<p>Until watching the Tony's last night, I was blissfully unaware of "Rock of Ages," which in my opinion, seems to be the most egregious in an ever growing line of "let's repackage some old popular songs with a loose script and call it a musical" productions. Yes these productions do fill the seats, but are they really theatre? </p>
<p>Maybe I'm being really old fashioned, but this genre doesn't strike me as musical theatre and could certainly become the death knell for original productions where book, lyrics and music are interwoven together as a conscious act and not a matter of convenience. </p>
<p>Stoking the nostalgia fires may be a good formula for commercial success, but I'd say such productions could inhibit the creation of novel musical theatre.</p>
<p>I watched the Tonys and enjoyed them a lot. I have not seen Rock of Ages on Broadway. I must admit, after watching this excerpt, that I did not care for Rock of Ages and it just was not what I think of in terms of a Broadway musical. However, I don’t AT ALL see how one can jump from that opinion of Rock of Ages to “Is Musical Theatre seeing its demise?” !!! </p>
<p>The other shows all looked very good to me. I actually just saw both Billy Elliot and Hair on Broadway and both were wonderful. One thing I have always liked about Broadway is the wide array of styles of musicals that exist. I appreciate this wide array myself. But also different things appeal to different people. I believe some really enjoy Rock of Ages and so I have no problem with it even if the excerpt I saw was not my taste. There are plenty of shows I DO like. </p>
<p>I also like both traditional musicals (which are often revived on Broadway) AND many of the new contemporary shows being created in musical theater. I love both. I also love creativity and innovation.</p>
<p>You also wrote:
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<p>I love the creation of novel musical theater! But I am not against using material that already exists. While I may not like Rock of Ages, I saw Movin’ Out and LOVED it. My kids have seen Jersey Boys and so did my mother and all loved it and I would love to see that too. I don’t have a blanket all or nothing view of this and it depends on the show.</p>
<p>Look at which shows won Best Musical the past several years. </p>
<p>Billy Elliot is novel musical theater with an original score, but is based on a movie. The show is great in my opinion. </p>
<p>In the Heights is novel musical theater with an original score and book. I loved it.</p>
<p>Spring Awakening is novel musical theater with an original score but it is based on a very old play. I saw it and enjoyed the creativity behind this production.</p>
<p>Jersey Boys is novel musical theater where the book is original but based on a true story and the music already existed. I haven’t seen it but hear it is great.</p>
<p>Next to Normal won a lot of recognition last night and it is a totally new production. It came out of regional theater and then went to Broadway.</p>
<p>My daughter is a harsh critic and she really enjoyed Rock of Ages. She said it’s not a typical jukebox musical, the worst of which was Good Vibrations (remarkable only for the way the actors danced in flip flops). All the same, there needs to be many kinds of shows that appeal to many kinds of crowds. Rock of Ages might get someone into the theatre who last saw Brigadoon in high school and decided they hated musicals…they then get into a conversation at work with a theatre buff who says that if you liked THAT show, you might like THIS show…and then the audience for ALL theatre expands. I have many times said NO WAY will I see that dumb show (Legally Blonde, Hairspray) and then I went and I enjoyed myself. Hair wasn’t Grey Gardens or Next to Normal, but I don’t need to be moved to tears EVERY time I go to the theatre. </p>
<p>By the way, wasn’t Anything Goes a repackaged assortment of songs with a loose script?</p>
<p>Hairspray a “dumb show?” Rip my heart out of my chest and stamp on it, why dontcha? Hairspray is one of the best musicals I have ever seen. I absolutely love it.</p>
<p>It does however, seem that a lot of what passes for singing these days sounds like controlled yelling. With Rock of Ages, there was just more of it!</p>
<p>While not the topic necessarily…Skwidjymom, I agree that I don’t need to be moved to tears every show I see on Broadway. That said, I WAS moved to tears near the end of Hair. </p>
<p>I also don’t mind light hearted shows for their entertainment value. I did not get to see Hairspray on Broadway, though my kids did, but know enough about the show and movie to say that I like it as it has good music and I think the story has some value too.</p>
<p>I have seem some fluffy shows that are not my faves but are still enjoyable. Xanadu comes to mind. I prefer a better story than that s how but still had fun. It doesn’t compare to…let’s say, Ragtime or Chorus Line for me in terms of the book/score, but I enjoy most Broadway shows. Perhaps I’m a sucker. :D</p>
<p>ccsmom, I did not care for what I saw on the Rock of Ages clip. But I do think that a lot of contemporary musicals with a rock/pop score are GREAT…such as RENT or Spring Awakening. And many can and do sing with a great rock/pop voice without yelling. I did not really care for the music in the Rock of Ages excerpt myself but I do like many contemporary rock/pop musical theater shows and scores. My D is gonna be performing in the concert version of a new rock musical (original score) in a couple of weeks in NYC and I have listened to the CD recording she was on of this musical last summer and I REALLY like the music.</p>
<p>I have to agree with what others have said that if it gets people in to the theatre and they like it then they may be more willing to try to see a more original musical. There are some shows that will always be geared more to the tourist crowd than those nearer to NYC that frequent Broadway, but I believe that theatre needs both of these to survive.</p>
<p>I was glad to see that Next to Normal won for music as I love the songs from this show. I also would see Billy Elliot if I were going to be in NYC this summer. We loved both In the Heights and Spring Awakening.</p>
<p>Here is SoCal we have The First Wives Club starting next month at the Old Globe which is based on the movie. Then in November we have Bonnie and Clyde coming to the La Jolla Playhouse which is not based on the movie.</p>
<p>I LOVE those all those shows you mention (I live in the midwest but managed to see the original cast of Spring Awakening on Broadway five times–it was so incredibly inventive and moving with a wonderful score) and Hair in Central Park was divine! But those shows all allow for some variance in emotions and therefore volume–it’s not a contant of “how loud can you sing.” I had planned to see Rock of Ages at some point as it did get a good review but the bit they showed on the Tony’s did not incent me to buy tickets (and isn’t that the point of the Tony’s?). Maybe they were just having sound problems. Still it does seem legit singing with a range of emotion is somewhat taking a back seat to belting (thanks American Idol!).</p>
<p>ccsmom…I love the legit MT songs very much and always will. I also love the contemporary musical theater songs and ones that have belting. A lot of musicals these days (that are not revivals) are using the contemporary/rock/pop voice. I can’t complain, as that happens to be my MT kid’s forte and so it is good for her if musicals have belty pop/rock songs, LOL. So, I have a personal bias!</p>
<p>Not sure if all of you are aware or not but if you’re talking about the Bret Michaels performance with Poison, they are not actually in Rock of Ages. They were there to perform with the cast of ROA. </p>
<p>As far as MT seeing its demise? It’s an age old question and it gets asked every year right after the Tonys. Original musicals are wonderful and we should all applaud those that make it to professional productions. Sadly, most don’t because they’re too darn expensive to produce and in these economic times, producers are mostly unwilling to invest in something that isn’t a show like Shrek or Little Mermaid, shows which, in my opinion, leave much to be desired. That’s the thing, though, we all have opinions about the kinds of shows we like and what I don’t like, others likely do! It’s why Mamma Mia (ugh) has been so successful for so long. Fortunately, there is almost always a variety of shows on Broadway.</p>
<p>NMR, you know I love you…I said Hairspray and Legally Blonde were dumb BEFORE I saw them…I was very pleasantly surprised that they were both pretty good.</p>
<p>alwaysamom - Thanks for the clarification on that performance which explains why it sounded the way it did. I did want to see Rock of Ages but I doubt I will be going to any Poison concerts anytime soon!</p>
<p>Shows what I know! I have never even heard of “Poison”!! :D</p>
<p>For that matter, many people watching, like myself, would have assumed every performer was in the cast of Rock of Ages. </p>
<p>Then again, I knew when I saw the number from 9 to 5, that Dolly Parton is NOT in the cast. But silly me, I have never heard of Poison and would not have recognized the performer!</p>
<p>I thought last night’s Tony was the best I have seen yet. Made me want to go see a lot all over again! I just would have chosen a different production piece for Billy… Solildarity is to f@## bomb-y, but I would have enjoyed Shine!</p>
<p>I was able to get tickets for Curtain and 39 Steps very inexpensively and I enjoyed both very much. Purely entertaining; not life changing. If I had to pay full price, I would have missed both and two fun evenings. (Oops, 39 Steps was NOT MT, but fun anyway!)</p>
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Original musicals are wonderful and we should all applaud those that make it to professional productions. Sadly, most don’t because they’re too darn expensive to produce and in these economic times, producers are mostly unwilling to invest in something that isn’t a show like Shrek or Little Mermaid, shows which, in my opinion, leave much to be desired. That’s the thing, though, we all have opinions about the kinds of shows we like and what I don’t like, others likely do! It’s why Mamma Mia (ugh) has been so successful for so long. Fortunately, there is almost always a variety of shows on Broadway.</p>