Shows without a villain?

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Shows without a villain?#1

Posted: 12/15/13 at 5:04pm

Can anyone name some shows that don't have a villain in them?

[dramamama611]

Shows without a villain?#2

Posted: 12/15/13 at 5:25pm

I suppose that depends on your definition of villian. All antogonists are not villians. And do you only mean HUMAN villians?

Once
Bare
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Bye Bye Birdie
A Chorus Line
Company
Hello, Dolly
Legally Blonde
One Man, Two Guvenors
Sunday in the Park with George
Title of Show


Just to name a few.

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

[Visceral_Fella]

Shows without a villain?#2

Posted: 12/15/13 at 5:31pm

I would consider Callahan a villain in Legally Blonde.

[dramamama611]

Shows without a villain?#3

Posted: 12/15/13 at 5:38pm

Yes, true -- she is her own biggest obstacle, however.

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

[Visceral_Fella]

Shows without a villain?#4

Posted: 12/15/13 at 5:40pm

That's true.

[Musicaldudepeter]

Shows without a villain?#5

Posted: 12/15/13 at 6:45pm

To me, Vandergelder and Joanne would the 'villain' types in Dolly and Company respectively... For they both carry the more negative energy... Also Warner and Vivienne in Legally Blonde Updated On: 12/15/13 at 06:45 PM

[Unknown User]

Shows without a villain?#6

Posted: 12/15/13 at 6:58pm

For some reason BELLS ARE RINGING was the first to pop into my head.

"she is her own biggest obstacle, however"

That should be the show's tagline

[jnb9872]

Shows without a villain?#7

Posted: 12/15/13 at 7:05pm

Actually, I'd argue the number of shows that don't have a villain exceeds the number of shows that do, though I don't particularly care to try and figure that out definitively.

I'll just postulate a probably controversial one: ASSASSINS doesn't have a villain. Have at me.

Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.

[Bettyboy72]

Shows without a villain?#8

Posted: 12/15/13 at 7:11pm

I think most musicals (other than the 'fairy tale' type) dont have villians per se, but rather show the light and dark in the characters. Even the 'villains' are meant to be understood as humans who are complex and acting based on their own experiences. Grey Gardens has no villains but Big Edie could be viewed as an obstacle to Little Edie, but we love her and understand her motivations.

"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal "I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Shows without a villain?#9

Posted: 12/15/13 at 7:12pm

"Also Warner and Vivienne in Legally Blonde"

Vivienne isn't really a villain considering she helps Elle in the end.

[dramamama611]

Shows without a villain?#10

Posted: 12/15/13 at 7:16pm

breaking up with someone constitutes being a villian?

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

[GlindatheGood22]

Shows without a villain?#11

Posted: 12/15/13 at 7:29pm

When I think "villain" I think mostly children's musicals. (Or musicals aimed at children.) The Trunchbull, Jafar, Ursula, Miss Hannigan, et al.

Comedies notwithstanding, most musicals don't have villains. It's not as crude as that. I guess if I was going to argue with myself I could say that the Baroness, Ernst (Cabaret), and Gabe Goodman are villains. Exceptions to every rule, but I'd argue that most antagonists in "serious" musicals don't fall into the Villain category of musical comedies.

I know you. I know you. I know you.

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Shows without a villain?#12

Posted: 12/15/13 at 7:37pm

"breaking up with someone constitutes being a villain?"

No, he, Vivienne and many others constantly remind Elle that she's no more than a dumb blonde.

[Matt1]

Shows without a villain?#13

Posted: 12/15/13 at 8:13pm

Billy Elliot and Next to Normal have family conflict but not a villain.

[Mr Roxy]

Shows without a villain?#14

Posted: 12/15/13 at 8:22pm

The Producers

Poster Emeritus

[broadway guy2]

Shows without a villain?#15

Posted: 12/15/13 at 8:26pm

Sunset Boulevard
EVITA
Into The Woods
Funny Girl
Avenue Q
My Fair Lady
Joseph and the amazing Blah Blah Blah
Chicago?
Mamma Mia
Company
Grease
Drowsy Chaperone
Mary Poppins
Godspell
Music Man
The Producers
Rent
Spamalot
Your A good man Charlie Brown

[Mr Roxy]

Shows without a villain?#16

Posted: 12/15/13 at 9:20pm

What about the Black Knight in Spamalot being a villain?

Poster Emeritus

[dramamama611]

Shows without a villain?#17

Posted: 12/15/13 at 9:22pm

Or mental illness being a pretty big villain in N2N?

Which is why I asked what the OP meant by "villain".

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

[jonartdesigns]

Shows without a villain?#18

Posted: 12/15/13 at 9:47pm

Into the woods has several villains, most notably the wolf (and debatably the witch and the giant)

"Grease," the fourth revival of the season, is the worst show in the history of theater and represents an unparalleled assault on Western civilization and its values. - Michael Reidel

[broadway guy2]

Shows without a villain?#19

Posted: 12/15/13 at 10:59pm

Ask a Wolf's Mother.

[Wynbish]

Shows without a villain?#20

Posted: 12/16/13 at 12:11am

Oh, Jesus

[Fan123]

Shows without a villain?#21

Posted: 12/16/13 at 6:26am

What about shows that need a villain and don't have one, or only have an inadequate one? Judging from the cast recording, IN THE HEIGHTS doesn't have a villain. Maybe I'm just sour, but I have some vague sense that it could benefit from a villain. Everyone seems a little too nice.
In THE MUSIC MAN, I'd like to see some stronger obstacles thrown Harold Hill's way; not necessarily a stronger villain, but something that makes you at least wonder for half a second whether he'll succeed in the end.

[dramamama611]

Shows without a villain?#22

Posted: 12/16/13 at 6:52am

There are three conflicts in life:
Man v Man
Man v. Self
Man v. Nature

There doesn't need to be a villain to make a story work.

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

[tazber]

Shows without a villain?#23

Posted: 12/16/13 at 6:55am

^^^
Correct.

All you need is some type of conflict for the protagonist.

....but the world goes 'round