To not understand what kind of person hates musicals

[CrotchBurn]

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.

No - musicals are far worse for that. We're back to it being hammy - a film carries you through, a musical stops the action and does what no one ever does ever - goes into a ridiculous musical singalongashitebag.

It's clumsy. It's supposed to be clumsy, I get that, but it just doesn't work 99 times out of 100.

We're back to it being hammy - a film carries you through, a musical stops the action and does what no one ever does ever - goes into a ridiculous musical singalongashitebag

How many musicals have you seen?

Blood Brothers?
Billy Elliot?

The songs are very much part of the story.

But surely all entertainment is 'fake', do you read fiction books, listen to music, watch normal plays. Unless you only watch the news (and some of that can be fake!) and watch documentaries everything is 'fake'

I've seen many musicals, mostly against my will. I don't like them and I think that those who can't understand that people feel differently about them lack imagination. I can well understand why other people do like them - just as I can imagine why others have different taste to me in books, film, opera, music... That doesn't change the fact I don't enjoy musicals. The combination of plot and characters bursting into song doesn't sit well with me. Perhaps one day someone will make a musical I would enjoy - stranger things have happened. I would certainly sit through a musical interpretation of Downfall, though more out of curiosity than likely enjoyment...

I would certainly sit through a musical interpretation of Downfall, though more out of curiosity than likely enjoyment

I give you....

If you watch films and it has background music, do you dislike that too?

@ineedaholidaynow

If you watch films and it has background music, do you dislike that too?

That's totally different. Background music is there to enhance the scene or to manipulate the viewer's feelings in some cases. Musicals on the other hand just annoy me that's why I rarely ever go to them. Exception was Book of Mormon which I loved.

But songs in musicals can enhance the scene or manipulate your feelings too. I just have to hear the song Tell Me Its not True from Blood Brothers and I can feel the tears well up. A number of the ensemble songs in Les Mis are the same.

Well tonight’s entertainment according to my kids is a virtual concert performance of Ratatouille the Musical.

There's a big difference between incidental music and characters bursting into song randomly. In life, background music does exist - from the radio, the brass band in the street, etc. People don't routinely burst into song - not in my social circle anyway. One is vaguely believable, the other really is not.

Also that link is vaguely horrifying 😂 they lost me at the first disturbing skip.

@ineedaholidaynow

But songs in musicals can enhance the scene or manipulate your feelings too. I just have to hear the song Tell Me Its not True from Blood Brothers and I can feel the tears well up. A number of the ensemble songs in Les Mis are the same.

So many musical songs do that.

I'll give my life for you (Miss Saigon)
Somewhere (West Side Story)
Wishing you were somehow here again (Phantom)
As long as he needs me (Oliver)

And even the music itself can bring on the tears.

In life, background music does exist - from the radio, the brass band in the street, etc

It doesn’t swell up to support the emotional highlight of a scene though.

It’s role and function is totally different.

I love some musicals, but not all. For some reason, I really hate the cheerful ones like Mamma Mia, Mary Poppins and Chitty chitty bang bang. I love the dramatic/ miserable ones like Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom and Les Mis. I loved Blood brothers, Hamilton, Book of Mormon, Matilda and Lion King. I want to see Only fools and horses, and Back to the future.

I get why some people don't like them, but I love them.

Background music in films can have the same impact on me @chomalungma, the film score for the film Witness for example

People don't routinely burst into song - not in my social circle anyway. One is vaguely believable, the other really is not

So you're saying that you don't wake up to this every morning?

I hated them as a teenager, went to a few with family and friends and was bored out of my mind. Really though, I was a big fan of rock and metal and was just being a bit of a snob as I thought they weren't cool.

Now that I'm older I like the popular ones like Mama Mia, rocky horror, the lion king. It's not music I would normally listen to but I can appreciate the costumes, choreography, make up and the experience is a lot of fun.

As well as the musicals that really pull at the emotions and leave you in tears at the end, Les Mis, Miss Saigon, Blood Brothers, I also love the musicals where you can all stand up and dance at the end eg Mamma Mia, Blues Brothers, Return to the Forbidden Planet.

Musicals have been part of my life since I was young.
DF was part of Am Dram so musicals and G&S have been a part of my life.

First one I remember was Salad Days - about people looking for a magic piano. Which is actually a bit shit. Apart from the song about looking for a piano.

I also remember Dad playing The Boyfriend in The Boyfriend.

Love that show - and I can still sing most of the songs from that as DF practised them regularly.

It doesn’t swell up to support the emotional highlight of a scene though

But conceivably one could coincidentally be at an emotional scene in life while an apposite song happens to play on the radio (or any other form of background music), to the same effect. Incidental music is just a tidied up version of that.

All fictional media involves some suspension of disbelief but it is disingenuous to suggest that they require the same level of it.

Return to the Forbidden Planet

Love it

I really miss the theatre.

I haven't seen many jukebox musicals.

I love the escapism, the music, the fun, the humour everything. Having your emotions manipulated, the passion, dancing, choreography...

Seen so many over Christmas. And all so different.

Jesus Christ Superstar performed in an old factory
Miss Saigon live.

Billy Elliot - which I loved.

Because they are cheesy as f**k. But not in a good way!
The constant bursting into crap songs gets in the way of my enjoying the story most of the time 🤷🏻‍♀️

I don't like dancing, I don't like having my emotions manipulated and I don't like fun 😂

(Or, rather, my idea of fun involves a lot of mud and near death experiences at this time of year, and I accept that's probably me being peculiar rather than anyone else!)

What do people like about the singing? It bores me to tears.

Not a fan they do nothing for me I’m not a theatre person either.