Which show converts people who are anti-musicals?

[mkmswain]

Posted: 1/24/18 at 5:01am

Stuart Heritage got a lot of reaction recently for his anti-musicals Guardian piece - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/10/les-miserables-without-the-music-i-dreamed-a-dream-and-it-came-true

If someone told you they didn't like musicals, which show do you think could convert them? Something new and bold like Hamilton perhaps...?

[nataliealana]

Posted: 1/24/18 at 3:15pm

Absolutely not Hamilton

 

Depends on the person. Most of the guys I know who think they're too manly or whatever *eyeroll* for musicals adore the likes of Avenue Q & Book of Mormon. I think there's a musical for everyone and too many people see musicals as just Rodgers and Hammerstein etc. Another friend of mine who 'hates musicals' thinks The Lion King is the best thing she's ever been to. I maintain nobody hates all musicals.

[TimWright]

Posted: 1/26/18 at 4:59am

I second Book of Mormon- it's ideal for people who think musicals are all ALW epics. It sends up the musical format at times and is genuinely funny. Also being not completely sung-through is a bonus. 

 

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 1/27/18 at 12:14am

My father, who has since passed, completely changed his mind about musicals after seeing LES MISERABLES. For some reason, he just fell in love with that show...

[Dave28282]

Posted: 2/4/18 at 8:42am

Miss Saigon is the best example I think. That show is written in such a natural way that every line makes sense and feels natural. It is a masterpiece. Because it's sung through nobody in the audience has to switch which keeps them in the illusion of this language. I must say that the most recent Broadway revival crossed this line at some points and made some very unnatural switches between speaking a few words and then use vibrato on the last word, which made the audience laugh and feel uneasy.

I think people hate musicals after seeing forced or exaggerated choices and bad quality singing that feels fake and forced such as in the les Mis movie (speaking a few words in an affected way and then use vibrato on the last word, out of the blue). People like naturalness. If something is sung well, such as "A whole new world" in Disney's Aladdin, nobody will ever complain.

A lot of stage shows have this exaggeration too, also in the way they are written. An approach that is too literal. In Miss Saigon, and also Phantom, the lyrics and songs make sense and completely fit the melodies in a natural way. Unfortunately you see a lot of shows, like Hamilton, that are basically just caricatures of musical theatre. Lyrics like "my name is this, my name is this" and then the chorus "yes his name is that, his name is that", and then a headflip on the last chord towards the audience. It's almost disrespectful writing. Imagine Kim or Christine singing to the audience: My name is Christine, yes, my name is Christine. WTF? That's almost like toddler writing.

 

 

Updated On: 2/4/18 at 08:42 AM

[lotiloti]

Posted: 2/10/18 at 9:59am

Definitely not the dreadful Hamilton or Book of Moron. Or any of the Disney fluff (it would compound the anti musical feelings) It worked for me when I took a non believer to see Assassins at the Menier. They were blown away.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 2/10/18 at 4:08pm

My father maintains that Phantom is the only musical he’s ever truly enjoyed.

[Dave28282]

Posted: 2/10/18 at 5:13pm

TheGingerBreadMan said: "My father maintains that Phantom is the only musical he’s ever truly enjoyed."

I can understand that.

Phantom is a rare masterpiece (along with Miss Saigon) where the writing is so spot on and natural that it never feels forced or slaps the audience in their face with unnatural switches between singing or realism. It embraces the artform in a flawless way, which makes it so enjoyable.

Most other shows fail to achieve this balance or have an approach that is too literal in lyrics or switching between realism and parody in the music all the time.