The Musical Theatre Thread

[Footix]

Have at it.


Here's a photo Michael K had me take of him when we went to see our favorite show for the 15th time:

http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~kcc6028/pics/CATS(big).jpg

[obie]

Best show on Broadway right now: Avenue Q (http://www.avenueq.com/index.php).

[riverplate]

15 times!

I saw "Cats" second performance here in New York. That was that. Although I must confess to having listened to the London album many, many times before it came over here. It was addictive.

The Times today is reporting that "Jerry Springer-The Opera" will be opening on Broadway on October 20, 2005. No theatre yet. It will have a six-week tryout in San Francisco during the spring of 2005.

[cj herrera]

I've always prefered the type of stuff written by Hammerstein or Alan Jay Lerner over Hart or Porter, for example. But they were all great, so I'm not knocking anyone.

This isn't a knock either, cause you can't argue taste.

But I'll take Rodgers & Hart over Lerner & Lowe in a heartbeat.

In my opinion, the L&L stuff is a bit more soaring and theatrical -- like Camelot, Danced all night, On a Clear Day -- which probably holds a great appeal for most.

Rodgers and Hart's stuff might be simpler and "poppier," and that's exactly why I like it. I Could Write a Book, This Can't Be Love, I Wish I Were in Love Again, Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered -- all much more adaptable to the pop sensibility as well as being suitable for the Big Treatment. "Bewitched" alone, actually, would win the argument for me because there' such humour and warmth in there. It's practically Cole Porter (who trumps em all, for me).

Even their soaring stuff is simpler and more catchy (in my opinion) -- Where or When, Falling in Love with Love, My Romance and of course My Funny Valentine. Again, My Funny Valentine is sort of a single shot argument winner for me.


Just my two cents.

[obie]

JS:TO should not be on Broadway. It is tailor-made for Off-Broadway.

About the various songwriting teams -- here are the highlights of the L&L lexicon, as found here (http://www.holeintheweb.com/drp/bhd/LernerLoewe.htm):

Brigadoon
Paint Your Wagon
My Fair Lady
Gigi
Camelot

And, here's a samlping the R&Hart group, from here (http://www3.rnh.com/rhstein/bios/Show_bio.asp?Bio_Name1=Rodgers,+Richard+and+Hart,+Lorenz&Flag=-1):

A Connecticut Yankee
On Your Toes
Babes In Arms
I Married An Angel
The Boys From Syracuse
Too Many Girls
Pal Joey
By Jupiter

Then, there's R&Ham:

Oklahoma!
Carousel
South Pacific
The King and I
Flower Drum Song
The Sound of Music
State Fair

From a show perspective, I think there's little doubt that R&Ham have made the most lasting impact. Every single high school in the country has probably staged at least three of those shows. And to some extent people have to view the songs in relation to the shows that they were written for. But I'd still take songs from R&Hart before R&Ham.

Oklahoma! is way overrated as a show, by the way.

[riverplate]

Some thoughts on tonight's opening.

Let's realize that it is quite likely there will be loads of misunderstanding and misinformed opinion being expressed Friday morning in reviews for Bombay Dreams. I have a weakness for shows with exotic settings, so something like this almost has built-in appeal for me. I'm more than willing to meet it halfway.

Bollywood has never been particularly on my radar screen, although I have seen a few. Turner Classic Movies showed a slew of them some months back. I suppose there are those critics who will consider the show one big stupid put-on and will pan it outright. But, let's face it, we're not talking about a musical based on a Satyajit Ray movie. The overall cartoonish and melodramatic treatment is apparently pure-Bollywood and if you're willing to go along for the ride, there's no reason you shouldn't enjoy yourselves.

This has been re-staged and re-written, so is somewhat different from its London edition. Songs have been dropped, added, and re-ordered. Being familiar with the cast album, I was sorry to see some songs go, such as "Like An Eagle," and glad to have some elevated in status. The throbbing "Salaam Bombay" is now the opening number and is reprised several times. It's essentially become the theme song for the show.

The number which is being pushed as the break-out hit, "Shakalaka Baby," is basically nothing but a glorified disco piece. I didn't care for it on the album and still don't, but the water-sprouting staging it is given is great to watch. There's even been some rap added to the score (quick, somebody tell skipshady).

The music is by AR Rahman, billed as the "Asian Mozart"(!). The Asian Irving Berlin is more like it. He's produced several catchy melodies, something I don't go around knocking. By the way, he's now working on the future West End musical version of Lord of the Rings, the very idea of which won't go over big with some of you, I'm sure.

The lyrics were dreadful and eye-rolling when I first heard the album. Don Black is responsible for the English ones. I'm less exercised over them now, but they haven't been improved for New York.

The choreography is terrific and a big selling point. The production numbers come almost non-stop, especially in the first act. They obviously know where their bread is going to be buttered and it's what the show should push. They're colorful and garish and have plenty of undulating bodies present. Something else I don't go around knocking. This isn't a cheap production with a threadbare ensemble trying to look like more than it is.

It's cast with unknowns, but certainly standing out is Ayesha Dharker as Rani, the movie diva/temptress. She came over from the London production and is playing the part to the hilt.

It's nothing deep, but if you are up for something involving untouchables, eunuchs and other good stuff like that romping all over the place, it'll be your cup of tea. Don't be turned off by what will probably be critical slams.

[minorthreat]

About the various songwriting teams -- From a show perspective, I think there's little doubt that R&Ham have made the most lasting impact.I'm going to campaign for Gilbert and Sullivan in that department.

[minorthreat]

Best show on Broadway right now: Avenue Q (http://www.avenueq.com/index.php).Lord, yes. "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" and "The Internet is For Porn" are the funniest things I've heard in a really long time.

Incidentally, I saw Little Shop of Horrors when I was back on the East Coast a few weeks back. Aside from the amazing puppet work on the plant (done by Jim Henson Productions), it really wasn't all that impressive.

[riverplate]

The Times today reports that B.D. Wong has been cast in the role of the Reciter for the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures, which begins performances November 12 at Studio 54.

[skipshady]

Have at it.


Here's a photo Michael K had me take of him when we went to see our favorite show for the 15th time:

http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~kcc6028/pics/CATS(big).jpg
Mama Mia is playing in that theater now, right?

I've never been a big fan of Cats. My thing with musicals is that the songs should be driving the story instead of vice versa. It felt for me like the story in Cats existed for the sake of the songs. But that's just me.

[Footix]

Please tell me you guys didn't take my first post seriously.

[obie]

Please tell me you guys didn't take my first post seriously.Cats hangs over all true musical theater fans in the way that the uncle that was accused but never convicted of child molestation charges hangs over Thanksgiving dinner. There is no suitable explanation for the fact that it's the longest-running show ever, other than its popularity among Japanese tourists who didn't understand a word of English. I suppose that's one way to enjoy the insipid lyrics.

The SNL parody of "Cats Behind The Scenes" is a classic.

[GringoTex]

I've never seen a live musical. Can't we talk about movie musicals instead?

[obie]

The Times today reports that B.D. Wong has been cast in the role of the Reciter for the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures, which begins performances November 12 at Studio 54.Isn't that where Assassins is? Are they planning to move it? The reviews have been good enough that it should be able to survive through the year, I'd think.

[obie]

I've never seen a live musical. Can't we talk about movie musicals instead?Live musicals are exactly the same, except that you pay ten times as much to go see them.

[obie]

Don't be turned off by what will probably be critical slams.That would be one slam (NYT) (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/30/theater/reviews/30BOMB.html), one good (Daily News) (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/30/theater/reviews/30BOMB.html), and one so-so (Post) (http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/19876.htm).

[Footix]

I've never seen a live musical. Can't we talk about movie musicals instead?

Start a thread, dude. This place needs some diversity.

[riverplate]

I've never seen a live musical. Can't we talk about movie musicals instead?

Definately.

Gigi is number one all-time.

[riverplate]

Live musicals are exactly the same, except that you pay ten times as much to go see them.

I must disagree with this. You're obviously right about the outrageous ticket prices, but a quality production of a musical on stage is better than a movie anyday. I'd go as far to say no movie version of a Broadway show has probably ever been better than it's original staging.

Of course, it really depends upon whether one ultimately prefers theatre to film. I like video versions of Broadway shows more than glossy film treatments, which is why I'm glad a show such as Into The Woods is on video in its original staging rather than having been turned into a feature film.

Perhaps an argument could be made for something like Cabaret, which was overhauled by Fosse.

I would also add that original film musicals, such as Gigi, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Singin' in the Rain have turned out to be generally lousy in their stage incarnations. They were probably best to have remain just movies.

[riverplate]

That would be one slam (NYT) (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/30/theater/reviews/30BOMB.html), one good (Daily News) (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/30/theater/reviews/30BOMB.html), and one so-so (Post) (http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/19876.htm).

Yes, Howard Kissel got it.

His last paragraph: "Like its sources, Bombay Dreams strives for nothing more than unabashed entertainment. It succeeds."