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    • #6223
      phoenix
      Participant

      Here’s an easy (or maybe not) question: favourite musiclal? If it helps, you can divide your answer into more recent vs. Classic Broadway ;)

    • #6224

      I love The Music Man, Cats, and Les Mis. I kind of like Sound of Music. West Side Storey is pretty good.

    • #6225
      jacci
      Keymaster

      Camelot is my all time fav, both the movie version with Franco Nero as Lancelot and Richard Harris as Arthur. It is funny and tragic.
      Saw it performed live in Sydney with Richard Harris, and he was just so wonderful.

    • #6226
      Xanthe
      Keymaster

      I love The Music Man, Cats, and Les Mis. I kind of like Sound of Music. West Side Storey is pretty good.
      I adore The Sound of Music – people never think it’s cool to admit it but I think it’s one of the very best musicals of all time with some fantastic songs in it and a very lovely story, even if it’s entirely bonkers. I love its campness! Nuns! Nazis! Children wearing curtains! What’s not to love? *g*. I think musicals SHOULD be allowed to go to those kinds of bonkers places.
      Take Phantom of the Opera – OMG! Baroque gothicness of the most insane kind! And yet utterly gorgeous – I love seeing something that melodramatic played out. Melodrama is generally frowned upon by the modern penchant for “cool” – and that’s such a damn shame because melodrama, done well, is fantastic. Done badly it’s laughable, but I’d rather people went for it and failed than be stuck in a cool world where nobody made the effort for fear of looking silly *g*.
      I should love Cats (owing to my adoration for all things feline) but somehow the musical never engaged me. I know why – I really love strong narratives and of course Cats is based around poems. It’s a thing of great beauty but it never quite taps into my psyche. I do LOVE Memories though. Wicked is another one of those – I know people who adore it but I never felt it. Perhaps because I never really feel the Wizard of Oz, although I can certainly enjoy it well enough.
      Chess has some good songs but a weak plot – I love the anthem from Chess.
      Has anyone seen Ghost or Shrek? They’re playing at the West End at the moment and I keep meaning to go and see them but I’m not sure what the word is about them – they’re both still on so they can’t be too bad! LOL!

    • #6227
      Xanthe
      Keymaster

      And oops! LOL! To answer the question…
      Les Mis is my all time favourite musical but I also love Phantom of the Opera (undoubtedly Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece!), The Sound of Music, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (actually that’s pretty much my favourite movie of all time! It has one of THE best movie villains of all time in it in the Child-catcher), and, particularly, Oliver!. Oliver! was the first musical I ever saw – I think I was 4 years old, and I adored it so much my parents had to keep taking me back to see it *g*. I think maybe it explains my psyche a little – poor lost boy falls in with bad boys, suffers horrible angst and eventually is saved! LOL! I was totally in love with Mark Lester for awhile :-) .
      And the musical episode of Buffy is fantastic too. The songs rock and make total sense of the plot. Really terrific.

    • #6228
      weebeanie
      Participant

      I haven’t really seen that many musicals live :( but I’ve really enjoyed the ones I’ve seen :)
      Not sure I can narrow down to a favourite :-
      Joseph was the first musical I actually saw in a theatre. I went on a school trip and I loved it. I go to see it everytime it comes to the city I live in now. I love the movie of Oliver! and I saw a performance in London last year with Griff Rhys Jones as Fagin. These two are all mixed up with happy childhood memories for me and I have special fondness for them.
      I love The Sound of Music to the point of torturing my family. I used to sing it so often round the house when I was little that my older brother cracked and bought me some musicals on tape in hopes I turn my attention to something else! That started my Phantom of the Opera obsession. I listened to that tape (original London cast) over and over… I could never understand how Christine could choose Raoul over Phantom *sigh*
      Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is fun – that child catcher gave me nightmares! And I really really wanted a musical box with moving people who would sing for me.
      I have watched the Buffy musical episode countless times. I was iffy before they did it and then I watched it and it was just awesome.
      I also love (takes deep breath…) Hairspray, Mamma Mia, West Side Story *sob*, Fiddler on the Roof…
      And my guilty pleasure is Sweeney Todd. I love the songs, the score and yes, the melodramatic bloodshed!
      I’ve never seen Les Mis but I’m thinking I probably should try to soon.

    • #6229
      Xanthe
      Keymaster

      I haven’t really seen that many musicals live :( but I’ve really enjoyed the ones I’ve seen :)
      Not sure I can narrow down to a favourite :-
      Joseph was the first musical I actually saw in a theatre. I went on a school trip and I loved it. I go to see it everytime it comes to the city I live in now. I love the movie of Oliver! and I saw a performance in London last year with Griff Rhys Jones as Fagin. These two are all mixed up with happy childhood memories for me and I have special fondness for them.
      I love The Sound of Music to the point of torturing my family. I used to sing it so often round the house when I was little that my older brother cracked and bought me some musicals on tape in hopes I turn my attention to something else! That started my Phantom of the Opera obsession. I listened to that tape (original London cast) over and over… I could never understand how Christine could choose Raoul over Phantom *sigh*
      Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is fun – that child catcher gave me nightmares! And I really really wanted a musical box with moving people who would sing for me.
      I have watched the Buffy musical episode countless times. I was iffy before they did it and then I watched it and it was just awesome.
      I also love (takes deep breath…) Hairspray, Mamma Mia, West Side Story *sob*, Fiddler on the Roof…
      And my guilty pleasure is Sweeney Todd. I love the songs, the score and yes, the melodramatic bloodshed!
      I’ve never seen Les Mis but I’m thinking I probably should try to soon.
      OMG how can I forget Fiddler, Hairspray and Mamma Mia?! LOVE them all. The movie version of Mamma Mia is another one of my favourite movies of all time – it’s impossible to watch that movie and stay sad *g*. And Fiddler on the Roof has some utter CLASSICS in it – it was one of my all time faves growing up and still is. And Hairspray is so gorgeous and inspiring.
      I was never a great fan of West Side Story for some reason – no idea why. I adore Joseph though – I went through a phase as a kid of listening to it non stop for hours – I love it.
      Oh and that brings me onto Jesus Christ, Superstar, which is also a truly great musical. Another one I listened to over and over again as a kid – such an amazing piece of work.
      Ooh, I’m loving this topic! Thanks to the OP for starting it :-)
      1,3

    • #6230
      weebeanie
      Participant

      I’ve never seen Jesus Christ, superstar either :(
      I’m seeing a pattern in the musicals that don’t make my faves list. They’re the ones I’ve missed because they don’t pop up regularly on tv, haven’t recently been released as films and haven’t come touring near me! :)
      I need to visit my wee bro in London more often so I get to the theatre!
      It is fun to be able to talk about this! My rl friends are not really into them although they will humour me by going to the cinema or theatre with me – for the first viewing – I’m on my own for repeats!

    • #6231
      Xanthe
      Keymaster

      I need to visit my wee bro in London more often so I get to the theatre!
      It is fun to be able to talk about this! My rl friends are not really into them although they will humour me by going to the cinema or theatre with me – for the first viewing – I’m on my own for repeats!
      JSS is definitely worth renting. I prefer the 1970s version – it sums up the hippy spirit of the musical perfectly, but there is a later version that is very interesting and a bit more 90s as I recall.

    • #6232
      Xanthe
      Keymaster

      Yikes – I’ve just realised I’m far more knowledgable on this subject than I ever suspected! LOL! I always assumed I didn’t know much about musicals and just had a few favourites but I seem to have all these *opinions* all of a sudden. It’s great talking about the subject.
      When I was laid up with my broken leg over the summer, I bought a few box sets of classic musicals and really loved Calamity Jane but gave up half way through Annie Get Your Gun. I still haven’t watched some real classis like Singing in the Rain though which is why I don’t rate my knowledge of musicals much.
      But, now I’m remembering ones I’ve forgotten to mention before – Grease is fantastic and Le Cage Aux Folles is brilliant.
      But on the “don’t like” list – I never could get into Little Shop of Horrors or Sweeney Todd.

    • #6233
      weebeanie
      Participant

      I will have to watch out for JSS films. I didn’t even know there was one let alone two!
      I love Doris Day and Howard Keel in Calamity Jane but have never seen Annie Get Your Gun or La Cage Aux Folles. I can’t believe I forgot Grease which I have seen a million times and love! In our city we sometimes have large outdoor evening film screenings and I went with friends (and a few hundred strangers) to see Grease and The Sound of Music. Lots of fun!
      I do love Singing in the Rain and find it very funny. The ending is great but I have to confess to always skipping through the ‘Gotta Dance’ sequence in middle of film (sorry Gene Kelly!)
      I did enjoy Little Shop of Horrors mainly due to my really wanting my own Audrey II so it could eat my brothers!
      I also love Moulin Rouge and kind of have a crush on Dr Horrible’s Sing Along Blog ;D

    • #6234
      phoenix
      Participant

      I love The Music Man, Cats, and Les Mis. I kind of like Sound of Music. West Side Storey is pretty good.
      I adore The Sound of Music – people never think it’s cool to admit it but I think it’s one of the very best musicals of all time with some fantastic songs in it and a very lovely story, even if it’s entirely bonkers. I love its campness! Nuns! Nazis! Children wearing curtains! What’s not to love? *g*. I think musicals SHOULD be allowed to go to those kinds of bonkers places.
      Take Phantom of the Opera – OMG! Baroque gothicness of the most insane kind! And yet utterly gorgeous – I love seeing something that melodramatic played out. Melodrama is generally frowned upon by the modern penchant for “cool” – and that’s such a damn shame because melodrama, done well, is fantastic. Done badly it’s laughable, but I’d rather people went for it and failed than be stuck in a cool world where nobody made the effort for fear of looking silly *g*.
      I should love Cats (owing to my adoration for all things feline) but somehow the musical never engaged me. I know why – I really love strong narratives and of course Cats is based around poems. It’s a thing of great beauty but it never quite taps into my psyche. I do LOVE Memories though. Wicked is another one of those – I know people who adore it but I never felt it. Perhaps because I never really feel the Wizard of Oz, although I can certainly enjoy it well enough.
      Chess has some good songs but a weak plot – I love the anthem from Chess.
      Has anyone seen Ghost or Shrek? They’re playing at the West End at the moment and I keep meaning to go and see them but I’m not sure what the word is about them – they’re both still on so they can’t be too bad! LOL!
      I completely agree with you on Cats. Im a feline friend but it just doesnt appeal to me. Although I cant agree on Wicked. Even if the story isnt for everyone, the music is stand-alone spectacular! songs such asdefying Gravity, For Good or funny ones like Popular` are, in my humble opinion, fantastic!
      WOw, this question is harder then I thought! I cant pick one. classics:fiddler, sound of music, Phantom (first show I saw live, in toronto) les mis…….. and the list goes on
      In the more recent category, there is one that holds my heart (cof cof……..chessy….cof cof) RENT. I cant really explain it, it was love at first sight, or at least first listen to la vie boheme:)
      As for Shrek, Ive only seen the Tony Performance and Chris Seever can perform on his knees llike no other ( pause to allow people time to remove heads from gutter :-P but I dont know if the shows worth it

    • #6235
      Altyerre
      Participant

      In film? Moulin Rouge gets me every time.
      On stage? Would have to be Les Mis.
      Most of the time I connect to the songs as stand alones rather than the plot of a musical ‘Defying gravity’ from Wicked, “music of the Night’ from PotO and ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ from Wizard of Oz are good exapmles for me of connecting to the song, not the musical.

    • #59212
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      <p>I love cats and the phantom of the opera because they have likeable characters, great music and great concepts :yes::good:</p>

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