Spring Awakening Over Rated?- Page 2

[freeadmission]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:32am

The creators certainly are. All of thier "musicals rock" comments got quite annoying after awhile; the salt in the wound of a slew of undeserved awards.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:35am

Haha, okay.

No one likes a sore looser, and this is coming from a GREY GARDENS fanatic.

[feinstein9]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:39am

Thanks for the explanation, munk. It doesn't make me see it in a different light (not to say that you were trying to convince anybody), but I do appreciate you getting the point out. For the record, I never marked you as a SA champion. I recognize that most of your posts are fairly balanced, especially in regards to the Tony's.

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:44am

No one is acting that way.


Not on here, I mean.

Obviously people on here are quite intelligent enough to figure out that Spring Awakening is not God's gift of "rock on Broadway" to the world of theatre .... for the most part, that is.


The creators certainly are. All of thier "musicals rock" comments got quite annoying after awhile; the salt in the wound of a slew of undeserved awards.

Oh good, so I wasn't the only one who thought that. In a way, I was happy that a new musical was getting attention. But, at the same time, I was cringing whenever their lyricist talked.

Updated On: 6/11/07 at 01:44 AM

[freeadmission]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:46am

Heh, sorry munk. I tend towards the melodramatic late at night. I think it's time for bed.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:46am

Obviously people on here are quite intelligent enough to figure out that Spring Awakening is not God's gift...

Well, you're actually wrong about that

[Blue-Eyed Wonder]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:47am

I am so glad that I am not the only person in the world who thinks that SA does not have great music! I have complete and total respect for the show--it's reaching to different places in musical theater, but I can't get excited about the score. And, call me old-fashioned, but I believe that the music should be an extention of the story and not completely detached.

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:51am

Munk, honey, did you read the part of my post where I said "for the most part, that is"?




Of course, I realize that not everyone here will hold the same opinions of Spring Awakening or any musical or play for that matter.

Updated On: 6/11/07 at 01:51 AM

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:55am

munkustrap178, I see what you mean, but that's not the way that every song is presented (which was my biggest pet peeve and a fault of the director). While "I Don;t Do Sadness/Blue Wind" is presented this way, "The Word of You're Body (Reprise)" is not. There's very little cohesiveness in terms of direction.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:56am

Of course "The Word of Your Boy (Reprise)" is. What are you talking about?

[DG]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:57am

SO - how many understand that the theatre world is looking for ways to draw younger audiences?

How many recognize that the Tony Awards - the one national prime-time exposure it gets - is all about that promotion?

Are there STILL questions as to why SPRING AWAKENING was the annointed one this season?

[Blue-Eyed Wonder]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 2:08am

But when you're talking Broadway, even a younger audience doesn't want to go see something about teenage angst. It's not what you see a Broadway show for. If anything, I think people want to get away from that and just have fun or see something visually stunning or see eccentris characters or whatever...

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 2:08am

It seems no one can ever be happy for a show.

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 2:10am

I apologize if I came across as ignorant or senseless in my previous posts.

In the future, if you see me acting like a complete dult, do not hestitate to batter my self esteem to a pulp. :)

Updated On: 6/11/07 at 02:10 AM

[DG]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 2:14am

Blue - which explains the HUGE success of WICKED - you know, the one where the young girls see their angst played out to music?

And AVENUE Q, which attempts to validate the 20-30-something navelgazers.

And SPAMELOT, which actually managed to get young MEN into a theatre.

It may not be what gets YOU into a theatre, but do you honestly think that ANYONE posting here represents anything akin to the AVERAGE theatre-goer?

[softershade]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 2:17am

I am also in the minority of thinking Spring Awakening is highly over rated. I've tried to look at it from every angle possible and I can't find anything so groundbreaking and amazing that causes people to rave over it like they do. Oh wow a bunch of horny teenagers on stage, just what I want to pay to see! Except not. There are maybe two songs out of the entire show that I actually enjoyed if only for the music and not the craptacular lyrics.

[Blue-Eyed Wonder]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 2:22am

Yes, but...

Wicked: big, colorful and very Broadway-ish

Avenue Q: it's lewd, funny as hell and a puppet show

Spamelot: drew in huge amounts of Monty Python fans and it's quirky and funny and also very Broadway-ish

Spring Awakening is really none of these things, so I don't see very much Broadway commercial appeal.

[fabala4077]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 11:40pm

All right, I'm prepared to give it a chance. I haven't been impressed with what I HAVE seen and heard, but I just found out my county library has the soundtrack. I'll check it out and give it a few spins, see if it grows on me. Maybe?

I didn't like Rent the first time I heard it. By the third, I was hooked. Who knows?

[FutureAladdinOnB'Way]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 11:52pm

Yes..I think Doug might get his chance for Best Book next year with The Little Mermaid being that he didn't get it this year...

[jg4892]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 11:53pm

People keep saying they're in the minority. Look at the responses in this thread. Everyone should stop saying they're in the minority for disliking SA. On this board, it is plain to see the fans are in the minority.

[blindchameleon]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 12:11am

I still don't understand why the score is considered better than Grey Gardens', which I thought musically was fantastic and lyrically was far better than that of Spring Awakening. The music is catchy for Spring Awakening, but so many of the lyrics are absolutely heinous; just melodramatic phrases that don't make any sense. I just can't fathom how you can listen to songs like "Around the World" and "Another Winter in a Summer Town" and then "The Word of Your Body" and "My Junk" and not be in favor of Grey Gardens.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 12:11am

Yes.

[RentSpringRappFan]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 3:00am

BLUE- "Spring Awakening is really none of these things, so I don't see very much Broadway commercial appeal."

I think it all comes down to audiences. For those seeking a concrete answer as to why it's "good," I can't give one, but I can come up with this: both times I have seen this show, the cast has had to come out THREE TIMES! And it really felt like the audience didn't want to stop applauding. The energy of the cast, the message of never letting go of those you love, the odd sense of optimism in a dark time (kind of sounds like RENT, eh? LOL).

So, BLUE, is there a giant flying machine??? No. Are there a lot of dick jokes??? No. Did Eric Idle write the music??? No. By all accounts, is it/or should it be "mainstream" or "commercial"? No.

BUT...

It is.

They have been able to take an 1891 piece by german playwright Frank Wedekind and make it meaningful, inspiring and impactful to masses of people. As much as people on this thread (and MANY others since last night) hate to admit it, it has made a huge impact. And for anyone who has read the original play, they know how big of a feat it really is to make this play COMMERCIAL...hell, they should get a Tony for that! LOL. Just kidding...

My favorite comment about SPRING was made by a FORTY year old woman sitting next to me the first time I saw the show with my brother. After it ended (or maybe during intermission), she turned to her friend and said, "I just don't think I can be friends with anyone who doesn't like this show."

NEEDLESS TO SAY, she wouldn't make many friends on here. LOL.

But I will be her friend. I don't think it's overrated. I think it has a beautiful and fun score, I think it has great performances (especially by Gallagher and Groff), I think it has a universal message that spans all (or most) ages and I know some people hate this, but for some of us, there is just an unexplainable feeling watching it.

Watching CURTAINS at the Tonys...I knew what feelings I felt...a sense that I was watching something really trite, followed by some nausea and a trip to the bathroom. Bleh.

It's all subjective. I thought I'd share my perspective.

[RentSpringRappFan]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 3:01am

PS. Sorry I wrote a lot. I tend to do that.

[Khashoggi]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 3:48am

Just seems like an emo version of RENT with bleak costumes to me. I don't understand how it beat Mary Poppins and Legally Blonde for choreography. If you want innovation, what about Grey Gardens?
I fail to see how its so cutting edge...
That said, its bringing young folks into the theater, so good for it! And hopefully some people who see Spring Awakening as their first show will go on to discover a broader range of theater?