<p>It’s always interesting to hear peoples’ opinions. I’m with mtdog, though, in that I think you need to see professional productions of shows in order to have an informed opinion. As much as I love some school shows, and a couple of my Ds, including the one who is now an actor, attended a fabulous arts high school, I have yet to see a high school show that compares to a professional production, if, as Simon Cowell says, I’m being honest.</p>
<p>I’ve seen just about everything onstage in my lifetime so far, and I have favorites like everyone else. My least favorite show was probably Fame: the Musical. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to leaving a show at intermission. High School Musical is a very close second. Third would be Mamma Mia. Just awful. The only reason I went was because I had friends in the show, and even they could not redeem it.</p>
<p>^^^Re: Mamma Mia…I’ve seen it twice and my kids saw it four times ONLY to support friends who were playing one of the leads (have had several friends play the role and so that is the reason for repeat visits). Kinda killed us to spend money to see a show none of us think is that great but gotta support friends. I think it has entertainment value and one can have a fun time, though it is not great theater. Never have seen High School Musical but nobody in my family has any interest in it.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, but I can’t stand Rent or Wicked. I’m just not a fan of the music wih the exception of one or two songs. Also, a big pet peeve of mine is when people put together shows and don’t write their own music for them- like Mama Mia, Roack of Ages, and one show I was in, the classic Back to the 80s! The Totally Awesome Musical (which, I admit was fun to do, but waaayyy to corny.) :)</p>
<p>As for things I do like, two words: Stephen Sondheim!!! Seeing Sondheim on Sondheim was 2 and a half hours of happiness for me.
My Favorites: A Little Night Music, Spring Awakening, Into the Woods, Next to Normal In the Heights, and Evita
(I absolutely love the score of Company, but I haven’t seen it yet, so I’m holding my opinion till then)</p>
<p>my opinions range only from what I have seen, either professionally or regional professional but not equity. If you all think High School Musical is bad - D was in a developmental production of HS Musical 2 - makes the first seem like a master piece. So other than the fact D has madea good bit of money as a HS Musical Cheerleader, I hate them. I also can’t stand Children of Eden - oh and one D’s school did, “Here’s Love”. I think there is a good reason the person who wrote Music Man only had one hit.</p>
<p>As for likes, Cabaret, Ragtime (although the story is convuloted). THere are other “fluffies” that I enjoy a great deal but I do like a srong story.</p>
<p>Well guess I am not too hard to please…I love most shows I see. There are those that I don’t love though…Sweeney Todd is not a favorite due to its macabre nature but there are some great songs in it. South Pacific is a little boring and I really wasn’t crazy about Miss Saigon. But there are several that I Love, Love, Love- (in no particular order):
Wicked, Next to Normal, Les Miz, Evita, Godspell, Crazy for You, King and I. But as I said, I am pretty easy to please. Please be gentle if you disagree with my choices! :)</p>
<p>I consider myself lucky in the sense that I almost always enjoy the shows I see. Certainly, some are much better than others, but I usually can find some redeeming qualities in most shows. </p>
<p>I do have three major pet peeves about some musicals:</p>
<p>(1) When the sound is poor (especially in amateur productions when the singers can’t project).</p>
<p>(2) Overly vulgar shows (I’m not a prude or righteous, but some shows cross the line unnecesarily. I prefer subtlety for adult scenes.)</p>
<p>(3) Leads that are marginal or poor singers. This frustration mainly applies to community shows where politics prevail.</p>
<p>Spring Awakening. My D on the other hand is/was madly in love with it. I was totally appalled and sickened. As a non-musical play I applaud the intent and message and wouldn’t have had that reaction. But as someone who worked for Child Protective Services I just couldn’t fathom a girl singing about Daddy coming in her bedroom every night to molest her. I understand there are strong emotions that lead to singing besides utter ecstasy, joy and love but this particular subject matter I couldn’t get into. At some point my D will probably drag me to it again and maybe I’ll view it differently. </p>
<p>As for love - Les Miserables, Queens Theatre, London - outside of my D on stage it was the most wonderful spellbinding powerful evening of theatre ever.</p>
<p>I have thought about this some more. I have to add to my “dislike” list: Annie, Grease, Music Man and West Side Story. Probably one of my favorites is Ragtime- I love the music, the story, and the energy. (2 of my kids did a regional production of this years ago and both say they have been able to answer history questions correctly after singing parts of the show thru in their heads during tests). This may be a weird one, but I also love Peter Pan- the Mary Martin version; mostly because I remember it fondly from childhood, but partly because my son was Michael in a regional production - he still remembers flying across the stage. That show always takes me back to my childhood- corny I know.</p>
<p>takeitallin… I was going to put Peter Pan… I don’t know why I didn’t. That was probably the first play that I saw (albeit on TV) when I was a kid! I LOVED it!</p>
<p>least favorites: anything by Rodgers & Hammerstein (except Cinderella- I do think that’s a good one), Phantom of the Opera, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, anything along the lines of Mama Mia and All Shook Up, Rent, Wicked, anything Disney</p>
<p>favorites: The Drowsey Chaperone, Spring Awakening, Sweeney Todd, Bare, Aida, Urinetown</p>
<p>Have to chime in here…
Absolutely will never sit through “Once Upon a Mattress”. There is just something about that show and I have even seen it done by a great regional theatre. R & H classics are usually wonderful if the company gets the pacing correct!</p>
<p>Love…Spring Awakening, Lion King, Next to Normal etc…</p>