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AIBU?

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Original poster

To not understand what kind of person hates musicals

474 replies

CrotchBurn · 31/12/2020 07:10

Love them. Love all musicals. I just don't understand how you can have people who like stories, and who like music, and they have this hatred of musicals.

There's also so many different types of musicals from Cabaret to Blood Brothers to Cats to Sound of Music, how could you dislike them ALL?

Is it about the singing preventing you from engaging with the story? Because it feels artificial? But surely all films and plays feel artificial? I just think there's no better way of getting huge amounts of info across quickly than in musicals. This scene from Les Mis for example, in one song you understand the conflict, both characters' motives and back stories.

Also isnt there a bit of snobbery here - theres no difference between opera and musicals except musicals are more fun.

OP posts:
HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee · 01/01/2021 21:33

Love opera fucking hate Gilbert & Sullivan

Siennabear · 01/01/2021 21:34

I find them very boring and can’t stand all the singing.definitely not my cup of tea.

Charlottejbt · 01/01/2021 21:35

Oops,I just noticed that the G&S quote was talking about opera fans who don't like musicals, and I do like the old ones.

I will admit to fast forwarding certain "comedy" numbers in movie musicals which really aren't funny IMO. Like the "Moses supposes" number in Singin' in the Rain, or the scene in The Bandwagon where the adult principals dress up as babies.

baffledcoconut · 01/01/2021 21:42

Cannot stand them. In any shape or form. I’ve been to a few in the west end and I couldn’t wait to get out. Absolutely loathe anything like it. But I also cannot stand theatre in general. Its just not for me.

But love opera and classical concerts.

chomalungma · 01/01/2021 21:42

I like Singing in the Rain but I do find the Hollywood big number 'dream' sequence near the end a bit much.

There are some great musicals - and then there's Starlight Express...which I did see when young and can just remember something about trains and roller skates.

I love the spectacle of a good musical.

But you don't always need helicopters or barricades to have an impact. Blood Brothers has such an impact with little need for lots of scenery.

Charlottejbt · 01/01/2021 21:43

Love opera fucking hate Gilbert & Sullivan

I always thought I'd "get" their appeal if I went to see a live performance, but I never got round to it. Now I live in rural France, where I imagine touring productions of G&S are unlikely to venture even in non-Covid times. I wonder if their operettas will survive in the repertory in Britain, as I'm mid 40s and never met anyone my age or younger who liked them. Well, one person on a music forum and zero people IRL.

jessstan1 · 02/01/2021 08:00

G&S is like Marmite. I like them very much, used to do them at school and took my son to several performances when he was a child. I do 'get' they are not everyone's cup of tea but some are very subtle in their humour.

Operetta, where there is nothing but singing. Somewhere in between musical and opera.

I love opera.

Last night I saw 'The Greatest Showman' was on TV. I put it on and realised it was a musical, couldn't understand why singing was necessary in telling the story of Barnum, which is quite an interesting one. Telly went off in five minutes.

I do enjoy hearing some of the songs from musicals and also like 'musical week' on Strictly but that is not the same as sitting through an entire performance of, say, 'Oliver', which embarrasses me so much I could light up the entire theatre with my red face.

wowfudge · 02/01/2021 08:10

@Bluesername

Some people who like opera think it/they are superior

Why do you say that?

Read my posts - I've stated why.
chomalungma · 02/01/2021 10:06

Last night I saw 'The Greatest Showman' was on TV. I put it on and realised it was a musical, couldn't understand why singing was necessary in telling the story of Barnum, which is quite an interesting one. Telly went off in five minutes

I saw Barnum - the musical with MIchael Crawford back in London in the 80s.

You missed a great show when you turned it off. Some fantastic uplifting songs.

pelosi · 02/01/2021 10:12

I could not bear The Greatest Showman.

SantasBritchesSpelleas · 02/01/2021 10:13

I like them if the songs are good. I tend to prefer the more 'rock opera' film kinds such as Tommy and The Rocky Horror Show. If you can count 'The Wall' as a musical film, I love that. More traditional musicals I've enjoyed are 'Cats' and the musical version of 'Billy Elliot'.

TheKeatingFive · 02/01/2021 10:33

I love G&S. The wit and wordplay is fantastic. The melodies are fab. Some of the storylines are hilarious.

I get that they’re seriously out of fashion now. But my finest Am Dram moment was playing the Modern Major General in my all-girls school production of Pirates. Grin

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 02/01/2021 10:47

Cabaret is brilliant and IMO can’t really be bracketed with the average musical.

I was about 16 when The Sound of Music first came to the cinema (I am fairly ancient) and within no time there were old ladies on the news going to see it for the 47th time and saying, ‘Aaw, it’s luuuvly!’

Cringe! Quite enough to put me off it for life!

Except that roll on about 15 years, we were living abroad with nothing on TV and (then) hardly any videos available, when someone gave me a pirate copy of the S of M, saying that dd1 (then 3) might like it.

So of course I watched it with her, and when dh came home said somewhat sheepishly, ‘It’s actually rather good.’

Dd (now with 3 of her own) has been an addict ever since and her own dcs love it, too.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Buddy on stage (I certainly wouldn’t have chosen to go but invited by a friend whose birthday it was).

For same reasons saw Lion King, which I found pretty rubbish, or at least much more suited to children.

I love the old Rodgers and Hammersteins (Oklahoma, South Pacific etc.) because of so many memorable songs, and from that POV very few have IMO matched up since.

Only one song in Les Mis struck me as at all catchy or memorable - Master of the House - which was IMO brilliant, but as for the rest.....

I wouldn’t condemn them all, far from it, but I know people who would, especially one self-proclaimed intellectual (to be fair he does fit the description) who would never watch any of them on principle.

TheKeatingFive · 02/01/2021 11:08

but I know people who would, especially one self-proclaimed intellectual (to be fair he does fit the description) who would never watch any of them on principle

Well he sounds like a bit of an idiot. Grin

Has he heard of Sondheim?

YoniAndGuy · 02/01/2021 11:34

@pelosi

I could not bear The Greatest Showman.
God yes. That has to be the worst.

Muscials in an age where X Factor-level howling is seen as acceptable = The Greatest Showman.

CounsellorTroi · 02/01/2021 11:40

I’m not generally over keen on musicals but would like to see Jersey Boys - I love Frankie Valli.

Sertchgi123 · 02/01/2021 13:04

[quote wowfudge]@Sertchgi123 - thus proving my point. A pp sneeringly told me I clearly knew nothing about opera Hmm. You haven't.[/quote]
Do you know anything about opera? Have you actually listened to much of it, or been to watch many?

SunscreenCentral · 02/01/2021 13:38

Musicals are not for me. I find them very irritating so I don’t watch them. I’m delighted for others that do, but there’s plenty of interesting things to go round after all. I love museums and galleries, many people find them stuffy and boring, and that’s fine too.

chomalungma · 02/01/2021 13:44

I love museums and galleries, many people find them stuffy and boring, and that’s fine too

To hate 'all of something' is a bit harsh though .

There are some museums that I find boring - but some that I like.
I don't really like rap music - but there are some that I like.
I haven't ever seen a full opera - but there are many operatic pieces that I adore.

I wonder out of all the musicals that there are - and there seems to have been a lot - if there are any that people who say they hate musicals actually enjoy....but won't admit to Grin

PickAChew · 02/01/2021 13:46

Because the music's not my taste. Simple as that.

ineedaholidaynow · 02/01/2021 14:20

But there are many types of music used in musicals @PickAChew. Les Mis is very different to Grease

Comefromaway · 02/01/2021 14:49

@ineedaholidaynow

But there are many types of music used in musicals *@PickAChew*. Les Mis is very different to Grease
Exactly. The same with opera. I like Puccini but can’t abide Alban Berg.
BackforGood · 02/01/2021 17:16

I do enjoy hearing some of the songs from musicals and also like 'musical week' on Strictly but that is not the same as sitting through an entire performance of, say, 'Oliver', which embarrasses me so much I could light up the entire theatre with my red face.

Can you explain why other people performing 'Oliver' "embarrasses" you @jessstan1 ?

I totally get we all have different tastes, and that lots of people love musicals and lots of people can't stand musicals, but I don't understand why anyone would be 'embarrassed' by one Confused

joeysapple · 02/01/2021 17:19

I can't get into them. It's the suspension of disbelief thing, it just ruins it for me and reminds me I'm watching something "fake". I don't really like sci-fi for the same reason.

chomalungma · 02/01/2021 17:21

@joeysapple

I can't get into them. It's the suspension of disbelief thing, it just ruins it for me and reminds me I'm watching something "fake". I don't really like sci-fi for the same reason.
Isn't that pretty much the same for plays, films, TV etc?
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