I didn’t actually want to write about this today — I have other, more important things that I should probably be writing about, or doing. However, not being one to back down on promises or obligations, here’s the successor to last week’s post on musical theatre!
Last week I looked at the birth and the ‘golden age’ of musicals. It reallywas all fluffy bunnies and lovely string orchestral reprises until 1968… and then Hair arrived on stage. Its full title ‘Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical‘ was perhaps the first sign that change was indeed here. Out went the violins; in came the electric guitars. Gone were the glorious sets and scene changes; now it was all going to be about the rock music.
Hair itself wasn’t great. You probably know one very popular song from it, and not much else: Aquarius (followed by Let The Sunshine In). Rock musicals are not generally masterpieces, but they do become cult classics (there’s something about big-haired and wild cross-dressing musicians from the 60s and 70s that just gets people going, I guess).
Hair was swiftly followed by Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell and The Rocky Horror Show. As you can see, not exactly musical juggernauts, but very popular nonetheless! Thankfully, they were enough to keep the masses quiet for the rest of the 70s and 80s. The genre would have to wait until 1996 and the appearance of the rock powerhouse Rent to be re-awoken (Rent deserves a blog entry of its own, so I won’t write anything more about it here).
The end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s saw the first ‘power musicals’ or ‘pop musicals’. These were almost entirely European creations, mainly by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, and Andrew Lloyd Webber who between them have crafted the biggest-selling and longest-running musicals of all time. Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, CATS, Evita… you get the idea. Most of these ‘pop musicals’ are exemplified by very poppy musical themes (often with 1 or 2 singles even being released into the charts) and incredibly strong stage direction: chandeliers falling onto the audience, or pieces of the stage rotating and rising, that kind of thing.
A nod should also be directed in Disney’s direction for their film-to-stage adaptations of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, both of which are magical, but hardly genre-defining. The Lion King is perhaps the biggest visual spectacle you will ever watch or take part in, and Beauty and the Beast is even more magical than the film! You know that transformation scene at the end of film? Somehow they do that on stage… and better! Their latest production, Mary Poppins is actually one of my favourite stage musicals of all time, and I urge you all to go and see it if you get the chance.
The final thing of note that occured during the 80s and 90s was the arrival of Stephen Sondheim. Now, Sondheim has written an awful lot of trash, but when you take into account that amongst the trash he’s also written more good musicals than anyone else, it’s OK! I mean this guy has penned 20 musicals! His illustrious career is only sullied by the fact that he mentored under the Great Jew himself, Oscar Hammerstein II — the guy that wrote the snooze-worth South Pacific… but he wrote other good stuff too… like The Sound of Music.
Sondheim wrote or composed West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (imagine the posters for that show…), Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods… We could easily be talking about every ‘intelligent’ musical of the last 20 years. What a pro!
Sondheim’s work is possibly only overshadowed by that of Andrew Lloyd Webber. It really comes down to whether you like immensely-intelligent musicals with size-8 lyrics shoehorned into a size-6 shoe, or if you like the ‘easy listening’ musical that Webber has perfected.
With Sondheim covered, I think that brings me up to the last decade and the creation of ‘Jukebox Musicals’ (the value-added act of wrapping a minimal plot around some existing songs, and calling it a musical), and the current splurge of ‘film to stage’ musicals like Titanic, Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man and so on.
Oh, and of course Avenue Q! But that’s for next Monday…!
pinkjellybaby
Mar 9, 2009
I went to see The Lion King and it made me cry… it was amazing (for the costumes alone it’s worth going to see, I think). Les Mis also got me slightly choked up more because of the story and the music (plus my singing teacher used to make me sing ‘On My Own’ all the time so I kind of love it).
I tend to prefer going to see things where I know the words to the songs (not that I sing along in public) but it just makes me feel more involved.
I wasn’t sure about Poppins. I love love love the film but someone said they don’t do all the songs which put me off a bit…
That’s all I have to say on theater’ so you can re-cycle this comment for any other posts you write about it.
sebastian
Mar 9, 2009
Hehe, yeah, I cried during the first scene of Lion King too — but I do tend to cry at overwhelming experiences. I think I cried later on too, during the sad bits… but I don’t remember!
Les Miserables is beautiful. It was my favourite musical for the longest time, but I guess I’ve grown a bit tired of it now. I also absolutely hate the Cockneyed characters. I picked up the original concept cast version (in French) and the Cockney bit is totally… out of place. Cameron Mackintosh made them Cockney when he thought people might have a problem relating to the plot, or something. The original French version is beautiful. A little fall of rain is… well… you can imagine!
Poppins is one of those ‘big stage musicals’. Huge chorus, rousing songs (Step In Time and Supercali’ are both stand-out numbers). But the new songs made for stage, and the reprises are lovely (see if you can find a copy of ‘Being Mrs Banks’)
The fact that you were made to sing On My Own means you know much more about musical theatre than most people!
Jo
Mar 9, 2009
Not forgetting that Sondheim also wrote the lyrics to ‘West Side Story’!
Got any pics of Sweeney??
pinkjellybaby
Mar 9, 2009
I managed not to cry at the rest of Lion King but that was more because I was worried that I wouldn’t stop rather than I didn’t find it emotional….luckily I knew how things would play out so the sad bits didn’t catch me out!
I’m not sure I can get bored of Les Mis. I think my favorite song is ‘Do you hear the people sing’. It makes me feel all tingly. Thinking about it now, I’m surprised I could even sing On My Own. I don’t think I could now! I always wanted to sing Castle on a Cloud but didn’t quite have the voice!
P.S. You cry when overwhelmed? I don’t know if I should laugh or just say ‘snap me too’
P.P.S You hate cockneys? But you think I’m a cockney? Hmmm. Cheers.
P.P.P.S I might be known to sing the ‘Jane and Michael Banks’ song when drunk. It’s fun.
Ok, enough chattering now! Sorry!
Eleni
Mar 9, 2009
I totally know what you mean! I don’t remember crying at the sad parts of The Lion King (I already knew the story, so I was prepared), but that first scene with all those amazing animal costumes parading down the aisles and onto the stage and the loud, joyous music… it definitely brought tears to my eyes. So beautiful.
Sondheim rules. Webber is overrated. In my humble opinion.
sebastian
Mar 9, 2009
Ahhh, Sweeney… Damn! I was looking for pictures of something, but I didn’t know what!. They’re not on my old photography site for some reason… perhaps I never uploaded them.
Sondheim totally rules; but I have a huge soft spot for Phantom.
And Starlight Express… (because it was the first show I saw when I was a kid!)
I don’t hate cockneys, Pink. I hate that they took an entirely French musical and threw in some cockneys. I mean it’s the French revolution for Christ’s sake! Not … um… the English equivalent!
I can sing Jane & Michael Banks too… both parts… (I don’t cry during sex by the way, just at overawing things… like music, or vast landscapes! I’m not a total pussy…)
Ambles
Mar 9, 2009
It’s official, I need to go to New York. Or London. Or anywhere I can actually SEE these musicals!
sebastian
Mar 9, 2009
You totally do! But if you’re in the US (which I assume you are, but you like to keep your details secret…) there are some pretty good touring casts that go through the main cities. Pretty sure you can see shows like Wicked and Phantom, if you just find out where and when they are showing!
Ambles
Mar 10, 2009
I’ve seen Wicked. Amazing. Need to see more, though! Extra cash for these things would probably help too. I should get on that.
pinkjellybaby
Mar 10, 2009
You might not cry during sex, but I bet you cry after it.
sebastian
Mar 10, 2009
Because I don’t know when I’ll next be getting any, Pink? Or because I’ve just spent a lot of money on fleeting satisfaction…?
Sarcastically Bitter
Mar 10, 2009
I would love to see Mary Poppins on stage. It’s one of my favorite films. Unfortunately, it isn’t on stage here.
pinkjellybaby
Mar 10, 2009
Because that’s just who you are…
Tara
Mar 11, 2009
Lol, random picture of Rob?
XD
sebastian
Mar 11, 2009
It was just to see who was watching…!