trends in musical theatre....

[eb412]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 5:01pm

i just wanted to create an area to discuss some of the frightening or not so frightening trends in musical theatre.
what do you all think about celebs in theater?
what do you think about shows like company and sweeney todd with actors playing instruments?

Updated On: 12/31/06 at 05:01 PM

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 5:02pm

what?

[bigbigbill]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 5:07pm

While reading that, I pictured myself staring at a person I really don't like at all just listening to her babble on and on.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 5:09pm

oh bigbigbill i thought the same thing.

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 5:22pm

wow...

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 5:53pm

"While reading that, I pictured myself staring at a person I really don't like at all just listening to her babble on and on."

I honestly thought that too.

[musicalkid]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 6:48pm

"While reading that, I pictured myself staring at a person I really don't like at all just listening to her babble on and on."

Me too.
Could it be a new trend?
discuss...

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 6:59pm

Please stop having paragraph-long sentences.

[PJMPirate]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 7:04pm

You knew what they were asking. Either answer their question or keep your mouth shut. It's getting to where you can hardly post here without someone having a heart attack over the occasional dangling modifier.

Original poster: I hate, hate, HATE jukebox musicals with a burning passion. As far as celebrities... if they can singact the role, why not? It'll help bring a bigger audience to theater.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 7:18pm

"Either answer their question or keep your mouth shut."

I honestly did not understand the posters "question."

[bigbigbill]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 7:28pm

Nor did I.

[Mythus]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 7:43pm

Let's dicuss some frightening/not-so-frightening trends in musical theatre.

What do you all think about celebrities in theatre? What do you all think of John Doyle's new staging style, with actors playing instruments? It seems like bad news to me. I hope it doesn't last.

How long do we think these trends are going to last? What will come next?


Updated On: 12/31/06 at 07:43 PM

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 7:44pm

I didn't see any question in the first post either.

[eb412]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 8:20pm

"I hate, hate, HATE jukebox musicals with a burning passion."

I think they have had their moment and should pass. I think it is great to celebrate great music and great artists, but unfortunately in that process we lose the responsibility of musical theatre: to tell a story and present a message. Sure great music is part of the package, but hey...I want a great story and great songs! Musical theatre has become a bit boring because it has nothing interesting to say and because we are just seeing the same story told over and over again.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 8:33pm

I agree about the jukebox musical.

They stole the 92 Tony Award (Crazy for You...and regardless, it's still really ajukebox musical)

and they stole the award the year Contact won, I think it's a travesty.

[bigred3535]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 8:50pm

Well in that case, do you think Jersey Boys "stole" the Tony from Drowsy Chaperone? I haven't seen Drowsy, so I perhaps I'm not the best one to judge, but from the clips I've seen of it, as well as the cast recording and the pure awesomeness of Jersey Boys I'd have to say that JB definitely deserved to win - though Drowsy also seems great. Just wondering.
Updated On: 12/31/06 at 08:50 PM

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 8:52pm

Yes, I think that a NEW musical category should only consider pieces that are comprised of NEW music.

[Broadwayboy2631]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 9:17pm

"Yes, I think that a NEW musical category should only consider pieces that are comprised of NEW music."
I think that DS deserved the Tony, but you do have to give JB some credit for refreshing the "jukebox musical"

[joeybiltmore1]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 9:24pm

Some not-so-great trends I have noticed the past few years:

Producers who vastly underestimate the intelligence of the average theatregoer.

and

Audience members of the "woooooo!!" variety who think high belting alone can make a show great.


Updated On: 12/31/06 at 09:24 PM

[TWSFan4Ever]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 9:34pm

Somebody please explain that first post on the thread, I can't understand it...maybe I need some mental help, but are those some pretty bad run-on sentences!

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 3:00am

"Producers who vastly underestimate the intelligence of the average theatregoer..."

But, ARE they? We have people flocking to dreck keeping it open for years. A show like PHANTOM OF THE OPERA becomes the longest running show in Broadway history while many far superior shows opened and closed with maddening haste.

A show like SPRING AWAKENING has to struggle to find an audience - after 14 Positive and one mixed review - while pieces of crap like TARZAN run for months to excellent though not capacity crowds.

I always believed that if you give people a choice between quality and crap they would always choose quality but with each passing year it seems people want the mediocre. Why else would these asinine reality TV shows draw larger audiences than well-written comedy and drama shows?

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 3:10am

And in a similar vein, what's with the unspoken rule that an audience must give every live show a standing ovation?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 3:39am

I don't mind the jukebox thing. I was really captivated by Mamma Mia when I saw it on Broadway. I was really into the story. It's probably because I knew nothing about theater back then, and now I'm more mature and knowledgable. I had fun and it was entertaining. But things like Ring of Fire or Lennon are just poor and dumb. I do credit Lennon for taking an arstic approach though it failed.

As for the celeb thing, I think it will always be here. It's not going away, and some celebs are actually quite good, so I don't mind it either.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 3:45am

Type a Tiff - It's funny you mention that because before it always bugged me that every single time standing ovations would be given because standing ovations represent a hugely successful performance. But I saw Putnam County Spelling Bee over the summer and the audience was SO bad. They barely clapped and the actors were doing a great job. My friends and I gave a standing ovation..so like 4 of us, because we felt so bad that NO one was freakin' even clapping. The only other people who gave them a standing ovation was this old woman about two rows behind us - and she was the first to get up. It was cute.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 12:19pm

On the John Doyle part of the original "question," have you seen it? Or are we just discussing things we know nothing about?