Is it just me - Musicals?

[Kazzyhoward]

Am I the only one who just doesn't "get" musicals? I like to go to the theatre for plays, I like to go to pop/music concerts. But I'd rather eat my own vomit than go to watch a musical. I have a few friends/family that love them and always pestering me to go, but I absolutely hate them.

I just don't "get" it when actors who suddenly burst into song or leap into dance every few minutes. The last I went to, that probably finished me off, was Cats - yes, I don't deny the fantastic scenery, costumes, etc., but it was really repetitive, no obvious story, just loads of people dressed up pretending to be cats. Once I'd seen the costumes/scenery, I was bored rigid.

I've found my people !

I think I walked out of Cats along with my date at the time in NY. It was bloody boring. Also DH and I were unimpressed by Phantom of the Opera - why on earth do they need to sing the talky bits - it makes it really tedious?

However I did enjoy Les Mis, Miss Saigon and Chicago. Also I love a well performed Gilbert and Sullivan ( sound about 95 there).

As a couple/family we've decided it's not something we're going to invest in seeing any more of. Mind you they aren't as bad as pantomimes

lauriemarlow. Yes, yes! That final scene in the recent Caberet was just brilliant. It elevated a production with some fairly mundane performances to a whole new level. I totally agree with you about WY too, he was a pale imitation of Alan Cumming. We saw AC on tour in 2016 and I would have loved to see him in Caberet.

Billy Elliot the film gave me chills. That clip just gave me hives

I was once forced to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I wanted to kill everyone in the whole world after only 10 minutes.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

My mate fell asleep while watching the video of it. I turned it off and pretended I'd watched it to the end. I have never been so relieved to hear snoring in all my life.

Some musicals are good, some aren't. My absolute favourite is Buddy and I loved Joseph.

I saw over 40 theatre productions last year ( I counted when I was sick in bed on NYE). Mostly I go on my own and avoid musicals I only went to see Caberet because some mates were going and I wanted an outing. Of everything I saw last year (and I saw some good stuff) it was the only play that I spontaneously stood up to applaud. I'm so glad I saw it.

I only like JCS !!!

Laurie and Loonoonow, I wouldn't be surprised if Joe whatsisname who just won Strictly takes over in Cabaret at some point.

Loo, so envious. I love the theatre (except musicals).

God yes. Musicals are evil.

I slightly prefer ones that are 100% singing as less cringey than the spontaneously bursting into song thing.

I love them (but would rather eat my own rancid big toe than go to see opera).
Disclaimer - it's not rancid.
Everyone likes different things (off to see Chicago in the summer).

I am generally not keen on musicals on stage but some are magic. Sondheim is a huge talent. A Chorus Line worked because the story is about musical theatre. I am hoping to catch Lincoln one day.

On film, there are masses of great musicals. Cabaret is, as Rhiannon said, up thread an insight into an important period of history and Berlin/the Weimar Republic, as well as an artistic and creative triumph. Some of the Golden Age musicals are delightfully silly but the whole point was to suspend reality and deliver the glamour audiences wanted. Many are spectacles, others are rescued by inspired dance scenes, and there are fabulous scores. And some are turkeys. In general, the Americans are hard to beat for musical theatre.

I love musicals but anything by Andrew Lloyd Weber makes my ears bleed.

To the tune of 'Can you hear the people sing' from Les Mis.

'I think you should LTB
I think you should leave him now
He is a bastard and controlling and he won't change anyhow!
He is gaslighting you too
With no money in your account
He is a bastard, leave the bastard, leave him now'

I love musical theatre and wish I could afford to go more.

But what’s the point of asking AIBU? If you don’t like them then ok.

I hate football but lots of folk love it. Life would be very boring if we all liked the same things.

I must admit I never really ‘got’ The Rocky Horror Show although I don’t hate it.

Musicals are like other art forms - not everyone likes all of them. Dismissing the whole genre is a bit short sighted. I dislike a lot of Sondheim (and I've seen Passion, which was God awful imo), but love Les Miserables - the whole of which is sung iirc and others. I find there are a lot of people who say they don't like ALW but love Sondheim. To me that's akin to raving about John Lennon, but dismissing Paul McCartney as crap when he's responsible for some great melodies and lyrics.

That should read 'not everyone who likes them likes all of them'.

"Billy Elliot the film gave me chills. That clip just gave me hives"

Me too!

It doesn't convey anything that the film doesn't (imo).

Not a big fan of musicals but have seen Follies and Hamilton in the last few months and both were amazing. Sometimes the music enhances the play.
Jersey Boys, Annie, We will rock you and similar - leave me cold.

I wouldn't be surprised if Joe whatsisname who just won Strictly takes over in Cabaret at some point.

Yeah. It was very nice of the BBC to give him the chance to audition in front of 8 million people or whatever.

Musicals are really just the opera of the day though. I've seen a few operas and enjoyed some and not others. Rossini's Cinderella was irritating because every line seemed to be sung several times by everyone on stage.

X post with LonnyVonny - I hadn't read that before I posted about people not liking ALW!

@Marmelised - I believe the ones you don't like are called Juke Box Musicals.

I think the best musicals are those with memorable songs. I saw City of Angels yonks ago and enjoyed it, but I couldn't remember a single song on pain of death.

I can't stand musicals either. I like listening to the music from musicals but hate watching them. Thankfully nor dos DH.

Actually, I think ALW is unfairly pilloried. It's fashionable to hate his work and lots of people jump on that bandwagon. Part of it is that his style is so out of kilter with what's currently in vogue, but it's easy to forget how radical his shows must have felt when they first came out.

And some of them are right up there as incredible pieces of work. Jesus Christ Superstar for example gets me every time. Even those that don't (to my mind) work particularly well as a holistic piece of theatre have amazing moments. Evita is a great example of that.

I haven't seen it, but I hear that School of Rock is a great show, so there's clearly life in him yet.

diddl and anyone else who found Billy Eliot grim; YES YES YES me too!!!

I couldn't get it at all! I felt sorry for the kid in it! Julie Walters , I love her, but she isn't a dance/ballet teacher or singer!

I trained in Musical Theatre and have taken part in loads in the am world. However, there are lots I can't stand including:

Nearly all ALW (Sunset Boulevard apart)
Wicked
Dirty Dancing, Flashdance, etc.
All Jukebox musicals except Jersey Boys.

I adore things like:
Merrily We Roll Along, Assassins, In to the Woods (all Sondheim really)
The Scotsboro Boys
Gypsy
Guys and Dolls, WSS, Oklahoma! etc.