Why I think the teenagers are flocking to Next To Normal...And why I think they're wrong- Page 4

[Libby1209]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 8:18pm

I agree with everyone else who said that this thread was pointless...it IS!

It's funny (to me) that the original poster feels there has to be a reason why the younger generation relates to certain shows. Who cares why! As long as they keep buying tickets!

Are there people (young or not-so-young) who get a little crazy into shows? Sure. Are they annoying? To some...yes. But again...as long as they're buying tickets, I don't see a problem.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 10:51pm

Well... I'd expect nothing less than this total ignorance from Winston89.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 11:28pm

To that end...aren't MOST thread pointless?

[ActingIsLovee]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 11:51pm

I'm 16. I've been on anti-depressants since I was 12, in therapy since I was 9.
The majority of my friends are on meds too. It's not just "teen angst"
and I take personal offense to your statements.

For my, Gabe speaks to me. Gabe is the temptation and he is our demons and he is right over his family's shoulders the way my demons follow me.
That is how the show speaks to me.

and to put Next To Normal and Wicked in the same sentence and their appeals in the same category is simply ludicrous.
the appeal of Wicked isn't just "overweight girls looking for love"
and with Diana, people see her in different ways, but i haven't
met a single person who doesn't acknowledge her illness or who likes the show because "Diana wants to disappear and omg i want to disappear because people think i'm like weird for looooving wicked!"

frankly, you're completely ignorant and infuriating.

in addition, winston, to relate to your post about RENT, the message is seize the day like it's your last. Larson used the example of AIDS. It could have been any illness or matter. but I don't think that teens ignored the fact that it was about AIDS.
how old are you that you think teens are so naiive?

Updated On: 8/5/09 at 11:51 PM

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 12:44am

I don't think winston was necessarily saying that you have to have a mental illness or relate to the specifics of the show in order to appreciate it. I think he was just saying that there is a tendency of people to flock to certain shows and get very passionately and emotionally invested in them for very shallow reasons. It's literally the same exact people who claimed to have their lives changed first by Rent, then Spring Awakening, now Hair and Next to Normal, simply because it's the new "fad" show, and there are people willing to give them a little attention at the stagedoor. And that it's sad, for a show with a message as intricate and important as Next to Normal, that it's seemingly being lost on some people.

I'm sure this isn't true for all or even a majority of fans of the show, but there is definitely a decidedly vocal majority that seems to be worth mentioning.

[sparkleplenty]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 12:45am

Why single out teenagers? What about the adults who enjoy the show - have they all grappled with mental illness? And if not are they off the mark?

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 12:47am

And I don't think it's so out of line to say that no, you don't have to be affected by mental illness to appreciate the show. OBVIOUSLY that isn't true. But it sounds fair enough to me that someone who has battled some of the illnesses and issues that are specific to Next to Normal might be more affected by this particular show than most theatregoers. It's great that there are so many different shows about so many different specific things that people can identify which one connects with them the most, and for Next to Normal to be out there and to cover something that hasn't really been touched on this in depth in theatre before is great.

[ActingIsLovee]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 6:35pm

However, being vocal about the way the show effected you doesn't necessarily mean you're just following the fad.
both RENT and Next To Normal have greatly impacted my life.
No, I was not alive when the AIDS epidemic was running rampant, however the message of the show still touched me.
and Next To Normal made me discover many things about my disorders.

So according to your logic, now am I just seen as some stupid teenager?
Updated On: 8/7/09 at 06:35 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 6:38pm

Read some of Winston's other posts and then realize where this nonsensical thread came from.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 7:32pm

ActingIsLove -- try not to take the op's comments too personally -- remember, most of us here have disagreed with him!

[Iluvlizlemon]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 8:06pm

why does this idiotic thread still exist? it is truly asinine

[jansal]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 8:38pm

But look at what intelligent discussion it's brought!

[Craww]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 8:52pm

Intelligent discussion without sensible opposition is just a circle jerk.

Winston is wrong, everyone else is right. Thread is still pointless.

[winston89]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 9:00pm

Kelly2, that's what I was trying to say. I was trying to say that I do think that there are teenagers who get so into one show and then another because they think it is the cool thing to do. I was also saying that I do find it sad that they sometimes get TOO into a given show where it blurs the line between being a fan and being overly obsessed.

No, I don't think that one has to have a mental illness to enjoy Next To Normal, or be hispanic to enjoy In The Heights. What I was trying to say was there are teenagers who get TOO into a given show and I was giving my reason as to why I think that they are getting to attached to Next To Normal.

When I saw Rent there were people who were so obsessed with it that they couldn't even tell you who wrote the damn thing or that it had a message about AIDS etc. Teenagers just flocked to it like lemmings because they wanted to see a show that had teenagers in the audience. They then went to Spring Awakening, Wicked, In The Heights and now Next to Normal. If a show has contemporary music in its score, teenagers are going to love it and be obsessed with it and think that it is the biggest thing since sliced bread. if Adam Guettel writes a new show teens aren't going to flock to it. However, if Kitt comes up with another score they will.

[ActingIsLovee]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 9:04pm

i agree with everyone who's pointed out to me that this argument is pointless but winston, just pointing out that most of my friends who *aren't* into theatre have never heard of Next To Normal...far from obsessed.

[jansal]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 9:56pm

Craww, I was being sarcastic .

Winston, how old ARE you? You've got to be at least what, 70, to have all of this knowledge, right?

[Jane2]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 10:01pm

Some of you think the thread is pointless, but there are many more of us who thought it was worth responding to, thank you.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 10:05pm

Kudos to luvtheEmcee for bringing up the point of how people claim to relate to a show just to jump on the bandwagon. I love rock musicals. I think they are one of the most beautiful art-forms the theatre has to offer *waits to be eaten*, but they often advertise themselves to be the messiah of all theatre *cough* Passing Strange *cough* Spring Awakening *cough*. I think one of the reasons people pretend to relate to 'edgy' shows is because they are advertised to be the first show any normal human being has related to. Even though not ALL of the 'edgy shows' do it, a great amount of them do (and it's usually the rock shows).

Now, just because you can't relate to a show doesn't mean it can not speak to you. I honestly don't see much of myself in any of the characters in RENT, but I'm still very much effected by its message. There are many ways someone can personally connect to a show, and 'relating' to it is only one of them.

Updated On: 8/6/09 at 10:05 PM

[Iluvlizlemon]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 10:16pm

Some of you think the thread is pointless, but there are many more of us who thought it was worth responding to, thank you.


You also think ROA is worth seeing.

[Jane2]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 10:22pm

that's right, lemon. You want to start something?

[perfectforyou]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 11:06pm

I have a couple of things to say to this, and the many responses it has received. First of all, I agree to an extent. I too saw many a teen glorify the living conditions and aspire to be like Roger and Mimi, when in reality the situation being portrayed is very sad and dreadful. I'm an actor and singer and personally I hope that I'm never in a situation where I cannot even afford an electric bill and contract a deadly disease. The teens you are referring to did miss the big picture in that case, because the message about AIDS was very important. And though it's wonderful music and great to imagine living out your dreams of being an artist despite everything you have to put up with to do so, that hardly covers a fraction of what RENT was about and these teenybopper fans did sort ignore the important aspect of this show.
And yes, I do imagine that this MAY happen for Next To Normal as well, BUT you cannot generalize this way. I was a teenager who understood the big picture in regard to RENT and I'm an adult who understands and can connect with Next To Normal BECAUSE I was a teenager on medication and I Miss The Mountains means very much to me. And I was pretty young when I went through that, so who's to say some of these teenagers aren't in the same boat I was? Some of the teens may very well be obsessed with the musical because of what you say, but a lot may be able to relate to Natalie or even Dan in the sense that no one hears them out or understands what they are going through and their families are falling apart. We musn't forget that without the younger generation becomming passionate about musical theatre, we will lose it all together. So if these teenagers don't quite get why they connect with it now, maybe eventually they will, and they will be the ones to help keep musical theatre alive for generations to come.

[Iluvlizlemon]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 11:07pm

that's right, lemon. You want to start something?

Did a senior citizen just threaten me?

[Craww]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 11:57pm

I figured, jansal. Still thought it was worth the comment, for those who still wanted to pontificate.

Anyway. Yeah, of course teenagers flock to things for the wrong reason, or elevate the wrong aspect of something. They're just being teenagers, I don't see the point in getting so angry and superior about it. They're teenagers.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 12:11am

....isn't Winston just barely clearing the teens?

[colormesusan]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 1:01am

That's nice that you think that, but alas, you're opinion is really not important.

And please, DO NOT try and imply that all teenagers are the same. I like Next to Normal, but not because I think I relate to it because of my "teenage angst" (I never quite understood that concept anyway).