Why I think the teenagers are flocking to Next To Normal...And why I think they're wrong- Page 5

[Q]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 5:05am

edit - too bitchy, even for me. Updated On: 8/7/09 at 05:05 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 6:37am

(snickers)

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 10:45am

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

Except that if you read it, it's not at all. The only actual pointless posts are the ones claiming the thread is pointless. Most of the discussion raises very valid points and are on-topic, which is far less idiotic, asinine or pointless than the majority of what is discussed on BWW.

You also think ROA is worth seeing.

So? Critics and audiences have thought so as well. And? You thought The Color Purple should have won Best Musical.

Did a senior citizen just threaten me?

Sounds like it. Now what? For someone who's only been around a couple of weeks, you really seem to be targeting Jane. Hmmm...

Why am I suddenly reminded of The Charleston?

Intelligent discussion without sensible opposition is just a circle jerk.

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

Debate requires sensible opposition, not discussion. And intelligent discussion is never pointless, which is why it is intelligent. And guess what? Winston is not entirely wrong. There are teens and tweens out there who, like many adults, jump on bandwagons over-enthusiastically simply to belong to a group or to impress others. Next to Normal has been picked up as this season's "thinking man's musical" like so many others in the past (Caroline, or Change, Light in the Piazza, etc.) that is the darling of the elite to be bemoaned for not winning the Best Musical Tony and used as a weapon against those who admit to enjoying popular entertainment (aka traditional Broadway fare).

Do I think all teens like Next to Normal for the wrong reasons? Of course not. But I've no doubt some of them do.

Updated On: 8/7/09 at 10:45 AM

[justxbreathe]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 1:24pm

I'm 18 and I can totally relate to Next to Normal. I relate a lot to Natalie, as I think most other teens do. I don't relate to her specific issues because nobody in my family has had a mental illness, but there is a lot more to relate to than that. I can relate to feeling invisible sometimes and wanting to escape my family and the issues that come with them. I can also relate to striving for perfection and always falling short. Natalie's insecurities and self-destructive relationship with Henry also hits close to home with me. I think that the score is a big reason that teens are being drawn to the show. I also agree with previous posters who have said that many teens are battling mental illness or have a family member with mental illness. What I love about this show is that it opens people's eyes to mental illness and the struggles that come with it.

I agree that there are a lot of teens out there that do just see new musicals so that they can be "friends" with cast members and have bragging rights, but it's not fair to group all teen Next to Normal fans into this group. And even if teens are seeing the show for those reasons, you have no right to say that that's wrong. It's not your job to decide who does or doesn't have the right to see a show. Whatever their reasons are, they're still buying tickets and keeping the show alive.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 2:57pm

I have never related to any show or character as much as I did to The Scarlet Pimpernel and its main character, Sir Percy Blakeney. And I've never been a man, lived in the eighteenth century, married a French spy, saved aristocrats condemned to death, been rich, or had a sword fight with Terrence mann.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:02pm

Did we miss the part where winston clarified that he wasn't saying you had to live through the specifics of all shows in order to relate to it? But rather, singling out a minority in the fanbase of THIS specific show for being ignorant and crazy?

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:16pm

or had a sword fight with Terrence mann.

Really? I thought everyone had.

[Q]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:21pm

"singling out a minority in the fanbase of THIS specific show for being ignorant and crazy"

That's precisely why I had a problem with his comments. It's assumptive, narcissistic and just down-right rude.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:22pm

I know! I feel so left out!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:30pm

Schmerg! Where have you been hiding???

[broadwayworldreader]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:34pm

the same reason that 15 year old suburban girls called themselves Rent heads after the movie came out...9 years(?) after the show had opened...

just slightly ignorant.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:37pm

"That's precisely why I had a problem with his comments. It's assumptive, narcissistic and just down-right rude."

So you're gonna tell me you don't think there's an ignorant and crazy minority within the fanbase? Because that seems pretty naive to me.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 4:00pm

Dramama, I just came back from a so-called 'vacation' that was really a sneaky excuse to visit colleges.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 4:19pm

I was into all the tween-bop shows (I still am into most of them) for a few years, yet I never related to any of those characters (until now). The first time I ever related to a show was when I saw the DVD of Company (when I was 13, I believe). I saw a lot of myself in Bobby. To me, he was a character that was caught in the middle of what HE though was best for him...and what OTHERS thought was best for him. Does that mean that I have to be a single New Yorker in his 30's to relate to Bobby, no. I don't think you have to be in a nearly identical situation as the character to relate to him/her.

Updated On: 8/7/09 at 04:19 PM

[Q]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 4:25pm

"So you're gonna tell me you don't think there's an ignorant and crazy minority within the fanbase?"

What I think is that there probably are some responding out of their own sense of disenfranchisement - which, ironically, could have as much to do with the piece as anything else.

And what I REALLY think is that for anyone to sit back, point fingers and 'tsk-tsk' them - or anyone else, for that matter - is just arrogant and pointless. Even if true, how it's supposed to be affecting anyone else's experience, or changing the validity or value of the piece itself, is beyond me.

[ActingIsLovee]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 4:26pm

"There are teens and tweens out there who, LIKE MANY ADULTS, jump on bandwagons over-enthusiastically simply to belong to a group or to impress others."

This is true. But don't single out teens because it's adults and teens alike.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 4:28pm

The first time I ever related to a show was when I saw the DVD of Company (when I was 13, I believe). I saw a lot of myself in Bobby. To me, he was a character that was caught in the middle of what HE though was best for him...and what OTHERS thought was best for him. Does that mean that I have to be a single New Yorker in his 30's to relate to Bobby, no. I think you don't have to be in a nearly identical situation as a character to relate to them

But then, who doesn't relate to Bobby? That's what makes the show so great and him such a great character.

[Jane2]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 8:29pm

"Did a senior citizen just threaten me? "

Sure did, A-hole and a half.

And the reason you keep posting in this inane thread is......

[Iluvlizlemon]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 8:33pm

Watching your knickers twist whenever I mention how terrible Rock of Ages is really gets me going.

[Jane2]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 8:40pm

^with that statement you've put all four of your feet in your mouth.

As for your comments about my being old, am I supposed to be insulted?

As long as you insist on continuing posting in this thread you find senseless, I'll keep this up until I get tired of you. I happen to be bored on the job, thanks for giving me something to do.

Updated On: 8/7/09 at 08:40 PM

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 8:48pm

LOL, well, at least most of us with taste can agree that it's better they get hooked on N2N than the piece of trash that is Rock of Ages.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 11:05pm

Gettin' me some popcorn now.....

[PastorErnst]

Posted: 8/8/09 at 12:06am

If you're like me and have seen We Will Rock You, Rock of Ages turns out to be a masterpiece. Then again, that's not saying much.

OOH! Popcorn, eh? I'll join you, dramamama611!

[Q]

Posted: 8/8/09 at 1:53am

"most of us with taste"

I just love this kind of self-reverential crap.

[moowithme85]

Posted: 8/8/09 at 6:24pm

Part of me doesn't want to jump in the middle of this "discussion," but N2N "spoke to me" as you all are saying, and sometimes I just can't help myself.

I'm 23 years old and have suffered from an eating disorder for over three years; I've seen therapists, medical doctors, fought with my best friends, boyfriends, family...and I know I'm not alone here. I don't suffer from mania, or delusions, I don't smoke pot or steal my parents' medication, and I don't feel particularly misunderstood or "angst-y." Yet, I've never had a musical affect me as much as Next to Normal did. For me, N2N dealt with the feeling of addiction - of needing to be free of some demon, but not knowing exactly how to escape or knowing for sure if you even want to. Gabe's malevolence in "I'm Alive" literally made me feel sick to my stomach. "Perfect For You" had me bawling... N2N deals with such real, raw emotions. As far as I'm concerned, if people are seeing the show, it can only be a good thing.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that people can feel different things while watching a show. I don't think it's fair to say that people are too young or immature to feel something powerful in N2N. I realize that it's easy to think, "hey, man, I'm dealing with something truly TERRIBLE here, and all of these kids are making light of my problem and they don't understand!" I'm guilty of feeling that way, too, about certain movies or songs. But...the thing is, maybe people just understand in a different way.