Spring Awakening Not-Love- Page 3

[Smartful Dodger]

Posted: 2/20/07 at 11:43pm

Honestly, when I saw the Ariel casting notice woven into this thread, I wondered what worm hole I'd teleported through to get from late 19th Century Frank Wedekind to early 20th Century Disney Theatricals. I think I stripped a few gears during the transition...

[Julian2]

Posted: 2/20/07 at 11:44pm

I haven't had a chance to disect the score to Spring Awakening (I've seen the show, I'm getting the CD in a few weeks), so I haven't had a chance to check my theory, but are the lyrics bad, or just more in a rock style of lyricism? (Which is completely different from musical theatre lyricism.)

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/20/07 at 11:56pm

Both.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:00am

I'm actually suprised I'm not more into this show. It immediatley felt like something I would love, but I haven't listened to the cast recording that much. I feel like the music is beautiful, but like much of Sheik's music, it is very one note. Most of the songs sound the same, or never really reach a climax. I know this isn't the kind of show to have big show stoppers, but I don't feel like the music builds to anything at times. I think "Mamma Who Bore Me" is an akward way to start the show, and maybe it works brillantly in the theater, but on the recording it's kind of boring.

I don't like the lyrics all that much either. I think he's trying too hard to be "different" and "off beat" to the point of just making nonsense, or cheesiness. Certain lyrics work great. I really like "...come cream away the bliss..." or at least that's what he sings.

And the show is far from a hit. A hit to me would it sells-out or at least is mostly full, but this show is struggling most of the time. Granted, it's a hard sell to tourists, but I don't think it really "defines" a generation. Not to compare it Rent because they're totally seperate except for "rock music," but I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters and whatnot.

But hey, everyone has their opinions, and I wish the cast well. I'm sure it will clean up come Tonys which might help turn it into a "hit." I think Broadway needed this show and needed its artistic vision.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:02am

That lyric has to do with a line just before that, when he says he's like a ****cat.

[pab]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:21am

Didn't hate it, didn't love it. Thought it was highly overrated.

[stagegrrrl]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:30am

curtain pull downer SA is definitely a hit.
the numbers are fantastic, especially for february, and they are getting better each week. it's not going anywhere for some time and a tour will probably happen.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:32am

Is it me or is the lyricist always up sh*t's creek...without a paddle.

It's always, "great score, bad lyrics."

Just saying, it's a hard thing to pull off, lyrics.

ETA: Damn you BWW and your automatic censors! Updated On: 2/21/07 at 12:32 AM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:35am

What is the "nut" on this show?
anyone know?

Yes they are above it now, but they lost a lot of money most weeks.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:36am

It's great that BWW users can post negative thoughts of shows also, I find a lot of the shows that most people rave about, simply horrible. Why is it such a big deal to say a negative thing about a show or a performer we dislike?

[stagegrrrl]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:37am

i just love steven's lyrics.

"the talks you never had, the saturday's you never spent,
all the grown up places you never went.
and all of the crying you just couldn't understand.
you just let him cry. make a man out of him.
a shadow past, a shadow past, yearning, yearning for the fool it called a home."

i just think that's lovely.

[stagegrrrl]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:42am

speaking of lovely i saw journey's end tonight and wow. such lovely performances. such committed, beautiful work. just thought i would share.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:43am

not impressed
who understands crying?
those lyrics are banal.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:45am

It means not being able to understand why he was crying.

Isn't it sung to Moritz's father at Moritz's grave?

I've been hearing good things about that play - and the rehearsal video looked fantastic.
Updated On: 2/21/07 at 12:45 AM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:45am

well, he has good lines, then he just has some horrible lines. And I agree, it's hard to find good lyrics. It seems all of ALW/Frank Wildhorn's shows are "good music, or at least decent, but the lyrics/book were horrible." I don't think his lyrics are horrible at all, just think at times they could have been better.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:48am

What!? ALW has horrible lyricists?

A LOTTA LOCOMOTION
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED
FROM A LOCOMOTIVE WHO CAN TAKE THE LEAD
FROM THE EASTERN OCEAN
TO THE WESTERN SEA
LOCOMOTION'S GONNA CARRY ME

That's gold!

It's so sad I know the lyrics...

[stagegrrrl]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:49am

i don't even know what that means.
are you being sarcastic?
what do you mean who understands crying?
who understands a fourteen year old boy crying?
what lyrics do you like may i ask? i'm not being defensive here i mean to find out what lyrics you enjoy from what shows? i find SA to be incredibly creative and innovative so i am wondering what shows' lyrics you don't find banal?

[stagegrrrl]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:53am

i respect the fact that you don't like the show.
everyone is entitled to their opinion.
i am biased but i do love the show.
keep talking people!
any publicity is good publicity!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:59am

"I'll take Manhattan
the Bronx and Staten Island too
It's lovely going thru
the zoo."

[Princeton78]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 10:13am

Thanks for the thread! It's about time!

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 10:17am

Just because I did not like THE WEDDING SINGER, I didn't start a not-love thread because there was a love thread going on.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:16pm

What annoys me about the Spring Awakening criticism is that much of it isn't very smart or on the mark. We can sit here and complain about Stephen Sater's lyrics for the rest of the day but if I hear one more person complain about the conceit of the show (set in the 1800s with rock music) or the "Blah blah blahs" (which people only dislike because they don't seem to understand what they mean) I'm going to eat somebody.

The authors made a lot of specific choices. Some of them work, some of them don't. Yankee, next time you wanna make a Spring Awakening Not-Love thread, have something that's actually insightful and new to say about it so we're not sitting here rehashing the same old stuff. You apparently think about the show alot--maybe you liked it more than you thought.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:25pm

Old criticism and unintelligent criticism aren't the same thing. A lot of people who don't like the show have legitimate and insightful criticisms of it; whether they express it well or have anything new to say is another story. I don't think it's fair to -- just because you like the show -- say that if criticism isn't new and it's been said before it's not smart or "on the mark." Isn't saying that some choices work and some choices don't grounds for people to come up with legit criticism of the show? You can argue that everything you see on stage is a choice -- that there are no theatrical accidents -- then doesn't that only go to say that you can thoughtfully find problems with those choices?

I didn't love the show; I think the frame and juxtaposition are innovative and very interesting, but I found a lot of problems that exist in it. If you find a problem, you aren't necessarily complaining. I agree that it's a little bit silly to re-hash the same old things, and I'd assume this thread was probably created with tongue-in-cheek intentions.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:41pm

I'm just saying that people keep saying the same things over and over. How many times do we need to discuss it before the pros and cons are assimilated by everyone?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:47pm

Yankee, I don't agree at all. It's VERY memorable.

During and immediately after I saw the show, I HATED it. Then the next day, I couldn't stop thinking about it. The day after that, I couldn't stop thinking about it again. Songs that weren't stuck in my head were now in my head. I HAD to buy the CD. Things made sense...later.

Whether a show is supposed to have an impact on you during or after is my question. SPRING AWAKENING changed the way I see what theatre can be. I hated it, but now love it.

PS: Performances don't HAVE to be memorable. That's just a bonus. The STORY is what has to be memorable. While Christine Ebersole gave a memorable performance in GREY GARDENS, the show isn't all that memorable. In SPRING AWAKENING, the show is memorable, but not so much individual performances (more really the entire ensemble).