The Musicals Thread

[TheDoctor]

Liked - Rocky Horror, Cabaret, Pink Floyd - The Wall, Les Miserables.
Starlight Express was fun, but it all seemed like an excuse to have lots of high-speed roller skating.
Do Gilbert and Sullivan count as musicals? I mean, they're not really operas.

 

[icowden]

Do Gilbert and Sullivan count as musicals? I mean, they're not really operas.

They are generally regarded as Operettas - so light operas. On the flip side they are generally considered to be the inspiration for British Musical Theatre - and of course many of their productions have been revived more as musicals than operettas (e.g. RSC Pirates and Hot Mikado).

So I'd say yes - sort of!

I have a sort of soft spot for them as one of my first leading roles was as Frederick in Pirates of Penzance in my first year of University.

 

[icowden]

I've got tickets booked for a performance of 'Chess' in Leeds later this year, I've been listening back to the album and I didn't realise I already knew another track from the musical (Nobody's Side) but didn't know it was from this. Quite excited for this now.

Enjoy - I was Walter in the first UK Amateur production of Chess back when I was at Uni. I think it's possibly a show that's more fun to perform than watch, but musically it has some real bangers in it.

 

[Electric_Andy]

My partner has booked for us to see "The shark is broken" in April. Looking forward to it

 

[icowden]

My partner has booked for us to see "The shark is broken" in April. Looking forward to it

You nearly had me but that is a play not a moosical. That said I got to Inside No9 Stage Fright a couple of weeks ago which was frankly incredible as you might expect. Well worth locking a close friend in a cupboard so you can steal their tickets. A rare treat to see something that isn't a musical and which was most excellent.

 

[Electric_Andy]

You nearly had me but that is a play not a moosical. That said I got to Inside No9 Stage Fright a couple of weeks ago which was frankly incredible as you might expect. Well worth locking a close friend in a cupboard so you can steal their tickets. A rare treat to see something that isn't a musical and which was most excellent.

Oh yes sorry 😄

 

[simongt]

Only 1300 people died. An odd choice for a musical ?

Ahh, but it's a great British 'tradition' to make a 'success' out of a disaster.

 

[Profpointy]

I see Titanic - the Musical is coming to a theatre near me this summer. Only 1300 people died. An odd choice for a musical ?

At the risk of broadening to proper opera, one might think John Adams "Death of Klinghoffer" an odd subject. Mr Klinghoffer was a disabled Jewish gentleman murdered by Palestinian terrorists. It is a powerful and important piece of art in my view, though the obvious suspects got into a lather about it supposedly being anti-semitic, presumably because it dares to have "chorus of displaced Palestinians" which sets the scene. It also has a "chorus of Jewish refugees" as well showing the injustices both peoples have suffered. It does not portray Klinghoffer's murder as anything but wicked and sensless.

I do have sympathy for some of Klinghoffer's relatives apparently objecting perhaps on grounds of it raking up an upsetting memory by its very nature. But even so it is a respectful and serious piece, rather than exploitative or prurient

 

[icowden]

I do have sympathy for some of Klinghoffer's relatives apparently objecting perhaps on grounds of it raking up an upsetting memory by its very nature. But even so it is a respectful and serious piece, rather than exploitative or prurient

As it should be. As I mentioned previously despite the image of Musicals being frivolous a lot of them have depth and are actually about tragedy:-

• Cabaret - rise of the Nazis
• Kiss of the Spiderwoman - persecution of political prisoners in South America
• Titanic (disaster)
• Come from Away (9/11)
• Carousel - domestic violence and coercive control
• Westside Story - gang warfare
• Bonnie and Clyde - Mass murderers
• Assassins - Murderers
• Les Miserables - the French Revolution
• Miss Saigon - the fall of Saigon and its human cost
• Sweeney Todd - mass murderer, grooming and coercive control

And that's just off the top of my head. Obviously some musicals are tragically bad (see Spiderman - Turn off the Dark) but that's different!

 

[Hover Fly]

Ahh, but it's a great British 'tradition' to make a 'success' out of a disaster.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Wife & daughter went to see 'Les Miserables' in Manchester (Arena?) at the end of December
I don't think it was the full performance, more of a 'high-lights'/best-bits??

 

[icowden]

Wife & daughter went to see 'Les Miserables' in Manchester (Arena?) at the end of December
I don't think it was the full performance, more of a 'high-lights'/best-bits??

It's a concert version - so no costumes or sets, just the music. I believe it is the full show with a full symphony orchestra.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

It's a concert version - so no costumes or sets, just the music. I believe it is the full show with a full symphony orchestra.

Didn't tell me

 

[icowden]

Didn't tell me

More info here :-)
https://concert.lesmis.com/

 

[T4tomo]

As it should be. As I mentioned previously despite the image of Musicals being frivolous a lot of them have depth and are actually about tragedy:-

• Cabaret - rise of the Nazis
• Kiss of the Spiderwoman - persecution of political prisoners in South America
• Titanic (disaster)
• Come from Away (9/11)
• Carousel - domestic violence and coercive control
• Westside Story - gang warfare
• Bonnie and Clyde - Mass murderers
• Assassins - Murderers
• Les Miserables - the French Revolution
• Miss Saigon - the fall of Saigon and its human cost
• Sweeney Todd - mass murderer, grooming and coercive control

And that's just off the top of my head. Obviously some musicals are tragically bad (see Spiderman - Turn off the Dark) but that's different!

see also Hamilton - F1 car crashes