Why Does Everyone Hate Musical Theater?- Page 2

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 2:57pm

Was that a gay joke?! Not on a musical theatre board you don't!

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 3:04pm

I agree that many people probably don't care for musical theater because they aren't exposed to it.

How can you appreciate something if you never see it?

Also, for some clear-as-mud reason, theatrical communities have decided to reinforce the cultural stereotype that musicals are only for certain people. Straight males are not only not needed at the party, but not wanted. And even though this is frequently stated as a joke, it's still done.

This has not always been the case. During the heyday of movie musicals, there was nothing unusual about straight men seeing musicals on stage or screen. But somewhere along the way, being straight and liking musicals became incompatible.

Do professional sports leagues constantly tell gay males that they aren't supposed to like their sports product? Who cuts themselves off like that economically?

[Goodtoon]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 3:06pm

This is a new thread and that surprises me.

I think that there are many reasons why people don't like musicals.

I think that there is also a 'breakline' between 'newer' musicals and 'older' musicals.

Yes, some people dont like to see gay guys dancing on a stage. OTOH, some people don't like to watch anyone dancing on a stage.

I think many 'musical haters' are fairly far removed from the world of music anyway. Or they are younger 'haters' who simply do not realize that there is a song style beyond that of rock and roll.

OIR.....maybe some people simply OD on the hype?

I like musicals. Someday I will have to go and actually see one live.

[dramaparoxysm23]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 3:07pm

...because people are stupid, uncultured, and unwilling to try anything new.

[DramaDork925]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 3:12pm

I know most guys hate it because of the "gay" stigma associated with it. I really don't understand it and find myself wondering how anyone can like anything else.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 3:12pm

"..because people are stupid, uncultured, and unwilling to try anything new."


Well, that kind of attitude is bound to get 'em into the theater.

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 3:50pm

Trey, does your friend realize that aliens don't take over the planet in real life? That Cinderella stories don't normally happen in real life?

That's the wonder of art. You see things that don't happen in real life.

As someone said, it's ok if you don't like the music, but I call foul on those who say it's not "realistic". Most movies aren't.

As others have said, I think it's because musicals are "uncool" most people claiming they hate them probably haven't seen many and just go with the crowd.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 3:54pm

It's a cultural thing. Back in the day, pop music came from musical theater, and musical theater really wasn't much more than a revue with half dressed girls running around the stage. Also, they didn't have television, and movies were much more stagey (so seeing a movie was like seeing a play). It all kind of happened at once (or over a period of twenty years :P). All of the sudden everybody had a television, movies were becoming more "high tech" and naturalistic, rock music became the new thing with kids and their kids in turn would grow up on different kinds of rock music, and musicals became artsy and started reaching farther (so your brain had to be engaged).

The effect the television has had on the world is enormous, but one of the side effects is that it essentially placed theater in a pocket as a minor entertainment. Also, the theater got more high tech. Prices go up. The theater audience gets older, and even the theater scene changes as it tries to adapt to the new popular culture. There's a funny story about a guy who stepped into West Side Story, probably some tired businessman on his way home from work, who left during the first five minutes when he realized what he was in for. Well, that's what happened. Suddenly the theater wasn't what it used to be, suddenly it either took itself rather seriously or was playing a different kind of music, and unfortunately the only mass audience was one from an older time (which to me explains the immense popularity of shows like Fiddler and Hello, Dolly). Plus, you have to drive to theater. Why drive to the theater when you can sit inside your house and watch your old friend Jennifer Aniston get into some wacky situations? Note that movie theaters are losing a lot of money lately because nobody really goes to the movies anymore.

So people came to regard musical theater as an expensive cultural thing. Maybe you go to NY and you see a Broadway show to say you've seen a Broadway show. To us, Mamma Mia isn't exactly the most intelligent thing we've ever seen, but to the average Joe, hey, that's Broadway, it's high culture. Occasionally a show comes along that for some reason strikes just the right chord with youth culture (HAIR, RENT, Wicked, etc.) or adults (The Producers). But even rock music has evolved through the years. Nostalgia and trends aside, kids don't listen to Elvis en masse. Like anything, Musicals had their day. It's possible that some day they will become a major part of popular culture again, albeit in a dramatically altered form. You know, how the musical is an off shoot of operetta which is from opera... etc. Hopefully the next stage of evolution is NOT the jukebox musical!!

PS: A stage show can never have even a significant percentage of the audience possible for a television show or a movie. Thus why an art flick can still have a bigger audience than a musical (although not nearly as devoted or affected, I would wager). My Fair Lady gave Julie Andrews clout with producers and a small percentage of the population, but Cinderella and Mary Poppins made her a household name. Although My Fair Lady is an anomaly for its time as it was one of the best selling records of the year. Which is weird.

PPS: If a person says they don't understand how people can just randomly break out into song, it's because they are either stupid or unimaginative. I'm not being mean. If you can suspend your disbelief for a music video, you can suspend your disbelief for a musical. It's not exactly a surprise that people on stage are singing. You know that people are going to sing on the stage, they are on a stage, and there is usually a lead up to the song, such as an orchestra lightly playing an introduction underneath. It's just a dumb thing to say.

Again, yet another case of television destroying our imaginations. Television ruined movies, it ruined books, it ruined the theater, it ruins everything~_~

[gumbo2]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 4:10pm

A bunch of my friends really do not like musical theatre for a few reasons.

I think a big one actually is they for some reason find it embarrassing to admit they like it.

Also, i guess they don't really like the "annoying people" involved, who randomly break into loud, obnoxious songs on long bus rides and such. I must admit, I'm not really a fan of this either.

And, I think that sometimes the melodies don't strike them as especially good. One of my best friends really dislikes all musicals (except newsies), but whenever we are in the car I play him some songs, and he likes all the ones with catchy tunes. I think he is just afraid to admit he likes MOST musicals, because he finds them "dumb"

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 4:18pm

It's all about what's popular.

People aren't exposed very much to musicals. So every time a good one comes out or shows up on TV, you have a giant hurdle to jump over with the public. It's always perceived as "different" and usually a bit strange. People aren't open to the idea, they have to warm up to it. (Too much work for them, sometimes.)

The most popular film genre of the '30s and '40s was the musical, in fact. They made MGM and the other studios a fortune back then. But they went out of style, as tastes changed and people looked for more realistic entertainment... with the odd movie (Sound of Music, Grease, Chicago, etc.) turning up as a blockbuster, once in a while.

But those are exceptions to the rule. Not the rule. The glory days when America and even Hollywood looked to Broadway for its inspiration are gone now. Broadway is mostly commercial and designed for the masses to enjoy themselves. But don't cry too hard about that. It was the same at the turn of the last century. Hopefully, history will repeat itself. It usually does. I just hope I don't have to wait until 2045 for that to happen.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 4:20pm

yea exactly...i feel embarassed when others are like "oh yea, he likes MUSICALS" because not a large demographic of teenagers like musicals or know what they are...so yea

[ihearttheatre]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 4:51pm

I don't think people hate musicals so much as they're just not completely devoted to and obsessed with them. I know many, many people have seen 1 or 2 Broadway shows, really enjoyed them, but simply haven't pursued it any further.

Secondly, quality live theater is hard to come by and can be expensive if you don't know about rush and/or discount codes. If someone only ever sees a crappy high school production of Oklahoma!, he/she might feel as though they "hate" musicals.

That being said, some people just don't like certain things, and that's okay. For example: I don't like mustard. There's no reason; I just don't. Nobody cares and it's fine.

Anyway- I'm okay with the fact that not so many people absolutely love plays and musicals. I feel like they belong to me, and I'm not sure I really wanna share.
Updated On: 11/26/05 at 04:51 PM

[greenegirl87]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 4:54pm

feel like they belong to me, and I'm not sure I really wanna share.

i know what you mean. sometimes it seems like if they don't care enough to learn about musical theatre they don't get to enjoy it. its snobby as he*l, but as much as we want the whole world to enjoy musical theatre, we also in a way want it to be left to our little select few.

[ihearttheatre]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 4:57pm

That was pretty snobby of me. Oops! I'm really not, but if people don't care, I don't have a desire to force-feed musical theater to them. That's what I really meant.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 5:11pm

What? You don't like mustard? Why haven't you been banned yet?






((actually, I don't like it either!))

[caitiesus1522]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 5:23pm

"A music teacher in my school talked about a good reason for the "hatred" recently. He said it had to do with the "dumbing down" of teenagers, and society as a whole. A lot of people don't care to listen to or watch something that makes them really think. They don't want to search for a meaning, or any type of undertone. They'd much rather listen to rap stars singing about their humps, or punk bands singing about how horrible their life is because they were given a bad haircut."

That is a very smart music teacher! Many more recent musicals actually touch on subjects that makes people think (TTB, Rent, Wicked, heck even Spelling Bee) and I know a lot of people who dont want to be forced to think about some of the issuesthat are brought up in musicals...they would rather ignore them,

And the whole being into musicals makes you gay, I haeve noticed that the straight guys in theater (yes they are actually quite a few!) are the ones that are comfortable with their sexuality don't care what other people think. Too bad most people don't focus on that one!

And they are unrealistic with the breaking into songs...My friend and I do it all the time. And not just songs from musicals but any songs, sometimes even songs that we are completely improvising about the situation. The reason songs exist in musicals is because that feeling/emotion/idea cannot be expressed in words.

[Marlene]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 5:38pm

The majority of my friends don't like musical theater. Most of them just point out that they don't enjoy the score, that type of music, etc. So that's a huge factor.

As for performing, we're always pressed for males with talent that are willing to get up on stage. (3 to 1, girl to guy ratio at my school...damn humanities curriculum.) You can't forget the gay factor that really drives people away from theater. Our star leads for the past years have been openly talented and gay, unfortunately they just had to graduate.

The snob factor...oddly enough have a few close minded individuals that are turned off or intimidated by the aforementioned factor that seems to come hand in hand when one talks about a Broadway show. Then there's the cost of going to a show.(Which I guess I take for granted, because I usually get to see shows because of gifts and those lovely lotteries...not everyone is going to attempt getting in line every Saturday afternoon until they win...and I guess $25 adds up.)

Theater people are scary. Or so I've been told by others. Haha...I've always been off beat so, heck I have no f-ing clue on that.

Oh and then there's content. There's the cheeeeeeese factor. And then there's the (*cringe at the content*) wtf was that factor. (Why are there gay people? Why are there naked people on stage? How is this PG!?!?!? My eyessss! *cough* You see this on television!)


Updated On: 11/26/05 at 05:38 PM

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 5:46pm

The theory about not liking musicals because bursting into song is unrealistic, is so lame. There's no way that James Bond should have realistically survived all the action sequences he goes through. Yet Bond is forever popular.

It just depends on which type of situation you are willing to suspend belief.

And I don't think the lack of interest in musical theater is because all people refuse to think. After all, not all rap or rock is brainless.

People are simply reluctant to embrace the unfamiliar.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 5:53pm

There is a huge misconception from the older musicals...The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, The Music Man, etc...that there is a huge cheese factor in musical theatre. That it's never anything to be takent seriously, and the music is hokey, old, and out-of style. Young people tend to believe that there is nothing in musical theatre that they can connect or relate with.

Then there's the simple idea that if they don't enjoy the music, they don't want to see a show that has singing in it; they'd rather see that action in spoken word so they don't have to sit through music they don't enjoy.

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 5:55pm

I agree with you that the "reality" of it is not the issue, it's the conditioning. People aren't very used to seeing actors burst into song anymore. But they're used to seeing action stars shoot 700 bullets out of a gun and drop 100 feet from the top of a building and land behind the wheel of a car. That's also conditioning.

...But if you ask THEM, they'll tell you that people just don't sing like that in real life.

The reality is that people are more likely to burst into song than they are drop from a building into a car and drive off in it.

Updated On: 11/26/05 at 05:55 PM

[greenegirl87]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 6:01pm

I think bursting into song is going to someday be totally socially acceptable :]

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 6:02pm

It sure beats going postal.

[Marlene]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 6:04pm

But it's like waaaaaay kewler to jump off a building and fight off bad guys in tights, robes, or hot outfits than it is to break out into song about your feelings, emotions, problems, trials, and tributations.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 6:31pm

It's sad. I know very few people who would appreciate an evening at the theater almost to the point where I'm a little embarrassed to admit I am obsessed with Broadway music, lol. I guess a lot of people our age just don't "get it" and are into rich and famous celebrities...

[TheEnchantedHunter]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 7:38pm

People are embarrassed by emotional expression, particularly in the oh-so-ironic-cool-and-awesome sensibility currently in vogue in our society. But like everything else, the cycle will turn and, as the population matures, there will be a return to honest and direct emotion.

Tilde Kooeck
Amsterdam, The Netherlands