DEH is certainly no Producers or Billy Elliot. It does not have flashy choreography, costumes, or sets. It is, to its admirers, a story told very well that uses the conceit of musical theater to enhance the emotion and storytelling.
To me, while CFA is a compelling story and the staging was theatrical, the chronological and very literal telling of events, both in the book and the lyrics, didn't provide anything I couldn't have gotten from reading a magazine article, watching a movie, etc. No, there doesn't have to be a big musical number, but there should be memorable musical moments in a truly successful musical - and I don't mean a hummable melody. I mean the synergy of lyric, music, and story that only happen in musical theater. |
