The Perfect Musical?- Page 5

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 4/13/09 at 10:08am

No musical is perfect.

Every musical has flaws, even if they're tiny. Even if it's a lyric that makes you itch, it is still a flaw.

Sweeney Todd is very close to perfect, but it still has some big flaws. The character of Anthony is very underdeveloped and has little personality; he's just the hunky guy that saves Johanna. I also think Tobias does not have enough time with Mr. Lovett and when he sings 'Not While I'm Around', it's very strange to the audience because we really don't know anything of their relationship beforehand. Also, some of the lyrics in the Ballad of Sweeney Todd are not good; they're just there to fill up syllables. "His skin was pale and his eye was odd" is the first lyric that comes to mind, they just needed something to rhyme with Todd and stevie came up with that crappy sentence.

I personally like Wiat. It's a beautiful song that is one of the moments we need; it shows the relationship between Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd. It is the first time we see that all Sweeney cares about is The Judge/ The Beadle... and all she cares about is him, that is why she sings that song to comfort him. It is really important to making the ending so much more dramatic.

ETA: If there's one thing Tim Burton's film did, it was that it fixed the problem of not knowing Tobias and Lovett's relationship. The movie fixed that flaw.

Updated On: 4/13/09 at 10:08 AM

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 4/13/09 at 10:11am

Cabaret is freaking amazing... but boy it is far from perfect. (I actually like Cabaret better than Sweeney overall, because the "Perfect" parts in Cabaret are stronger than the "perfect" parts in Sweeney, even though sweeney has more of them)

[SharpCookies]

Posted: 4/13/09 at 3:56pm

No musical is perfect, but to me the closest to perfection is INTO THE WOODS.

I also think GUYS AND DOLLS, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, SWEENEY TODD and others are close to perfection.

[PattiLover]

Posted: 4/13/09 at 5:34pm

Some of the shows people are listing are head scratchers...La Cage aux Folles (the dreadful book and antiquated gay jokes)? Sunday in the Park with George (the second act)? Passion (second-tier Sondheim)? RENT (banal lyrics, ****ty ending)?

Come on folks. Really now.

There is no perfect musical, but with so much that can go wrong with a musical, you have to really look at the show. Does it hold up against time? Do the book and songs work cohesively to tell a story? Is the conflict resolved in a believeable manner? Is the show believeable? Can the show be performed in many incarnations without adding or subtracting anything in the belief that the show can be improved?

For me, Gypsy is the closest to getting it perfect. Sweeney Todd is a masterpiece and almost perfect. The Threepenny Opera is damned near perfect, though the various translations help it or kill it. Guys and Dolls is not a personal favorite, but it cannot be denied that it is one of the most perfect shows ever created. South Pacific is almost perfection.

My Fair Lady and Mame are great, but do the songs really add anything or improve upon already great stories?

[SharpCookies]

Posted: 4/13/09 at 7:44pm

Oh, and I forgot-- WEST SIDE STORY. Everything in West Side Story is amazing.

[timesquare01]

Posted: 4/13/09 at 8:01pm

Sharp Cookies, I must agree with you that Into the Woods is my perfect musical. Especially when "Our Little World" is included. I'm not saying the revival was perfect, but to me, Into the Woods just oozes brilliance and perfection when done correctly.

Other perfect musicals -
The Last 5 Years
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Bat Boy
In The Heights
[title of show]

[SharpCookies]

Posted: 4/13/09 at 8:05pm

I never saw the revival, TimesSquare (I actually live in Canada ^^'), but I saw the taped version with the original cast and it was probably the best musical I had ever seen. Bernadette Peters was amazing.

...I seriously need to get my butt to Broadway and see some shows.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 4/13/09 at 8:05pm

West Side Story. The music is perfection. The book is touching and brilliant. The dancing is the the most beautiful thing ever to be put on stage.

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 4/13/09 at 11:42pm

All art is subjective.