henke on 10/12/2016 at 09:49
So, I was listening to a podcast a while back, and one of the hosts mentioned listening to the Hamilton cast album. I've never been into musicals, I think the only one I've seen was a Finnish production of Rocky Horror Show, during a school trip, so I was surprised to hear someone mentioning listening to a cast album. "Is that something people do?" I thought. "Is there even any point listening to an album if you haven't seen the play?" Anyway, as the weeks went by, I kept hearing and reading about people referencing and praising the Hamilton album, so finally I buckled and decided "y'know what? I need to listen to this thing." That was a couple weeks ago and it's been on replay on my Spotify ever since. It's amazing.
I've always liked songs that tell stories. I like theatricality and drama in my songs, be it Amanda Palmer or Queen or R. Kelly. So I'm not sure how it took me this long to realize I might enjoy musicals. I've started going through other cast albums as well. Jesus Christ Superstar. Pretty good! Camelot. Eeeeeh, a couple good songs. Currently listening to Fiddler on the Roof and it is really good. Just killer song after killer song. Also watched the first 10 minutes of the recent Les Mis movie on Netflix the last night, but it was pretty boring.
Any other musical fans here? Let's hear some recommendations! :)
Thirith on 10/12/2016 at 10:42
I grew up with Jesus Christ Superstar and still love it. Quite possibly my favourite version of the story, together with Last Temptation of Christ, and it's probably got some of Andrew Lloyd Webber's best tunes and Tim Rice's smartest lines. Fiddler on the Roof is also great - with those two, Norman Jewison definitely knew how to translate stage shows onto film. Another musical I loved as a kid and still do: Hair.
More recently, I completely fell for Sondheim's Assassins, a show that's smart and utterly relevant in this day and age. Not sure if the songs themselves hold up all that well for people who prefer more melodious musicals, though. And last year we saw Gypsy in London, with Imelda Staunton. It's a surprisingly subversive, dark musical, though it helps if you watch it without knowing anything about it. At first it seems your usual Technicolor mid-century musical, but it turns out to be considerably more complex than that, and the format of the musical fits it perfectly. The film is also pretty good and has at least one pivotal scene that was actually more effective than in the stage version I saw, but it also tones down the more risky elements a bit.
They're perhaps not technically musicals, but I can absolutely recommend John Carney's Once and Sing Street - and of course the granddaddy of Irish musical movies, The Commitments.
Muzman on 10/12/2016 at 11:12
It might be a little early in the thread but, in general I can't stand musicals. I can't stand the concept at all. And I only mention that because that's interesting. I know there are (and know personally) people who just love musicals. Just makes them giddy with joy. While I'm sitting there thinking "Oh god here comes the song. This was a nice play/movie until the song. Just skip the song. Why are these people singing anyway? Can't you convey your inner thoughts with acting and good writing? And why do the songs have to be terrible? With the least poetic and most obvious lyrics imaginable?" and so on. Plus I don't care about big production numbers at all either. That's almost a separate category as not all musicals have both.
So, yeah, that intrigues me. What's also funny is that, while this feeling is pretty common in the western world, globally and historically speaking it's the clear minority - with pretty much every kind of theatre throughout the world being a musical of some sort, including the west until relatively recently.
So there's that. I still can't fathom people really adoring the things though. Like Opera, they're mostly terrible, but people will let them off the hook for one good number. Two and it's a masterpiece. It's really funny.
Anyway, with enough forewarning I can deal with them and the best ones I find are offbeat, funny and for kids up to a point (not Frozen though. Get that shit outa here) Like The Producers, Hairspray, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Oliver!. That kind of thing.
demagogue on 10/12/2016 at 12:18
There's a lot of rewrites of musical songs too that's worth looking into, and also generally the world of filk tunes. For some reason I like the Cthulu themed ones.
There's also the big world of opera of course, but it's an aquired taste until the late 19th Century, Phantom of the Opera, Gilbert & Sullivan.
Fiddler on the Roof is one on my favorites too.
Rent is probably important to see.
I don't know... My Fair Lady, Singing in the Rain, Moulin Rouge...
icemann on 10/12/2016 at 12:25
Because I grew up with my mother playing them all the time via VHS on the TV, and Disney used to run movies on Sunday nights back when I was a kid:
* Bedknobs and Broomsticks
* Grease
* Little Shop of Horrors
* Marry Poppins
* Rocky Horror Picture Show
* Song of The South (a movie not fine nowadays in our PC world)
* Sound of Music
* Wizard of OZ
Starker on 10/12/2016 at 13:27
Les Misérables: The Dream Cast in Concert
[video=youtube;VALfpc-dJ7s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VALfpc-dJ7s[/video]
Starker on 10/12/2016 at 13:29
Avenue Q
[video=youtube;LTJvdGcb7Fs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTJvdGcb7Fs[/video]
icemann on 10/12/2016 at 14:12
That video just isn't the same if it's not the WoW Machinema version.
[video=youtube;YRgNOyCnbqg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRgNOyCnbqg[/video]
Nicker on 10/12/2016 at 14:23
I see your Avenue Q and raise you - Meet The Feebles.
[video=youtube;YSg0IMXptn4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSg0IMXptn4[/video]
Musical are like baseball. More fun to do than to watch.
Thirith on 10/12/2016 at 14:32
I hated Rent. It's smug and hypocritical.