"Pointless" Songs in Musicals- Page 3

[venticelli]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 4:54pm

Dancing Through Life - just pointless, and it also feels like they're singing this one for the better part of three days

[magruder]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 5:20pm

Gotta disagree about "What is Urinetown?" too. Yes, we've been told what Urinetown is in Act One, but "What is Urinetown?" serves to snap the audience back into the world of the play after intermission, and also to reestablish that even though we know what Urinetown is, the denizens of the play's universe still do not know at that point.

Posted: 10/11/04 at 5:24pm

"More I can not Wish You" from Guys and Dolls.

"No way to Stop It" from The Sound of Music (I like the song, but it has no point)

"The Midas Touch" from Bells are Ringing

"I like to be in America" West Side Sotry (I like the song, but it has no point)

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 5:41pm

Hmm...
Hairspray from HAIRSPRAY
Topsy Turvy from FIDDLER

I thought that Dancing Through Life was one of the better and more catchy songs from WICKED. Something Bad was okay but it was VERY VERY important to the central plot line. Just my opinion.

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 5:44pm

RodneyK,

"The Midas Touch" pointless? How else are we to learn just how BAD that songwriting Dentist is? (Who by the one, is modeled after one of the guys who wrote HAPPY HUNTING for Ethel Merman.)

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 5:46pm

RodneyK, are you talking about "America" from West Side Story? I think it's important to the story because although the characters and dancing and having fun while performing it, it does reveal why the characters have a disdain for life in America. Being an Asian-American, a lot of what Bernardo sang reminded me of what I've heard from my much older relatives about life in America.

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 5:51pm

Vietgirl...

I TOTALLY AGREE. The whole premise of WEST SIDE STORY can be summed up in "America."

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 5:53pm

Hey Wicked...,

Pardon my confusion but I am not aware of any song in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF called "Topsy Turvey."

Perhaps you are thinking of a different show or song? :)

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 5:54pm

Nope. In the recent revival, they added this song for Yente. It STINKS! :)

[MusicMan]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 6:57pm

Another Suitcase in Another Hall.

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 7:09pm

Wicked,

That is SO interesting, because in original FIDDLER, Bea Arthur was cast as Yente. Management soon thought they made a mistake--it was felt that Arthur was too "tall and American" (huh?) for the part.

Rather than replace Arthur, Jerome Robbins simply whittled the part down so it became a glorified featured role.

NOW they're EXPANDING role? FASCINATING!!! :)

[mizzie]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 7:16pm

I don't think that "Hairspray" is a pointless song in the musical....it really adds to the idea of the "Corny Collins Show". I also think "Dancing Through Life" shows Fiyero's character and why everyone likes him.

[broadway86]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 7:46pm

Someone before asked for the titles of any shows that did not have any pointless songs whatsoever. Off of the top of my head, the only show that fits my description is 'Ragtime'.

Every song in that show either:

a. Has a point

or

b. is used for satirical purposes.

[Juliette Capulet]

Posted: 10/11/04 at 8:54pm

These songs from "Autant en Emporte le Vent" either should be moved or replaced.

"Nous N'Sommes Pas"
"Tous le Hommes"
"Mentir"

They should have added "Libres" into the show somewhere.

Tendres Baisers,
Juliette Capulet

[Radford]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:04am

Has anyone mentioned "Popular"? Don't get me wrong, I love it, but making Elphaba "Popular" is a plot point for only the ten minutes or so this song is going on.

On second thought, I guess it does extend into the "You've been Galinda-fied" scene.

[Songsstresss]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:43am

Mary_Ethel: As for Carousel... "Blow High, Blow Low" does NOTHING To advance the plot or explain anything. In our production, aside from coming very close to cutting it, Jigger and Billy did not sing in it because it did NOTHING to explain their characters... If anything I think it's odd to have them sing in it.

[mizzie]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 3:24pm

That's an interesting point Radford....they introduce the idea of making Elphaba "popular", but they don't continue that particular part of the story for very long.

[morosco]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 4:04pm

I've always thought "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" sung by Peron's Mistress in EVITA was pointless.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 4:07pm

The entire scores of "Side Show" and "Steel Pier".

[morosco]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 4:15pm

"Doatsey Mae" for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 4:23pm

Songstriss,

Billy does NOT sing during "Blow High, Blow Low" in original production--only dialogues w/Jigger between choruses.

I think song DOES advance plot because it gives a good picture as to what this Jigger character is all about. (Remember, Billy kills himself as a direct result of hanging around with Jigger.)

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 4:26pm

Yes, Morosco. "Doatsy Mae" has been described as a song that tells us nothing about a character which is OK--because you could care less about her in the first place. :)

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 4:30pm

Rodneyk,

"No Way To Stop It" was R&H's attempt to write a "bouncy, upbeat" number about the Nazi invasion of Austria.

For me, it's like a "bouncy, upbeat" number about 9/11.

[LuvUrBatBoy]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 4:59pm

Ok I gotsta to defend my Bat Boy.

Another Dead Cow is integral to the plot of the show...It introduces the problem of the Cows dying in the town and by the end of the song, the townsfolk have placed the blame on Bat Boy, setting up the conflict for the rest of the show.

If there is any pointless # from Bat Boy it's Mrs Taylor's Lullabye. While hilarious and giving the Taylors some stage time it's not that necessary to the plot

Other pointless #'s in my opinion:
Crapshooter's Ballet- Guys and Dolls
You're Never Fully Dressed- Annie
Hello Dolly-Hello Dolly
All those irritating Barbershop songs in The Music Man ( i can't make it thru watching this show without wanting to shoot the Schoolboard members by the 2nd act)

[CurtainUp]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 6:36pm

Hello, Dolly? Pointless? It's Dolly's "return into the humankind"! The showstopper!