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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 17:01:43 GMT
Phantom will forever be the musical I will never get around to watching. Phantom is the show I always mean to watch but then new things come out and I keep putting it off!
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Post by mallardo on Aug 3, 2016 17:10:11 GMT
If you haven't seen a show then you don't know if it works or not. I don't understand people deliberately foreclosing their options based on no experience - and being proud of it! Its not a question of it working. It's about whether you find it of any interest or not. You MUST have a filter surely? Otherwise that's like saying you like film and are happy to watch absolutely anything in the genre.
Obviously, I'm more interested in some things than others - but I would never say never, especially to a musical.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 17:39:55 GMT
Wicked phantom les mis thriller American idiot none of these have ever really applied to me personally
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 3, 2016 18:03:54 GMT
Its not a question of it working. It's about whether you find it of any interest or not. You MUST have a filter surely? Otherwise that's like saying you like film and are happy to watch absolutely anything in the genre.
Obviously, I'm more interested in some things than others - but I would never say never, especially to a musical.
Menopause. With Su Pollard.....
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Post by viserys on Aug 3, 2016 18:43:32 GMT
I used to be in the camp of "I'll give everything a chance because you never know how it works live on stage" - but more recently I've shifted into the "Life's too short" camp. What I basically avoid are most jukebox musicals, especially when it's stuff like Motown, Beautiful and Thriller Live that just seems to cobble some hits together and doesn't even bother with a new fresh plot like Mamma mia did.
I don't think I'll ever bother with something by Boublil/Schoenberg again (except Les Mis), whether revivals or if new stuff ever happens. I've also taken an intense dislike to "Pierre, Natasha and the great rubbish" which might be unfair as I haven't seen it live, but it strikes me as taking the worst bits of War and Peace and turning it into some pop music teen soap opera. I had toyed with the idea of somehow going to see it to see Josh Groban in his Broadway debut, but couldn't bring myself to even finish the cast recording.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 18:48:20 GMT
I've also taken an intense dislike to "Pierre, Natasha and the great rubbish" which might be unfair as I haven't seen it live, but it strikes me as taking the worst bits of War and Peace and turning it into some pop music teen soap opera. I had toyed with the idea of somehow going to see it to see Josh Groban in his Broadway debut, but couldn't bring myself to even finish the cast recording. The cast recording for Natasha Pierre is a strange one. A good portion of it is almost unlistenable but then there's songs like 'No One Else' and 'Sonya Alone' that are some of the most gorgeous I've ever heard from a musical. I've only heard/read good things from those that have seen it as well so I assume it's one of those shows where the music works much better in context. I absolutely cannot abide 'The Private and Intimate Life of the House' in any context though.
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Post by viserys on Aug 3, 2016 18:55:23 GMT
Interesting. I'm a big enough Josh Groban fan to buy the new cast recording (I'm pretty certain there will be one!) when it comes out. And I'd maybe give it a chance if/when it turns up in London. But I really couldn't justify the some-hundred-dollars extra costs for a detour through NYC on a big trip next spring (going through Houston instead). Maybe it also depends on how much you know of War and Peace in general? I had just seen the great new BBC adaptation that really impressed and moved me and found the episode that's basically the plot of Natasha Pierre by far the weakest. And to reduce this epic piece of world literature to that just felt wrong to me. But who knows. I think Groban and/or his agent must have had a good reason for him to pick this show.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 18:59:57 GMT
Yes I don't blame you for not wanting to pay the Broadway prices. Not sure if you've seen how much they are but I think they're relying way too much on Groban fans being willing to pay when they can see him in concert for less. I think it's a well-respected show on the New York theatre scene so you're probably right about Groban choosing it for a reason. However, commercially appealing it is not, so we'll have to wait and see if he can sell it.
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Post by crabtree on Aug 3, 2016 19:00:34 GMT
anything by jerry Herman, except Mack and Mabel.
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Post by mallardo on Aug 3, 2016 19:07:02 GMT
I used to be in the camp of "I'll give everything a chance because you never know how it works live on stage" - but more recently I've shifted into the "Life's too short" camp. What I basically avoid are most jukebox musicals, especially when it's stuff like Motown, Beautiful and Thriller Live that just seems to cobble some hits together and doesn't even bother with a new fresh plot like Mamma mia did.
But you lump together three shows that have no relationship to each other apart from their genre and decide not to see any of them. Beautiful is an excellent show - no matter the genre - and you're depriving yourself of a terrific experience at the theatre by prejudging it.
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Post by crabtree on Aug 3, 2016 19:22:12 GMT
and usually, anything (over) produced at the Manchester International Festival - wonder.land anyone. Doctor Dee?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 19:23:16 GMT
Eh, I'm with viserys. I wont see jukebox musicals either. Just like I wont see horror films or try listening to heavy metal. To me, perhaps the main reason I enjoy musicals is because of the way story and plot is told through song. That's why I vastly prefer musicals to plays and why I listen to showtunes more than I listen to any other type of music. I mean if someone offered me a free ticket to Beautiful I'd go, but I'm not paying to see one.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 19:24:18 GMT
Never watched Jersey Boys. Never had the desire to see it either. I doubt I ever will or if I do, it will be because it is closing, which I wouldn't be surprised will happen in the next couple of years.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 19:26:03 GMT
Agree with Hamilton, no interest at all to see it - never fancied it. Don't have any interest in Stomp, Thriller, Curious Incident or Finding Neverland either I feel you on Stomp, Thriller was fun (though I was a tad tipsy haha), Curious is stunning and I would totally return to 10x over! and I have been waiting desperately on Finding Neverland hahaha.
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Post by poster J on Aug 3, 2016 19:31:31 GMT
Book of Mormon - I don't see the appeal (and I hated South Park when it was on) Kinky Boots - again, doesn't appeal Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - also doesn't appeal Jersey Boys - family and friends put me off it after saying it was rubbish! Billy Elliot - I never got around to seeing it before it closed Stomp - self-explanatory Thriller - ditto Motown - ditto again
I haven't yet seen The Bodyguard but do plan on getting around to it during its current run.
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Post by alece10 on Aug 3, 2016 19:31:42 GMT
Lion King Mamma Mia Billy Elliott The Mousetrap Or any of the jukebox musicals
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Post by viserys on Aug 3, 2016 19:39:18 GMT
Eh, I'm with viserys. I wont see jukebox musicals either. Just like I wont see horror films or try listening to heavy metal. To me, perhaps the main reason I enjoy musicals is because of the way story and plot is told through song. That's why I vastly prefer musicals to plays and why I listen to showtunes more than I listen to any other type of music. I mean if someone offered me a free ticket to Beautiful I'd go, but I'm not paying to see one. Thanks. You basically wrote what I would have written as well. Additionally, when it comes to Beautiful, they don't do cheap day seats (which might entice me to give it a go) and someone whose opinion I value didn't like it at all.
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Post by CBP1 on Aug 3, 2016 19:40:41 GMT
Additionally, when it comes to Beautiful, they don't do cheap day seats (which might entice me to give it a go) and someone whose opinion I value didn't like it at all. The box office will do you a cheap seat if you pop in and ask nicely though.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 3, 2016 20:03:08 GMT
and usually, anything (over) produced at the Manchester International Festival - wonder.land anyone. Doctor Dee? Manchester dwellers who favour black polo necks and man-bags are recoiling at this...
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Post by viserys on Aug 3, 2016 20:06:13 GMT
Additionally, when it comes to Beautiful, they don't do cheap day seats (which might entice me to give it a go) and someone whose opinion I value didn't like it at all. The box office will do you a cheap seat if you pop in and ask nicely though. OK, thanks, I'll keep that in mind
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Post by Phantom of London on Aug 3, 2016 20:12:09 GMT
eh, very much with Mallardo on this one, why pre judge something, some of the best things I have seen are when my expectations have been low.
However I can understand this, if getting to thye theatre is expensive i.e. travel fares and hotels or you're on a meagre low budget.
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Post by The Matthew on Aug 3, 2016 20:42:19 GMT
eh, very much with Mallardo on this one, why pre judge something, some of the best things I have seen are when my expectations have been low. What's the point of having preferences if you're not going to use them to decide what to do? The logic you're trying to apply here is the sort used by the most numbingly boring and tedious of fans, who suffer from the delusion that the things they love are objectively the best of all possible things and so if you don't love them as well it must be because you haven't been subjected to the right persuasion and if they just try hard enough you'll see the light and become a fan too. But it doesn't work that way: often the very aspect of something the fan loves is the aspect that others view with ineffable loathing. For me an example would be a horror movie: it's no good trying to persuade me that any particular horror movie is worth a try because of its especially good characterisation or remarkable effects or intricate plot twists, because the thing that puts me off it isn't the possibility of poor characterisation or shoddy effects or simplistic storytelling. What puts me off is that it's a ****ing horror movie. There's nothing unknown about it I might like that counteracts the thing I do know about it that I hate. Usually, low expectations are low for a reason, and that reason has nothing to do with not knowing what to expect.
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Post by theatrefan25 on Aug 3, 2016 21:13:27 GMT
Jersey Boys, Thriller, Once, not overly keen on seeing Phantom...
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Post by theatrefan25 on Aug 3, 2016 21:15:03 GMT
Book of Mormon - I don't see the appeal (and I hated South Park when it was on) Kinky Boots - again, doesn't appeal Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - also doesn't appeal Jersey Boys - family and friends put me off it after saying it was rubbish! Billy Elliot - I never got around to seeing it before it closed Stomp - self-explanatory Thriller - ditto Motown - ditto again I haven't yet seen The Bodyguard but do plan on getting around to it during its current run. Out of all of those I would recommend you try and catch Kinky Boots (maybe a £20 day seat if you don't think you'll be keen.) The idea of it didn't appeal to me but I ended up loving it and it's in my top 5 shows Sorry for the double post.
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Post by kathryn on Aug 3, 2016 22:18:20 GMT
The Lion King, because nearly every account of it seems to begin with "The first few minutes are good, but". I second this.
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Post by mallardo on Aug 3, 2016 22:59:50 GMT
The Lion King, because nearly every account of it seems to begin with "The first few minutes are good, but". I second this. So you're accepting other opinions as correct and, presumably, will never know - or care - whether or not they sync up with yours.
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Post by Phantom of London on Aug 3, 2016 23:00:30 GMT
eh, very much with Mallardo on this one, why pre judge something, some of the best things I have seen are when my expectations have been low. What's the point of having preferences if you're not going to use them to decide what to do? The logic you're trying to apply here is the sort used by the most numbingly boring and tedious of fans, who suffer from the delusion that the things they love are objectively the best of all possible things and so if you don't love them as well it must be because you haven't been subjected to the right persuasion and if they just try hard enough you'll see the light and become a fan too. But it doesn't work that way: often the very aspect of something the fan loves is the aspect that others view with ineffable loathing. For me an example would be a horror movie: it's no good trying to persuade me that any particular horror movie is worth a try because of its especially good characterisation or remarkable effects or intricate plot twists, because the thing that puts me off it isn't the possibility of poor characterisation or shoddy effects or simplistic storytelling. What puts me off is that it's a ****ing horror movie. There's nothing unknown about it I might like that counteracts the thing I do know about it that I hate. Usually, low expectations are low for a reason, and that reason has nothing to do with not knowing what to expect. But theatre is a particular hobby all about challenging your perceptions isn't it? Horror movies is about genre of film, it's like me saying you like musicals, so you must go and see a opera.
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Post by kathryn on Aug 3, 2016 23:24:56 GMT
So you're accepting other opinions as correct and, presumably, will never know - or care - whether or not they sync up with yours. Yes. In a life where I have neither infinite time nor infinite money, it's the best method of triage I have. Naturally I have assessed the taste of the people who have said this and judged it to more or less align with mine. When people who I regularly disagree with hate something that won't stop me seeing it.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Aug 3, 2016 23:45:53 GMT
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Post by The Matthew on Aug 4, 2016 4:47:56 GMT
So you're accepting other opinions as correct and, presumably, will never know - or care - whether or not they sync up with yours. You're conflating two different situations in an attempt to defend your point. If there are a wide variety of different views of something about which you have no personal knowledge then it would be silly to pick the most negative ones and assume they represent the one and only truth, but nobody here is claiming to do that. It's a different matter when nearly everyone is reporting the same thing, and especially so when it's an objective fact about a production. People can't see and do everything there is to be seen and done. Nobody here will believe for a moment that you don't combine your personal experience and preferences with what you know about a production when deciding what to see, so stop trying to claim that everyone else is being narrow-minded for using their own experience and preferences to choose how to spend their own time.
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