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Um.....musical madness??

Fri, 22 Aug 2008, 10:00 pm
jmuzz36 posts in thread
Thought I'd look at the auditions coming up in Perth theatre. Lessee...... A Chorus Line - Melville Black and White Cabaret Performance - Adhoc Fame the Musical (what else would it be?) - Wanneroo Phantom of the Music Hall - Kwinana The month before.... The Sound of Music - Roleystone Sing On - Stirling I'm guessing Murray Music and Drama involves some singing and dancing given its a pantomine. Billy Connolly once likened his voice to that of a goose farting in the fog. Mine's worse. Don't complain to me that we have a shortage of male auditionees if you're all going to try and be this year's "Eurobeat" or "Cabaret". Topic for discussion - Is dramatic/comedic theatre facing a certain extinction because musicals pull an audience? Well, no, we know there have been quality dramatic productions this year. Right? As a non musical actor is it all in my head that there seems to be an ever increasing bias toward musical productions? Am I cynical enough to suggest amateur theatre may be leaning toward the quick buck a musical can generate? Many of the people who populate this forum are on club committees - please tell me it's all coincidence that there is not one non-musical audition to be had in Perth during September. Please!!! Guess I can concentrate on the garden and other thoroughly enjoyable activities next two months. I'm gonna say it because I've hinted at it before in previous posts - we will see more of this and we will see more of the same production in the same year perfomed ad nauseum by any number of clubs and for God's sake, how fricking stagnant will amateur theatre be in 5 years!!!!! Guess I'll be auditioning exclusively at KADS and Garrick (I know there was a recent exception)because their stages don't accomodate musicals (although I'd pay to see The King & I perfomed at KADS - the equivalent of one of those rubber guys folding himself into a cardboard box) It's in my head right? No more musicals than in previous years? Right? Grrrrrrrrrr

The Birth of Naturalism

Wed, 27 Aug 2008, 06:16 pm
As I understand it (I could be wrong) Method acting is more accurately what Lee Strasburg (Spelling?) made out of Stanislavsky's theories at the NY Method School. Monroe trained there as did Hoffman and many others. First off, I love musicals but they are not in any possible way naturalistic, there is, as has been pointed out, nothing natural about bursting into highly organised and choreographed song and dance in the middle of a school playground. (Grease) Particularly when the people singing are on average 5 years too old to be the people they are playing (If not more). Musicals are fantasy land, not very far from pantomime and melodrama and accordingly require a different range of skills. Great musicals actors often flounder in serious theatre and vice versa. Those brilliant few who do both with equal ability are giants and deserve our worship (or at least admiration). I too here in SA have noticed that musicals are becoming more popular. Not long ago you couldn't get the men to do good musicals now you can't seem to get them to do straight plays. The audiences like them, shows like Rent, Blood Brothers and Urinetown are unusual in that they are not complete escapism and have serious messages. What's the message in Grease? That in order to get the boy you want you have to be a tart. There is a belief that I think is supported by statistical evidence but I can't find it now that the more unhappy we (as a community) are with our lives in general the more we will seek escapism in our entertainment. Think about it. Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing. www.tonymoore.id.au

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