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Which musical is most guilty of....

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#1

Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 6:17pm

Which musical do you think is most guilty of repeating the title over and over again? I think Wicked does this alot.

Do you think it is a good thing when a musical uses it's title over and over again? What are some of your favourite musicals that do this too much or not at all? Least favourites?

I like how Les Miserables never has the title in any of the lyrics. What do you think?

jera
"It's not a problem, it's just a challenge, it's a challenge, to resist temptation."
#2

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 6:20pm

Miss Saigon uses the word Saigon a lot!
The aforementioned Wicked!
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang... that's repeated enough in one song!
Jesus Loves You... Everybody else thinks you're an idiot!
#3

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 6:24pm

Erm... well it depends on the title, and how relevant it is to the story. I mean "Sweeney Todd" obviously gets repeated a lot because it's the main character's assumed identity, wheras something like "Songs for a New World" wouldn't be verbalized in the show, because the characters aren't really aware of the thing about the show that gave rise to the title. If that made any sense. So, it's kind of difficult to judge something like that (to me, anyway).


Updated On: 7/17/05 at 06:24 PM

#4

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 6:26pm

I think with Wicked, they almost have to use it a lot.
Musicals with one word titles like that are a lot more likely to be guilty of it.
Hmm...I'm trying to think up some more shows like that but my mind's kind of blanking right now.

Updated On: 7/17/05 at 06:26 PM

#5

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 6:31pm

Rent? Even though I love it:
"Rent, rent, rent, rent reeent! We're not gonna pay reeeent! 'Cause everything is rent!"
Sounds like a lot of "Rent"s to me.
"It's a long story, althought it's kinda-of a short one." ~~ Wolfwood
#6

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 6:32pm

Most GUILTY? Of repeating it's TITLE? Is that some sort of crime? I think "Into The Woods" repeats those three words a couple hundred times, is that a problem? Company, Hello Dolly, Oklahoma, Mame, Sweeney Todd, Avenue Q, Applause, Sweet Charity, Hairspray...pretty much any show that has a "Title Song" repeats the title at least a few times.
#7

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 6:32pm

The word Annie is used a lot in Annie.
"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife
#8

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 6:33pm

I agree that it depends on the title. If it is a character's name, it is understandable. It can get annoying when the lyric is "Wicked, Wicked, Wicked!" or "Rent, Rent, Rent, Rent, Rent!"

(Although I love Wicked and Rent, I think the previous lyrics are a little much).

jera
"It's not a problem, it's just a challenge, it's a challenge, to resist temptation."
#12

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 6:51pm

Cats.
"Wherever you go... I'll be right there. When you get your own private kick in the ass, just remember: it's a present from me to you." Rose's dying words to Louise
#13

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 7:40pm

You think those shows repeat the title a lot? You should hear the cast recordings of:

WISH YOU WERE HERE
FANNY
TAKE ME ALONG
PURLIE
LORELEI
THE WIZ
EVITA
THE LIFE (And that show doesn't even have a title song!)
TITANIC
CAMELOT

Whew! Too many to name! Someone else can add to this list!
Praying Decca Broadway will put "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" on CD!
#14

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 8:13pm

No crime, but...
Oklahoma
Mame
La Cage Aux Folles
Hello Dolly

to add a few more.
"And the postman sighed as he scratched his head, you really rather thought she ought to be dead..."
#15

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 8:20pm

The word "Urinetown" is in Urinetown like 52 times.

I counted once.
A little swash, a bit of buckle - you'll love it more than bread.
#16

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 8:28pm

I definitley have to agree with Chitty. They sing the title song song like a million times. While the show was enjoyable I would accidently start singing the song for like 2 weeks afterwards and it was slightly annoying....

Into the Woods is guilty too...if its a crime.
"That Sondheim kid has a big future."-Nathan Lane

Updated On: 7/17/05 at 08:28 PM

#17

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 8:32pm

yikes, people MUST be bored today........
It is ridiculous to set a detective story in New York City. New York City is itself a detective story... AGATHA CHRISTIE, Life magazine, May 14, 1956
#18

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 8:44pm

always bored...

I love how chicago hardly ever mentions the title (does it ever? or am I being forgetful... I know there are a few random mentions (newspaper headlines, and I know Billy says it... actually they say quite a few times... but there is no song!!! ok I'll be quiet now...)
#20

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 9:24pm

The phrase "Merrily We Roll Along" is repeated about every ten minutes in the show of the same name. Well, it's usually "merrily we roll along, roll along, but you get the drift.
"How do you like THAT 'misanthropic panache,' Mr. Goldstone?" - PalJoey
#21

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/17/05 at 10:01pm

I could be wrong about this, but big DRS fans can correct me: I don't think "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" is EVER used in the show. "Dirty Rotten" this and "Dirty Rotten" that, but I don't recall the word "scoundrel" at all. (Sorry, I know this is the OPPOSITE of the question posted.)

Even though some people think this is a post for the "bored," I have to admit I found it entertaining! Hey, sometimes boredom is the mother of invention.
"Be on your guard! Jerks on the loose!"

http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html

**********

"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"

~ Best12Bars
#25

re: Which musical is most guilty of....

Posted: 7/18/05 at 12:16am

39 occasions of the word "Wicked" that I could find.
About 89 of "Into the Woods" give or take.
About 18 of "Sweeney Todd" while the word "Sweeney" is given 58 times. The word "todd" is given 82 times. Though that is not accurate because the libretto states the name "Todd" when an action occurs.

These aren't perfectly accurate because of the number of times the titles of songs are repeated so subtract about 8 from the actual number.
BSoBW2: I punched Sondheim in the face after I saw Wicked and said, "Why couldn't you write like that!?"

Updated On: 7/18/05 at 12:16 AM

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