All That Chat - re: THE LAST SHIP, KINKY BOOTS, CAPEMAN, TOMMY... and other Bway musicals by pop composers

HOME ALL THAT CHAT ATC WEST COAST SHOPPIN' RUSH BOARD FAQS

LOGIN REGISTER SEARCH FLAT MODE

not logged in

re: THE LAST SHIP, KINKY BOOTS, CAPEMAN, TOMMY... and other Bway musicals by pop composers

Posted by:	keikekaze 05:22 pm EST 11/24/14
In reply to:	re: THE LAST SHIP, KINKY BOOTS, CAPEMAN, TOMMY... and other Bway musicals by pop composers - JohnPopa 04:59 pm EST 11/24/14

Yes, his songs are big and emotional and tell these long, romantic stories, but they also tend to be exhausting and two or three hours of them is relentless, Plus, good theater songs aren't primarily about telling stories. The musical tells a story, of course, but the individual song usually doesn't. The individual song reveals character and provides emotional or ironic or some other form of commentary on the dramatic moment at hand. Yes, of course, you can get away with a narrative song now and then in a musical. Weill and Gershwin get away with "The Saga of Jenny" because there's a big, whopping production number to go along with it that's like a one-act musical in itself. Lerner and Loewe more or less get away with "Guenevere" in Camelot, even though it's a device to try to get around the fact that the climax of the show is too big (or maybe just too long) to stage. But for the most part, you're in trouble, or prone to trouble, any time you find yourself doing a lot of narrating in the theater, musically or verbally, rather than dramatizing.

reply \|

Previous:	re: THE LAST SHIP, KINKY BOOTS, CAPEMAN, TOMMY... and other Bway musicals by pop composers - JohnPopa 04:59 pm EST 11/24/14
Next:	re: THE LAST SHIP, KINKY BOOTS, CAPEMAN, TOMMY... and other Bway musicals by pop composers - Chromolume 11:04 pm EST 11/24/14

Thread:	re: THE LAST SHIP, KINKY BOOTS, CAPEMAN, TOMMY... and other Bway musicals by pop composers - Chromolume 11:04 pm EST 11/24/14 (2) re: THE LAST SHIP, KINKY BOOTS, CAPEMAN, TOMMY... and other Bway musicals by pop composers - ryhog 12:37 am EST 11/25/14 re: THE LAST SHIP, KINKY BOOTS, CAPEMAN, TOMMY... and other Bway musicals by pop composers - keikekaze 12:14 am EST 11/25/14

All That Chat is intended for the discussion of theatre news and opinion
subject to the terms and conditions of the Terms of Service. (Please take all off-topic discussion to private email.)