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Favourite musical for all-time and forever and ever?

"Sweeney Todd"

Hands down.

I saw it performed about 5 years before it was ever made into a movie (which I loved by the way - way too perfect a choice for Tim Burton XD). I knew by the time they got to "A Little Priest" that this was going to be MY musical, forever and always. I was laughing so hard, I was crying. I disturbed the rest of my drama troupe though by doing so, though. XD They go to intermission after that song, and I turned around to the rest of my troupe and they were looking at me like I'd lost my mind. :lol:

And THEN by the end, I was literally on the edge of my seat, bawling my eyes out. :lol:

Part of the reason I think my troupe thought I was nuts, was because we saw "Ragtime" earlier in the week, and while I thought it was an amazing show, I was the only one out of my group that was NOT crying at the end.

Yes, I'm a disturbed, morbid individual.

Author:	Johnny's Fan [ November 15th, 2010, 12:15 am ]
Post subject:	The "Mad About Musicals" Club!
Hello and welcome to "MAM". The place to be if you are Mad About Musicals. If you like musicals from the stage and screen then step right in and make yourself at home. Discuss the songs, the dances, the performers, the writers. The films you love and the stage shows you can't wait to see. "There's no business like show business, there's no business I know...."

Author:	Nurrantiel Mashiara [ November 15th, 2010, 12:30 am ]
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LES MISERABLES. cough cough Anywho, Les Mis is doing a 25th anniversary show in Chicago in February and my friend gets to go. I'm so envious. I love that show. Buuuut, I love musicals in general. I'm not sure if I should even try listing them. Howard Keel.....

Author:	Tar-Vanimelde [ November 15th, 2010, 1:17 am ]
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I actually just got back from a production of Urinetown. And if that is not one of the best written modern musicals, I don't know what is.

Author:	Johnny's Fan [ November 15th, 2010, 11:05 am ]
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I likes Les Mis as well, but it's so dpressing. I have a 10th anniversary concert on DVD, and I still haven't mustered myself to watch it. ^ I have heard of that, but I haven't heard anything from it. If you could ever be put off by a name.... Favourite Film Musicals Swing Time Top Ha Oklahoma! The Music Man The Band Wagon On the Town High Society White Christmas Holiday Inn The Court Jester 42nd Street Hello Dolly State Fair Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Sreet Calamity Jane Yankee Doodle Dandy Seven Brides For Seven Brothers Gypsy An American In Paris Fiddler On the Roof Gigi Guys and Dolls Sweet Charity Les Miserables The Phantom of the Opera A Star Is Born Favourite Stage Musicals Ragtime Chicage Sunday in the Park With George Into the Woods Wicked Promises, Promises 42nd Street Sweeney Todd Sunset Boulevard Evita Man Of La Mancha Carnival The Fantasticks A Little Night Music Gypsy The Phantom of the Opera Gypsy Favourite Performers Mandy Patinkin Geroge Hearn Patti LuPone Angela Lansbury Bernadette Peters Jerry Orbach Fred Astaire Frank Sinatra Doris Day Van Johnson Howard Keel Ann Miller Vera Ellen Danny Kaye Bing Crosby Gunger Rogers James Cagney

Author:	Roy Mustang [ November 15th, 2010, 12:34 pm ]
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I love: White Christmas Holiday Inn The Court Jester Oklahoma Seven Brides For Seven Brothers The Phantom of the Opera Fiddler on the Roof Singing in the Rain [this is all thanks to my sister who loves to watch thses]

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Author:	MontanaBohemian [ November 15th, 2010, 3:57 pm ]
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[curse my computer for losing my original post ] MUSICALS MUSICALS MUSICALS!!! WIN. Thanks for starting this thread. It has been far too long since I've totally geeked out about theatre. @Tar: I was planning on seeing "Urinetown" last summer, but was denied. BAH. ONE DAY. Favourite musical for all-time and forever and ever? *"Sweeney Todd"* Hands down. I saw it performed about 5 years before it was ever made into a movie (which I loved by the way - way too perfect a choice for Tim Burton XD). I knew by the time they got to "A Little Priest" that this was going to be MY musical, forever and always. I was laughing so hard, I was crying. I disturbed the rest of my drama troupe though by doing so, though. XD They go to intermission after that song, and I turned around to the rest of my troupe and they were looking at me like I'd lost my mind. And THEN by the end, I was literally on the edge of my seat, bawling my eyes out. Part of the reason I think my troupe thought I was nuts, was because we saw *"Ragtime"* earlier in the week, and while I thought it was an amazing show, I was the only one out of my group that was NOT crying at the end. Yes, I'm a disturbed, morbid individual. Other favourites: *"Phantom Of The Opera"* - DUH. I can listen to the soundtrack of this over and over and over and never get tired of it. This is definately a show worth seeing, and ONE DAY I WIIIIIILL. *"Les Mis"* - Ummm, I think it's obvious. My senior year of high school, got to work on a production of this. Best musical to work on because it has the best songs to be imprinted on your brain for a 3 week run. XD Another one I NEEEEEED to see - while not working on it. *"Evita"* *"Damn Yankees"* - another one I worked on. Absolutely hysterical. *"Bat Boy"* - a strange one to be a favourite, but it is so obnoxiously ridiculously funny that it just has to be. *"Singing In The Rain"* *"My Fair Lady"* Ummm ... I'm starting to draw blanks. ALL DISNEY MUSICALS. *"Beauty & The Beast"* - SO MUCH FUN when it's performed.

Author:	Aramel Elyanwe [ November 15th, 2010, 5:44 pm ]
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MontanaBohemian wrote: Favourite musical for all-time and forever and ever? *"Sweeney Todd"* Hands down. I saw it performed about 5 years before it was ever made into a movie (which I loved by the way - way too perfect a choice for Tim Burton XD). I knew by the time they got to "A Little Priest" that this was going to be MY musical, forever and always. I was laughing so hard, I was crying. I disturbed the rest of my drama troupe though by doing so, though. XD They go to intermission after that song, and I turned around to the rest of my troupe and they were looking at me like I'd lost my mind. And THEN by the end, I was literally on the edge of my seat, bawling my eyes out. Part of the reason I think my troupe thought I was nuts, was because we saw *"Ragtime"* earlier in the week, and while I thought it was an amazing show, I was the only one out of my group that was NOT crying at the end. Yes, I'm a disturbed, morbid individual. THIS. Sweeney Todd is also my favorite musical/film, though I have never actually seen it performed on a stage before (though a local high school around here did it last year for a school play and I was so angry that I didn't know about it earlier ) So you can imagine how jealous I am of you I agree that the movie was perfect for Tim Burton - I don't think I would have trusted anyone else to turn it into a film.

Author:	MontanaBohemian [ November 18th, 2010, 12:08 pm ]
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@teh Nurr: I would LOVE to see the *"Lion King"* on stage. In high school, every year we'd take a "field trip" to Spokane, Washington to see a performance at the opera house. And the year after I graduated, The Lion King was performed there. OH well. One day! I totally forgot about *"Cabaret"! Great one. AND I forgot, "Rocky Horror Picture Show"!!! HOW did I forget THAT one?! Classic. No other way to describe it. I haven't had a chance to these couple of years to see it performed at the university around Halloween. Midnight performances are the best. Ooooh, I also forgot about "Moulin Rouge!"* Such epic amazingness. But depressing. But beautiful and awesome and no one can deny it. More Disney movie musicalness. *"The Little Mermaid"* Best song from that is "Poor, Unfortunate Souls". Ursula ftw. OH! *"ALADDIN"!! AND "MARY POPPINS"!! Who on Earth could forget freaking Mary Poppins?! Obviously me. "Chim-Chiminey"* or however you spell that is my favourite. I'm desperate to teach my little baby cousin (who's a boy) the words to that song. Why? Because he LOVES brooms. I'm dead serious. If he finds one, he does NOT let go and wanders around trying to sweep. XD Just as a side note, Disney movie musical villans ALWAYS have the best songs. Yes.

Author:	Nurrantiel Mashiara [ November 18th, 2010, 12:33 pm ]
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Lion King onstage is just so beautifully done. Full off-Broadway shows I've seen are: Lion King Les Miserables Wicked Spamalot all of which are brilliant. And I love them. Other musicals I love: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Calamity Jane My Fair Lady My Sister Eileen [if only for THE DANCE] Kiss Me Kate The Music Man Fiddler on the Roof Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Phantom of the Opera Godspell Evita Newsies The last few more for the music than the rest, but yeah. Quote: Just as a side note, Disney movie musical villans ALWAYS have the best songs. Yes. SO true. I love Disney musicals. So I'm not going to list them all. But their songs are just so fantastic. Also, Anastasia.

Author:	Johnny's Fan [ January 23rd, 2011, 9:17 pm ]
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Right, time to sweep the dust off this thread and get on your tappin' shoes! What musicals have you seen recently? Have you bought any? I got two DVD box sets of Doris Day musicals. There was nothing majorly ooh-la-la, but enjoyable enough romps that passed the time and kept me from being miserable. I also bought recently a few musicals I haven't seen before - I am resigned now to spending money of stuff I haven't seen as I know they'll never be on TV. The Pirate was one with Gene Kelly and Judy Garland, Blue Skies with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire and Gypsy with Rosiland Russell and Natalie Wood. I have seen the last two, and while Blue Skies was OK, it was nice to see Bing and Fred onscreen together again. I really liked Gypsy as I have only seen the Bette Midler TV version. I had forgotten what a good actress Rosiland Russell is. It just confirmed to me also, that Sondheim is a grrrrreat musical master.

Author:	Taurquende [ January 24th, 2011, 3:48 am ]
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I love musicals. I don't have time to list them all, but on the movie side, pretty much anything with Gene Kelly or Fred and Ginger. I have to say, I'm not so fond of the huge musicals by Busby Berkeley and such that have those big, elaborate numbers that go on and on and on and that are supposed to be taking place on a stage even though that would be obviously impossible. Also not a big Judy Garland fan, which is a bit strange, I think, for someone who likes musicals. On the theater side, it's lots of Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber (of course). Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, most of Sunday in the Park with George, and Cats, to name a few. (Cats was really where it began for me. I can remember singing and dancing around to it since I was very little.) I also really like Light in the Piazza by Adam Guettel, which is less well known, and the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady. (Since buying the soundtrack, I can't stand the movie very much anymore. Julie Andrews is just too terrific as Eliza, and Audrey Hepburn doesn't do very much for me.) There's Rogers and Hammerstein, too, which I can't say I absolutely love, but I do get the feeling the world would be just a little bit sadder without The Sound of Music in it. Oh, and have I mentioned The Phantom of the Opera? I recommend not getting me started on how much I adore that musical. I'm so excited, too, because I'm going to see it on Broadway in a little over a month! I'm afraid I'm going to have shell out the big bucks for a premium ticket, but I think it'll be worth it! (I'm slightly aggravated, though, because I could get even better tickets for the regular price on a better day, but due to conflicting schedules, I won't be able to make that performance. [/mini-rant]) But it's still Phantom and it should be really spectacular, to say the very least!

Author:	Johnny's Fan [ January 24th, 2011, 9:01 pm ]
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Haha. My brother thinks the big musical numbers that are all on stage but aren't really, are just totally OTT. I kinda like them though, as I like to think about what an audience in 1933 must have thought when they saw all those swirls, and patterns and the whole illusion of the numbers. Even now, it is kind of amazing what was achieved back then with so little in the way of camera trickery and equipment. It must have really raised the spirit back in the depression and gloomy years that followed. [that's why I can forgive Yankee Doodle Dandy the amount of patriotism it crammed in to 90 minutes, what with Pear Harbour] Yes, Sunday in the Park With George is an odd one. It has some beautiful music flowing through it, and in my opinion one of the most ridiculously stirring act finales ever - Sunday. And I love the difficulty of the lyrics, and who could not love Dot? But... I think in someways the amount of story gets in the way. There is something about the second act, but I'm not quite sure what it is. Yes, Cats did it for me as well. I didn't really like musicals, and I saw Cats on TV when I was about 11, and that was that. I knew every cats name, every actor, every move, every song. I got to see it on stage in 2004. Awesome. Ah, you see, I really don't like Julie Andrews. Not denying she hasn't got a nice voice, but her acting. I also can't stand Rex Harrison as HH. The more I see the film, the less I want to watch it the next time, even if that means forasking my beloved Audrey. (Who by the way, didn't do the vocals, Marni Nixon did. Although Hepburn's own vocals which are on some CD's, I thought were quite nice and sincere... more natural somehow). Oklahoma! is my favourite Rodgers and Hammerstein. I just love some of the songs and the characters. Aunt Eller.

Author:	Taurquende [ January 31st, 2011, 12:25 am ]
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I'm afraid I rather agree with your brother. Every time I watch those, I always think, "Pfft! There's no way this is really happening on a stage... why are they pretending it is?!" and it kind of bugs me. Occasionally, I find some that some aren't all bad, like the one in "The Great Ziegfeld" but then there are the ones in "42nd Street" and the Gold Diggers movies that are too big and unimaginative. They just seem to be endless footage of girls drifting past and staring into the camera. It's true what you said, though, about how the audience back in the '30s had never seen anything like that before, and I guess that was kind of the goal with those huge numbers. In other words, to create huge spectacles that were impossible on the stage but that they could do now that they have films. Oh, I love, love, love "Sunday," but you're right, there's something weird about it the show. I think for one thing it starts off on the wrong foot. The first song is "Sunday in the Park with George" which is kind of obnoxious in spite of the clever lyrics. I mean, I think it's supposed to be because she's annoyed and uncomfortable, but it's still the first thing you hear AND it's also the title song so it doesn't give you a good impression of the whole show. Then after that is "No Life" which is snarky and ugly, and you kind of have to get over both of those before you realize how great the rest of the first act is. THEN you have to figure out what the heck the second act means. My brother tells me it's about what it's like to be an artist in the present day, and the whole show is about the contrast between being an artist back then and being an artist now. I guess that's a fine and dandy message for the musical, but it's still a little bit of a let down to go from gorgeous, 19th century France to America in the 1980s! I was exactly the same way. When I was little, I used to pick certain cat's parts to play and dance along with them all through the movie. (And I got quite good at it, if I do say so myself, especially considering I was in no way, shape, or form a natural dancer. ) I've seen it on stage, also, once when I was probably about eight, and then again last December, actually. A touring company came to my town, which is rather unusual... normally, we have to drive to the state capital to see things like that. But it was actually a very good production, and it was funny because afterward my mom and my brother kept asking me questions like "What was that cat's name? And that one? And what did they say there?" And I could answer them all no problem, even though I hadn't seen the show in years. Just goes to show how much these things stay with you! Really?! No Julie Andrews or Rex Harrison for you?! I really couldn't imagine anyone else playing Henry Higgins, and I think Julie Andrews is such a great singer, and she can do a convincing cockney accent! The dubbing is really one of my biggest problems with Audrey Hepburn in the movie, because I think it was done rather badly. Although I thought Audrey acted the role really well, she never gives me the impression that she's actually singing the songs, and Marni Nixon doesn't sound like her at all so it's really obvious that she's dubbed. Part of the problem may be that Audrey has a very distinctive voice in the first place and Marni Nixon couldn't accommodate for that, but I also think that she (Audrey) just doesn't look like she's singing. I mean, compare her to Jeremy Brett (because I have to bring him into this somehow ). He was (unfairly, it's said) dubbed too, but if you watch him, you can tell he's actually singing. He's breathing correctly, reaching up a little for the high notes and down a little for the low notes, all very naturally. But in a lot of her songs Audrey just looks like she's mouthing along. Now, I heard that she worked really hard to learn to sing for the role only to be dubbed in the end because she just didn't have the vocal range, and I commend her for that, but it doesn't come across to me in her performance.

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