The truth about...... — Page 2

Right and Next to Normal's score is much rockier than that, so I don't know what OP is talking about there.

He seems like he'd be a real riot at parties.

"Liking a show" is all a matter of taste, but I think parts of that show match this video too.

admittedly this video was terrible, but I unfortunately agreed with him that there are many songs that sound a lot like that. Also his voice isn't very good but he's not too shabby at the keys. still, obnoxious.

just watched the video of his "thoughts on dear evan hansen"....i'm assuming he auditioned to play Evan but was decreed as too gay and whiny.

Wait.... so...showtunes can sound a little like other showtunes? And there are certain kinds of songs that can roughly be put into subgroups within any genre? And some of the songs within each subgroup sound a little similar? And there are *trends* that run through genres (not just Broadway) during certain time periods?

My God -- give this guy a MacArthur grant!

There are certainly several Broadway "templates" -- simple starting points one can use to classify or understand scores or composers. What he's (bitterly/inexplicably) tearing down is just one of them. Just like every Tony/Oscar opening number for the last several decades has (lovingly) satirized the more traditional song and dance number. Why no angry rant over the fact that all older musicals "sound the same?" At least this is something new -- that a lot of people like -- even if he can't stand it.

Also, if he wants to go deeper and really criticize Pasek and Paul's abilities, I think many here would disagree. I personally don't hear much of Dogfight in DEH, for example. I think they're capable of producing a lot of different-sounding songs.

LOLZ this video kept popping up on my YT account, so when I saw this thread...finally watched it. He does have a point, but he does come off wrong. Now, The thing, is I think some of the shows he might list don't deserve to be there. N2N, while I'm biased having done it before, to me that musical aesthetic make sense overall. It's very non linear writing and the songs jump from style to style...but that's the whole point. Its about a woman who's bipolar and they consciously made the decision to write this show with a mesh of different styles to accentuate that. So it works. Not every one may LIKE that writing element, but it works. Once-Again biased. I ADORE this one, but also I'm not sure what people were expecting musically from it. It's Hansard and Irglova, they're folk music writers. What did we expect? To me the music matches the aesthetic of the show. It works. Again not everyone likes it, but when the aesthetic of both show and music are cohesive to create the world of that show and the music is as extension of the story...that's when I'm pretty happy. Both of them achieve this more or less pretty well. DEH, I can see the argument there. Granted I haven't listened to al yet, but I can see the endless repetitiveness there. But I think what people are moved by in DEH isn't the music so much as the story/theme. Which is great, but I do wish the music were better. It's good but not great. But look the world isn't perfect. If I find more to love rather than hate, about a show, still using the actual good storytelling techniques we learn in college and class, than I'm happy. I try to go in to a show wanting excellence, not perfection.

As for the argument as to why doesn't he reem the golden age for sounding the same...who knows why but they juts have a timeless feel. Who knows why, they just do. Their timelessness is proven by how long those shows have lasted in everyone's minds. I'll be honest, as great as even Hamilton is, I don't think it's a show everyone on the planet will talk about a century form now like we do with the Golden Age material.

Updated On: 4/12/17 at 12:22 PM

I actually like Dogfight's score the most.

JennH - your uneducated diatribes are nearly as insufferable as this idiot's video. good lord, help you.

What "works" on stage is only an opinion, not a fact, since -- as you know -- theatre is a subjective art form. Over and out (really?).