Two Types of Musical Theatre Fans: Old-Fashioned or Modern

[heil myself!]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:23pm

Ok, so I was talking with my friends about THE PRODUCERS and how great it is the other day. A girl overheard and says, "Ugh. I hate that show. Broadway isn't supposed to be like that." I asked her what she meant. She says, "It's not supposed to be light and irrevent like that. Broadway is supposed to be deep and emotional, like PHANTOM or LES MIS." I was quite enraged.

So I explained to her that if you go back to the 50's and 60's, Broadway was nothing but light-hearted and showy musicals-- 42nd Street, The Music Man, Guys & Dolls, etc. These are the kind that I enjoy. Broadway isn't one or the other. Though most are musicals, they don't all have to be the same musical genre.

So, the two types of musical fans:
1. Ballad-lovers (the girl): They like WICKED, PHANTOM, LES MIS, MAN OF LA MANCHA, JESUS CHRIST SS, AIDA, and despise old-timey shows like GUYS & DOLLS and THE PRODUCERS.

2. Classic-lovers (me): They like showgirl, kick-line, brassy, old-fashioned musicals. THE MUSIC MAN, GUYS & DOLLS, THE PRODUCERS, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, ANYTHING GOES, 42ND STREET, and hate anything Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Of course, there are those who bridge the line and like both.

I'll bet no one cares about this LONG post, but I needed to get this out of my system.

Sincerely,
An Anti-Lloyd Webber

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:28pm

First off, I'd hardly consider "The Producers" a "classic musical." It's far from it.

And I def. strattle the fence. I like both modern musicals and classics. It's all a matter of taste. When I was younger, I knew nothing but "new" shows, but now I love older scores. It just come with age and your tastes changing. I don't care for Phantom or Cats, but love Evita, so whatever.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:29pm

I am both types. Although sometimes I enjoy the show that are more entertaining and fun. ie. Hairspray, The Producers etc.

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:30pm

Where does Sondheim fit into all this. Isn't he the Anti-Loyd Webber?

[jenna2]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:32pm

Maybe Sondheim gets his own group? He definitely deserves one!

Updated On: 6/5/07 at 05:32 PM

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:34pm

What about Kander and Ebb?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:35pm

"Sincerely,
An Anti-Lloyd Webber"

So, I'm guessing you're a number 2?

[jenna2]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:35pm

And they get their own group too! How about everybody just gets their own group? lol.

Or we could just lump all of the good shows into one and the bad shows into another... EASY!

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:37pm

"So I explained to her that if you go back to the 50's and 60's, Broadway was nothing but light-hearted and showy musicals-- 42nd Street, The Music Man, Guys & Dolls"

42nd Street opened on Broadway in 1980, and is based on a 1933 film.

[Danielm]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:40pm

I think there are two types of people, those who think there are two types of people and those who don't.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:40pm

I'm sorry, but if you're a fan of musical theater in general, you won't subscribe to one or the other, you'll apppreacite the art form growing and moving and breathing and living, and changing.

The pigeonhole certain shows into a camp is a useless dichotomy in my opinion.

However, I think the distinction lies in one's preference of storytelling. The pastichy cutesy shows, the good ones, usually have a worthy undercurrent or source material, which a production can either do justice to, or completely ignore; and the heavy shows more often than not rely on melodrama, which is effective, but empty. Of course, the goodheavy shows often deal with issues that are timely and need to be discussed at the time they are orignally presented or revived.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:46pm

42nd Street opened in the 80s . . .

[Weez]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:48pm

You really can't divide theatre fans into two groups like that. As many people will point out, there are many people who fall squarely into both camps. Plus if you're going to split into groups, you need more than just those two!

[LostLeander]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:48pm

1) 42nd Street opened in 1980.
2) Les Mis / Phantom - Deep? Hardly. And what does emotional even mean? Certainly The Producers has plenty of emotion.

I would say that Phantom/Les Mis/Producers is in a similar, if not the same, group. The girl is a snob WANNABE. Thinking she has the right to say that Producers is low art while citing Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera as the ideal? Please, she needs to get over herself and see more shows.

[heil myself!]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 6:45pm

I'm sorry, I typed this very quickly and made a lot of mistakes and maybe wasn't clear enough on what I was trying to convey.

I know 42ND STREET came out in the 80's, I put it there because it's the kind of musicals that came out in the 50's and 60's. Saying it actually opened at that time was just a typing mistake.

LostLeander, I realize THE PRODUCERS has emotion. I guess by "emotional" I meant drama as opposed to comedy. And yes, that girl is a wannabe.

Fenchurch, I am a fan of musical theatre in general. I just have preferences. Like, if I had a choice to see some of the new shows of this season, I would see CURTAINS instead of THE PIRATE QUEEN. Just cause I like the comic, light-hearted genre doesn't mean I'm not a fan of musical theatre in general. Just because someone would rather watch NAKED GUN instead of SPARTACUS doesn't mean they don't like movies in general.

Rentboy, I do think THE PRODUCERS is quite old-fashioned, at least the style of the songs.

And to everyone, there are DEFINITELY more than two categories. I apologize for not wanting to make my post 4 pages long! Again, I hastily typed this and was just generally speaking. After all, theatre has been categorized as comedy or tragedy since ancient Rome. And I only used Lloyd-Webber as an example because he arguably the most recognized dramatic composer.

Also, I do like Sondheim. FORUM is one of my favorites.

And I hope I did not come across as obnoxious; I have great respect for every show I mentioned, I just don't like some of them. I also respect the opinions of those who like the shows that I don't like.

And you know, I DID mention that a lot of people like both, and there's nothing wrong with that. A number of shows themselves even bridge the line, FIDDLER (another one of my favorites) is light and hilarious AND heart-breaking enough to make you cry.

I also want to thank those who were kind enough to treat this as an adult conversation, and not be cynical in their replies.
Updated On: 6/5/07 at 06:45 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 6:46pm

I am in the middle

While I liked SA, I also loved Curtains

[Night707]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 6:47pm

I can understand what you're saying. I just think you should've been a little more specific. You didn't specify the people who like shows other than those two types.

[jv92]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 6:48pm

I wouldn't call Les Mis or Phantom deep or emotional. I'd call them stupid. And musical comedy has been around far longer than the musical play. If anything is more typical Broadway, it's the musical comedy.
Tell your friend that she's clueless.

[glimpseofstocking]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 7:16pm

I'd call them stupid.
Haha!

Anyway, I'd say I'm somewhere in the middle, but I tend to lean more to the "old-fashioned" shows. I'd much rather see a show that was on Broadway 50 years ago than say Spring Awakening, but that's just my personal taste.

[jv92]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 7:21pm

I'm in the middle too. I forgot to mention that. I like musical comedy when it's good, but I like a musical play when it's good.

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 7:29pm

I'm on the fence. I have a deep love for the work of Cole Porter and Kander & Ebb, particularly the former. Kiss Me, Kate and Anything Goes are two of my favorite shows of all time, and while I do like many of the musicals that have come out in recent years - lighthearted, irreverant comedies such as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Spelling Bee, Drowsy Chaperone, and the like - are they too far removed from the lighthearted comedies of the 50's & 60's? The music style has been updated, but the idea of theatre that just makes you smile has been around for decades... but I digress.

The one style that I really dislike are the megamusicals - Les Mis, Phantom, Miss Saigon, Wicked; the shows that take themselves too seriously.

And where do composers like Jason Robert Brown, Michael John LaChiusa, William Finn, etc. fall in these categories?

[jv92]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 7:34pm

The newer composers, thank God, are creating dramatic pieces of the theatre that don't take themselves as seriously as mega musicals. There are moments of humor in works by Guettel, LaChuisa and so forth. They just are deeply moving as well. I would put them under dramatic musicals though.

[Ashleydanielle]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 7:45pm

I like both types. I love POTO, but I do not care for most of Webber's other works. I also like Les Mis and Miss Saigon. Then I also enjoy lighthearted shows like Dirty Rotten, Full Monty, Millie, 42nd Street, Guys & DOlls. I could go on, but I don't think most fans are one or the other. I think people like a blend of both types and not everyone likes the same ones. However, some people can be closed minded and you won't change their mind or they just haven't been exposed to as many types as say you or I and they can only base their preference on what they've seen.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 7:53pm

I would have to say I am in the middle. I like just about everything and will give almost anything a chance. Love Spring Awakening and I actually just saw Forum here in Denver and enjoyed both. But as far as what's on B'Way richt now, as much as I love The music in Spring Awakening, I am a bit more partial to the music in Grey Gardens because it has a more traditional sound.

[LostLeander]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 8:11pm

I like musicals that are well written.

If they're well-written (and well performed), I'll most likely love it.

I have a deep love for the classics, and for the new composers.

I guess I'd lean towards the newer, because I just hapeen to be living during this time.

Long live Musical Theatre.