just rant, you know you want to. — Page 2

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#26

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/15/04 at 11:18pm

Yankee fan - I'm not knocking your post I agree, since that's a rule on here, but Joey Fatone was the first one to be billed above the title, not our beloved has been spice girl.

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

#27

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/15/04 at 11:18pm

or La Cage

or Spamalot

or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

or...(I can go on!)

I want to write music. I want to sit down right now at my piano and write a song that people will listen to and remember and do the same thing every morning...for the rest of my life. - Jonathan Larson. Tick, Tick...BOOM!

#28

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 12:00am

Hate is a strong word. That said, -

...I strongly dislike the fact that there isn't an OBC of Mamma Mia, and we have to deal with that horrid recording.

...I strongly dislike (like many others) evil stunt casting.

...I strongly dislike not having Hugh Jackman on Broadway anymore.

....I strongly dislike the fact that every girl in the world is now using "Defying Gravity" for auditions. I was so hoping it WOULDN'T become the new "On My Own."

...I think its unfortunate that a lot of people haven't been exposed to classic musicals. It's the same as literature. Yes, there are a lot of great recent books, but sometimes to appreciate where these great writers have gotten to, you have to go back and see where they came from. I adore Rent, Wicked, Les Miserables, and the past 25 years-ish of musicals and theatre as much as anyone else, but for me NOTHING beats the classics. And despite whatever anyone says, it all comes back to Rodgers and Hammerstein and their innovation.

Ok, I'll get off my soap box now...

(I also strongly dislike the soap box reference. Unfortunately, sometimes I don't know what else to use.)

There's always room for pathos - and jazz hands.

#29

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 12:02am

What is your icon? I can never figure it out, it just looks like my friend Maria and that's all I can think of...hahaha.

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

#30

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 12:09am

Well, honey, my icon is me....standing in a field during a weird photo shoot. Of course, its been colorized. Im not really green. :) BTW....Really like yours as well, and agree!:)

There's always room for pathos - and jazz hands.

#31

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 12:14am

To save room, let me just make a general statement and say I don't like rude theatergoers.

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

#32

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 12:51am

I hate how I never got into theatre in high school, yet I have so many friends who are uber-talented at musical theatre... *cranks speakers up in car and rolls up window*

I hate how I can't sing.

I hate how I live out in the middle of nowhere and probably won't be able to make it to NY to see a show in the next twenty years. *counts how number of days until Rent comes to Fargo, ND*

#33

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 7:44am

hOw SuM PpL C@Nt SpElL aN MiSs PunCtUAtiOn aNd hAvE AbSuRdLy LoNg sEnTeInCEs aNd pRaISe A CeRtAIn PeRfoRmEr/MuSIcAL tO DeaTh AnD WrTe wItH CAPITAlS aNd ToO maNy eXclAMatIOn MaRks!!!!!!!!!!!!

#34

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 8:06am

1. F***ing Trevor Nunn. Yes, Trevor Nunn. It's bad enough that he directed Cats and Starlight Express, but he's committed the following sins against my favorite musicals:

-Through sheer force of hubris, Nunn managed to put on a production of Chess that only ran 68 performances in 1988, and then contractually obligated future versions in North America to use it. Had Chess waited out the Phantom backlash, had it been given time for Richard Nelson to really make something of the script, had it opened in the threadbare 1988-1989 season instead of the overfull 1987-1988 season, had Nunn been more competent at fixing the blatant flaws in his show, it would've been something to behold.

-Aspects of Love. Andrew Lloyd Webber writes tender, intimate score; despite some trite recitative, it's a great concept of a chamber musical. Nunn proceeds to bleach out any personal sense to it and make it another big pointless ALW show.

-The Last Five Years. After the Chicago production, Nunn stole Lauren Kennedy for South Pacific, meaning that she couldn't be in the show Off-Broadway or on the cast album. Not that I don't like Sherie Rene Scott's Cathy, but Lauren was just on a different level altogether.

2. Taboo. I walked out of the theatre disgusted by the calibre of the book and dazzled by the cast and score. As I said during the run, "If score was the only thing that mattered, it'd be the best show on Broadway." Everyone responsible for the sordid affair of the book - and I understand there's quite a lot of blame to go around - should be in shame. This should've been a LEGENDARY show. Instead, it was a flop that I'm hoping becomes a cult thing and gets more productions in the future. Gah!

3. People who constantly hate on Rent or Wicked. Screw all that. Rent and Wicked both have really good books - in fact, I'd say Wicked has a stronger book than Rent, which has mild coherence issues in Act II. Rent's score is better than Wicked's, but both are enjoyable. When a show has a good pop score and a good book and it succeeds, that should be celebrated. Good theatre is good theatre, whether or not it coincides with someone's particular musical tastes.

4. Musicals based on major motion pictures. It's just a bad idea that keeps getting worse.

5. Also, musicals made out of catalogues of pop songs. Again, bad idea that just keeps getting worse. I love pop musicals; I do not love pop music trussed up as if it were a score. It's offensive to the very idea of a musical score as a coherent entity, and is basically sending the musical back to pre-Oklahoma! standards.

-Wayne

#35

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 8:22am

I can't stand it when people focus more on what they hate then what they enjoy. There are shows I don't enjoy so I choose not to listen to them or jump on message boards about them. Why someone who hates a show would listen to the show over and over again only to disect why they hate it even further it beyond me and sounds kind of miserable.

#36

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 8:29am

I hate how high school groups or tour groups often come to New York City and choose to see one show, and it's usually something like Mamma Mia, a show that basically hits every town in american at some point every year. Why dont they choose something of substance? Why dont they choose a show that is distinctly New York? I go to NYU now, and my old high school orchestra came out to visit the city last year, and actuallyt voted on Mamma Mia over Hairspray, Producers, and Ave Q. And mind you, i come from Chicago, where the show has had TWO stops in the last year. I was simply dumbfounded.

Updated On: 11/16/04 at 08:29 AM

#37

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 8:44am

"hOw SuM PpL C@Nt SpElL aN MiSs PunCtUAtiOn aNd hAvE AbSuRdLy LoNg sEnTeInCEs aNd pRaISe A CeRtAIn PeRfoRmEr/MuSIcAL tO DeaTh AnD WrTe wItH CAPITAlS aNd ToO maNy eXclAMatIOn MaRks!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I wasn't going to join in on this until I saw your post Paradox. AMEN, AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!!

www.thebreastcancersite.com
A click for life.
mamie4 5/14/03

#38

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 9:24am

1. I hate this trend towards a relative ignorance of classical works of theatre, even beyond classic musicals. There are so many, many, many amazing works out there - Shakespeare, the classical Greek writers, as well as timely contemporary pieces that are extremely moving, and so many people ignore the great writing and timeless themes in lieu of flashy, substanceless crap.
2. On the flip side, I also hate how other people ignore the recent works of theatre. Theatre, like any art form, is constantly evolving, and you can not ignore one half of the spectrum, whether it be old or new, to fully understand and appreciate the art.
3. I hate how the new up-and-comers are judged as "the next [enter big stars name here]." Please...every actor and actress is different than the ones that came before them, judge them on their own individual merits. Comparison has a tendency to limit the bounds for imagination within the world of theatre, telling aspiring actors that they should model themselves after the ones who came before them.
4. I HATE STUNT CASTING (especially in RENT - I think Larson is rolling over in his grave now). As an actress trying to make her Broadway break, there are so many very talented actors and actresses who would die to play the third tree on the left on a Broadway stage, and the notion that a former Spice Girl can play a lead better than many of those actresses out there is rather appalling to me. Granted, there are legitimate actors and actresses who are big names and wonderful stage actos as well; however, I tend to find that in stunt casting, those people are the exception, not the rule.
5. And probably my biggest pet peeve is how people confuse "entertaining" with the qualities of being a classic. I was entertained, like many other people, by "Wicked". Only time will tell if the themes and characters in "Wicked" are universal enough to withstand the test of time. It is not a problem for a play to be merely entertaining; in fact, we all need escapes from our lives, and finding pure entertainment is a wonderful escape for us all.

#39

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 9:26am

I hate that everything seems to be a revival. I've seen so many plays/musicals/wierd performance pieces with so much potential in all these theatre festivals... take them and run! jeezie... I just want to see some NEW work.

#40

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 9:43am

I hate it when you post something and people take from it what they want to hear and don't read what you actually said. Like, for example, how I said that some people believe that Broadway started with "Rent" or "Wicked" and how I did not say that I had a problem with those shows. I like "Rent" quite a bit and "Wicked" was okay. I'm not as big a fan of "Wicked" as lot of people on this board but I don't hate it at all. I am also impressed with a lot of the talent out there today but I still can't understand a recent thread that talked about the greatest character to EVER walk on the Broadway stage and my surprise at some of the names that were mentioned. My point was not to take away from the many talented people out there but it was to remind people that it did not just start with them. There are people working today with equal talent to some of those who worked on Broadway years ago. My point is that some of these people have done, at most, four shows and should eventually be considered in the same league as others who have performed in over twenty shows and it was not thought of as a great accomplishment that the did not miss performances.

"Smart! And into all those exotic mystiques -- The Kama Sutra and Chinese techniques. I hear she knows more than seventy-five. Call me tomorrow if you're still alive!"

#41

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 10:32am

gina, you're so silly lol. you spelt opinion wrong and i am waiting to hear your rant :-P

hehe =]

Updated On: 11/16/04 at 10:32 AM

#42

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 10:51am

I hate how people think that anyone who likes Wicked is uneducated.

#43

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 12:24pm

Playing golf. It's playing golf. Not just golf. You "play golf". You "played golf". It isn't "I golfed yesterday". That makes me cringe. Also, my best friend Dustin says "I seen". GRR! I hate it...

But you don't say "We footballed yesterday". Do you? NO!

Sorry :)

#44

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 12:27pm

captain_Obvious,
calm.. it'll be okay hun. lol.

#45

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 3:18pm

I HATE that so many people do not have the abiltiy to see a Broadway show. These shows are amazing and should be viewed by as many people as possible.

I hate that ticket prices are $100. England reduced prices and received great attendence records. Why not 'try' it here?

I hate the people who are STILL angry about Avenue Q winning the Tony and not Wicked. It's over-get over it...

I hate the people who have only seen 1 show and think it's the absolute best simply because they've seen it.

I hate how people automatically love someone's performance just because they were good in something else.

Finally, I hate paying so much money for merchandise. I do it, but it don't like it. $20 for a t-shirt, $18 for a CD? Come on!

Alright-that's it

Baby, dream your dream Close your eyes and try it!

#46

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 4:13pm

ok here i go...

i really cant stand it when people are looked down upon because they like a new show. it really is ok to like wicked or bklyn, it doesnt mean that they are any less knowledgable about other shows.

on the other hand, i wish that people would not obsess over just one show, experiment, try other music. its annoying when all someone can talk about is one thing.

#47

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 4:19pm

Okay, I hate it when I end up sitting next to little kids in theaters and they make so much noise! Last time I saw Wicked, this little girl was sitting next to me and every second it was, "Daaadddyyy, I don't gettt ittttt" or "I'm hungrryyyy" etc. I'm not saying that it's bad for young children to attend shows or to ask questions, but for some reason it just bothers me to no end. If it wasn't so rude, I'd lean over and tell them to shut the hell up, lol.

"Learn how to laugh. Learn how to love. Learn how to live. That's my style." -Follies

#48

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 4:28pm

I hate it how people seem determined to push all the music that they like in your face regardless of whether you like it or not and then harrass you for actually enjoying good music. STUPID HIP-HOP!!!!!!!!!

J'ai compris tous les mots, j'ai bien compris, merci.............

#49

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 4:57pm

good idea, to have a rant board. i've wanted to tell everyone this but didn't want to be cursed off, attacked with knives, or thrown off a cliff... so here it goes.

i don't understand everyone's problem with wicked. i'm talking about the show, not the fans, not the actors/actresses, etc. just the theme, writing, and music of the show. you can hate the little screaming pre-teen girls who see the show and a specific actresses that i won't name for reasons stated before, but you can still be a fan of the show itself.

wicked is a brilliant idea for a musical because it is something that anyone at any age can relate to. i can pretty safely say that everyone saw the wizard of oz sometime in their lifetime. the wizard of oz is a fairy tale story with the usual utopia and good triumphing over bad. this show is a demonstration of acceptance and against prejudice towards people who are different from us. we grow up thinking that the wicked witch of the west is this evil woman who is out to get everyone. but once we get to know her and learn her story, we understand that everyone has their own story and their own reason for acting the way they do. we get the chance to view both sides of the story, and realize that many of the witch had many valid reasons for many of her actions.

for example, in the wizard of oz it seems that the witch is ruthlessly after the ruby slippers for the entire movie. yet, in wicked we learn that elphaba merely wants nessarose's shoes because they are the last remainder of her broken family and the sister that she loved very much. they are rightfully hers. in the novel wicked (which i was a fan of for years before the musical came out) nessarose promises that elphaba can have the shoes. it is her sister's dying wish, and the shoes are snached by a young girl who had just landed in oz by a "twister of fate" and immediately takes control. she meets the wizard when it is a great honor to do so, and is sent by the wizard to kill elphaba because of the wizard's past grudges.

i can understand if you simply just don't like the music. there are some musicals that i despise the music from. but this show has memorable melodies, catchy lyrics, and humor. the dancing is very put together and well choreographed and you can tell that the actors and actresses are enjoying themselves.

even if you don't like wicked, there clearly are MANY people who do. this show has reached the virtually impossible feat of selling out the 1,200 seat gershwin theater EVERY SHOW and is recouping in an unheard of 14 months for a $14 million production. so why not give wicked another try?

i look forward to hearing what people have to say about this. it's time for this debate to end once and for all, but please use legit evidence, not just, "i hate it. because."

thanks,
rebecca

p.s. - for all those people who are going to say that i'm uneducated and my opinion is inferior to yours because i love wicked, i'd just like to say that i'm a fan of MANY other musicals besides this, including the classics. i realize that not all the best musicals in existence today were made in the last 25 years, but IT IS OK TO LIKE NEW MUSICALS. lets say that again, just to make sure you heard. IT IS OK TO LIKE NEW MUSICALS!

p.p.s. - I HATE STUNT CASTING.

#50

re: just rant, you know you want to.

Posted: 11/16/04 at 5:06pm

I just strongly dislike when pop singers are on broadway.. Scary Spice was just BAD as Mimi..

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