what are your thoughts about broadway musicals ?

[RH200300]

what are your thoughts about broadway musicals ?
do you think they are a piece of  junk or valuable asset
in your classical music trained eyes?

[whynot]

Well, I'm probably not your target audience, since I wasn't classically trained-- although it's mainly what I do now.  But I think it's like every genre:  some good, a little brilliant, lots of bad.  The genre doesn't bother me, or the fact that it's lighter and the music is usually not very sophisticated.  I can appreciate good writing wherever I find it.  Sonheim, Kurt Weill, Ricky Ian Gordon.  I'm not crazy about the singing style-- it's strong on hiding and avoiding normal vocal difficulties rather than solving them, but that's pretty generalized, and there are some very good singers doing musical theatre.   

Kurt Weill is supposed to have said, "There's no distinction between classical music and non-classical music.  There is good music and bad music." 

[RH200300]

Kurt Weill is supposed to have said, "There's no distinction between classical music and non-classical music.  There is good music and bad music."   
totally agree!
what are  the good one in your  mind?
secret garden ?

[allthumbs]

Greetings

Well, if you are a guy, I would suggest never to admit to liking Broadway show-tunes.

Just kidding!

Some of my fondest memories are the musicals that we did in high school sitting in the orchestra pit (I played trombone) playing the wonderful tunes of Rodgers and Hammerstein.

I think a few well known Broadway tunes would be a wonderful addition to ones repertoire, especially for entertainment purposes.

Cheers

[galonia]

Some of my fondest memories are the musicals that we did in high school sitting in the orchestra pit (I played trombone) playing the wonderful tunes of Oscar and Hammerstein.

Yeah, being in the orchestra pit is fun!!!

I'm visiting New York next year, and hope I can catch a Broadway musical (am I in the right city for this?  My geographical knowledge is appalling!)

Recently I went to see "The Lion King" at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney; it was an enjoyable evening, but it doesn't compare to the art of opera or anything like that.  Once you start amplifying things through electronics, it completely changes the way the performers communicate with the audience.  It is a totally different type of art, maybe.

[llhyperdude]

I think most Broadway musicals do have merit. The pit plays a vital role in carrying the show hand in hand with the performers on stage. It is a dynamic environment, just as playing in an orchestra or other ensemble.

Going to a musical is a different experience than going to say, a chamber orchestra. It is a different medium. Musicals stimulate not only the ears, but also the eyes. The visual elements in musicals add value to the show. Unfortunately for some shows, these 'fireworks' can mask some pretty bad music.

[Floristan]

Rodgers & Hammerstein revolutionized the form with "Carosel," "Oklahoma," and "South Pacific," interweaving complex and sometimes controversial story lines involving complicated characters.   Indeed the 1950s were the golden age of the musical.

Since then, with the exception of Stephen Sondheim, the form has gone nowhere.  Sondheim's characters became even more complex, his lyrics more personal, his music more intimate than Rodgers and Hammerstein.  Sondheim's not for everyone, because a lot of people want musicals to be just fun, fun, fun.  Sondheim is serious.  Listen to "A Little Night Music" or "Into the Woods" or "Sunday in the Park with George," jus to name three of my favorites and you'll see!