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[Christophe]

For some reason, I've been on a huge, shameful Grease kick. For the love of me, I have to repress the urge to belt out "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" every hour or so. Yes, I am a dude. No, I do not like men. Is this normal, or should I go get psychiatric help?

Anyone else like musicals, or think that they're an abomination to music/theater? Anyone have any special ones they particularly enjoy, like Avenue Q or A Chorus Line?

(Anyone replying with Cats or Rent will be tossed off a bridge like Javert in Les Mis.)

[KickThatBathProf]

Yes, Cats is one of the worst musicals I have ever seen.  Pretty much anything by Andrew Lloyd Webber is an abomination to society.

Of the newer musicals, Avenue Q and Spamalot are amazing.  Wicked is pretty good, but overrated by pretty much everybody.  It's the new Rent.  I even thought Urinetown was better.

Of older musicals, I've always been a softie for Sondheim.

[LucyStag]

I loved "Oliver!" even when I was little and wished all the Disney characters would stop God damn singing -- I hated all musicals except that one. I think because the music is just so good, even if I wonder now whether it makes Dickons turn in his grave. The Artful Dodger kid wins at life.

I really dug the recent "Chicago" movie, even when I didn't know the music at all, previously. Now I kind of do. I think those are my favorites. Oooh, and "Singin' in the Rain." Things with Gene Kelley are always a good choice.

"Annie", "Oklahoma" and all Andrew Lloyd Weber that I have ever heard must perish in a lake of fire.

Honestly, if a heterosexual male I knew was into "Grease" I would probably insult him a lot, and also find it really endearing. Like the kid I know who is 22 and can't stop reading "Star Wars" books (not that "Star Wars" isn't more awesome than "Grease", but the books? Its pretty awesomely dorky.)

[celticgeek]

Musicals are not my thing, although I have seen a large number of them, including "Spamalot" on Broadway.  I don't hate them, I don't think they are evil, they are just not my thing.  However, my wife, and a large group of out friends like them, so I go and see a great many.

So, yeah, they are all right, I guess.

[KvP]

Can't go wrong with Sondheim. Most of the time.

[RedLion]

Can't go wrong with Sondheim. Most of the time.

Damn right. "Sweeney Todd" is a masterpiece, and the stage show is 10 times better than the movie. "Assassins" is a great show too. "Passion"...not so much.

I've always loved "Les Miserables," as the book is one of my favorite novels, and Boubil and Schonbergs' other works--"Miss Saigon" and "Martin Guerre" are excellent as well. I like Frank Wildhorn's stuff--that is, before he goes and changes the entire show around and makes it shit. The Complete Anthology Or Whateverthefuckit'scalled of his Jekyll and Hyde is maybe the best musical I've ever heard. Unfortunately, it never went to stage in that form. Same thing with "The Scarlet Pimpernel."

Jason Robert Brown also does a lot of good stuff--"Parade" is a real standout. Dark, depressing and yet beautiful.

Andrew Lloyd Webber is an abomination. "Phantom of the Opera" is OK, and "Jesus Christ Superstar" is a classic. Beyond that, he's a shmuck.

However, I can't tolerate old-school musicals, like "The Sound of Music" and "Fiddler on the Roof." Anyone who enjoys listening to some old gasbag of a nun shrieking about climbing mountains needs to be dragged out into the street and shot, as an act of mercy.

[Liz]

Please do not knock Rent. I love Rent. Also not ever Andrew Lloyd Webber musical is bad, just most of them. You cannot say that Phantom of the Opera is a bad musical. It is genius.

Then there's Spamalot, as it is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. And lots of them that have become movies recently- Sweeney Todd, Chicago, Hairspray, etc. Moulin Rouge is also pretty much fantastic. All the muscials based on Disney movies are awesome as well.

Brigadoon is also a favorite, along with the classics like Anything Goes, Godspell, Carousel, Guys and Dolls, Les Mis, Singin' in the Rain, Grease, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, and Cats. Yes Cats. There's a reason that it was once the longest running show in Broadway history. It is a good musical.

tl;dr I LOVE MUSICALS.

[Soidanae]

Actually, for ALW I'll go with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat over everything else.

That, combined with Jesus Christ superstar, will actually make it possible to DOMINATE bible trivia games.

[bff]

My class went to NY to see "A Chorus Line" on Broadway when I was in middle school, needless to say it was not at all what my young mind thought Broadway was about.  Added bonus: this was before the Disneyfication of 42nd Street.

[the-artful-dodger-rodger]

isit ok to mention "Rocky Horror Picture Show", because I really dig that show.

[Drill King]

Musicals are pretty much my life. I'm actually in 'Bye Bye Birdie', which is annoying at first but charming and full of dirty humor when you get into it.

Let's see, Oliver!, Grey Gardens, Chess(asldkjfalksdfj I want to see this so bad), Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, Across the Universe(Yes I know they're beatles songs, I just really love this movie and it does count as a musical), Spring's Awakening(annoying story, good music), LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL(Gooood I love this. So. Bad.)

Also, I love Fiddler on the Roof, AND the sound of music. I also loved the pirates of penzance, the Beauty and the Beast musical is pretty amazing. I really enjoyed Sweeney Todd, thought it had a lackluster ending though. Also, I love love love Blood Brothers.

Nom nom. Musicals, I'm going to QFT Misconception with the I LOVE MUSICALS comment and also point out that well over half my playlist is generally from musicals > >;

[Drill King]

Oh, I know. And I believe.

[Liz]

Ooh, I forgot Pirates of Penzance. That's a really good one. And The Music Man, either film version. Also The Producers.

[shortystylee]

isit ok to mention "Rocky Horror Picture Show", because I really dig that show.

I think its more than okay to mention it. I *love* RHPS. I don't know if you like the movie version too, but I just found out that they renovated the castle into a luxury hotel, and I kinda wanna stay at it.

I just saw "A Chorus Line" on Broadway the beginning of this month, and it was amazing, we ended up with really close seats too.

In two weeks, my friend and I are going to see "Jesus Christ Superstar." Its my first time seeing it (I know the soundtrack though), and her second or third time. 

[Christophe]

Honestly, if a heterosexual male I knew was into "Grease" I would probably insult him a lot, and also find it really endearing. Like the kid I know who is 22 and can't stop reading "Star Wars" books (not that "Star Wars" isn't more awesome than "Grease", but the books? Its pretty awesomely dorky.)

I know full well that Grease is horrible, but damnit John Travolta, out of my head now fucking a nurrrrrrrrr must listen to more noise rock

My high school did some very good musicals while I was attending. They did Roar of The Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd, Les Mis, A Chorus Line and Grease. They did Urinetown the year after I left, but I wasn't able to come back from college to see it. For the life of me, I can't find a near-decent performance of any song from Grease from a high school musical on youtube, it's fucking impossible (and maybe it's supposed to be that way), but our school did it really well. Like in Greased Lightning, where one school did it in front of a projector screen with a car on it, or when it's painfully obvious that it was stolen from a pinebox derby. My friend Tomi who was part of the musical referred to it as "Various degrees of hilarious pretend car".

For the record, I would pay to see a musical version of Glengarry Glen Ross. Or a musical scored by Anal Cunt.

[the-artful-dodger-rodger]

isit ok to mention "Rocky Horror Picture Show", because I really dig that show.

I think its more than okay to mention it. I *love* RHPS. I don't know if you like the movie version too, but I just found out that they renovated the castle into a luxury hotel, and I kinda wanna stay at it.

I just saw "A Chorus Line" on Broadway the beginning of this month, and it was amazing, we ended up with really close seats too.

In two weeks, my friend and I are going to see "Jesus Christ Superstar." Its my first time seeing it (I know the soundtrack though), and her second or third time. 

the movie is awesome, the live show is insane.

[shortystylee]

I've been wanting to see it live for a long time now. I had a chance last year, a friend of mine is a theater major at Miami of Ohio, and he was in their production of RHPS, but I didn't have a way to get down there for it 

[KickThatBathProf]

My high school did some very good musicals while I was attending. They did Roar of The Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd, Les Mis, A Chorus Line and Grease. They did Urinetown the year after I left, but I wasn't able to come back from college to see it. For the life of me, I can't find a near-decent performance of any song from Grease from a high school musical on youtube, it's fucking impossible (and maybe it's supposed to be that way), but our school did it really well. Like in Greased Lightning, where one school did it in front of a projector screen with a car on it, or when it's painfully obvious that it was stolen from a pinebox derby. My friend Tomi who was part of the musical referred to it as "Various degrees of hilarious pretend car".

Wow, didn't know Urinetown was up for high school yet.

I was fortunate enough to only appear in the only worthwile musical my high school performed (Les Mis)

However, I was unfortunate enough to get stuck in the pit orchestra for the other three.  Guys and Dolls wasn't so bad, but I despised both Oklahoma and Joseph so much

[De_El]

No love for Gilbert & Sullivan? I am a fan of the H.M.S. Pinafore especially. And Chess is pretty amazing.

[Thrillho]

This may not count, but honestly most of my favourite musical-type songs are the pisstake ones from the likes of Scrubs, Futurama or Simpsons, which whilst having no legitimate credibility, are fantastically composed and very, very funny.

[singeivoire]

Pirates of Penzance.

hear hear.

also: Cabaret, anyone?

[KharBevNor]

Blues Brothers
The Wicker Man
The Rocky Horror Picture Show


I think I have only ever seen Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals in a theatre, and those all with school. I saw The Woman in White (boring), Starlight Express (confusing) and Jesus Christ, Superstar (alright). I liked the Sweeney Todd film, but only in parts not involving the young sailor and Sweeneys daughter. I gained major respect for Burton when he didn't tack on a happy ending bit showing them running away.

[ledhendrix]

The Blues Brothers films are excellent. I hope they make another one some time soon.

[Hat]

I can't believe Misconception is the only one to show some West Side Story love, come on it has gangs dancing. AT. each other.

You're all fired.

[Liz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgnwLAMwWx0

[Nebetsu]

Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny!

>>

<<

What?

[Liz]

Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny!

No.

[Patrick]

Les fucking Mis.

You can go home now.

[malevis]

Our marching band played an arrangement of some songs from Les Miserables for contest and that sent me into a healthy obsession with the musical and Victor Hugo.  I'm not really a musical freak or anything of the sort but Les Mis is full of awesome songs, I can never really get bored of it.

[The Viz]

Les Mis is easily my favorite.  Despite the teeming hatred I hold for the catastrophe of music that is Cats, some Andrew Lloyd Webber stuff is really good, I particularly like Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar.  Little Shop of Horrors is quirky and awesome, I saw that one fourth row like two weeks before it went off broadway.  Assassins is a little more obscure, but find the original recording (the off-broadway one preferably) if you can and you'll love it.  Even though Rent is totally overrated, it does have some great moments, but rabid Rent-heads ruin this one for the rest of us, same goes for Wicked -- both of these, despite their horrid fanbases, are very good plays and are worth seeing.

Oh, for those of you who like OK Go and one particular show I'm fond of...click here.

[taphos]

But Grease isn't terrible! It's fun and catchy and the songs stick in your head. It's not meant to be anything else.

I've never seen the stage version, but Hedwig was great.

[jimbunny]

There's a recent Chinese film called "Perhaps Love" - not sure if it's based on a stage production, but it's got most of the hallmarks of a Western-style musical. Pretty entertaining, if you ever get the chance to see it.

I was fortunate enough to be in the pit for a few of my high school productions: "Into the Woods" and "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Both of those were really good.

[ZedAvatar]

I agree with what's his face (I can't be bothered to scroll all the way back up there!) - Jekyll and Hyde is pretty much the best show ever, and totally ignored in favor of Les Mis and the like.  Not a knock against "popular" musicals, but it was really nice to see a musical do something different - it's dark + twisted, and doesn't have any of those "let's have a random tapdance for no apparent reason" (I'm talking to you, Crazy for You!).  The Original Broadway Cast recording is very decent, but the Original London Concept Cast recording is a must-listen. 

[De_El]

This may not count, but honestly most of my favourite musical-type songs are the pisstake ones from the likes of Scrubs, Futurama or Simpsons, which whilst having no legitimate credibility, are fantastically composed and very, very funny.

Duuuude. Buffy!

[celticgeek]

Better link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_More%2C_with_Feeling_%28Buffy_episode%29

[taphos]

Once More With Feeling made my top 10 for 2002.

[duckity]

I have been listening to the Sweeney Todd soundtrack (movie one because I lack in theatre-going-and-music-owning) on repeat since I friggin saw it. Approximately two months ago.

Spamalot likes nesting in my head a lot.
West Side Story has stolen one eardrum.
Chicago, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Phantom of the Opera share the other one.

I like me some musicals but I want to stabbity stab my brain out when they won't leave me alone. D:

[Emily]

I never could get into Sondheim and I'm not sure why.

Miss Saigon is my personal favourite, with Les Miz being a close second. (The "school" version of Les Miz can suck it, though. I did not need to see the iconography in a letterman jacket, thankyouverymuch.)

I got an out-of-the-blue chance to see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in its original NYC run and it was awesome. I think I nearly crapped in my pants when John Lithgow walked on stage, because we literally got the tickets shoved into our hands when friends of ours couldn't go and had to RUN to get to the theatre on time and inside and I didn't look at the program. It was a great show.

Cats is The Musical Without A Plot. The costumes, set design, and dancing are amazing. The lyrics by virtue of being the work of T.S. Elliot, save Memory, are given a pass. The rest: eeeeh.

I grew up on my dad's old cast albums from the 80s so the Phantom of the Opera kind of got ingrained into my psyche and we've got this complex love-hate thing going on. The recent film is utter camp and Patrick Wilson is the only one of the leads who can sing, but I don't let that bother me. Much.

Lloyd-Webber is a dick for many reasons but foremost among these is that he is writing a sequel musical for Phantom based on a certain book by Frederick Forsyth which is, in turn, based on HIS OWN MUSICAL. Forsyth spends most of the preface taking a royal shit on Leroux for getting it wrong in the original book and the rest of the author's notes are spent kissing ALW's ass. This musical sequel is to be known as "The Phantom of Manhattan." Or as I and several people I know like to think of it "The Phantom of the Opera 2: The Search for More Money."

I tend to like old-school stuff. Showboat, Fiddler on the Roof, the Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Kiss Me Kate, Meet Me in St. Louis; pretty much anything with Judy Garland. The colourful MGM musicals of the 40s and 50s where the achingly long shots proved that the leads could actually pull off whole dance numbers at a go.

I've got my fingers crossed that I can get a ticket to go see Blood Brothers in March sometime.

[singeivoire]

For all the Sondheim talk, no one has mentioned Into The Woods yet!

Sure, it's a little heavy-handed toward the end, but Bernadette Peters is my HERO. It's also nice to have my suspicions confirmed: Prince Charming really is a cheating bastard!

[jimbunny]

There's a recent Chinese film called "Perhaps Love" - not sure if it's based on a stage production, but it's got most of the hallmarks of a Western-style musical. Pretty entertaining, if you ever get the chance to see it.

I was fortunate enough to be in the pit for a few of my high school productions: "Into the Woods" and "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Both of those were really good.

I said it was really good. =P

[singeivoire]

durrdurrdurr

I knew there was a reason I didn't bother mentioning it in my first post on this thread. My bad.

[Orbert]

I hadn't thought of The Blues Brothers as a musical before, but it's a movie where people occassionally burst into song, so I guess it fits the bill.

Jesus Christ Superstar is amazing.  I grew up listening to the Broadway Cast album and don't like what they changed for the movie (and seriously, Ian Gillan blows Ted Neely away), but I've seen a couple of different stage productions, both of which were gr-r-r-eat!

[KharBevNor]

The Blues Brothers contains multiple scenes where people start singing and dancing almost at random, as well as scenes where you might actually expect music to be playing (gigs and so forth). I'd definitely have it down as a musical.

[Emily]

Bollywood films in general I'll watch for the utter camp, melodrama and completely implausible dream-sequences.

[KvP]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned

yet. I loved it, but I can see how it could rub some people the wrong way.

[Drill King]

I haven't even heard of it. But I live in the middle of no where.

EDIT::

Wait one of the songs won an oscar and the guy was an arrogant dick and the girl almost didn't get to do her speech. I remember that now.

However, if it's actually good I may invest in seeing it.

[Patrick]

I've never liked The Sound of Music. Boring, campy beyond "so-campy-it's-cool"-ism, the songs are about as relevant to the story as a unicorn at a lynching, and come ON, do you seriously expect untrained children to have PERFECT UNDERSTANDING of harmony and counterpoint melodies after you sing them "Do re mi" two fucking times?

[ThePQ4]

I'm not a big fan of the Sound of Music either, however i do love Musicals in general. The first one I was ever a part of was Annie, then I was in a production of The Wiz. I've since fallen in love with Chicago, Rent, Oklahoma, Rocky Horror, A New Brain, and a myriad of others. I am hoping to take in some when I go to New York to see Equus over winter break next year. That is, if I can get my group of friends to agree to go to them. If not, I'll just go on my own while they see the sites I don't care about.

[RedLion]

I never could get into Sondheim and I'm not sure why.

The dissonance perhaps? (Although this is what makes me love Sondheim so very much.)

Lloyd-Webber is a dick for many reasons but foremost among these is that he is writing a sequel musical for Phantom based on a certain book by Frederick Forsyth which is, in turn, based on HIS OWN MUSICAL. Forsyth spends most of the preface taking a royal shit on Leroux for getting it wrong in the original book and the rest of the author's notes are spent kissing ALW's ass. This musical sequel is to be known as "The Phantom of Manhattan." Or as I and several people I know like to think of it "The Phantom of the Opera 2: The Search for More Money."

I, uh, buh...WHA?! Is this really true? Sadly, I've read the "sequel"--and it's worth about as much as a pile of shit. If he really is making a musical out of it, he must want to deliberately bury his career once and for all.

Also, can't believe I forgot to mention West Side Story and Chess. "Anthem" is one of my favorite songs just in general, not solely in showtune terms.

Aida is alright, too.

[KickThatBathProf]

Has anyone actually seen the opera on which Aida is based?  I've been relatively intrigued about it ever since I learned that it was originally a Verdi opera.