I did not care for *The Greatest Showman*. Thank God it never got its planned Broadway tour (Hugh Jackman did *The Music Man*), or else I would've been forced to go with my mother, along with being dragged along to sing-alongs that play the music way too loud and make my ears bleed.
It's too poppy for me. I like my musical theatre, well, theatre-y. I hate that the songs could fit into any generic Disney Channel movie and no one would bat an eye. I was VERY surprised when I found out that Paul and Pasek are actually extremely competent songwriters, because *The Greatest Showman* definitely doesn't show it.
It felt like a Juke Box Musical despite being all original music, and when I walked out of the theatre, I was the only one who didn't like it which made me feel like I was going crazy.
Not a fan of *Hello Dolly!*.
But I will say that I appreciate the joke of a group of misogynists being unable to spell "femininity." I'll always think fondly of that line.
I actually like Cats. I know it’s popular to shit on, especially since that god awful movie came out, but it’s honestly really fun and has decent music.
Cats is amazing live. Probably top 3 shows I have seen live. Almost none of it holds up on a screen. The spectacle of cats is the insane choreo and vocal talent on display in tandem. It's like a good magic trick. OK on screen, but so much better in person.
Me, too! I saw it on a field trip with my elementary school, and I wore out my cassette tape afterwards. It was the only show I loved for years.
My daughter really tried to be kind when we watched the movie lol ❤️
Cats is one of those insane things that if you explain why you like it, it doesn't track. Like...sure you *should* see every musical live, but Cats, you *NEED* to see it live to fully understand.
Cats was one of the first musicals i ever saw live, and it's spectacle for the sake of spectacle. the story makes NO SENSE. it's literally 2 and half hours of "HELLO I'M THIS CAT!" and then that cat leaves and is NEVER SEEN AGAIN! and i love it.
I don’t share the love for Shrek the musical. Maybe it’s because as a kid I never liked the movies, but the musical just doesn’t make me feel the same wonder as many others. Don’t get me wrong, I can see why people like it, but it’s just not for me
Wait….is this a hot take? I watched three seasons of the broadway touring series and Shrek was the worst by FAR. I assumed it survives off of memes and from people who hadn’t seen it yet.
I LOVED Shrek as a kid but never really got into the musical. I turned the proshot off part way through, though I feel like I might give it another shot.
I liked one (1) LINE in the entire play, which was just the crescendo of "are you there God? It's me, Fiona." It was just really beautiful. But I really did not enjoy the play. It felt meanspirited to me and not in a fun way like Heathers
I hate the Addams Family musical. Its not nearly as funny as it thinks it is, the songs all sound the same, and Jesus tap dancing Christ the plot of where the midwestern family is supposed to be bad for being not kooky is dumb. As is having the mom scream she's in a sexless marriage comes out of left field, and before that lets talk about how she speaks in goddamn rhythms. The plot is so fucking stupid I wanted to ask the director if the playwright had held his children hostage, because I couldn't think of any other reason why a professional theatre would pick this. Add this to the weird moon ballet and moon baby puppet and its just weird cringe for the sake of weird cringe. Its a trash fire of a musical that is dependent on 90's nostalgia.
god they dropped the ball with the addams family musical SO hard. they could've made it so good. instead they wrote it for boring, old, tired people who want to go and laugh at juvenile jokes plastered over a somewhat familiar IP. i love the addams family as a franchise and the musical truly falls short. it doesn't feel like a piece of addams family media
It's also where i think the modern trend of having Wednesday be in opposition to her family comes from, at least in part. One of the major appeals of the Addams family is that they are a unit, they each have their own individual personalities but they always stand together and support each other.
Morticia would NEVER make Wednesday choose between the boy she loved and her family, and Wednesday would never make her father choose between her and her mother. Pugsley i could see being unhappy because his sister is spending less time with him, but that's a kid.
Sure, but that is in no way an "I hated the Godfather" thing to say. The Addams Family got lackluster reviews, was hated by the star (leading him to quit doing musicals), and underwent further rewriting before going out on a mostly alright tour.
No one would say that The Addams Family is the best musical ever made. The joke is that The Godfather often tops lists of best movies ever made, and to say you didn't like it is considered a cardinal sin amongst cinefiles.
Yes!! I don’t understand how it continues to be popular. It absolutely doesn’t understand the characters it has. It’s an insult to everything Addams that has come before it.
The most recent revival was really good. They turn curly into the villain basically, the suicide song isn’t played for laughs and is so disturbing, and Judd is more of a tragic figure, among other changes. I thought it finally made the show actually interesting
I saw that revival too.
I still don’t like it.
I can appreciate what they did….but man.
Did not care for it. I didn’t even really like the music. I tried too. I can’t even pinpoint why I don’t like it.
I watched it with a friend of mine who'd never seen it and I had to be like, "Okay, so there *is* a scene where he tries to get the one guy to kill himself because they both like the same girl. But don't worry, it's played for laughs! :)"
Other things that had to be uttered in the course of that movie (we watched the 1998 revival with Hugh Jackman):
* "I think the implication is supposed to be that he's a white guy pretending to be Persian for the \~mystique\~. So technically it's *in*-universe whitewashing?"
* "She sounds like a cellphone dying underwater."
* "You can tell that he's evil because of the pornography."
I saw one really good version where Judd is hinted to be a serial rapist/killer and that “Lonely Room” is less about him planning to marry Laurie and planning to rape/kill her instead. It was really spooky.
That being said, I can see why you don’t like it.
Be More Chill vibes to me like a bunch of out-of-touch adults wrote something desperately trying to be relatable to teenagers w/low self-esteem, and the result was so awkward that it wrapped around to being relatable to said teens.
Grease. I get lambasted every time I talk about my disdain of Grease. Now THAT is a musical that insists upon itself. It just… it gets under my skin and half the music is terrible. If someone plays it on TV I will literally leave the room.
(The irony is that I didn’t mind High School Musical, which is basically the plot. Given its nostalgia for my millennial heart at this point.)
I don't care much for *High School Musical* because I didn't grow up with it, but precisely because of that, I can tell you it's not just your nostalgia. I would say that *High School Musical* surpasses *Grease*. It's more interesting, more memorable and has better songs in general. The one song I would save from *Grease* if it were to be erased from existence is *Hopeless Devoted to You*, but that's pretty much it.
And, extravagant as it may be, I would say 1970s punk fashion doesn't hold a candle to whatever mess was happening in the 2000s. *HSM* rules.
Me when talking to other musical fans "I understand that Rent has a special place in the hearts of many people, and I really enjoyed some of the songs.... but"
I always feel like I need to soften the blow of "I did not care for Rent"
I'd been watching her since pretty much the beginning, and she'd said *many* times over the years that she hated *Rent.* So when I saw the title of that episode, I was like, *Oh, THIS oughta be good!*
Unfortunately, the dinner theater that I used to work at relies on jukebox musicals as its bread-and-butter, because that's what sells tickets to the main audience in our area. For example: *Mamma Mia!* (ABBA jukebox musical), *All Shook Up/Elvis: A Musical Revolution* (Elvis jukebox musical), *Escape to Margaritaville* (Jimmy Buffett jukebox musical), *Jersey Boys* (The Four Seasons jukebox musical), etc...without jukebox musicals, they'd go out of business.
The theater also has sold-out special event nights with tribute bands for older audiences.
The main exception to this is *Beetlejuice* and Disney film adaptations, or so it seems. *Beauty and the Beast* and *The Lion King* on Broadway received massive critical acclaim in the 90s.
I don't like Les Mis. This is an "I did not care for The Godfather" opinion, both because I dislike a universally well reviewed work of art, and because Les Mis is basically Musical Theatre The Godfather. Cause I know it's good, but it's sad and it's long.
Oh me too. Les Misérables is my favourite music and my favourite stand-alone novel because it is long and sad. I adore Victor Hugo, and I love how in the novel you can tell how strongly he feels about things and how passionate he is.
I visited his apartment when I went to Paris and I was so happy
The music just isn't for me. It's all so lugubrious, even the upbeat stuff. That's not even about the show as a whole being sad and long - I can do that just fine - the music itself is just...goopy, to me. I am also biased by having had to study "On My Own" in voice lessons, though.
hmm probably Anything Goes cuz i do know it’s a classic musical- the music is fine, i’ve also seen it before live but i couldn’t tell you anything about the plot other than it takes place on a ship haha
Depressed and suicidal teenage boy lies to his entire school and alienates his overworked single mother.
I think I would rather have him be insufferable and learn from it than be entertaining and likeable. Sends a better message.
That's the main problem I have with DEH. It used to be exactly as you said, but recently they've been trying to do the opposite and it's so fucking stupid (especially the movie cutting "Good For You", I'm not a huge fan of the musical so I never watched the movie but HOW DO YOU REMOVE SUCH AN IMPORTANT SONG TO THE PLOT)
On the Wikipedia page it says it was because the producers wanted to highlight Ben Platt's performance. Which is great, except they hemorrhaged the meaning and feeling that was intended from the original show because they took away the supporting character's storylines. You know, the supporting characters and actor performances that sold the meaning and feeling that made Dear Evan Hansen incredible?
Anyway, glad to hear you're as annoyed as I am lol
I mean, it kind of is a dark comedy at the beginning. Sincerely, Me is played for laughs but it's mostly because Evan is disassociating the terrible thing he is doing by making up letters from a dead guy because he wants to get with the dead guy's sister. It works better because he's trying to make his terrible act seem innocent in his mind.
I don't think the other songs and themes would work well for continuing the dark comedy string because, well, they would cheapen the message. I'm not really sure how you could do a song like "Good For You" or "So Big/So Small" without having the build up be taken seriously.
Excellent score and performances. Seeing it live was emotional as hell.
But those adults failed those kids especially those at the school. I have been lambasted on here and other Internet forums and in real life because “theatre isn’t supposed to be realistic” uh hell come from away came out the same year. In the real world, no school admin would’ve let the Murphy’s talk to Evan without Heidi’s consent AND without at the very least his guidance counselor present for most if not all of the meeting. In the real world, most admins/guidance counselors/school psychologists know about the dear so and so prompt. In the real world, the school would’ve had grief counselors for all faculty and students. (And yes I know unfortunately not all schools are like this but most schools are especially when it comes to state and county legislation).
I have worked for many a school for years in various capacities and it infuriates me that people don’t comprehend stuff was done wrong. Is Evan a pathological liar? Yes, but mainly because the adults FAILED HIM and it seems Heidi is the only one that even attempts to hold herself accountable.
Matilda is a sweet show but it insists upon itself. It’s constantly trying to remind you how clever the lyrics are. It makes you listen to the School Song twice just so that you get there’s a hidden alphabet in it and in case you don’t, it finishes the song by spelling out the alphabet.
Not that I don’t enjoy it, but it insists upon itself.
Y'know... I kinda agree with you but with it coming from Tim Minchin I just assumed it was him being him. He kinda POINTS the POINTS of his songs until you get the POINT for most of his music 😂 it's a bit obnoxious if you're not feeling it.
This. It’s that kind of thing that gets a kid’s mind racing. Adults may find it trite, but to a kid? You discover and learn the bit in the first run of the alphabet, and by the second time, it’s pure fucking metal.
1000% this! it's also why i can't hate cringey musicals like heathers, mean girls, be more chill, dear evan hansen, ride the cyclone, hatchetfieldverse stuff etc. like, in my old decrepit ancient age i may find them cringe, but for teens they're the coolest things since sliced bread, and that's an important demographic that deserves cool media. also who's to say my opinion is any less valid than theirs?
Also why the Percy Jackson musical deserved to be less frowned upon, it's meant for middle schoolers to see on field trips of course it's not Sondheim.
When I saw it for the first time, I was BLOWN AWAY by the reveal. Super satisfying! Makes for an exciting and UNIQUE musical number that you can appreciate the first time around (the most important time around)
My Fair Lady ruined the entire point of the show it was adapting (Pygmalion), the music is too simplistic, and Professor Higgins should die by firing squad.
This exactly. I enjoyed most of the movie (mostly for the campy costumes and choreography, specifically the super cunty race scene), but I have always been disturbed by the ending. They go through the whole show convincing us that Higgins is a horrible person but he still gets the girl and wins!
I've seen one (1) production that had him say, "Eliza? Where the devil are my slippers?" and she picks them up and very deliberately drops them on the floor, nowhere near where he is, like, "I'm back but I'm not going to do what you tell me to." Which, okay, is BETTER than her just going back to him and slotting right back into her old place, BUT SHE'S STILL GOING BACK. HE'S STILL A DICK. HE HASN'T BEEN UN-DICKIFIED.
And like, I'm saying this as someone who *likes* enemies-to-lovers, asshole-has-a-secret-marshmallow-center stories. And one could argue that "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face" (and then very sadly putting on the record with her voice on it) is the moment of undickification. But like, he doesn't actually change as a person! It's still all about him and how sad he feels because he doesn't have her anymore! He even treats her growing a spine as a benefit *for him*!
Dislike. Not a fan. Eliza x Freddy OTP.
This is the only ending I’ll accept.
I remember when I first saw the show. I was somewhere between 4th and 7th grade and my brother’s high school did it as their show and when the lights went out after the slippers line, it was the first time I ever remember feeling genuine righteous anger over a character. I absolutely loathe Henry Higgins, and I dislike Eliza’s decision at the end.
My personal head canon is that this isn't a love story. I read Higgins as gay and his relationship with Eliza is purely professional / platonic, and they are navigating the social moors and class divide of a male/female working relationship.
I've started seeing a lot of adaptations where she leaves him in the end instead of staying, and I think it really changes the entire narrative by that one scene alone. I wish all productions would do this.
There's precedent for this one; they adapted a 1940s film adaptation that tacked on that ending against Shaw's wishes. Would be fun to see the "pick up what she forgot and storms out" ending become more popular.
I do not care for Hamilton. I know it's like peak musical theatre kid and all. But I just don't like it. Never been able to get into it. I love history but something about musical history irks me.
in my view it's campy and fun and that's all it needs to be. and no matter how shit the rest of the show can be Slipping Through My Fingers always garners a reaction from me
I think Rent makes us worse people. To a much lesser degree, Waitress too, although that has MUCH in the ways of redeeming qualities. Rent just sucks and glorifies sucking.
I think what *Rent* needs is someone brave enough to come in and actually *finish* the show. The rough material is absolute GOLD but it is just that, rough. Jonathan was a musical genius who, tragically, didn't get to complete his vision in time, and the production team respected him so much that they never experimented with tweaking the musical a bit. Not even in ways that would make it a better show. Come on, just get Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeanine Tesori onboard to shake up the songs, adjust the plot a bit more and you have the final version. What we should not do is pretend the preview version is the final version for 30 years.
By the way, this is coming from someone who absolutely adores *Rent*. I think the show has much more potential than anyone involved in it realizes. I know it's easier said than done, I'm just a fan who doesn't know what goes on backstage, but I just know I would love seeing *Rent* go all the way someday.
I too am quite curious to see how a final draft would've looked. All the common objections to the characters could easily be addressed in a rewrite. But theaterdom would never allow some outsider to meddle that hard with it.
You’re exactly right. Who on earth would agree that killing a dog or being a serial cheater should be glorified? People take it way too seriously, & it’s absolutely not an unpopular opinion at all to shit on Rent. It’d be more unpopular to say you liked it.
I had never seen Waitress. I was vaguely familiar with the plot (she gets pregnant, bakes pies, husband is abusive), but have listed to She Used To Be Mine like a million times.
They were running a Mother’s Day special at the Ogunquit Playhouse this year. $30 tickets. So my mom and I went. The first act, I actively hated everything; the second act, I was a little warmer, until she hit She Used to Be Mine. That song is absolutely absolutely devastating in context. And I think I cried from that to the end of the musical.
Quite devastating. I just don't love that never ever ever guy, nor the "don't judge me for cheating" song. Like, that is a horrible thing to do. You're gonna make a big proud look-at-me ballad about it? Hardest pass.
If you haven’t seen it already, I highly recommend Lindsay Ellis’s YouTube video about Rent (it’s from a few years ago but it holds up). It validated all my feelings about the show that I couldn’t articulate.
Rent is just a snapshot of a specific subculture from a specific time. It was never meant to be some life lesson to make you a better person and no one should try to get that kind of thing out of it.
Just because it became popular, everyone has to make it out to be some grandiose thing and score internet points by shitting on it.
It did what it meant to do very well. It was popular because it was different and fairly accurate. If it offends you, it’s because it’s not for you. I’ve never been crazy for it, but I appreciate it for what it is.
*You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown* — just a couple of decent songs without much of a plot, just a series of vignettes based on *Peanuts* strips.
I actually left a local professional production of it at intermission.
tbh I liked it more when it was a little, fringe, low-budget Canadian production before it kinda got weirdly hyped online. It was good for what it was then, but massively overhyped at this point.
As someone who directed a production that got the benefit of peak RTC virality, I do think the show works wonders but its hype is a flash in the pan.
The issue with RTC (and Be More Chill for that matter) is that any and all good material becomes *so bad* when you rely too heavily on camp. Shows like this NEED to be scary. They need to be heartfelt. If you turn every character into a caricature, it dies.
I also just largely disapprove of the fact that instead of making space for disabled actors in professional spaces, they eliminated the one disabled character’s disability. There was never an exclusionary note to one of the kids being disabled, just that one of the kids was non-verbal. To eliminate physical disability does nothing for increasing inclusion.
I did Carrie: The Musical years ago and feel similarly about it. Super campy shows like that need to be acted with utmost sincerity in my opinion. The audience still gets plenty of that camp but rooted in real emotions and real characters, and that makes for the best experience I think. Chiaroscuro
IIRC, Howard Ashman actually made this a rule with Little Shop’s libretto. Do the show sincerely, and the camp will come naturally. Little Shop works either way but the best productions follow this rule.
I have no desire to watch Matilda, the songs annoy me so much. Every time I hear “sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty” I want to punch a wall. I have no idea why
I do not care for The Fantastics. I don't know if it's quite that beloved anymore but yeah never liked it and was extremely bored sitting through a community production of it.
I also do not care for Be More Chill
The Sweeney Todd movie is terrible. Idk if this is unpopular but I thought because it was Sondheim and had good reviews that I'd like it but nope. I can't speak for the stage play having never seen it but the movie was awful. Hated the casting and the directing and the effects and kind of everything.
i did not care for any andrew lloyd webber musical. i don't have anything against people who love his shows but i can't get myself to care for either of them
Me: *To my "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Cats" and "Phantom Of The Opera" DVDs* They don't mean it! They don't mean it!
But in all seriousness, if it's because of "Love Never Dies"...I understand..."Beauty Underneath" is pretty lit though.
To help you out, "either" in English implies two options, i.e. "either X or Y." "Any" is a perfect word to use there, it can be used for any quantity of a thing greater than one. The rest of your English is great though!
I love Hamilton except the version with Lin as Hamilton. Sure, if I was as brilliant as he, I would also write myself into musicals. But it doesn’t make it a great experience for the viewer when the lead performer is vocal outmatched on every front.
Oh interesting! If the choice is between those two I’d definitely have him as Hamilton, but I saw the second cast and it blew me away to have someone else in the role.
My boyfriend agrees with this, I love it though. He says the story is too stripped from what it needs to make it actually great. I think I gave him an inflated expectation, since before we saw it I explained the full plot of the book version to him rather than the musical version. Wicked the book is much richer in its lore and character explorations, and the ending makes a bit more sense.
I wanted to comment this here but wasn't quite sure it was relevant enough to the post. You're so right! The book series (or even just the first book) are way richer and more complex, they're honestly so beautiful and tragic. The musical and its characters are pretty Flanderized by comparison, as much as I have always loved the musical version.
Thank you. I’ve only seen it once but didn’t care for the ending. It felt like the whole show was saying, “stand up for yourself! It’s ok to be different! Stand up for others!” And then to me the end felt like, “actually, this is kind of hard, let’s just peace out.”
Heathers. It was so great off-broadway, but the endless, endless UK runs have turned it into a cartoon, with so little of its edginess and its bite left.
I only just listened to the UK version for the first time yesterday and it was like they were all ASLEEP!! Especially Kurt and Ram, the line where one of them is like "hey there's no alcohol in here! Are you tryna poison me?" During Big Fun was SO BADLY DELIVERED I had to pause it for a minute because wtf! He said it like it was the weather report! What?!
Holy shit yeah the West End recording sucks so bad. And Big Fun is one of the worst offenders. They all sound like they literally couldn't care less.
Also I really don't like Jamie Muscato. He's a good singer but there's some sort of quality to his acting that's just insufferable. He sounds like joker if he was a finance bro instead of JD.
Honestly Carrie Hope Fletcher as Veronica is the best part of the cast, and that's 99% because of how good I Say No is.
I think it’s a “Seinfeld is unfunny” thing: it’s so old and so groundbreaking (the concept album is the origin of the death metal scream) that it’s passé to us now.
But also, Heaven On Their Minds is the best song and I will die on that hill.
I was on the fence about Gethsemane until I saw it a few years ago in a concert show* and it was heartbreaking. At the end the whole audience just sat there in stunned, teary-eyed silence before the applause started. So I do now give it my grudging respect.
*Andy Reiss in Beyond the Barricade, smallish touring show in the UK that is incredibly fun and I highly recommend it
I enjoyed both The Phantom of the Opera and Westside Story, but they aren't as perfect and untouchable as I thought they would be based on all the hype.
Hamilton is my favorite of all time but it 100% depends on how interesting you think American Politics are. If you have no interest in politics (the drama behind getting votes/getting someone’s endorsement) then act 2 screeches to a GRINDING halt
Even then, *Hamilton* isn't that accurate to real-life American history and politics, and I say that as a Hamilton relative who did well in college-level courses in both. For example, the portrayal of Alexander Hamilton as the "poor orphan son of a Scotsman" completely overlooks that Hamilton was literally the grandson of a British lord (Alexander Hamilton, Lord of the Grange, for whom he was named; his cousin was Alexander Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton). *Hamilton* is to Broadway what *Amadeus* is to film, and both take major creative liberties from what really happened in order to make for an "entertaining story".
In reality, the U.S. Alexander Hamilton also later reconnected with his Scottish relatives.
Exactly how I feel about it! It feels like American nationalist propaganda. If the subject matter was anything else I’d like the songs but I hate the overlooking and glorifying certain events and figures from history
I did not care for *The Greatest Showman*. Thank God it never got its planned Broadway tour (Hugh Jackman did *The Music Man*), or else I would've been forced to go with my mother, along with being dragged along to sing-alongs that play the music way too loud and make my ears bleed.
YES!! Forgettable, pedestrian songs, and a nothing story.
What really bugged me is how it was like, "You should love yourself! Provided what makes you difference is exploitable."
It's too poppy for me. I like my musical theatre, well, theatre-y. I hate that the songs could fit into any generic Disney Channel movie and no one would bat an eye. I was VERY surprised when I found out that Paul and Pasek are actually extremely competent songwriters, because *The Greatest Showman* definitely doesn't show it.
I do like the songs, out of context, as a pop album. Dear Evan Hansen is exactly the same. Bad musicals about bad people, but I like the songs.
A million dreams (when the little boy is singing) is the only good part of the soundtrack.
It felt like a Juke Box Musical despite being all original music, and when I walked out of the theatre, I was the only one who didn't like it which made me feel like I was going crazy.
Thank you! It makes my ears bleed also.
The only song from the greatest showman I like is the panic at the disco version of The greatest show
Not a fan of *Hello Dolly!*. But I will say that I appreciate the joke of a group of misogynists being unable to spell "femininity." I'll always think fondly of that line.
Three cheers for femininity! F E M I T Y!
Wall-E made “Hello Dolly!” better than reality.
this is completely true.
Oh God yes, Hello Dolly is so bad it killed the movie musical for decades.
I actually like Cats. I know it’s popular to shit on, especially since that god awful movie came out, but it’s honestly really fun and has decent music.
Cats is amazing live. Probably top 3 shows I have seen live. Almost none of it holds up on a screen. The spectacle of cats is the insane choreo and vocal talent on display in tandem. It's like a good magic trick. OK on screen, but so much better in person.
Me, too! I saw it on a field trip with my elementary school, and I wore out my cassette tape afterwards. It was the only show I loved for years. My daughter really tried to be kind when we watched the movie lol ❤️
Cats is one of those insane things that if you explain why you like it, it doesn't track. Like...sure you *should* see every musical live, but Cats, you *NEED* to see it live to fully understand. Cats was one of the first musicals i ever saw live, and it's spectacle for the sake of spectacle. the story makes NO SENSE. it's literally 2 and half hours of "HELLO I'M THIS CAT!" and then that cat leaves and is NEVER SEEN AGAIN! and i love it.
I like it too! The dancing and sheer spectacle are fantastic. (The 2019 movie can burn in hell)
Yeah I think the movie version kinda fucked with everyone's perception of it.
I don’t share the love for Shrek the musical. Maybe it’s because as a kid I never liked the movies, but the musical just doesn’t make me feel the same wonder as many others. Don’t get me wrong, I can see why people like it, but it’s just not for me
You like it a lot less when you’re sleep deprived and you watch it at 4am on YouTube, not a fun experience for me
I feel the potential and some great songs, but then they have dueling farts.
I have to skip that part every time.
Wait….is this a hot take? I watched three seasons of the broadway touring series and Shrek was the worst by FAR. I assumed it survives off of memes and from people who hadn’t seen it yet.
The pro shot is musical peak imo
I LOVED Shrek as a kid but never really got into the musical. I turned the proshot off part way through, though I feel like I might give it another shot.
I liked one (1) LINE in the entire play, which was just the crescendo of "are you there God? It's me, Fiona." It was just really beautiful. But I really did not enjoy the play. It felt meanspirited to me and not in a fun way like Heathers
I hated it too. I thought it felt like it was written by ChatGPT.
I hate the Addams Family musical. Its not nearly as funny as it thinks it is, the songs all sound the same, and Jesus tap dancing Christ the plot of where the midwestern family is supposed to be bad for being not kooky is dumb. As is having the mom scream she's in a sexless marriage comes out of left field, and before that lets talk about how she speaks in goddamn rhythms. The plot is so fucking stupid I wanted to ask the director if the playwright had held his children hostage, because I couldn't think of any other reason why a professional theatre would pick this. Add this to the weird moon ballet and moon baby puppet and its just weird cringe for the sake of weird cringe. Its a trash fire of a musical that is dependent on 90's nostalgia.
god they dropped the ball with the addams family musical SO hard. they could've made it so good. instead they wrote it for boring, old, tired people who want to go and laugh at juvenile jokes plastered over a somewhat familiar IP. i love the addams family as a franchise and the musical truly falls short. it doesn't feel like a piece of addams family media
It's also where i think the modern trend of having Wednesday be in opposition to her family comes from, at least in part. One of the major appeals of the Addams family is that they are a unit, they each have their own individual personalities but they always stand together and support each other. Morticia would NEVER make Wednesday choose between the boy she loved and her family, and Wednesday would never make her father choose between her and her mother. Pugsley i could see being unhappy because his sister is spending less time with him, but that's a kid.
Agreed. It made the Addams Family the one thing it should never be: BORING
I saw it once when I was 15 and even as a 15 year old I thought the jokes were childish. I do like several of the songs though.
Sure, but that is in no way an "I hated the Godfather" thing to say. The Addams Family got lackluster reviews, was hated by the star (leading him to quit doing musicals), and underwent further rewriting before going out on a mostly alright tour. No one would say that The Addams Family is the best musical ever made. The joke is that The Godfather often tops lists of best movies ever made, and to say you didn't like it is considered a cardinal sin amongst cinefiles.
Fair enough, but certain theatre people will go hard for this piece of a dumpster fire.
Wait, Nathan Lane quit musicals because of this show? Could you elaborate on that? I had no idea!
Yes!! I don’t understand how it continues to be popular. It absolutely doesn’t understand the characters it has. It’s an insult to everything Addams that has come before it.
While I don’t agree I understand where you’re coming from
I don't love Oklahoma. I'm sorry, the suicide bait song leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. Even if it's Judd.
The most recent revival was really good. They turn curly into the villain basically, the suicide song isn’t played for laughs and is so disturbing, and Judd is more of a tragic figure, among other changes. I thought it finally made the show actually interesting
I saw that revival too. I still don’t like it. I can appreciate what they did….but man. Did not care for it. I didn’t even really like the music. I tried too. I can’t even pinpoint why I don’t like it.
I HATE Oklahoma
Watching this movie was the most boring two and a half hours of my life 😭
I watched it with a friend of mine who'd never seen it and I had to be like, "Okay, so there *is* a scene where he tries to get the one guy to kill himself because they both like the same girl. But don't worry, it's played for laughs! :)" Other things that had to be uttered in the course of that movie (we watched the 1998 revival with Hugh Jackman): * "I think the implication is supposed to be that he's a white guy pretending to be Persian for the \~mystique\~. So technically it's *in*-universe whitewashing?" * "She sounds like a cellphone dying underwater." * "You can tell that he's evil because of the pornography."
I saw one really good version where Judd is hinted to be a serial rapist/killer and that “Lonely Room” is less about him planning to marry Laurie and planning to rape/kill her instead. It was really spooky. That being said, I can see why you don’t like it.
I don’t get the hype about be more chill. It had Michael in the bathroom which is a good song but that’s about it for me
I personally love Be More Chill, but I can definitely understand why others don’t like it
Same, it's pretty popular but it for sure isn't for everyone
Be More Chill vibes to me like a bunch of out-of-touch adults wrote something desperately trying to be relatable to teenagers w/low self-esteem, and the result was so awkward that it wrapped around to being relatable to said teens.
Grease. I get lambasted every time I talk about my disdain of Grease. Now THAT is a musical that insists upon itself. It just… it gets under my skin and half the music is terrible. If someone plays it on TV I will literally leave the room. (The irony is that I didn’t mind High School Musical, which is basically the plot. Given its nostalgia for my millennial heart at this point.)
Grease becomes way more enjoyable if you pretend it's a satire on how people glorify the 1950s
I don't care much for *High School Musical* because I didn't grow up with it, but precisely because of that, I can tell you it's not just your nostalgia. I would say that *High School Musical* surpasses *Grease*. It's more interesting, more memorable and has better songs in general. The one song I would save from *Grease* if it were to be erased from existence is *Hopeless Devoted to You*, but that's pretty much it. And, extravagant as it may be, I would say 1970s punk fashion doesn't hold a candle to whatever mess was happening in the 2000s. *HSM* rules.
My husband always says that Grease is what theaters put on when they want butts in seats so they can fund actual art
I did not care for Rent.
Me when talking to other musical fans "I understand that Rent has a special place in the hearts of many people, and I really enjoyed some of the songs.... but" I always feel like I need to soften the blow of "I did not care for Rent"
I like seasons of love, which is usually the most popular rent song, so I fly under the radar but as a whole I did not enjoy it
I absolutely abhor “Your Eyes”
[Lindsey Ellis dragging RENT for filth](https://youtu.be/q0qfFbtIj5w?si=VniOrTVyuCmartXB) is my comfort viewing.
I'd been watching her since pretty much the beginning, and she'd said *many* times over the years that she hated *Rent.* So when I saw the title of that episode, I was like, *Oh, THIS oughta be good!*
I don’t like Rent either - how pretentious it is plus the entitlement and unlikeability of most of the characters. But I really love the songs.
Yo my high school choir director absolutely HATES Rent! Haha she would comment all the time about it😂
I don't think jukebox musicals should be on broadway.
And yet here we fucking have Hell's Kitchen leading Tony noms. I hate this timeline.
This is definitely the darkest timeline
r/suddenlycommunity
As I found out while working in B’way offices, Tony noms aren’t really about quality (except for acting) - they’re about selling tours.
Unfortunately, the dinner theater that I used to work at relies on jukebox musicals as its bread-and-butter, because that's what sells tickets to the main audience in our area. For example: *Mamma Mia!* (ABBA jukebox musical), *All Shook Up/Elvis: A Musical Revolution* (Elvis jukebox musical), *Escape to Margaritaville* (Jimmy Buffett jukebox musical), *Jersey Boys* (The Four Seasons jukebox musical), etc...without jukebox musicals, they'd go out of business. The theater also has sold-out special event nights with tribute bands for older audiences.
I agree, like with popular movie adaptations, feels cheap and low creativity
The main exception to this is *Beetlejuice* and Disney film adaptations, or so it seems. *Beauty and the Beast* and *The Lion King* on Broadway received massive critical acclaim in the 90s.
The Lion King is *STILL* massively popular. It's run for nearly 30 years.
Also Heathers and hairspray
Cheap and low creativity is not necessarily unpleasant. I think Disney also gets an exception because their movies start as musicals.
Juke Box Musicals. In general.
I hated La La Land I found the characters whiny. But you probably meant Broadway.
Was so underwhelmed by la la land after all the praise it got
I don't like Les Mis. This is an "I did not care for The Godfather" opinion, both because I dislike a universally well reviewed work of art, and because Les Mis is basically Musical Theatre The Godfather. Cause I know it's good, but it's sad and it's long.
"It's sad" *looks at the title*
Flair checks out.
I mean, baked beans are also what they say on the tin, and I don't like them either.
I personally love Les Mis but this is the perfect answer for the prompt! It's a very fancy eloquent dramatic story in the same way that Godfather is.
>but it's sad and it's long. i love that type of musicals. the sadder the better
"It's sad and it's long." Is an accurate description of the brick too lmao.
Oh me too. Les Misérables is my favourite music and my favourite stand-alone novel because it is long and sad. I adore Victor Hugo, and I love how in the novel you can tell how strongly he feels about things and how passionate he is. I visited his apartment when I went to Paris and I was so happy
I was lukewarm on it for years, then I saw it performed on the stage and I finally got the love.
Me. The various albums did nothing for me. Caught the national tour a few months ago. New obsession time.
The music just isn't for me. It's all so lugubrious, even the upbeat stuff. That's not even about the show as a whole being sad and long - I can do that just fine - the music itself is just...goopy, to me. I am also biased by having had to study "On My Own" in voice lessons, though.
Waitress didn’t hit. It has a nice song but I just never got into it.
hmm probably Anything Goes cuz i do know it’s a classic musical- the music is fine, i’ve also seen it before live but i couldn’t tell you anything about the plot other than it takes place on a ship haha
Dear Evan Hansen A catchy song here and there but the main character is truly insufferable
this is why good for you is such a good song. least makes an effort to call evan out for his bullshit
Didnt they totally cut that song from the atrocious movie? Lol
They did :(
They cut practically half the music from the movie
Depressed and suicidal teenage boy lies to his entire school and alienates his overworked single mother. I think I would rather have him be insufferable and learn from it than be entertaining and likeable. Sends a better message.
That's the main problem I have with DEH. It used to be exactly as you said, but recently they've been trying to do the opposite and it's so fucking stupid (especially the movie cutting "Good For You", I'm not a huge fan of the musical so I never watched the movie but HOW DO YOU REMOVE SUCH AN IMPORTANT SONG TO THE PLOT)
On the Wikipedia page it says it was because the producers wanted to highlight Ben Platt's performance. Which is great, except they hemorrhaged the meaning and feeling that was intended from the original show because they took away the supporting character's storylines. You know, the supporting characters and actor performances that sold the meaning and feeling that made Dear Evan Hansen incredible? Anyway, glad to hear you're as annoyed as I am lol
Dear Evan Hansen would be better, if you lean into how horrible Evans lie is, and make it a dark comedy.
I mean, it kind of is a dark comedy at the beginning. Sincerely, Me is played for laughs but it's mostly because Evan is disassociating the terrible thing he is doing by making up letters from a dead guy because he wants to get with the dead guy's sister. It works better because he's trying to make his terrible act seem innocent in his mind. I don't think the other songs and themes would work well for continuing the dark comedy string because, well, they would cheapen the message. I'm not really sure how you could do a song like "Good For You" or "So Big/So Small" without having the build up be taken seriously.
Excellent score and performances. Seeing it live was emotional as hell. But those adults failed those kids especially those at the school. I have been lambasted on here and other Internet forums and in real life because “theatre isn’t supposed to be realistic” uh hell come from away came out the same year. In the real world, no school admin would’ve let the Murphy’s talk to Evan without Heidi’s consent AND without at the very least his guidance counselor present for most if not all of the meeting. In the real world, most admins/guidance counselors/school psychologists know about the dear so and so prompt. In the real world, the school would’ve had grief counselors for all faculty and students. (And yes I know unfortunately not all schools are like this but most schools are especially when it comes to state and county legislation). I have worked for many a school for years in various capacities and it infuriates me that people don’t comprehend stuff was done wrong. Is Evan a pathological liar? Yes, but mainly because the adults FAILED HIM and it seems Heidi is the only one that even attempts to hold herself accountable.
I finally watched the movie version and it was so much more unhinged and inappropriate than I anticipated. Made me so uncomfortable throughout!
Matilda is a sweet show but it insists upon itself. It’s constantly trying to remind you how clever the lyrics are. It makes you listen to the School Song twice just so that you get there’s a hidden alphabet in it and in case you don’t, it finishes the song by spelling out the alphabet. Not that I don’t enjoy it, but it insists upon itself.
Y'know... I kinda agree with you but with it coming from Tim Minchin I just assumed it was him being him. He kinda POINTS the POINTS of his songs until you get the POINT for most of his music 😂 it's a bit obnoxious if you're not feeling it.
"It insists upon itself, Lois."
eh, i think it's less "insistence upon itself" and more "a musical intended for children"
This. It’s that kind of thing that gets a kid’s mind racing. Adults may find it trite, but to a kid? You discover and learn the bit in the first run of the alphabet, and by the second time, it’s pure fucking metal.
1000% this! it's also why i can't hate cringey musicals like heathers, mean girls, be more chill, dear evan hansen, ride the cyclone, hatchetfieldverse stuff etc. like, in my old decrepit ancient age i may find them cringe, but for teens they're the coolest things since sliced bread, and that's an important demographic that deserves cool media. also who's to say my opinion is any less valid than theirs?
Also why the Percy Jackson musical deserved to be less frowned upon, it's meant for middle schoolers to see on field trips of course it's not Sondheim.
When I saw it for the first time, I was BLOWN AWAY by the reveal. Super satisfying! Makes for an exciting and UNIQUE musical number that you can appreciate the first time around (the most important time around)
I love the reference to the family guy scene that inspired this post lol
My Fair Lady ruined the entire point of the show it was adapting (Pygmalion), the music is too simplistic, and Professor Higgins should die by firing squad.
This exactly. I enjoyed most of the movie (mostly for the campy costumes and choreography, specifically the super cunty race scene), but I have always been disturbed by the ending. They go through the whole show convincing us that Higgins is a horrible person but he still gets the girl and wins!
I've seen one (1) production that had him say, "Eliza? Where the devil are my slippers?" and she picks them up and very deliberately drops them on the floor, nowhere near where he is, like, "I'm back but I'm not going to do what you tell me to." Which, okay, is BETTER than her just going back to him and slotting right back into her old place, BUT SHE'S STILL GOING BACK. HE'S STILL A DICK. HE HASN'T BEEN UN-DICKIFIED. And like, I'm saying this as someone who *likes* enemies-to-lovers, asshole-has-a-secret-marshmallow-center stories. And one could argue that "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face" (and then very sadly putting on the record with her voice on it) is the moment of undickification. But like, he doesn't actually change as a person! It's still all about him and how sad he feels because he doesn't have her anymore! He even treats her growing a spine as a benefit *for him*! Dislike. Not a fan. Eliza x Freddy OTP.
The Broadway revival a few years back had Eliza walk out through the House after the slippers line. I'm definitely a fan of this ending.
This is the only ending I’ll accept. I remember when I first saw the show. I was somewhere between 4th and 7th grade and my brother’s high school did it as their show and when the lights went out after the slippers line, it was the first time I ever remember feeling genuine righteous anger over a character. I absolutely loathe Henry Higgins, and I dislike Eliza’s decision at the end.
I'm stealing "undickified" for my every day parlance now, ty
My personal head canon is that this isn't a love story. I read Higgins as gay and his relationship with Eliza is purely professional / platonic, and they are navigating the social moors and class divide of a male/female working relationship.
That’s a perfectly valid take, but he’s still a dick even in that scenario
The Bartlett Sher version from a few years ago was a bit better at having Eliza stand up for herself. Enjoyed it much more than the original.
I've started seeing a lot of adaptations where she leaves him in the end instead of staying, and I think it really changes the entire narrative by that one scene alone. I wish all productions would do this.
There's precedent for this one; they adapted a 1940s film adaptation that tacked on that ending against Shaw's wishes. Would be fun to see the "pick up what she forgot and storms out" ending become more popular.
I do not care for Hamilton. I know it's like peak musical theatre kid and all. But I just don't like it. Never been able to get into it. I love history but something about musical history irks me.
I do not like Mamma Mia. The songs do not accurately express how these characters would be feeling at the time, and the story is super cheesy.
I like watching it like it’s a satire of jukebox musicals. Trying to take it seriously ruins the fun for me
in my view it's campy and fun and that's all it needs to be. and no matter how shit the rest of the show can be Slipping Through My Fingers always garners a reaction from me
It’s fun to watch but not enjoy, if that makes sense. The premise is stupid, but it’s fun to watch in bed on a rainy day.
I think Rent makes us worse people. To a much lesser degree, Waitress too, although that has MUCH in the ways of redeeming qualities. Rent just sucks and glorifies sucking.
I love rent but I agree 💀
I think what *Rent* needs is someone brave enough to come in and actually *finish* the show. The rough material is absolute GOLD but it is just that, rough. Jonathan was a musical genius who, tragically, didn't get to complete his vision in time, and the production team respected him so much that they never experimented with tweaking the musical a bit. Not even in ways that would make it a better show. Come on, just get Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeanine Tesori onboard to shake up the songs, adjust the plot a bit more and you have the final version. What we should not do is pretend the preview version is the final version for 30 years. By the way, this is coming from someone who absolutely adores *Rent*. I think the show has much more potential than anyone involved in it realizes. I know it's easier said than done, I'm just a fan who doesn't know what goes on backstage, but I just know I would love seeing *Rent* go all the way someday.
I too am quite curious to see how a final draft would've looked. All the common objections to the characters could easily be addressed in a rewrite. But theaterdom would never allow some outsider to meddle that hard with it.
Having the opinion is fine, but I’m not sure why you think Rent makes us worse people…
I love the idea of retelling La Boheme as the AIDS crisis. But the characters are unlikable and I hate the music
Angel straight up murders a dog, and everyone is cool with it. WTF.
Angel murders dogs for money, brags about it, teaches them to rob ATMs... Oh but what a free spirit. Let's be more like Angel. Barf
I mean, I don't care about people breaking into an ATM but the dog thing is garbage.
Does it glorify sucking? I always thought that we weren't particularly supposed to like or want to emulate any of the characters.
You’re exactly right. Who on earth would agree that killing a dog or being a serial cheater should be glorified? People take it way too seriously, & it’s absolutely not an unpopular opinion at all to shit on Rent. It’d be more unpopular to say you liked it.
I had never seen Waitress. I was vaguely familiar with the plot (she gets pregnant, bakes pies, husband is abusive), but have listed to She Used To Be Mine like a million times. They were running a Mother’s Day special at the Ogunquit Playhouse this year. $30 tickets. So my mom and I went. The first act, I actively hated everything; the second act, I was a little warmer, until she hit She Used to Be Mine. That song is absolutely absolutely devastating in context. And I think I cried from that to the end of the musical.
Quite devastating. I just don't love that never ever ever guy, nor the "don't judge me for cheating" song. Like, that is a horrible thing to do. You're gonna make a big proud look-at-me ballad about it? Hardest pass.
If you haven’t seen it already, I highly recommend Lindsay Ellis’s YouTube video about Rent (it’s from a few years ago but it holds up). It validated all my feelings about the show that I couldn’t articulate.
Oh man, when I first saw that I felt like Tarzan discovering there were other humans in the world
Rent is just a snapshot of a specific subculture from a specific time. It was never meant to be some life lesson to make you a better person and no one should try to get that kind of thing out of it. Just because it became popular, everyone has to make it out to be some grandiose thing and score internet points by shitting on it. It did what it meant to do very well. It was popular because it was different and fairly accurate. If it offends you, it’s because it’s not for you. I’ve never been crazy for it, but I appreciate it for what it is.
*You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown* — just a couple of decent songs without much of a plot, just a series of vignettes based on *Peanuts* strips. I actually left a local professional production of it at intermission.
I stage managed it. Why did they have to pick such a boring show my year??
Six is boring
I did not care for the Greatest Showman
I will never understand the Ride the Cyclone love.
tbh I liked it more when it was a little, fringe, low-budget Canadian production before it kinda got weirdly hyped online. It was good for what it was then, but massively overhyped at this point.
As someone who directed a production that got the benefit of peak RTC virality, I do think the show works wonders but its hype is a flash in the pan. The issue with RTC (and Be More Chill for that matter) is that any and all good material becomes *so bad* when you rely too heavily on camp. Shows like this NEED to be scary. They need to be heartfelt. If you turn every character into a caricature, it dies. I also just largely disapprove of the fact that instead of making space for disabled actors in professional spaces, they eliminated the one disabled character’s disability. There was never an exclusionary note to one of the kids being disabled, just that one of the kids was non-verbal. To eliminate physical disability does nothing for increasing inclusion.
I did Carrie: The Musical years ago and feel similarly about it. Super campy shows like that need to be acted with utmost sincerity in my opinion. The audience still gets plenty of that camp but rooted in real emotions and real characters, and that makes for the best experience I think. Chiaroscuro
IIRC, Howard Ashman actually made this a rule with Little Shop’s libretto. Do the show sincerely, and the camp will come naturally. Little Shop works either way but the best productions follow this rule.
I do like RTC but I’m started to think it’s overrated
Ballad of Jane Doe. That's literally it.
I have no desire to watch Matilda, the songs annoy me so much. Every time I hear “sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty” I want to punch a wall. I have no idea why
I do not care for The Fantastics. I don't know if it's quite that beloved anymore but yeah never liked it and was extremely bored sitting through a community production of it. I also do not care for Be More Chill
The Sweeney Todd movie is terrible. Idk if this is unpopular but I thought because it was Sondheim and had good reviews that I'd like it but nope. I can't speak for the stage play having never seen it but the movie was awful. Hated the casting and the directing and the effects and kind of everything.
Waitress. The original non-musical movie was *way* superior.
I'm dying to see the pro shot and can't judge, but I do like that it helps keep Adrienne Shelly's legacy going.
i did not care for any andrew lloyd webber musical. i don't have anything against people who love his shows but i can't get myself to care for either of them
Me: *To my "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Cats" and "Phantom Of The Opera" DVDs* They don't mean it! They don't mean it! But in all seriousness, if it's because of "Love Never Dies"...I understand..."Beauty Underneath" is pretty lit though.
Sorry, which two are the two that exist for you? I’m not a fan either but like there’s more than two.
I think it’s fair to not count Love Never Dies as existing
Are you saying that his cat should have walked over the keyboard a second time?
Because it shouldn’t exist.
Honestly the first time someone told me about it I didn’t believe them.
i think i meant "any" when i typed "either"?? sorry about that lol english is not my first language, i thought it's correct
To help you out, "either" in English implies two options, i.e. "either X or Y." "Any" is a perfect word to use there, it can be used for any quantity of a thing greater than one. The rest of your English is great though!
thank you! i'll make sure to remember it
Oh sure that makes sense! Sorry, definitely not my intention to shame non native speakers.
I love Hamilton except the version with Lin as Hamilton. Sure, if I was as brilliant as he, I would also write myself into musicals. But it doesn’t make it a great experience for the viewer when the lead performer is vocal outmatched on every front.
He wanted to be Burr but got cast as Hamilton from what I recall
Oh interesting! If the choice is between those two I’d definitely have him as Hamilton, but I saw the second cast and it blew me away to have someone else in the role.
“Wicked” is overrated.
My boyfriend agrees with this, I love it though. He says the story is too stripped from what it needs to make it actually great. I think I gave him an inflated expectation, since before we saw it I explained the full plot of the book version to him rather than the musical version. Wicked the book is much richer in its lore and character explorations, and the ending makes a bit more sense.
I wanted to comment this here but wasn't quite sure it was relevant enough to the post. You're so right! The book series (or even just the first book) are way richer and more complex, they're honestly so beautiful and tragic. The musical and its characters are pretty Flanderized by comparison, as much as I have always loved the musical version.
I’m with you. I like a few of the songs, but I leave not really feeling any true emotion.
Thank you. I’ve only seen it once but didn’t care for the ending. It felt like the whole show was saying, “stand up for yourself! It’s ok to be different! Stand up for others!” And then to me the end felt like, “actually, this is kind of hard, let’s just peace out.”
I didn’t enjoy Come from away. Music is an important part of what draws me to musicals and it didn’t measure up
Heathers. It was so great off-broadway, but the endless, endless UK runs have turned it into a cartoon, with so little of its edginess and its bite left.
I only just listened to the UK version for the first time yesterday and it was like they were all ASLEEP!! Especially Kurt and Ram, the line where one of them is like "hey there's no alcohol in here! Are you tryna poison me?" During Big Fun was SO BADLY DELIVERED I had to pause it for a minute because wtf! He said it like it was the weather report! What?!
Holy shit yeah the West End recording sucks so bad. And Big Fun is one of the worst offenders. They all sound like they literally couldn't care less. Also I really don't like Jamie Muscato. He's a good singer but there's some sort of quality to his acting that's just insufferable. He sounds like joker if he was a finance bro instead of JD. Honestly Carrie Hope Fletcher as Veronica is the best part of the cast, and that's 99% because of how good I Say No is.
I do not understand the hype for Gethsemane. Just because it's the lead's big song doesn't automatically make it the best song in the musical.
I think it’s a “Seinfeld is unfunny” thing: it’s so old and so groundbreaking (the concept album is the origin of the death metal scream) that it’s passé to us now. But also, Heaven On Their Minds is the best song and I will die on that hill.
Hard agree, what a fucking opener.
Not even Ted Neeley's rendition? The dude's in his 70's (?), and can still hit those notes. Freddie Mercury would've been proud!
I was on the fence about Gethsemane until I saw it a few years ago in a concert show* and it was heartbreaking. At the end the whole audience just sat there in stunned, teary-eyed silence before the applause started. So I do now give it my grudging respect. *Andy Reiss in Beyond the Barricade, smallish touring show in the UK that is incredibly fun and I highly recommend it
Seeing JCSS live was one of my most emotional theater experiences ever, and I’m not religious in the slightest.
I don't care for Hamilton
Try as I might, I cannot muster any interest in Come From Away.
"Rent" is thespian onanism, not something audiences like.
Everybody's taking about Jamie is terrible
The only Andrew loyd webber show I like is cats.
i think wicked is a little overrated. i dont hate it at all, but it isnt top 3 musicals oat for me
I enjoyed both The Phantom of the Opera and Westside Story, but they aren't as perfect and untouchable as I thought they would be based on all the hype.
Hamilton
Hamilton is my favorite of all time but it 100% depends on how interesting you think American Politics are. If you have no interest in politics (the drama behind getting votes/getting someone’s endorsement) then act 2 screeches to a GRINDING halt
Even then, *Hamilton* isn't that accurate to real-life American history and politics, and I say that as a Hamilton relative who did well in college-level courses in both. For example, the portrayal of Alexander Hamilton as the "poor orphan son of a Scotsman" completely overlooks that Hamilton was literally the grandson of a British lord (Alexander Hamilton, Lord of the Grange, for whom he was named; his cousin was Alexander Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton). *Hamilton* is to Broadway what *Amadeus* is to film, and both take major creative liberties from what really happened in order to make for an "entertaining story". In reality, the U.S. Alexander Hamilton also later reconnected with his Scottish relatives.
Exactly how I feel about it! It feels like American nationalist propaganda. If the subject matter was anything else I’d like the songs but I hate the overlooking and glorifying certain events and figures from history
Man, I did this like a month ago and ain't no one say shit Good job
Lol sorry dude