry I went on a bit about my love of the musical form, but it really is my passion.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 7:43pm

Errors every now and then are excusable: by anyone. Posts riddled with them are not. This IS the way you present yourself. Your post is your face. It's like showing up for a job interview in wrinkled, dirty clothes -- not likely you are going to get the job. I don't continue to read posts that have so many, and yes, I DO think less of the poster.

Also, charging against respected posters when you are pretty new: not good form, either.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 7:53pm

"i think the opera voices are horrible. "

I honestly don't know what that means. What I think you mean is that you don't like that style of singing, but what that says to me is that you think opera singing is bad - and just because you don't like something doesn't make it bad (or "horrible", in your case). There's a difference.

"Yes, i don't write correctly. so? any person can read my posts and understand what i mean...you did. just because i miss capitals, use a comma in the wrong place, put an E before and I and much much more does not mean others will not take my opinion seriously. it shouldn't matter. and it doesn't matter."

Well...it does matter. You misunderstand me, or perhaps I wasn't clear enough, TheKandyLife. It is my humble opinion that it is much easier for someone (me, for example) to dismiss your opinion if you can't be bothered to spell, capitalize or punctuate properly. It makes you appear younger and uneducated, especially when you called Julie Andrews "July". It makes you appear uninformed when you say you don't know whether she has any recordings out or not. Honestly, until you gave your age, I would have taken you for much younger.

It's an observation, and an honest one, not an attack. People do judge you by the way you write, and it affects how seriously they take you.

eta: I crossposted. Thanks for putting my thoughts a little more succinctly, dramamama. Updated On: 7/26/10 at 07:53 PM

[esparza 333]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 7:56pm

best12bars I've bee thinking about your question and I have mixed responses. My taste in musical theatre is extremely varied. I love classics from Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Lowe and love the works of Sodheim, Kander and Ebb, Loesser, Lloyd Webber and many others. I don't feel this generation to be a "golden era" as it is far to inconsistent. I think what made the 40's 50's and 60's known as the golden era is so many classics were born in this time but whose to say there weren't as many klunkers then as there are now. It is totally subjective. For me there are masterpieces in every generation and you can't pin point a certain era. I think another contributing factor to the so called Golden Era is that in that time it was the like the birth of these new talents and the 40s- 60s were a time where musical theatre was taken to a whole new level and had landmarks and performers who were bigger then the theatre. It was such a rise and barriers kept being broken. That still happens but it happens very slowly. These days we have a shows that reinvent and then for many years we have second rate versions of that. The Culture evolves much quicker and so does art which means we can't have such a long era where the same formula formula for a musical is just topped.

[JOak]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 8:04pm

esparza 333 are you sure you're 14? You sound much older and educated.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 8:06pm

"any person can read my posts and understand what i mean"

I do usually understand what you mean to say, but it takes posts like your posts nearly twice as long for me to read than posts that have few errors. As others have said, this is how you are presenting yourself, and you are presenting yourself in a bad way. It's not that hard to hold down the "shift" key while typing the first letter of each sentence, nor is it that hard to read what you wrote before posting your message.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 8:09pm

I'm 24. Most of my favorite musicals (some exceptions, of course) are from between 1964 and 1986.

In fact, several people on here defer to me when it comes to "A Chorus Line." (Not sure what that actually says about myself...)

I think several people have hit the nail on the head. The older shows, because they aren't running, have less of a draw. Not everyone is proactive (or interested) enough to go out and track down cast albums.

Now, on the other side debate. ThisKandyLife, I'm siding with the others. The typos make you seem like you're about 13. The equating "dislike" with "horrible" makes you seem like you're 13.

[TheKandyLife]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 8:14pm

Not being rude, I mean it in a nice way (if you can take it that way, then please do) but your metaphor made me laugh, I don't mean that to be rude.

well think of me what you will, if it be a person with wrinkled clothes, so be it. i just do not care, i'm never going to meet any of the members on this message board in person. and even if i did, why would i change the way i write so they can think better of me? if they think less of me because i'm bad at english, they're just judging me over something that shouldn't define a person. (granted on here it does, but still, i am not going to change the way i write to please anyone. anyone.)

if you think less of a person just because of the way they write, you are very quick to judge, which is sad to see really and makes me pitty you.

And a respected poster? oh, please. Yes i'm pretty new, and don't know how to spell incredibly well, or know how to punctuate properly, doesn't mean i can't talk to someone about them bashing me in the first place about my already known bad grammer, i don't care who they are, or who they think they are.

[SimplyDeLovely]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 8:20pm

As a member of this so-called age category of "Younger Musical Theatre fans", I can honestly say I would take tickets to a Sondheim or golden-age revival over something like Legally Blonde or Wicked any day. I was raised in a household where my mother went around singing R&H all the time, so classic shows were my introduction to musical theatre. My tastes tend to be varied; I like everything from Porter and Gershwin to more contemporary scores. I can't count the number of times I'm listening to Sirius XM "On Broadway" and I've changed the station when something like Spring Awakening comes on. However, that's not to say I don't love some newer shows as well, in fact I love things like Next to Normal and Memphis. I see where the generalization comes from, but it's best to try to avoid it.

[esparza 333]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 8:23pm

hahaha thanks JOak your very kind.

[JOak]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 8:33pm

An BW poster way of writing absolutely classifies him,
The moment he/she posts makes some other
poster despise him.
Proper grammar I'm afraid we'll never get.
...
But use proper English you're regarded as a freak.

From My Fair Lady

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 8:49pm

Look, TheKandyLife, I'll just say this, and leave it alone after that. I was never bashing you. I don't think anyone is, and I am very sorry if you thought that I was -but - do you really not see how the manner in which you express yourself matters? Quite simply, it is harder to understand what you're trying to say. If you truly do have difficulties with spelling and grammar, that's understandable. Possibly English isn't your first language. I'm dyslexic myself, and it was a long hard struggle to learn to better express myself through writing so that I was more easily understood. These roadblocks can be gotten around.

If, however, as seems the case, you just don't want to do things properly, expect people to take you as you are, and don't respect their opinions simply because you'll never going to meet them, then you are doing yourself a disservice. Also, if you don't respect the opinions of others, it makes it much harder for others to respect you. I can assure you that this will eventually matter in your life, whether you'd like it to or not.

Moving on and on topic: I was fortunate to grow up around theatrical people, so I was exposed to a huge range of live events very early on. I am pleased to see so many youngsters interested in theater, and really don't care what brings them to it to begin with in the first place. Often, a Wicked or a Rent will eventually lead to a Caroline, Or Change, or to the discovery, as Best12 says, of older shows through youtube, bluegobo, or OBC albums. As I'd said before, I think Mildred might be getting a skewed view of the younger theater-goers because the more immature ones stand out, and you miss the AwesomeDannys, the esparzas, and the huskcharmers in the process.