Tuesday, June 03, 2014
The mystery that is musical theater…
There are a lot of things I don't know about, and the older I get the more profoundly aware I become of how much I don't know. Of all the areas of American life, though, probably the one I understand the least is musical theater. It's not that I don't like it; it's that I just don't know how it works. It's kind of like the sport of cricket that way.
In fact, some of my favorite people are even in the field of musical theater, or were at some point. I suppose that I owe it to them to learn more. Just as background, here is a list of the shows that I have never seen, either live or in film version:
1) Hair
2) West Side Story
3) Fiddler on the Roof
4) Annie
5) Wicked
6) Cats
7) Cabaret
8) The Music Man
9) Lion King
10) Oliver
11) Chicago
12) Annie Get Your Gun
13) < Whatever this is < (it involves a cow)
14) Porgy and Bess
15) Brigadoon
16) A Chorus Line
17) Fame
18) 42nd Street
19) Kiss Me Kate
20) Grease
21) Phantom of the Opera
22) Pippin
23) The Lion King
24) Gypsy
25) South Pacific
26) Jesus Christ Superstar
27) Godspell
28) Showboat
29) Evita
30) Mamma Mia!
31) Carousel
32) Rent
33) Avenue Q
34) My Fair Lady
35) La Cage Aux Folles
36-100) Pretty much every other musical ever
Musicals I have seen:
1) Schoolhouse Rock, Jr.
2) Oklahoma
3) Spinal Tap
4) Les Miserables, at the Fisher Theater, with my Mom (per the comments)
Comments:
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I too was never much of a fan of musical theater. The thought of characters randomly breaking into song allways seemed to pull me out of the story, rathrr than immerse me in the the experience. That changed in recent years, thanks to the wonderful arts scene in the Twin Cities. It turns out I just didn't like BAD musicals.
I would suggest giving them a second look. The Hennepin Theater Trust offers a "Student and Educator " ticket program. For most shows, eligible people can get steeply discounted tickets starting a few hours before the show. And since the box offices are only a few blocks away from UST, it is a great excuse to enjoy a show. And make no mistake, they bring in some very talented people, and the shows are great. In just a few years they managed to change the way I thought about musical theater.
I would suggest giving them a second look. The Hennepin Theater Trust offers a "Student and Educator " ticket program. For most shows, eligible people can get steeply discounted tickets starting a few hours before the show. And since the box offices are only a few blocks away from UST, it is a great excuse to enjoy a show. And make no mistake, they bring in some very talented people, and the shows are great. In just a few years they managed to change the way I thought about musical theater.
In the words of King Lear, "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child."
When you were a senior in high school, we took the whole family to the Fisher Theater to see "Les Miserables." It is my all time favorite show, and I was in seventh heaven. Evidently you were not! You did see it, though.
When you were a senior in high school, we took the whole family to the Fisher Theater to see "Les Miserables." It is my all time favorite show, and I was in seventh heaven. Evidently you were not! You did see it, though.
# posted by 
: 1:40 PM
: 1:40 PM
You should see "Book of Mormon," then try to tell me you don't like musical theatre.
Also, you listed "My Fair Lady" twice amongst your list of musicals you have never seen. Do you have some particular hatred for that one? Is it a dislike of Audrey Hepburn? Why Osler...WHY??
Also, you listed "My Fair Lady" twice amongst your list of musicals you have never seen. Do you have some particular hatred for that one? Is it a dislike of Audrey Hepburn? Why Osler...WHY??
# posted by : 2:49 PM
: 2:49 PM
You cited both "Lion King" and "The Lion King", which might actually be seperate musicals, I'm not sure, I'm not too into musical theatre either. Also, the full name of "School House Rock Jr." is "School House Rock Live, Jr."
# posted by : 10:43 PM
: 10:43 PM
Osler, this is the first time I've been disappointed in you.
It's never too late! My husband is actually performing in a community theater production of Les Mis this summer, and he had no use for the stuff when we married. Of course, having a daughter in theater helped.
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It's never too late! My husband is actually performing in a community theater production of Les Mis this summer, and he had no use for the stuff when we married. Of course, having a daughter in theater helped.
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