A Musical with no applause!?
Fri, 19 Oct 2001, 03:56 pmWalter Plinge10 posts in thread
A Musical with no applause!?
Fri, 19 Oct 2001, 03:56 pmI've always wanted to either be involved with or see a piece musical theatre where there is no opportunity for the audience to applaud after songs. Has anyone ever seen such a piece, or has ever tried to stage one?
I seems to me that it is done in "straight" theatre all the time, but the presentational style of musicals and the entertainment factor enables the audience to break any tension by applauding after songs.
Any comments?
(I'm also rtying to take the convo away from Les Mis - Ahhhh)
I seems to me that it is done in "straight" theatre all the time, but the presentational style of musicals and the entertainment factor enables the audience to break any tension by applauding after songs.
Any comments?
(I'm also rtying to take the convo away from Les Mis - Ahhhh)
The Best of the Musicals+
Tue, 23 Oct 2001, 11:02 amWalter Plinge
Okay, of the musicals I've heard I would have to rate the following so called "classics" as the worst ever (and I know that I will be ruffling some feathers here)
1) Cats - three good songs, too much dancing and an adhoc concept. It's disturbing popularity is due to audiences world-wide behaving like sheep.
2) Sound of Music - disgustingly pure. It should have been left in the 50's with other crap like State Fair - shudder.
Now the best of the "little known"
1) Tommy - the Broadway update of the 1990's.
2) City of Angels - a bit too jazzy in parts but intellectual and foot tappingly brilliant.
3) Song & Dance - the best ever salvage job.
4) Return to the Forbidden Planet - nothing original, just a sensationally entertaining combination of comedy, Shakespeare and the sixty's.
5) Company
Of the Blockbusters, I would rate my top 10 as:
1) Les Miserables - undeniably the best.
2) Jekyll & Hyde (not a true blockbuster but it is well known amongst Warlow fans)
3) Sunset Boulevard - it got creamed by critics but is trully beautiful music wrapped in a classic tale.
4) Rent - you either love it or hate it. I didn't like it at first, but this is a musical which will forever define our times. Who knows what else Larson could have created?
5) Westside Story - it kills me to put it at five. This is a classic, and is the best show to be written before the 1980's with a close second in this category going to Carousel.
6) Chess. I love the music of this show, but I have only heard the concept album (about a million times). Tommy Korberg is just awesome - his Anthem is probably one of the best ever.
7) Miss Saigon. This show suffers as a result of the high expectations after Les Mis for Boublil & Schonberg. Great story with some awesome music, but it is not consistent. The finale is also disappointing. Bui Doi is this shows "Do You Hear the People Sing". The show has some great tunes with "Please" and "Why God" some examples.
8) Phantom. Okay, the music in this show is tecnhically brilliant with some songs verging on emotionally and rythmically devine. Music of the Night is LLoyd Webbers best male song while the layered tunes of Masquerade, Wishing you Were Somehow Here Again and the title song blow me away. Come to think of it Phantom should be higher on the list - oh well.
9) Boy From Oz. Leaves "Shout" for dead. I am somewhat biased as I am a relative of Peter Allen, but nonetheless this is such a great collection of songs by a wonderful songwriter. Allen knew how to please a crowd and a national psyche.
10) Big. Cool, fun music. Great for the new theatre crowd. (Jesus Christ Superstar also deserves a mention around this point).
1) Cats - three good songs, too much dancing and an adhoc concept. It's disturbing popularity is due to audiences world-wide behaving like sheep.
2) Sound of Music - disgustingly pure. It should have been left in the 50's with other crap like State Fair - shudder.
Now the best of the "little known"
1) Tommy - the Broadway update of the 1990's.
2) City of Angels - a bit too jazzy in parts but intellectual and foot tappingly brilliant.
3) Song & Dance - the best ever salvage job.
4) Return to the Forbidden Planet - nothing original, just a sensationally entertaining combination of comedy, Shakespeare and the sixty's.
5) Company
Of the Blockbusters, I would rate my top 10 as:
1) Les Miserables - undeniably the best.
2) Jekyll & Hyde (not a true blockbuster but it is well known amongst Warlow fans)
3) Sunset Boulevard - it got creamed by critics but is trully beautiful music wrapped in a classic tale.
4) Rent - you either love it or hate it. I didn't like it at first, but this is a musical which will forever define our times. Who knows what else Larson could have created?
5) Westside Story - it kills me to put it at five. This is a classic, and is the best show to be written before the 1980's with a close second in this category going to Carousel.
6) Chess. I love the music of this show, but I have only heard the concept album (about a million times). Tommy Korberg is just awesome - his Anthem is probably one of the best ever.
7) Miss Saigon. This show suffers as a result of the high expectations after Les Mis for Boublil & Schonberg. Great story with some awesome music, but it is not consistent. The finale is also disappointing. Bui Doi is this shows "Do You Hear the People Sing". The show has some great tunes with "Please" and "Why God" some examples.
8) Phantom. Okay, the music in this show is tecnhically brilliant with some songs verging on emotionally and rythmically devine. Music of the Night is LLoyd Webbers best male song while the layered tunes of Masquerade, Wishing you Were Somehow Here Again and the title song blow me away. Come to think of it Phantom should be higher on the list - oh well.
9) Boy From Oz. Leaves "Shout" for dead. I am somewhat biased as I am a relative of Peter Allen, but nonetheless this is such a great collection of songs by a wonderful songwriter. Allen knew how to please a crowd and a national psyche.
10) Big. Cool, fun music. Great for the new theatre crowd. (Jesus Christ Superstar also deserves a mention around this point).
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