to musical or not to musical...?

darian wrote:
>
> recently i had a discussion about the musical vs "legitimate"
> theatre, with some friends of mine, they expressed the
> veiwpoint that musical theatre cannot be construed as
> anything close to "real" theatre but as nothing more than a
> few songs and dances pushed together in an effort to try and
> make some kind of storyÂ… how there were no real characters, no
> emotional depth etc etc. i would just like to know if this is
> a veiwpoint many of the theatre community have adopted or
> just a minority???

Darian, do you want the bad news or the worse news.
Many, many people in theatre hold this opinion.
And in many ways it is actually the fault of them what do musicals.

I am a self confessed musicals geek, although my love spreads as far as anything that includes music and theatre at the same time (Opera, Chinese opera, Greek tragedy, Ballet, etc)
To my mind, a musical is in many ways the ultimate theatrical art form, combining more than one of the performing arts in a cohesive whole. With the singing and the dancing elements being used to enhance the actual story.

Unfortunately many of our cohorts think that all you need for a good musical is some nice voices and pretty costumes. Too often I have been involved in shows where any thought to theme, subtext, character has gone completely ignored. And these are people who profess to LOVE the art form.

This school of belief (which reigned in Opera for many many years and has been finally overthrown only in the last couple of decades) has given a lot of people the idea that musicals are nothing more than fluff.
So, yes, a lot of musicals (either in the writing or the production) do have no real characters, no emotional depth etc, etc.

BUT there are many that rival, and even surpass their “legitimate” counterparts.

That said, a well produced, well written musical is often more effective than “straight” drama.

Some examples: (and yes I am including opera hereÂ…)

La Boheme is one of the most effective operas ever written. I am a hardened and cynical old theatre type, and yet the sheer beauty of the last act, especially the way in which Mimi dies in silence as the rest of the cast are oblivious to what is happening. Then the orchestraÂ’s underscoring gives us total understanding of the overwhelming grief of Rodolfo and Musetta, that if it were a play would come across as melodramatic. I used to cry through the entire last half of this act. I now normally start crying at the top of the third act and continue blubbering right through because I know that last five minutes is coming up. In the same way that after I had seen Breakfast at TiffanyÂ’s once, I find myself crying during the opening credits because I understand where she is and what she is feeling, not because of Audrey HepburnÂ’s acting, but because of Henry ManciniÂ’s music!

Political satire is more effective in well done musicals as well. In many ways Assassins is able to convey more about the state of the USA than any Michael Moore film, and many people see Sondheim as just as un-American for having written it. The satire inherent in all the G&Ss is just as potent if brought out by a good production. We still are surrounded by Sir Joseph Porters and Pooh-Bahs.
Even the Pajama Game and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying convey their political (well, industrial) messages better than almost any other left-wing unionist diatribe.

What is the greatest anti-war play EVER written? Aristophanes Lysistrata! Hate to tell the purists, but all the Greek Old Comedies and Tragedies are MUSICALS!!!
The new comedies maybe notÂ…

To look at different versions of the same story:
People are more familiar with West Side Story than Romeo & Juliet (yes, more people know the BASIC story of R&J, but youÂ’d probably be able to get a much better detailed synopsis of WSS)
My Fair Lady is better known and more often performed than Pygmalion.
I may get crucified for this one, but I think VerdiÂ’s librettist Arrigo Boito actually improved on Shakespeare with his libretti for Otello and Falstaff.
Oscar WildeÂ’s Salome is really only a curiosity, and yet Richard StraussÂ’ verbatim setting of the play is an A-list opera!
Even a great play like The Marriage of Figaro has been improved by being set to music by Mozart.
Many “straight” plays have even been rescued from oblivion by being turned into musicals or operas. Tosca; Madam Butterfly; Kismet; Chicago…

Sorry, I know I have been preaching to the converted here.
But yes, a lot of people look down on musicals, but they shouldnÂ’t.
And a lot of people who do musicals, totally underestimate their power to move an audience, if done well!!!

Here endeth the lesson.

Paul Treasure
Movie Queen & Musicals Uber-geek