Show song scores today

[latheatrelover]

Posted: 8/5/06 at 1:06am

A few days ago, I had read the thread about Hugh Jackman possibly being in a new movie version of "Carousel," and I thought that as much as I love the show Carousel, I couldn't see any way it could work today as a film. It is too outdated.

But yesterday I was playing a CD from Broadway: the American Musical in my car on the way to work, and the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music, another show by Rodgers and Hammerstein, was playing. Something occured to me while I was listening to it, and that was that though R&H may not prove as popular with audiences today, their show scores sure were terrific. Whereas many of today's shows have nary a tune that stays with you after seeing it, R&H would have three or four great songs that would go on and on. Tonight, I looked up the songs from The Sound of Music and it had "The Sound of Music," "Maria" (as in "How do you solve a problem like..."), "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "You Are Sixteen," "So Long, Farewell," and "Climb Every Mountain" -- and that was just in the first act!!!

And look at Carousel's first act: "The Carousel Waltz," "If I Loved You," "June is Bustin' Out All Over," and "Soliloquy," among others. Can you imagine? And "You'll Never Walk Alone" was still to come in the second act. I mean, WOW!

Do you even want me going into the songs from "South Pacific," "Oklahoma," and "The King and I"?

Why can't today's composers come out with more memorable scores?

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/5/06 at 1:08am

Something Baaaaaad is happening in Ozzzzzzzzz....

I have no idea what you are talking about.

[latheatrelover]

Posted: 8/5/06 at 1:15am

Dear Flying Monkey, er, I mean SueleenGay, "Wicked" has good songs, sure, but only one real show stopper, "Defying Gravity". R&H managed to put many such songs into one show. All I'm asking is why don't we see that anymore?

[[e-mail]]

Posted: 8/5/06 at 1:15am

Something happened around the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Steven Sondheim era. The lyric, sweeping scores in the style of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Lowe, etc. seemed to vanish and were replaced by their stuff. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Sondheim and like some of ALW, but the Broadway score has basically been reduced to shreds over the past 40 years of so.

The only two songwriters who I feel come close are Steven Flaherty & Alan Menken. These two possibly show the advantage of the old scores.

But even then, they're not made like they used to be. Pity too...

[latheatrelover]

Posted: 8/5/06 at 1:15am

I agree, and I love Sondheim, too. But you made me think of something else, too, by mentioning Webber. He has shows that are non-stop singing and so instead of picking the best songs, he puts in everything including the kitchen sink. And, yes, I like Webber shows, too. But I sure would love to have something today like the scores of R&H.

Updated On: 8/5/06 at 01:15 AM

[jv92]

Posted: 8/5/06 at 6:27pm

There was only one Richard Rodgers and only one Oscar Hammerstein. No one will come close to writing well structured, tuneful shows as well as them just like no one will write an experimental, concept musical as well as Sondheim.