a Taj MuttHall Dog Diary: Musicals

Friday, April 23, 2021

Musicals

Part of the theater's art--featuring the musical Audrey Hepburn! -- Eastridge Mall, San Jose


SUMMARY: A meme thing from Facebook
I responded to a friend April 23, 2021. In my usual overly verbose way. How about you?

Original request:

  • Musical I hate:
  • Musical I think is overrated: 
  • Musical I think is underrated: 
  • Musicals I love: 
  • Musical I cherish: 
  • Musicals I could listen to on repeat: 
  • Musical I still want to do: 
  • Musicals that made me fall in love with musicals: 
  • Musical that changed my life: 
  • Guilty pleasure:
  • Musical I am surprised I like: 
  • Musical I should have seen (live and in person) by now but haven’t: 

Set for Hamilton, Orpheum Theater, San Francisco


Taj MuttHall's answer:

Most of my musical experience comes from the movies (or official videos of the live performances). FWIW.

Musical I hate:      I like musicals with some semblance of a story. Hence, not keen on Cats (singing about being cats, I guess) or Chicago (singing about the crimes they committed and who is more popular because of them, I guess--although at least it has more plot than cats. Not that that is hard to do). I haven't seen them enough to hate them, and I didn't see them live, so can't say I wasted money on them. They probably fall better into:

Musical I think is overrated:      Cats, Chicago, Mama Mia (it's ABBA songs. Period. Oh--wait--it also has more plot than Cats. I love ABBA music on its own.)

underrated.     .. no idea.      Maybe South Pacific? This site rated it #88! WOS100: The top 100 Musicals of all time!

I love: 

  • My Fair Lady, 
  • The King and I, 
  • The Sound of Music, 
  • JC Superstar, 
  • Carousel, 
  • A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum

I cherish:         pretty much the same. Maybe    Mary Poppins (the real one*)

I could listen to on repeat [and have!]:    JC Superstar

I still want to do:                                 As in, act in?

Made me fall in love with musicals:    See above

Changed my life:           Hm. A musical. Changing my life. Nope, don't think so.

Guilty Pleasure:               Pinball wizard [do "rock operas" count as musicals?]

Surprised I like:            drawing a blank

Should have seen (live and in person) but haven't:    There is no should, only do.

Musicals I *have* seen live pro (not community theater): 

  • Les Miz. 
  • The Wiz. 
  • JC Superstar. 
  • Wicked. 
  • Book of Mormon. 
  • Hamilton. 
  • ... oh, surely I've seen more than that... (yeah, quite a bunch more in community/college/whatever theater)

Musicals I've seen the movie version of: at least 30 of the 100 on the aforementioned list. And, I realize, more that aren't on that list.

(Really what I like are Gilbert and Sullivan. But they're comic operas, not musicals.)

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* The recent travesty was, well, OK, but really why bother with the remake?



Book of Mormon backdrop, same theater, Angel Moroni at the apex

2 comments:

  1. Le Miserable was a surprise to me. I didn't like it at all the first time I saw it, but the second time I did and now I could listen to the music of it, (and of course Phantom) over and over. I've seen so many live, because we had for many years season tickets to professional theater in Detroit (the traveling casts of stuff coming out from NYC). The only one I've seen live in NYC was the Frankenstein one, name I can't remember. I kept thinking (as we used to do while watching in Detroit)..."THERE'S a great voice....THERE's a great voice....until I remembered I was on BROADWAY and they were ALL great voices! LOL

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    Replies
    1. We have a couple of regional theaters here that are quite good, and they've done musicals occasionally. Usually the main characters are very good to excellent, but the rest might be not on that same scale. I have no idea how much any of them are paid.

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