are "sung through" musicals dead?

[Justin D]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 12:32pm

There doesnt seem to be many around these days (although i cant speak for most of the newer shows) but with the flops of Pirate Queen and Woman in White, and practically every other musical out there having almost as much dialogue as singing. Is the sung through musical like Les Mis, Saigon, Sunset and phantom a thing of the past?

not that that was the reason for either of those 2 shows flopping, but it just does not seem that anyone is putting out these kind of shows anymore.
Do the producers think that the public have gone off on them?

just a thought

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 12:58pm

As far as I can remember, Passing Strange is almost completely sung through, isn't it? Between poetry and singing, I mean.

Man, what a great show.

[myManCape]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 1:08pm

Look at and consider the composers of the shows you mentioned:
Les Mis & Miss Saigon are Schönberg and Boublil
Sunset Blvd & Phantom are Webber

Pirate Queen? Schönberg & Boublil
Woman in White? Webber

Being able to create and write a musical that is completely sung through is very difficult and places a huge burden on the composer and lyricist. I don’t think the problem today is with the producers, rather I believe its with the modern composers who are unable or unwilling to take on the task of writing a completely sung through musical. And the only composers who are even trying to write new shows are the ones who have had success with it in the past.

[Justin D]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 1:10pm

I just miss the days when a cast album was a double CD, lol.

[Born To Reign]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 1:17pm

I second that, justin.

May I mention Rent?

[LostLeander]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 1:25pm

Caroline, or Change was nearly completely sung through.

And brilliant, at that.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 1:42pm

"Being able to create and write a musical that is completely sung through is very difficult and places a huge burden on the composer and lyricist."

I beg to differ, a lot of composers that I've spoken to say that it's more difficult to stop the music without making it corny, or begin the music in a dramatic point in the story that has been brought to that point through dialogue.

I think it depends on the composer, but it shouldn't be hard for SONGWRITERS, which are distinct from composers.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 1:59pm

aw, we can only pray they are.

It was a gimmick that became the norm.

And it usually sucked.

[Shakespearean]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 2:19pm

Does anyone else remember when this was called opera?

[vmlinnie]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 2:23pm

Sung through musicals were pretty much more accessible versions of Opera (they were, afterall, called 'Rock Operas').

But I do miss Double CD albums. My Les Mis Full Symphonic runs over onto a third CD!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 2:31pm

I usually prefer sung-through musicals. Falsettos, Ragtime (mostly sung), A New Brain, Martin Guerre, Phantom , Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Tommy, Starlight Express, Sweeney Todd (mostly sung), Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Dreamgirls, Whistle Down the Wind...they all turn me on.

[LostLeander]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 2:33pm

How in God's name is writing a sung-through musical a gimmick?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 2:38pm

It isn't a "gimmick". Never was. It is just a different style of writing. Like any other style, some of the shows are hits and some are flops.

[artscallion]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 2:41pm

Yes, Aspects of Love killed them.

[vmlinnie]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 2:42pm

Ew, Matt! Just kidding.

I do love sung-through musicals, but looking at the ones you've listed, although I do like most of them, Martin Guerre and Starlight Express (both of which I own and listen to) were a little on the rubbish side, but they had decent scores.

I love Boublil & Schoenberg, but when I think of their Moments of madness, I often think of the opening of Martin Guerre.

"We've been here seven years, Arnaud, what have we done?
Through the pain and the blood, through the rain and the sun,
And where will this finish, and why did it start,
if there's no one to love you, to hold in your heart?"

Now you must admit, that's just hilariously bad!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 2:42pm

OHHHH...I almost forgot Aspects of Love! One of my favorites. Gorgeous show.

[Born To Reign]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 4:27pm

I think Sunset might be one of my favorite sung-throughs, and I think ALlW's best.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 5:03pm

Sung through musicals are actually my musicals of preference. They can flow so beautifully, and be very moving as a result. I think they are spectacular and extremely emotional. I don't know where people get the idea that it was a gimmick. It was a style of writing used often in the late 70s/80s.

In that case, Sweeney Todd used this "gimmick", seeing as how it's almost completely sung through.

Updated On: 6/14/07 at 05:03 PM

[mortgageguy79]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 5:35pm

"OHHHH...I almost forgot Aspects of Love! One of my favorites. Gorgeous show."

Me too! LOVE IT! Did you happen to see the touring production at the Lyric Opera YEARS ago?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 5:56pm

mortgageguy79 - I saw the touring production in Houston years ago. Around 1994, I think? It was a beautiful production. Funny bit of trivia...I had an extra ticket, so I took this nice kid who was performing in his first show with me (Hollywood/Ukraine - I played the Groucho Marx role in the second act). We both loved the show and years later he ended up moving to NYC and performing in his first Broadway show - Fosse. His name is Parker Esse and you can see him on the Fosse DVD along with fellow Houstonian, Mark Arvin, who is very sadly missed.

vmlinnie - Aren't those lyrics from the 1997 version? When I speak of Martin Guerre, I only refer to the original 1995 production. I hated the changes they later made to the show. I actually loved Starlight Express back in the day when it premiered. It was a thoroughly entertaining and innovative spectacle when it opened with breathtaking staging and an infectious score. Then years of wear and tear, neglect, mismanagement, and unnecessary inferior rewrites, it deteriorated into a stale Vegas act.

[winston89]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 6:06pm

I never realized that dreamgirls was a sung through musical.

Am I the only one that calles Les Miserables and other sung through musicals operas because that is what they really are. Les Miserables in particular. it followws all the elements of an opera. Each character has their own theme music ect ect.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 6:14pm

winston89 - Do not ever let opera fanatics hear you say that. EVER. They will chew you up, spit you out, and grind your remains into the sidewalk with their shoe to leave for dogs to urinate on.

Seriously, you should start running now.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 6:28pm

Winston, there are many many reasons that Les Miz and Phantom are not operas, I would go as far as to calle them operettas, maybe Les miz a Rock opera, but there are other shows that I would call operas, Aspects of Love and Passion, I would call Chamber operas, and they are getting performed by Opera companies

[Justin D]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 6:29pm

I never liked the term "Rock Opera" since i guess i have a different feeling of what rock music is, although i can see it being applied to Superstar.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 6:49pm

Only the bad ones are dead (save for PHANTOM OF THE OPERA).
Luckily shows like CAROLINE OR CHANGE and RAGTIME have been having a solid life after Broadway.