Okay, tell the truth...who likes musicals?

[Dave Bryce]

I just got through listening to the soundtrack of "Man of La Mancha". I love this show - I've seen it four times.

 

I have no problem admitting I like musicals. Some of my faves include South Pacific, Sound of Music, West Side Story, Pippin, My Fair Lady, Company, and Hair.

 

Oh, yeah - Jesus Christ, Superstar - does that count as a musical? Another major fave.

 

Anyone else a fan of show tunes? C'mon, don't be shy...

 

dB

[Tusker]

I confess. Lerner-Lowe and Rodgers-Hart/Hammerstein especially.

 

No I don't find it strange that a character suddenly jumps into song and an orchestra mysteriously arrives to accompany him/her. I don't find it strange that characters miraculously know what parts to sing so as to harmonize. It's all magic to me.

 

Jerry

[joegerardi]

I do, I do.

 

Sweeney Todd is probably my favorite. Then almost any Sondheim with strong leanings towards "Night Music," "Company," and "Pacific Overtures."

My Fair Lady, but that could just be because I'm still in love with Audrey Hepburn...

The Music Man.

1776. I love the fact that the dialogue is taken from the actual letters of the characters.

Shenandoah was a great musical. John Cullum was fabulous.

 

And I abhor Superstar. Probably because after 200 performances playing keyboards in it, God knows how many rehearals, and a gazillion women auditioning for it with "I Don't Know How To Love Him," if I never hear another note from that show it will be too soon.

[Llarion]

Well, I've been in The Wiz, (The lion) and I've played in the pit orchestras for Superstar and Little shop in college, and Godspell & Annie this year. Grease is coming next year.

 

I LOVE The Sound Of Music and The King And I too... Cats was good, and Sunset Boulevard was brilliant...

[R_dup1]

I love musicals. I don't remember a lot of the older ones I've seen, but when I'm channel surfing, I'll always stop if I find one. It's a shame that they really don't make them any more.

 

The more modern ones I can remember. I like Mama Mia, even though the music predated the musical. I still like ALW musicals, Les Mis, CATS and Phantom of the Opera being my favorites from him. I also enjoyed M Butterfly, Chorus Line, All That Jazz and Miss Saigon.

 

Recently, I stumbled onto the soundtrack from the musical Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hyde, which is really quite good.

 

Let's see, I think that's about it. Oh, I have to mention the animated musicals by Rice and Menken (sp?) Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid. I also really liked the Hunchback of Notre Dame soundtrack.

 

Last but not least, I still periodically find myself humming On the Street Where She Lives from My Fair Lady.

[Dan O]

GODSPELL ......my 1st musical .

 

I must have listened to JC superstar 200 times .

My older brothers had a big influence on the music I listened too .I even got into Sha Na Na .

I lipped sync'd "chantily lace" in my 6th grade talent show .

 

I saw the broadway production of Tommy a few years ago . I will see it again .

 

The Sound of Music and Willie Wonka sticks out as well .

Ump pa ump pa um pa de do ...i have a riddle just for you . dano

[ELP71]

Awesome thread.

 

I'm a rock keyboard guy at heart. My idols are Emerson, Argent, etc. and I'm artistic director at a regional theatre that produces musicals. I've supported myself and family of four as a musical director or producer for six years now.

 

It all started with 'Annie' for me - the film. Then 'Oliver!', 'My Fair Lady', all the big movies. Then 'Jesus Christ Superstar' changed everything - showed me it can be gritty, earthy, and balls-y. went through the obligatory 'Les Miz' and 'Phantom' phase, then fell in love with Sondheim - and truly learned the craft of theatrical composition. 'West Side Story' is great (as are ALL Bernstein's scores).

 

But for my money, the one that takes the cake on so many levels is 'Gypsy'. Hits a little close to home for some theatre folks, and is black as night!

 

Don't be ashamed, guys. Musicals, when done honestly, can be a POWERFUL medium. Plus, its a good outlet for us KEYBOARD guys. We're usually in CHARGE!

[BP3]

I thought the South Park movie was a good musical.

[Mark Zeger]

I have 4 categories of musicals I like, "old" and "new", "heavy" and "light".

 

"Old school" musicals I love:

West Side Story (heavy) - IMHO, there is none better

 

Guys & Dolls (light) - tons of hip swagger, pure fun.

 

"New school" musicals:

Les Miserables (heavy) - a friend once told me that Fantine is the best female musical role of the past 30 years. You get the sing the best song in the show ("I Dreamed a Dream") and break the audience's heart by dying, all in the first 30 minutes. Then, you relax until the final scene where you show up as a ghost. Every song is a well crafted gem.

 

Little Shop of Horrors (light) - "Somewhere That's Green" is an underrated song. Mandy Patinkin sings it beautifully on one of his albums, and in his solo act (catch him if you can).

 

There is one musical I've never seen, but I'd love to, if only for one song: "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Leaving" (is that the correct title?) from "Dreamgirls". I'd love to hear Jill Scott or Angie Stone belt that one. That song kills me.

[Tedster]

I was raised on musicals. My earliest memories are of tapes of my Dad's with "South Pacific" and "My Fair Lady". I miss the old movies, some of the MGM spectaculars. 20 minute Gene Kelly dance fantasies on "American in Paris" and stuff like that. Fantastic, the amount of talent.

 

Now...for my ultimate practical joke...would be to stage a huge musical number and move it into, say, a bank. Where some unsuspecting schmuck walks into a bank to deposit something in his checking account, and the teller says "Good Day, Mr. Smith". All of a sudden the guy reading the paper jumps up on his chair and sings "GOOD DAYYYY, MR. SMITH" and the next thing you know, all the tellers and "customers" are dancing and singing and carrying on, just like in the musicals. Poor Mr. Smith thinks everyone has lost their mind. But what a great joke it would be...especially if you got it on tape and played it on one of those "Real TV" shows.

[Eric Worthington]

Here's one that rarely gets mentioned--as a musical. Perhaps because it's come to be so much more than a musical:

 

The Wizard of Oz

 

It has two of the most classic songs of all time: Over The Rainbow, and If I Only Had A Brain.

 

Plus, on top of all that, flying monkeys.

[Dan South]

Wow! Ten responses, and Valky hasn't shown up yet!!

 

Faves -

 

- My Fair Lady (probably number one of all time)

- Tommy (formerly on Broadway)

- The Music Man (currently on Broadway)

 

Also worth it -

 

- Phantom

- Aida

- Les Miserable

- Lion King (for the staging more than the music)

 

I hope to get into "The Producers" someday.

[Valkyrie Sound]

Originally posted by Dan South:

Wow! Ten responses, and Valky hasn't shown up yet!!

Hey... I thought my secret love of musicals

was safe with you!

 

I hope to get into "The Producers" someday. [/QB]

Remember to take me...

 

I love them all.

 

Musicals I've played:

 

The Wiz

Pirates of Penzance

Bye, Bye, Birdie

Jesus Christ Superstar

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Barnum

Guys and Dolls

Pipin (The WORST ending to a musical ever...)

 

Valky

[Bucktunes]

Okay, I'll fess up. I've always loved "The Wizard Of Oz" and "The Sound Of Music." I grew up with them, and they remind me of happy times as a kid. "Wizard" used to be shown every Spring, and we'd go over to Grandma and Grandpa's house to watch it change from black and white to color. WOW!

 

"Jesus Christ, Superstar" and "Godsspell" were my first introduction to music that could be religious and cool at the same time. I still think of "Day By Day" as a theme song for life.

 

I can't believe nobody's mentioned "The Blues Brothers" yet. (Yeah, I know. I just did!)That counts as a musical, doesn't it? Or did too many people get turned off by the sequel?

 

Peace all,

Steve

[soapbox]

Cool topic; great responses all the way around!

 

This post is going to meander a bit because I have to comment on several things (in no particular order of importance):

 

1) Go see the "Lion King" if you live in or near LA. (I think it will be leaving us soon.) I have never seen anything like it. I agree with Dan that its power lies mainly in sheer spectacle, but I was moved by the music as well. Make sure you see it on a night when Fuchsia plays the part of Rafiki. Man, can she sing!

 

2) "West Side Story" works on so many levels for me: the drama of the retelling of Romeo and Juliet in modern America, the emotional power of Bernstein's music, and the intricacies of his relatively complex score.

 

3) The LA production of "Tommy" was a big disappointment. However, I really like the soundtrack of the movie version, with its many rock superstar performances. I've never been moved by its story line though.

 

4) I agree with Eric. I never thought of "The Wizard of Oz" when this thread came up, because it is so much more than a musical. For me, it was an indispensable part of the magic of childhood.

 

5) I love "The Music Man" as much for Shirley Jones and Robert Preston as for the story line and songs. (BTW, if you want to see a great role for Robert Preston, rent "S.O.B." It's a very funny send up of Hollywood and it includes classic performances from a great ensemble, but I'm digressing off-topic...)

 

6) Has anyone mentioned "Damn Yankees?" The music was pretty good, but the story and performances were great. Ray Walston was a great devil!

 

7) The opposite goes for me with "Les Miserables." I loved the music, but I didn't get caught up in the drama of it.

 

8) Eight is enough. Okay, that was a TV show, but eight is enough, so I'll finish with this point: I guess that "The Blues Brothers" is technically a musical; but it didn't come to mind for me because the songs in the movie weren't written for the musical, as is usually the practice. That goes for Steve Martin's "Pennies From Heaven" as well. But hey, we're including rock operas as musicals, so why not include "The Blues Brothers" as well?

 

Other sentimental favorites (again, in no particular order of importance): "Flower Drum Song," "Oklahoma!," "The Pajama Game," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Hair," (once again, I prefer the motion picture soundtrack) "South Pacific," "My Fair Lady," "Singin' In The Rain," "Brigadoon," "The Sound of Music," "Guys And Dolls," "Rent," "Little Shop of Horrors," "Hello Dolly," "The King And I," "Camelot," "Fiddler On The Roof," "Phantom Of The Opera," and "Yentl."

[Superbobus]

Hey, nobody mentioned Chicago! I think that's a very funny musical. It has virtuoso stride piano playing too. I did that show for two years and it was a ball. I'm doing Saturday Night Fever now. I like the music, kind of cheesy disco but some great grooves in there, but it's basically a literal spin off from the movie, which actually is not that great. Awesome dancing and suits though.

There's something I really can't stand about ALW and his musicals. To me it sounds over sentimental, over dramatic, over the top. Not all of it but most of it I cannot listen to.

[SolipsismX]

The three musicals I can stand:

 

Phantom of the Opera

 

Fiddler on the roof (just barely)

 

Little Shop of Horrors (I don't know if this counts, but steve martin's song was hilarious!!!)

[RABid]

Not that many that I like. Singing in the Rain it probably at the top of that short list. It has been a few years since I last saw a live musical. That was Miss Saigon when I was last in New York.

 

I thought The Producers ended its run a couple weeks ago?

 

Robert

[Mark Zeger]

Nathan Lane's replacement in "The Producers" just got the ax last weekend. I've heard that tickets are very available now that Broderick and Lane are gone.

 

A guy I knew well in college, Doug Besterman, won the Tony for orchestrating that show. I guess it was his 3rd award. Doug was a hell of a piano player back then, obviously parlayed that into a very successful career.

 

A few people mentioned "The Music Man". "We Got Trouble" is a favorite moment in musical theater. I've used that performance, from a tape of the movie, for sales training meetings.

[Felix_dup1]

I grew up with musicals too, like My Fair Lady and

The Sound of Music.

 

I sang in Chorus in school, so we did plenty of tunes from musicals too, like "Corner of the Sky" from Pippin, stuff from A Chorus Line, etc. After I graduated HS in 1984, my interest in musicals went away.

 

Now that I have kids, I have to add a couple more favorite musicals to the list (even though technically, they aren't musicals, since they weren't stage productions)... they would be Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins.

[Fletch]

Let me just say that RENT is a fantastic musical. If you haven't seen it you should make the opportunity. I get the chance to go to New York a couple times a year and I never miss it.

 

Peace,

 

Fletch

[dougtune]

Don't go to many musicals, but when I do, the music grabs most of my attention, while the plot, acting, sets, etc. make a mild impression. It's like a 100-minute songwriter's showcase. If I like the music, it's thrilling. Last year I saw Burt Bacharach's "Promises Promises" with a good orchestra. It was thrilling.

[Magpel]

Love many of the classics mentioned here. Since having a kid, I've also fallen in love with many of the Disney movie musicals, animated or not. My favorite is Mary Poppins, which has at least 3 songs I want to cover. Great songs in Dumbo and Jungle Book too. "I Wanna Be Like You" is hilarious, esp. when Phil Harris,a great classic musical singer, tries to hold his own in a "scat war" against Louis Prima. Ouch. I don't know if Phil ever recovered from that one.

[SFOracle]

Great thread. My sister-in-law is an aspiring opera singer, but she also does a lot of musicals. I started going to musicals mostly because she was in them, but I really got hooked. Also due to her performances I have seen quite a few operas - which I have also come to enjoy.

 

Favorite musicals (in no particular order)

 

- Les Miserables, very moving, with great songs.

- Guys and Dolls

- West Side Story

- The Sound of Music

- Little Shop of Horrors

- South Pacific

- La Cage aud Folles - extremely funny.

- Candide

 

I havn't seen "The Lion King" yet, maybe next time I'm in New York. I did see "Beauty and the Beast" in London a couple of years ago. It was entertaining, but nothing special, and I liked that the casting featured a black "Beauty".

[Llarion]

I hadn't even THOUGHT of Disney Animation...

 

The Little Mermaid

The Lion King

Hunchback Of Notre Dame (God Help The Outcasts)

Hercules

Toy Story (1&2 - When She Loved Me from 2 and everything in 1)

Beauty And The Beast (Gaston!)

The Jungle Book (Louis Prima!!)

[Eric Worthington]

Originally posted by soapbox:

(BTW, if you want to see a great role for Robert Preston, rent "S.O.B." It's a very funny send up of Hollywood and it includes classic performances from a great ensemble, but I'm digressing off-topic...)

 

YES!

 

"Is Batman a transvestite? Who knows?"

Robert Preston, playing a doctor in "SOB," when asked if a shot he just administered would help the patient.

 

Speaking of Robert Preston and Blake Edwards movies, "Victor/Victoria" was a classic.

[Groeg]

I'm glad to see so many people speaking up. I think musicals are a great way for kids to get into music.

 

How about A Flower Drum Song. I was exposed to this one at an early age and still can't get out of my head that "A Hundred Thousand Miracles"

rhythm.

 

My fav is still West Side Story

[graypencil]

Like:

 

Most of Sondheim.. I.e.: Sweeney Todd, A little Night Music, Company, Sunday in the etc. , Passion ..

 

also like Cy Colemans music, but not necessarily all the shows ..

 

..and" Rent " ..

 

I absolutely ABHOR everything by A.L. Webber ..all of it! every single trite over blown note he's ever written!

 

and the Disney stuff aren't musicals .. they're product.

 

repackaging and remarketing of a single idea in every medium possible: film , ice show, now broadway ..brilliant marketing ploy , but..

 

and the odd thing is.. I DO like some of the Music contained in them ( Beauty in the Beast, the Lion King , etc )

[Steve LeBlanc]

Yep...I love musicals...you guys have named a lot of my favorites...

 

Jesus Christ Superstar

West Side Story

Showboat

That's Entertainment

Ziggy Stardust

Tommy

Little Shop of Horrors

Godspell

The King and I, etc. etc. etc.

[Superbobus]

I absolutely ABHOR everything by A.L. Webber ..all of it! every single trite over blown note he's ever written!

Dooooon't cryyyyy fooooor meeeee Aaaaar-gen-tiiiiiiiiiii-naaa! Why is it that in EVERY A.L. Webber song there's this HORRIBLE slow-down in the last chorus, EVERY FRIGGIN' TIME!!!

Probably THAT's the thing I can't stand about it.

Oh yeah, the ones I like:

- West Side Story

- Singing in the Rain

- Wizard of Oz (also the movie from the 70's)

- Rodgers & Hart/Kern/Porter/Gershwin, you name 'em.

- And of course Chicago and Night Fever.

Rent is pretty cool too, Grease is fun. Sondheim I don't know too well, although I saw Company which I liked. Also there was a rumor that there would be this show in Holland called, Bring on da Noize, bring on da Funk. Anybody know that one?