carnzee said: "It's an opera, meaning fully sung through."
You mean unlike CARMEN, PORGY AND BESS and THE MAGIC FLUTE? Not to mention STREET SCENE, CANDIDE and the full-size SWEENEY TODD, which are done almost exclusively in opera houses nowadays. Then there are THREEPENNY OPERA and RISE AND FALL OF THE CITY OF MAHAGONNY, and everything by Gilbert and Sullivan, all of which were considered "operas" by their creators.
Loopin’theloop said: "Regarding all the talk of Betty Buckley ‘settling’ into the role. I fear, this is it.
Acting is not about pretending, it’s about telling the true. One has to find the areas in which you and the character are the same and play them, that’s what makes it real. There are some actors who have the gift of seeming different, in every role but that’s not actually a necessary component. Bette Midler’s Dolly, was very
I have it on good authority that the key for "Being Alive" is sometimes lowered if the actor playing Robert needs it. A friend of mine was offered the lower key when he auditioned for one of the Broadway revivals (because his audition was at 8 a.m.). Being a purist, he refused and sang the song in Dean Jones' key, only to have his voice crack badly on the last line. Sondheim was present and replied: "Well, if you haven't got the notes, there's nothing more to s
If you want something you can be reasonably sure nobody else is singing, look at "Pink Taffeta Sample Size 10", a Cy Coleman/Dorothy Fields number that was cut from SWEET CHARITY. A number of ladies have recorded it over the past 50 years, including Mimi Hines and Debbie Shapiro Gravitte.
You'll have to cut it, I'm sure. It's also a period number, since we don't have traveling ladies' dress salesmen (like the singer's father) any more; but the context
If the supporting characters were fleshed out, YOUNG AT HEART might work. But I don't think we want to watch an entire evening of some guy singing to his piano.
Hogan, I agree with your posts here, but I also think "a rising tide floats all boats".
My experience is that if I love a show, I immediately want to see another one. If I sit through a dud--especially a lazy dud--I'm not in a hurry to spend that kind of money again. So if you want my dollars, recommending somebody else's great show isn't the worst idea.
Of course, I have never paid $400 for any ticket and can't imagine doing so.
poisonivy2 said: "I feel like Hamilton is a musical without a romance because while Eliza and Angelica are important parts of Hamilton's life the musical focuses on Hamilton's political relationships. His rivalries with Burr and Jefferson are to me the heart of the story."
But if you change the question to "In what musicals is romance not the primary focus of the plot?", then we can include everything from THE KING AND I to JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.
adam.peterson44 said: "Spamalot has "The Song That Goes Like This" (a romantic song/spoof of one), and Sunset Boulevard has a big romantic song between Joe and the Alice Ripley character (i can't remember the character's name, but they are working on writing a screenplay together behind Norma's back). They are having an affair (she is married), and it is Norma finding out about them that precipitates the major event that ends the show."
MAN OF LA MANCHA does not belong on the list. The show features the late medieval/early Renaissance concept of Platonic romance--note the capital P because the concept was actually based on Plato, as opposed to our generic uses of (lowercase p) platonic love to mean "in the friend zone".
In the medieval conception, romantic love was always directed at a woman who was physically unattainable (she was usually married to someone else). See Dante. But this concept of romance
yankeefan7 said: "I have said a few times that "Bat Out Of Hell" album has been a guilty pleasure of mine for years but could not imagine it being a decent musical. I wish it luck and just pray it is not horrible because I do enjoy the music."
It is my favorite rock album and I have worn out copies on vinyl, audiotape and 2 CDs. I like the "digital cast" album and am determined to enjoy the show, whatever the plot, at the Ahmanson in earl
^^^ I've read the book and Julie's "latter day" scene is almost exactly the same as in the novel EXCEPT that singing "Bill" necessarily makes Julie more romantic than she seems if one is simply reading "Julie sang her song" on the printed page. It has been 50 years since I read the book, but I sort of kind of recall some suggestion that the only, yet inevitable, lower rung for Julie is street prostitution.
Caryl Churchill is so prolific, few have read all her plays (except for Tony Kushner and Oskar Eustis). She is extremely smart, but I'm surprised to hear her described as "dense". None of her plays that I know is very long.
I've taught TOP GIRLS, CLOUD NINE, MAD FOREST and FEN.
FEN is nearly impossible if one doesn't already know the dialect of the characters. Maybe it's easier to read than hear, but I doubt it.
bwayrose7 said: "One quote from the Time review has actually made me a lot more interested than I was before:
"The basicStar is Bornstory is geared so you pity the man almost more than you admire the woman. In every version, the man threatens to steal the show with his own degradation; the woman’s protective fortitude is far less interesting. But as an actor, Cooper fades into the corner at just the right moments, allowing Gaga to shine."
broadwaynerdnewbie said: "I think you can cast a POC as Evan and still have people be sympathetic to Evan and have the audienceremain on his side as the audience does on broadway. I think you can do that because yes those that see the tour probably aren’t nearly as invested and up to date on all the show details most people know the general gist of the story. Even without a POC lead I hope they’ll cast more POC in the tour than just Alana because if not I’ll be disa
willrolandsframes said: "I think Ben is a great choice but I would've rather seen MLB get the nod here, solely because Ben is more versatile with all of the male roles in my opinion than Michael is. This is a similar sentiment to the argument that Andrew Chappelle needed to remain a swing in Hamilton instead of moving to a single, principal role, since he is incredible at all of the parts.
Nonetheless, I'm sure Ben will do a fantastic job."
I hope you are right, darquegk. When a Texan refers to "moral degradations", I get nervous.
But I have no idea why he apologized. To me, he seems to be saying there was so little going on in the show that the only reason to cast young women was for their looks. That observation isn't sexist, per se; it might even be feminist.
Personally, I'm amazed he went to the theater at all. I attended Columbia not quite a decade before him and, trust me, getting somebody f
What non-singer (male) has played Bobby? His original five songs were difficult enough (okay, maybe not "Barcelona" and now most productions add "Being Alive, Part A" to close the first act.
I'm not saying only Josh Groban can play the part, but I've seen a dozen or more productions since 1970 and all the Bobbys could at least sing well enough.
and now most productions add "Being Alive, Part A" to close the first act.
