Friday, November 04, 2005

TWQ: Musicals

The Weekend Question (TWQ) is starting a day earlier bacause I'm going down to London to see the musical 'Mamma Mia' for the second time. As a result, I won't be back on the computer until Sunday.

As a result, the TWQ takes a musical tone:

What have been your favourite stage and/or film musicals in the past? What do you like about them? Which one would you like to see if you could?

Here is my entry:

I have seen quite a few stage musicals, although the only one I have actually gone and visited again, is 'Mamma Mia!', as I am doing now. Other outstanding stage productions are 'Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Drreamcoat' and 'Chicago'.

I haven't seen too many film musicals that appealed to be greatly. 'Cabaret' was an exception, where every tune was brilliant, and there was an intelligent storyline.

'Hair' was always a stage musical I would have wanted to see; not the updated version, but the original '60's' version. 'Aquarius', 'Let The Sun Shine In' & 'I Got Life' were ideal for the stage.

Now it's over to you...

29 comments:

Aginoth said...

Hi Jean-Luc

Michelle sent me

Have to have Guys and Dolls as my Fave Musical, really good tunes, full of life and colour.

Least favourite was Les Miserables, bloody awful, dreary, poorly adapted from a great book.

Dak-Ind said...

Although the original casting of the 60s version of Hair (where it all makes sense considering Vietnam and all that) is an excellent choice, i have to go with the original casting of Jesus Christ Superstar. no ont the modern remade crapola you can see on the telly, but the real thing. for my 21st birthday my dad gave me his 2 vinyl set autographed by the original cast that he purchased when he saw the show. to have been there for the real big ones like that!
Enjoy your play.
hello, i came to you from Michelle's blog.

xtessa said...

i've only seen one musical... Ms. Saigon... and i loved it!

i'd love to see Rent in the near future.

Ciera said...

I've never seen one on stage. I've only ever watched them on PBS. I really enjoyed "into the Woods" i think it was called. It had Bernadette Peters in it as the Wicked Witch. Another one I enjoyed was "O, Pioneer!". I didn't see it all, but i liked what I did see. I think that had Mary O'Donnell in it.

I would love to go see Family Life's Dinner Theatre for "friends Unscripted" and "The Bride" later this month at a different place in Elmira.

Jon the Intergalactic Gladiator said...

I was actually in Pirates of Penzance and Anything Goes in high school. Ahh the days...

There was a bust-a-gut funny musical in Chicago for a number of years titled "Co-ed Sluts in Prison." I can't even begin to tell you how funny it was.

Does Blue Man Group count as a musical? They're great, too.

Kimberly said...

Probably Phantom...that show always gets me:)

Trinity13 said...

I went and saw Singing in the Rain when I was younger. I really enjoyed it since it seemed like it was raining indoors! I'll never forget it!!!

Professor Xavier said...

Little Shop of Horrors. I've seen a couple of stage productions, one in NY and another in Blackpool. The movie is also great. The whole concept is just so wild.

MaR said...

Cats as seen in Hamburg. Loved it.

MaR said...

Wait, you just got back from London and you are going again to see the musical? Have a great evening. I would also like to see the original version of Hair and sing along, "let the sunshine in", beautiful!

craziequeen said...

Hi again Jean-Luc.

It has to be Rocky Horror Picture Show! Love the film, the score, everything, and finally got to go to the stageshow and it was everything I had hoped for and more..

:-)

cq

Anonymous said...

"Mama Mia" just finished their run in Vancouver. Michele sent me

dddragon said...

I saw Grease in NYC a few years before it came out as a movie and really liked it, and always enjoy the songs whenever I hear them. It's the only professional musical that I've ever seen, tho' I've seen many community and high school productions. Rocky Horror Picture Show and Pirates of Penzance (Kevin Kline, Angela Lansbury, etc.) are my two movie versions of plays.

Anonymous said...

Joseph is my absolute favorite! But Aida is a BEAUTIFUL story. Love it.

For movie musicals I pick: Singing in the Rain and Pirates of Penzance. Oh! And Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
Thanks for visiting me today!

Running2Ks said...

Have fun at the show!

I saw "Cats" and while I was a little disappointed, I loved the music. I've done a lot of school plays, like "Joseph" (where I was narrator) and I love that music.

I regret not going to see "Les Miserables".

As for movie musicals, I still love anything with Julie Andrews. And, guiltily, "Grease".

Trucker Pete said...

I saw The Lion King performed in Toronto, and it was absolutely brilliant. The costumes, music, everything. Definite must-see.

Jean-Luc Picard said...

Mar, I had just returned from London, having seen 'Mamma Mia' for the second time. The first was about 18 months ago.

Have also seen in the past, 'Anything Goes', 'South Pacific', 'Chicago', 'Phantom' & 'The Rocky Horror Show', 'Joseph'

Have never wanted to see 'Les Miserables' because it looks too depressing.

Anonymous said...

I would LOVE to see the Rocky Horror Show on stage!! Here via Michele's again, have a great sunday!

phoenix said...

Hair is one of my favs and Godspell was the other!

Hi from Michele!

Panthergirl said...

I was going to pick Hair too! I also love Les Mis, and having been married to someone who worked backstage at the Broadway production in the late 80s, I got to hang out downstairs every night. I never got tired of it...ever.

Film version of a musical would have to be Chicago. I think Rob Marshall did an incredible job with that film. I have watched it several times, and am amazed at every perfect nuance each time. Brilliant.

Here via michele!

kenju said...

I've seen Rent, Chicago, Oklahoma,
Miss Saigon, Brigadoon, and a few others I cannot recall now. My favorite so far was Chicago.

I would love to see the Lion King and Mamma Mia!

Michelel sent me.

carmilevy said...

Bizarrely enough, The Sound of Music just does it for me. That's probably because it's a true story that has meaning to so many of us.

Beyond that, though, musicals in general don't make a whole lot of sense to me. Sure, I love the song and dance numbers, but let's be realistic: who among us spontaneously begins to sing at the drop of a hat? If I did that at work, I'm sure I'd be fired. Or shunned.

Unknown said...

The Lion King on stage was great. I loved the costumes.

Visiting again via Michele's!

OldLady Of The Hills said...

What a GREAT Questioin! Having grown up in New York I have seen ..Oh God only knows...how many Original Cast Musicals...probably 50! It's very hard to pick out a favorite because there have been so many many "Highlights", but....the original cast "Oklahoma!", and the original cast "West Side Story"..a true milestone in Musical Theatre...O.C. "Hair"..most exciting at the time....here's a more recent one: the O.C. of "The Secret Garden"..a gorgeous musical score and lovely in every way! I could go on....but it's your nlog! Happy I stopped by!

ribbiticus said...

i've seen miss saigon, rent, beauty and the beast, phantom of the opera & les miserables and loved them all!

i'm hankering to see avenue q and wicked as my friends have given them rave reviews.

michele sent me today. :)

Turtleheart said...

Bob Fosse's ALL THAT JAZZ. Hands down.

Jen said...

I got to see a travelling production of "Hair" in Boulder with the nude scene and everything. It was really impressive. I don't know what they were thinking making the movie out of it, it deviated so far from the story as to miss the point completely.

I also got to see a tour of "Jesus Christ Superstar," in 1995 or so. The same guy was still playing Jesus, but doing quite well. It's odd to see an aging Jesus.

I'd love to see a big production of "Fiddler on the Roof," I've only seen it in community theater.

yellojkt said...

We see 4 or 5 musicals a year. Recent shows on Broadway we've seen with the original casts include (in order of quality)Wicked, Spamalot, Avenue Q, Hairspray, Little Women,, and Thoroughly Modern Mille.

We're going to see Woman in White in about two weeks as well as The Odd Couple (not a musical) with Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane.

I also like local productions. A theater group in Arlington put on Urinetown which was very well done.

Like natasha, I saw Lion King in Toronto. Nearly fell asleep. The costumes were great but the story was like a cartoon. I also saw Mamma Mia in Toronto before it opened in New York.

I was disappointed with the movie version of Chicago but I want to see Rent because it has a lot of the original cast.

michele sent me, but I come here every now and then.

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