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.

I think maybe you should step away from the internet entirely and go for a nice walk. Rather extreme reaction to a thread about musicals !

I like musicals but it depends on the story. I treat them as entertaining plays so I go if I like the story and would say no if I don't.

But it is like with all genres, some people like opera, I hate them. My dad loved classical piano, I prefer string instruments. I hate Country music but love Jazz.

I don't like the way that some big shows cast celebrities who can't sing. We saw Chicago years ago with Brooke Shields. It was awful.

It also doesn't help if you have musicals as films like Mamma Mia or The Greatest Showman where the lead characters are good actors but bad singers.

I don't like musicals. If you've got a good story to tell then just tell it without bursting into cheesy song every five minutes.

From time to time I will try one that's been heavily recommended but we all just sit here going 'oh no...' as it's obvious they're gearing up for a song.

To me, the songs are unpleasant, artificial, contrived nuisances that repeatedly throw me out of the story and spoil the mood.

I enjoyed reading Les Mis but the musical made me want to scream. Telling the story through the medium of song does not make it better, not at all.

I don’t like musicals or music in general. Lots of music just makes me feel irritable. Mostly, I prefer silence, though I quite like background music in the gym or when my learners are working in the classroom, they’re times I’m comfortable with it, I don’t know why.

Musicals are a wide genre. I hate the current crop of popular musicals - cheesey, brash, aggressively mindless. But I remember being bowled over by the Threeppeny opera when I was younger and though I nw can't stand Brecht I still find its music powerful.

What's nasty is taking a casual thread about musicals and layering your own emotional baggage over it

Like calling people snobs for not liking musicals OP? Which is what you did in the OP.

I hate almost every musical I have ever seen. They are annoying.

I am a musician and I like the theatre.

The only musicals I don't hate:
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Little Shop of Horrors
Hair

That's it. The rest of them are dreadful.

Personally I'm not keen on musicals or opera. So boring

I have them, was dragged to Les Mis and fell asleep. The singing was torture to me.

I used to love them on stage particularly but not keen on the old fashioned ones ( think Busby Berkley , Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and singing in the rain etc)

I don't mind the cheesiness at all but nowadays I don't find them as appealing.

Musicals I have loved to watch and have seen more than once on stage and also on TV
Chicago
Westside story
Evita

Ones I am really not keen on
La la land
Jesus Christ Superstar
Cats

Most others fall somewhere in between

*hate

@StopSquirtingBleachOnCaneToads

I hate almost every musical I have ever seen. They are annoying.

I am a musician and I like the theatre.

The only musicals I don't hate:
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Little Shop of Horrors
Hair

That's it. The rest of them are dreadful.

Oh yes I forgot Lttle Shop of Horrors and Rocky Horror. Love both of those too and seen multiple times. I've never seen Hair

This is a weird thread.

You 'don't understand' why people don't like the same as you? Really? You really have reached adulthood with to zero understanding of difference?

I love musicals and visit the west end several times a year but DH doesn't come with me as he doesn't like them. I understand.

You 'don't understand' why people don't like the same as you? Really? You really have reached adulthood with to zero understanding of difference?

It's a MN thing. If you think something is tacky, naff, or just generally poor taste, rather than just come out and say it you have to pretend that you don't understand it.

Who knew a thread on musicals could get so heated?

Perhaps ask MN to put a trigger warning on this thread.

I can’t stand them, I have literally zero interest in watching or going to a musical

You cannot post on a chat forum that musicals make you “nauseous”, give you “literal rage” and a “visceral reaction” and that you’re “really struggling” and “triggered” when your kid watches Grease and expect it to be taken entirely seriously. Such drama!

The op asked a question.

I gave an answer. It’s because i didn’t like them anyway and it’s one of the ways my ex crossed my boundaries by making me watch them.

If she didn’t want that answered, why ask?

If it was to be an “all musicals are great everyone should watch them they’re fab” then why ask the question in the first place?

And I clearly fail at hiding threads too.

They’re just so cringy and embarrassing, I hate the over theatricality of it all. I adore music, I love film but musicals are the naffest thing ever.

@ghoulbag

You cannot post on a chat forum that musicals make you “nauseous”, give you “literal rage” and a “visceral reaction” and that you’re “really struggling” and “triggered” when your kid watches Grease and expect it to be taken entirely seriously. Such drama!

Thanks for that empathy. That’s really pleasant.

I assume you’ve never been in an absurd relationship?

It was literally the creeping start of consent violations when my ex started to control what I watched and make me watch what he did.

I have ptsd (diagnosed, on medication and get therapy weekly in normal times, online just now though) and I can’t help what the triggers are.

I love musicals! It's so hard to pick my favourite but I think if I was pushed it would be Joseph. I love it and seen it so many times! Closely followed my Grease and Hairspray and We Will Rock You.

I've been Blood Brothers but wasn't that keen but mostly I can watch any of them an enjoy them!

@Brumplescruff

The op asked a question.

I gave an answer. It’s because i didn’t like them anyway and it’s one of the ways my ex crossed my boundaries by making me watch them.

If she didn’t want that answered, why ask?

If it was to be an “all musicals are great everyone should watch them they’re fab” then why ask the question in the first place?

And I clearly fail at hiding threads too.

Maybe for some lighthearted, non-heavy discussion about a popular cultural phenomenon? But then, you know that.

Why didn’t she put it in chat or music? Or put lighthearted in the title?

I took the question at face value. But then. I do that. In real life too.

Dunno about absurd relationship but I’ve been party to some absolutely absurd mumsnet threads.