The Showtune Thread, or Can You Hear the People Sing?

I don't know if this should go here or in the Concert Hall, so by all means, mods, move this thread if it belongs elsewhere.

So. Musicals. Broadway. The Great White Way. Who likes it? Who's obsessed with Wicked/Rent/Phantom of the Opera/Les Miz? Who's performed in one (or several) before, be it amateur or professional? I know there must be some of you out there. I've seen you downloading sheet music in the Concert Hall and cast recordings in My Stuff, but nobody ever seems to actually discuss it. So you can do that here! Whether you prefer Oklahoma!, Sweeney Todd, or Mamma Mia!, talk about your favorite (and least favorite) composers, shows, songs, performers, performances--anything having to do with musical theater.

To get things started, I'll talk about one of my favorite composers writing for Broadway today, Adam Guettel. He's one of those "artsy-fartsy" new generation composers who tend to flop commercially, although his most recent show, The Light in the Piazza, has enjoyed some success, winning more Tony Awards than any other show that year and currently nearing the end of a 15-month run. Still he writes great music, really complicated stuff with bizarre (yet utterly logical) chord changes and murderous piano parts. Anybody else know him? Like him? Hate him and want to talk about Andrew Lloyd Webber instead?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Broadway pit-playing is originally what I wanted to do for my future career -- which I still wouldn't mind doing.

I've played in Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific, and Les Mis (school edit). Unfortunately our local High Schools decided to do more 'lighthearted' musicals after Les Mis, which meant Grease and the like that don't involve strings. Anyhow, I really love Fiddler, Phantom of the Opera (the single thing that got me into classical music in the first place -- sad, I know. But it was the 80s), and KISMET. Oh, how I wish they would revive Kismet on Broadway, but alas, I don't think a musical that takes place in Bagdad and goes on and on about how wonderful it is would be well-recieved on today's musical scene.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I've never been to New York, so I'm pretty much stuck with what is touring. I'm not a big fan of just getting the music without being able to see the musical, so that's kind of out for me.

My city (Tucson, and for a show I care enough about, Phoenix) hasn't been getting anything all that great lately. I just saw Les Mis on its final pass through on the last tour, so I'm happy about that. We've got The Lion King in August and Rent is coming again in March. But other than that, almost nothing. The biggest show on next year's schedule is probably Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. While that's supposed to be good, it's not gonna get me to pay a small mint to see it just because nothing else good is coming.

We used to get 3-4 quality shows every year. :\

My favorites? Well, I've always loved Les Mis and Rent. My favorite music in a show is Chess (it's the only musical I've ever liked without actually seeing live, which is fortunate because they haven't toured it ever, I think). I've always loved Joseph (the only ALW show that I'm really fond of) and Mamma Mia!, and I absolutely love the music to The Full Monty. Those are the ones that come to my head first, but I've seen a lot of other great musicals that I liked quite a bit.

In school, I was a bit part in Guys and Dolls and 42nd Street. My crowning achievment was getting to play the son in Bye, Bye, Birdie with two cool, little (extremely!) high solos in the middle of some of the better songs in the show.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I just happen to LOVE the soundtracks to Phantom of the Opera, RENT, and Wicked. I haven't seen any on braod way but I have seen the movies for the 1st 2. The book for Wicked I didnt think was that good but I hear the play is amazing. I live near NYC too so I really should get my ass in gear.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Conqueso

To get things started, I'll talk about one of my favorite composers writing for Broadway today, Adam Guettel. He's one of those "artsy-fartsy" new generation composers who tend to flop commercially, although his most recent show, The Light in the Piazza, has enjoyed some success, winning more Tony Awards than any other show that year and currently nearing the end of a 15-month run. Still he writes great music, really complicated stuff with bizarre (yet utterly logical) chord changes and murderous piano parts. Anybody else know him? Like him? Hate him and want to talk about Andrew Lloyd Webber instead?

Light in the Piazza *drool* srsly. It's some of the most gorgeous music that I've ever heard from broadway.

As for stuff I've been in, it hasn't been much, but it's been fucking great:

Sweeney Todd: I sang in the chorus, and it was utterly rewarding musically. I hadn't come as far along in my acting, so it wasn't as rewarding as far as that goes, but, hey, how can it NOT be fun when you're in a semi-straitjacket, you're on the procenium arch, and you're up a girl's skirt headfirst. Oh, and the whistle blows at the end of one of the segments of "City on Fire," and she pulls it. I had some friends in the audience who said "Oh my God, that was so wrong."

Parade: Again, chorus member, but this was just as rewarding musically and acting-wise. With occasional steps into that scary place I know as "method," and some of the most challenging music I've ever had to sing (and most earworm-ish, that stuff's STILL stuck in my head.) Anything that has me as a Southern preacher who gets to do horribly racist stuff like dance around a jewish couple and laugh at the top of my damn lungs? Sweet. Also, great way for me to practice telling horribly fucked-up jokes while keeping a straight face, so the audience wouldn't KNOW I was being fucked-up. Love it.

Most amazing jew boots

I haven't seen too many musicals, but I loved Little Shop of Horrors. The music was amazing, and if that wasn't enough, the plot was strange. After watching it for the first time, I constantly found myself singing "Skid Row."

Phantom of the Opera was also great, although I didn't enjoy the music as much as Little Shop. Nevertheless, that doesn't change the fact that it was really good.

While I haven't seen Wicked, I enjoyed every one of the songs that I've heard from it. Our band performed a medley from that musical, and I've heard several vocal performances of several pieces. I'm starting to regret my decision not to see it when it was playing nearby.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by VitaPup

The book for Wicked I didnt think was that good but I hear the play is amazing.

Yeah, the novel and the show are two really separate entities. A lot of the political intrigue and "adult content" was taken out for simplicity and marketability. The novel's auther once said that if Wicked the novel were Wagner, Wicked the musical would be Mozart. I kind of like that, actually--the novel tried so hard to turn Oz--bright, sparkly, Judy Garland Oz--into a seedy cesspool of sin and corruption, and the musical balances that a bit.

I wish preteen girls would stay the heck away from the songs, though. I auditioned for my community theater's summer musical a month or so ago (it's Seussical, so they encouraged little kids to try out) and of the nine or so people in my audition group, three people sang three different songs from Wicked (one, a boy, sang a bootleg copy of "Defying Gravity" which labeled the singing character as "Dorothy.")

Despite being a huge theater geek, I've managed to avoid nearly all contact with Phantom of the Opera beyond the (hideous) title song and the (rather pretty) "Music of the Night." I suppose I ought to get around to listening to it sooner or later, although Andrew Lloyd Webber is seen as a sort of Broadway Antichrist among the members of my family.

Originally Posted by wvlfpvp

Light in the Piazza *drool* srsly. It's some of the most gorgeous music that I've ever heard from broadway.

<3 <3 <3 Guettel ownz your face.

That's so cool, that you've gotten to do ambitious stuff like Sweeney and Parade. Were those amateur or professional productions? My community's amateur theatre favors "wholesome" entertainment like Grease.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Conqueso

Despite being a huge theater geek, I've managed to avoid nearly all contact with Phantom of the Opera beyond the (hideous) title song and the (rather pretty) "Music of the Night." I suppose I ought to get around to listening to it sooner or later, although Andrew Lloyd Webber is seen as a sort of Broadway Antichrist among the members of my family.

Well, ALW is seen as kind of an antichrist among 98% of music students/faculty as well . And personally, I hate every other musical he's done aside from PotO (probably it has to do with the fact that I love the original book) -- this includes Cats, Starlight Express and Jesus Christ Superstar. They all made me want to either fall asleep or stab something. You should really listen to the Phantom soundtrack (Broadway original cast, not the movie crap). The best songs are the ones that aren't in every music box you buy, like "Point of No Return" and "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again."

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Conqueso

That's so cool, that you've gotten to do ambitious stuff like Sweeney and Parade. Were those amateur or professional productions? My community's amateur theatre favors "wholesome" entertainment like Grease.

Those were college productions, being cooperative projects between the Music and Theatre departments. The Theatre department has a lot more money to use for sets and costumes and stuff, and the Music department can bring in singers who can handle some of the more "legit" roles in those shows. Still, it has been great fun, and it's responsible for me turning into a Sondheim-head.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Although I can't say I'm a theatre buff, I've had my share of its music. Right now I haven't really gotten into any of the newer things, like RENT (I find its soundtrack pretentious). I really prefer those OLD ones, like My Fair Lady, Grease, Fiddler on the Roof, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, etc. They have gorgeous or memorable songs.

And I'm a fan of Phantom of the Opera. It's songs are catchy, you have to admit, although singing with it is nearly impossible unless you're trained. The range is large. Mostly because Weber wrote the part for Brightman.

One semester I did a production of La Cage Aux Folles (The Birdcage), mainly because I was forced to do it out of a lack of participants. It was a fun experience, but the music became so annoying after the tens of practices and performances we were doing that I swore off doing another musical unless I know the music is something I can enjoy a bit better. I never knew how the music sounded in La Cage, but when I did hear it, I didn't necessarily liked it unfortunately.

I've never seen Mamma Mia!, but I'm an unbelievably huge ABBA fan (don't laugh... *does disco dance*) that I feel like no one else can give their music justice (not even frickin' A-Teens or Madonna's terrible sampling practice of Gimme Gimme Gimme). I don't think anyone can sing better than Agnetha with ABBA songs anyway. But if someone can prove me wrong, I would like to hear it.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I'm a huge fan of musical theatre. I've been lucky to see several shows, but I have to say my favorite musical is RENT. I'm a huge RENThead...I've seen it countless times because I have family I visit in NYC and it never gets old. I'm also a big fan of Wicked, I remember when it came out, I made my friend's go with me to see it in NYC with Idina, Kristin, and Norbert. It was awe inspiring.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I've been a member of the chorus in Crazy For You, worked as part of the set crew of Les Miserables and played in the orchestra for Viva Mexico! Without question, my favourite musical is Jekyll And Hyde, as it contains more than a few simply brilliant songs.

Although it is only semi-related, Disney has created several excellent animated musicals (e.g., The Lion King), as has Dreamworks (e.g., Anastasia).

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Ahhh that's really cool zephyrclaw. I saw Crazy For You last year (or maybe year before) here in town while it was on tour. Were you in that by chance?

I was speaking idiomatically.

I really didn't get too much into musicals until I met my wife, who is a huge theatre junkie. I had seen [i]Phantom of the Opera[/b] a few times (with Michael Crawford and Robert Guillaume), Cats, Evita, Grease, and Batboy though (the last one I saw with my wife).
Since meeting her though my music library has continued to expand (thus the reason behind Niekon's House of Musicals) and is still expanding today. Sadly though most of what we know about is what we hear about online or when we watch the Tony Awards.

So far though... some of my favorites: Spamalot... Avenue Q (who doesn't like that one?)... Batboy... and most recently Reefer Madness: The Musical...
One day though I do plan on taking the wife out to NYC for a show or two... just to say that we have done it. ^_^

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I'm not all clued in with the broadway musical scene, but I would love to experience one some day. I'd love to see the Lion King musical, i've heard it's quite amazing. As for musicals in terms of film i'm very fond of Moulin Rouge, I thought Phantom of the Opera was really shit to be honest they just didn't get the right cast in there. Now if the cast could've sung any better I probably would've enjoyed it a lot more, but I just found it dull and boring.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by ArchesFan

Ahhh that's really cool zephyrclaw. I saw Crazy For You last year (or maybe year before) here in town while it was on tour. Were you in that by chance?

Nope, most likely not, considering it was a community-ish production based in Australia. Dang.

We Will Rock You is supposedly arriving in my area soon. Has anyone seen it before?

The Boy From Oz also sounds amazing. Here is a link to an interesting article on a few specific musicals.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

The Lion King is actually in Tucson right now for a 6-week engagement, so I've been considering going to see it. I don't have anyone to go with at the moment, which is why I'm holding off right now (and it's also like $80), but I don't want to miss it. Who knows how often a huge production like that will tour to a place like Tucson?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Touring Lion King is the total suck.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Spot on. I love rent (because I went to see it in NYC... I doubt I'd have the soft spot I do for it if I hadn't seen it live on broadway), and I love the music from Wicked.

Light in the Piazza was FANTASTIC. I saw it on TV ("live at the lincoln center") and I very much regretted not seeing it while in NY. The music was amazing, the acting was amazing, the sets were amazing, the plot was AMAZING... it was definitely the best musical I've seen, I think. There were just so many great moments (when the main girl gets lost at night it was chill inducing with the music and the whirling sets and everything), and when the italian mother begins translating the grief trio/quartet/thingamabob to the audience it was hilarious and awesome. Ah, to see this live...

As for being in, I was in Oliver. It was ok, being a chorister wasn't that exciting. It had it's moments but the music... oh my goodness ... I think I woke up to that like every day for months after the show...

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by wvlfpvp

Touring Lion King is the total suck.

Touring anything is all I get.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I loved Phantom of the Opera before I had seen it. I used to listen to the soundtrack until I knew the entire musical by heart. When I saw it in San Francisco I loved it. I even enjoyed the movie.

Now I recently decided to see Rent the movie and I just fell in love with that soundtrack, the story and the actors. Finding out that most of them were actually from the original cast made it even better. I just recently saw Rent in San Francisco and it was fantastic! Even though the two musicals are very different, I enjoy catchy musicals with a good story.

I hear Wicked has a really good soundtrack and I always wanted to see Hairspray...

edit: I saw Lion King too, but I didn't find it worth the money. The costumes were great, and I think that's what they had going for them. They had great sets and everything. So if you like the movie, then see the musical, but otherwise there's nothing really that new. I like how other musicals find a creative way to tell their entire story with one stage.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by soapy

Iedit: I saw Lion King too, but I didn't find it worth the money. The costumes were great, and I think that's what they had going for them. They had great sets and everything. So if you like the movie, then see the musical, but otherwise there's nothing really that new. I like how other musicals find a creative way to tell their entire story with one stage.

I never saw the live Lion King, but the impression I get is that it does tell its story in a pretty creative way, what with the puppets and everything. At least compared to the other Disney/Broadway shows like Beauty and the Beast, which is basically Disney-on-Ice-on-Stage, or Tarzan, which apparantly blows hardcore for a multitude of reasons.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Meh, most Disney-on-Broadway sucks. You know what they NEED to do?





Bring over fucking Hunchback from Europe.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by wvlfpvp

Bring over fucking Hunchback from Europe.

Exactly... when I was in Germany a couple of years ago, I had to find the soundtrack for this one for my wife before she would allow me to come back home (okay, not totally true... just partially). Tried to get tickets for a showing but was unable to...

Another musical that I would love to see a touring of is Falco Meets Amedeus... an interesting soundtrack that had my interest due to my fascination with Falco's music... ^_^

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Falco meets Amadeus was interesting for a non-German speaker, to say the least. I recognized the music, and the fact that some characters spoke half in English and half in German made following it a little easier; also, I learned that if you take a hit of a ginormous crack rock and overdose, you get to go to heaven and see Jeannie again.

Oh, and repeating something I mentioned in the Mix Disc thread: We also need a stage version of Newsies. Either that or don't stop the people who really WANT to do it.

Jam it back in, in the dark.