I have written a book about musicals, but not in a film studies type way. It’s about why I love them and why those of my friends who don’t also love them, hate them. The divide is roughly 50/50. People keep asking me what my favourite musical is and I tend to say Show Boat because it’s less obvious than Guys and Dolls and I love a good tragedy. I don’t like the Sound of Music. I don’t like Grease or Rent, either. So you see, the book is not without controversy. I saw Wicked just before Christmas and thought it was like going to the panto. How do the cast members memorise songs with so little tune in them?
By emmabrockes
January 20, 2007 at 11:42 pm
I too am enamoured with musicals. However, I don’t think I count as a biddy as I also collect newer composers like Jason Robert Brown and Andrew Lippa. Does that make me a nouveau biddy?
Amongst my prize possessions are my VHS copy of the 1995 Donmar Warehouse revival of company, the original LP of the OBC of West Side Story and for Secret Santa present I got the 1998 National recording of Oklahoma! Hugh Jackman rocked!
January 21, 2007 at 9:56 am
You put me to shame – I’m so far behind the nouveau movement it’s embarrassing. Did Sam Mendes have something to do with the Company revival? I am listening to a lot more Sondheim than I used to. He takes some getting into, don’t you think, but then it clicks and he’s great.
January 23, 2007 at 1:26 pm
I got introduced to Sondheim at an early age by my dad. Indoctrinated might be a better word. This was brilliant, because it meant I could go around turning my nose up at Andrew Lloyd Webber from the age of about twelve.
Re Company: Adrian Lester. ‘Nuff said.
January 26, 2007 at 8:47 pm
Yes, Sam Mendes directed a few musicals before Hollywood took him away. Amongst them were Company, Adrian Lester was beautiful in it. He also did another Sondheim: Into The Woods, Sophie Thompson won the Olivier for playing The Baker’s Wife. Also had a wee Sheridan Smith in it as Red Riding Hood pre 2 Pints of Lager. He also directed Caberet which transferred to Broadway and won a shedload of awards. Shame he doesn’t direct musicals anymore.
(
Sondheim done well is excellent, but it’s oh so easy to do badly. Give Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years a whirl. Again takes getting used to but is very touching.
Anyone hear that they are remaking Carousel. Hugh Jackman’s playing the lead. Yum!
Actually I had an odd musicals moment today. I was watching London News on BBC and they did a feature on the BAC’s threatened closure. Gave me a shock when the played a clip of me doing a musical there! Hehehe.
January 27, 2007 at 12:39 pm
I’m not sure I’m qualified to contribute, although maybe I’m a dormant biddy – minimal knowledge but do often find myself bursting into “Whip-crack-away” when doing the washing up? (Wow, which musical were you in)?
Reading the extract from the book in last Saturday’s Guardian I remembered how entranced I was by musicals as I was growing up. It wasn’t just the dexterity of the dancing (Gene Kelly on roller skates in “Its Always Fair Weather) or the music, but those stories of alleged ugly ducklings turning into beautiful (albeit male-idealised, ultra cinch-waisted) swans. There was Calamity Jane removing her cloak to gasps of delight in the Black Hills of Dakota, there was Cyd Charisse coming in from the cold with her silk stockings and….and here it gets shamefully sugary, minor and plain dud, I loved the tomboy transformations in “On Moonlight Bay”, “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”, even Cinderalla emerging in candy floss wig to meet Richard Chamberlain (surely wearing eye liner) in “The Slipper and the Rose” (I said it got dud, please don’t mock)
Being on the ug duck side myself I think I thought that if I burst into song in the Black Hills of Catford suddenly there would be a queue waiting to fill in my dance card! Do you think there is something about musicals that lends them to this kind of transformation story (I can feel a burst of “I feel pretty” coming on)?
January 28, 2007 at 2:06 pm
It’s ok Barbara, I feel quite the same just across the way from you in Honor Oak Park….
January 29, 2007 at 11:06 am
The weirdest thing about the Slipper and the Rose is that Annette “Mrs Meldrew” Crosbie was the Fairy Godmother. She did an excellent job as I remember. The film strained so hard to disguise the fact it was made in the 70s, but you only had to look at Chamberlain’s mullet.
Have you noticed Sophie Thompson has rocked up in Eastenders, btw? I liked her in Gwyneth Paltrow’s otherwise terrible version of Emma.
I’d love it if they did a new Carousel. You can imagine how CGI-ified the version of heaven would be, compared to the stars-on-strings look of the 50s film.
January 29, 2007 at 8:36 pm
Yes Annette Crosbie was the best thing in it…apart from the dog maybe. Apparently it was Margaret Lockwood’s last film, which must have been depressing for her (but who am I kidding, its a guilty secret pleasure of mine).
Onto the infinitely classier Sophie Thompson…I seem to remember she was really good in a BBC adaptation of Persuasion too, she could justify the price of the TV licence alone!
January 30, 2007 at 11:15 am
Oh wow, I can come out of the closet. I fell in love with The Slipper and the Rose, and Richard Chamberlain (although my mother was in love with him first aka Dr Kildare, and neither of us guessed he was gay!) Musicals have ruled my life, my fave albums are Barbra’s Broadway and Back to Broadway. I have most of HMV’s musical catalogue on DVD. I’m afraid I have managed to brainwash both of my children. My 19 year old son can name which musical a song came from, and my 15 year old daughter sings them. She has actually won 3 singing competitions with songs from the shows, and loves listening to Barbra too. Looking forward to reading the book!
January 30, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Richard Chamberlain is gay? Man, I am so behind the times. (I only found out Stevie Wonder was blind when I was 19). I love that you have indoctrinated your kids; it’s the only way. How do you feel about Yentl? It’s the big divide, Babs’ fan-wise. I have friends who can tolerate her in anything, but not in that. I have devoted many pages of the book to my half-satirical love for it, of course.
January 30, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Love Yentl. But then I also love the 1970’s musical version of Lost Horizon. Really any film where they break out in song just for the hell of it is good. The Buffy episode where they kept breaking out into song was good too. My daughter love’s “The Way We Were”, both the film and the song (which she has sung – I got her a great CD with backing tracks.) It would be very difficult to state my favourite musical. Both my kids love musical theatre and are involved with a Youth Theatre Group. Last summer they put on Romeo and Juliet, which they wrote and devised in 2 weeks, both of them writing and singing their own songs. But I guess it’s genetic!
January 31, 2007 at 6:12 am
I love Yentl, but I wouldn’t say it’s a musical – no proper dancing and she;s the only one who sings. And those are more like soliloquoys. I must say, I love the young biddy label! To wear with pride, methinks.
February 8, 2007 at 11:37 am
Can a man join in? I’ve been listening to Radio 4 adaptation of What Would Barbra Do and laughing, nodding and hugging myself with the sheer joy of it.
If you found it hard to admit you love musicals, how do you think we chaps feel, especially we old, straight chaps. I was in my 50s before I realised the connection between gay men and musicals and by that time too many women had corrupted me:-)
I was raised on Fred Astaire & Ms Rogers and once wanted to be Tommy Steele (how about that for a confession?). I love Streisand, she was the woman that taught me that conventional beauty isn’t nearly as beautiful as it’s made out to be. And that voice.
Fantastic book. You should be very proud of yourself.
February 8, 2007 at 11:49 am
Hi Richard! The first posting from a bona fide man – and I don’t even know you! Thanks for saying such lovely things about the book. See, we had an old LP of the soundtrack to Half a Sixpence at home when I was growing up, but somewhere along the line I got Tommy Steele mixed up with Tommy Cooper and wouldn’t go near it. It feels too late now.
My musicals-related thought of the morning has to do with Lionel Bart dying in poverty, because (so I’ve heard) he signed away his copyright to Oliver! for a small one off fee. I have no idea if it’s true.
February 9, 2007 at 9:16 am
I’ve done some research and according to the Internet Movie Database website (imdb) and others he signed away the rights to Oliver! to finance “Twang” a musical based on Robin Hood. It was a flop and he lost £100m as well as the rights to Oliver! In 1994, Cameron Mackinstosh, who then owned half the rights, revived Oliver! at the London Palladium and gave Bart a share in the production royalties.
February 9, 2007 at 10:19 am
It’s never too late to visit Half a Sixpence – classic boy gets above himself, deserts childhood sweetheart for posh ‘lady’ but finally sees sense and returns to love of his life when ‘two half sixpences, joined together, make one.’
The stage show was better than the movie – Flash! Bang! Wallop! What a Picture! was stunning, one of those numbers that make you marvel at the cast and believe life can be FUN
I felt vindicated in my admiration of Tommy Steele when both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly reckoned he was special.
I’d heard the Lionel Bart story. It’s a tragedy. The only reason I ever wanted to be a woman – it’s much easier being a man – was to be able to sing Oom-pah-pah. But as I can’t carry a tune, the pain of the operation would have been wasted
February 9, 2007 at 8:34 pm
I don’t mean to keep bringing it back to Catford (especially now that I’ve moved to green and leafy Beckenham…although I’m sure the people in the Waitrose can tell I’m a little bit SE6) but Tommy Steele did actually live in Catford for a little while!
I’d heard the Lionel Bart story too…my Mum and Dad met working backstage at Unity Theatre in the 70s, and he had been associated it with it, so I’d heard the story through them. Infact I rang my mum to ask if she had any juicy ancedotes about him but apparently she never actually knew him….I don’t know, they get you into muscials your parents then fail to deliver on the details….And I agree, I think it always is a matter of your parents getting you into them – when you’ve been partly mesmerised partly petrified by hearing the helium-infused soundtrack to The Boyfriend played around the house when you’re five it can only leave an impression whether for good or bad.
I also know what you mean about seeing a stage number that is totally transporting, the version of “Sit down your rocking the boat” in the current Guys and Dolls in London is a real show stealer.
February 12, 2007 at 8:56 am
I suppose my mother did have a very battered (well once my sisters and I had finished playing it over and over again) LP of the film soundtrack of The King and I. However the dancing school I went to always put on a great show each year, and when you’ve blasted out ‘That’s Entertainment’ or ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses’ to open (what a complete thrill that was) and tapped your way through ‘Putin’ on the Ritz’ and performed a great routine to ‘The Rhythm of Life’, you’re obviously hooked for life!!
February 13, 2007 at 7:11 pm
My sister and I read your piece in the Gaurdian and thought it was positvely the most fantastic thing we’d ever read.Finally somebody had put into words why exactly musicals are essence of happiness and should be referred to at any time of crisis.We promtly forced my parents-they gave up all hope last year when i spent 50 cuid on a Fred and Ginger boxset.Fantastic!-to read it.They still dont get it but for some people there is no hope.
I too had the problem of admitting to my love of musicals always trying to fob people off with a vague ‘eh jazz’.Now at the grown up age of 18 I just admit to loving Liza and watch them edge away slowly.
Oh and i just saw the Tee-shirt.I’ll swap you for the one I made that says’Cher Is My Rolemodel’;-)
February 13, 2007 at 8:21 pm
I HAVE TO HAVE THAT T-SHIRT.
Thinking about it, Cher would’ve made a credible musicals heroine, if only she’d wrapped up a bit warmer and hadn’t posed that time with a python around her neck.
Am v glad that you and your sister have chosen the path of righteousness like this. The Fred and Ginger box-set is great, isn’t it. Have you watched all the bonus material with Fred’s slightly creepy daughter Ava on it? She’s botoxed up to the eye-balls and looks as if she’s wandering around the set of the Shining.
Barbara – re: Tommy Steele living in Catford, does anyone know if it’s true that Bob Dylan has a house in Crouch End? That’s what I heard. There’s a Dylan musical in the pipeline btw, which will probably be embarrassing for everyone.
February 15, 2007 at 9:49 am
Please don’t let them make a musical of Dylan. It’s a left-brain, right-brain thing with me and I don’t want my escapism mixed up with my angry old git.
Anyway, what choreographer could come up with a show stopper to Subterranean Homesick Blues?
When I eventually get round to writing my autobiography – strictly for the grandchildren – it will be entitled To Dance Beneath the Diamond Sky
February 15, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Yeah, and who would they get to play him….or would it actually BE him? What if they got someone totally inappropriate just because they were American and could allegedly sing a bit, like David Soul….though actually Paul Michael Glaser could almost look the part after some “wardrobe”???
Under the “Urban Legends” heading on the entry for Crouch End on Wikipedia there is a story about Bob Dylan trying to visit Dave Stewart in his studio in Crouch End but the taxi driver dropping him off by accident on the adjacent Crouch End Hill….and then by another amazing and hilarious (!) similar name incident the husband of the woman who lived at the address Dylan had been given was also called Dave, so when Bob asked “is Dave in” she just said he wasn’t at the moment but invited him in for a cup of tea…and it wasn’t until 20 minutes later they all realised he actaully wanted Dave the record producer rather than Dave the plumber. Think this must be his connection with the place as can’t see any internet stuff saying he actually lived there.
February 15, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Hmmm..Cher circa ‘Tea With Mussollini’ would of made fantastic musical material but Cher in ‘Stuck On You’ not so fantastic.Then again Barbra in ‘Funny Girl’,genius but Barbra in ‘The Mirror Has Two Faces’…well.
Also on the Dylan thing I heard Cate Blanchett was playing him in a new movie,wonder if she can sing?
February 24, 2007 at 11:23 am
Ms Brockes, I think I might sue.
I have now bought and am reading the book and find myself going round for much of the time humming – off key – songs from the shows. Today I can’t get ‘I’m in love with a wonderful guy’ out of my head.
This not only has one or two of my more butch neighbours anxious about my sexuality but is also not the behaviour expected of a 61 year old man who, by now, should have more gravitas.
Damn you for making me as corny as Kansas in August (what does that mean?)
Richard
February 27, 2007 at 10:41 am
Yay! Thanks Richard – my work here is done! Now all you have to do is convert the neighbours…
February 27, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Emma – Just bought (and read in one sitting your book) which was fantastic and laugh out loud funny – especially the stuff about Barbra in Yentl and Xanadu…….
Always had a soft spot for (mainstream) musicals after being dragged to see the Sound Of Music by a Petula Clarke obsessed father as a child – don’t ask!
Also really LOVE Les Mis and Phantom and some of the more mainstream older stuff Wizard Of Oz, Carbaret, Funny Girl, Hello Dolly, Gypsy etc plus Barbra’s disco stuff, ‘Liza with a Z’ and I know Him So Well’…
Think I need to do some research into some of the other musicals from the Golden Era. Any suggestions of a Starter For Ten list??
Andy
PS – Am currently torturing my colleagues at work by playing ‘I Get A Kick Out Of You’ Elaine Paige from 1989 Original Cast Recording of Anything Goes….!
February 28, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Hi Andy. Am so glad you liked the book – thank you! Do you ever listen to Elaine Paige’s really wacko show on Radio 2 on a Sunday afternoon? Her broadcasting style is…unique. Every time she plays a hit from a musical and there’s a choice between playing the version laid down by the person who made it famous, and Elaine’s own version, she always plays her own. It’s priceless. There’s a definite touch of the Joan Crawfords going on there.
I’ll whack a top ten Golden Era list up the top in a new posting…
March 2, 2007 at 9:18 am
Being cynical, consider the fact that every time one of her recordings is played she receives royalties. Could it be that she is just topping up her BBC fee?!
Nearly finished the book, I identify with so much. Annoying my husband by constantly chuckling in recognition.
March 2, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Highlight of the show is definately when she chuckles and snorts on air.Classic!
The book is being bought tomorrow as a special present from me to me,can’t wait.
March 5, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Re: Elain Paige – Can’t wait to listen to her on radio 2 – sounds hilarious.
Probably has more to do with meglomania than tan anything else… will definitely be tuned in on Sunday!
March 9, 2007 at 2:10 pm
If anyone is looking for a book with great photos. plot synopsis etc can I recommend “Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time” available from Amazon. It is visually lush and great for just dipping in to. It includes pictures from the film versions as well as the stage productions.
March 11, 2007 at 4:10 pm
That book sounds brilliant! Did anyone else see the little piece in yessterday’s Guardian about artistic interests of MPs? The paper had asked key MPs which plays, films or concerts they had recently attended. Apparently the more senior the MP the more likely there were to enjoy musicals! It quotes Sir Menzies Campbell as being “a big fan” having recently seen Porgy and Bess and Guys and Dolls. And, um, John Prescott also reported going to Phantom of the Opera and Billy Elliot.
March 14, 2007 at 10:04 am
Elaine Paige annoys the hell out of me. She’s good when it’s press night, she’s good when she’s broadcasting but if you get her in a show midweek, the woman is lazy. Sliding notes all over the place! Grrrr!
March 21, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Hullo. Thanks to your book, I have dug out ‘Feed The Birds’ from Mary Poppins for a good cry and will probably play it during my DJ stints at show tune-friendly London club nights like “Beautiful & Damned’ and ‘Loss’.
Re your Sondheim interlude. Did you Russell Davies’s Sondheim edition on his Radio 2 show, where each weekend he features a particular lyricist? He shares your opinion that Sondheim has an elitist, private club feeling to his stuff. Despite this, he played an hour’s worth of Sondheim, punctuated with remarks like ‘Well, I STILL don’t quite like him, but this song is quite good, I suppose…”
March 21, 2007 at 10:24 pm
Man, I need to come to one of your club nights. Where you on? I’d love to see what a room full of people does with Feed the Birds.
I didn’t hear the Russell Davies; poor old Sondheim, he must get sick of all that who-does-he-think-he-is-ery. I’m pretty into him now, although i’m still not quite ready for Pacific Overtures…
Incidentally, I interviewed the great grandchildren of Captain Von Trapp this morning for radio 4 – in the time honoured tradition of child exploitation and the musical, they are touring as a band, singing Austrian folk songs of yesteryear and of course all the songs from the Sound of Music. Their mother hovered in the wings, as mothers in these situations are wont to do. The kids are “home-schooled.” You get the picture.
March 22, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I heard the piece. Those kids sounded about as far away from the original von Trapp children as I am from Mr Universe.
I just love America but sometimes their children get me down. I think it’s a lack of sense of history or just their sheer joy at being American
Richard
April 15, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Dear Emma,
I enjoyed your book, but I can’t but feel a tad worried that I could identify most of the references from Mary Poppins. I hadn’t, however, picked up self-amortizing canals. My favourite line is “railways through Africa” – it sounds so adventurous and exotic.
I saw Poppins on its original release, aged five, having stood in a queue so long that I did not know if we would get in. I fell so in love with it and, I guess the muisical genre that I saved all my pocket money to buy the cast album at a cost of £32/6 (now about £1.60).
As to Elaine Paige, her laugh should be surgically removed and you’re right about her choice of material – usually the worst recording of almost everything.
I hope your book sells loads and you make a shed load of money.
What is “A funny thing happened to Mabel from”?
Best Wishes,
Nigel
April 22, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Hi again. I thought you might like to see this email I just received. Definitely an event Emma should attend
From: Antoine Capet
Subject: Call for Papers. Conference « The Musical in the English-Speaking
World »
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2007 23:20:28 +0200
Call for Papers. Conference « The Musical in the English-Speaking World »,
organized by the LSA Research Group, University of Caen/Lower Normandy, 16 &
17 November 2007
Arising from the encounter between American and European musical traditions,
the musical became a typically American genre at the turn of the 20st
century, conveying an enthusiastic and confident if not chauvinistic vision
of American society at a time when it went through great transformations-the
massive arrival immigrant populations and the challenge of living together,
nationwide economic and industrial expansion, the development of the great
cities and the emergence of a distinct American architectural, visual and
musical aesthetics emancipated from European models. In an attempt to bridge
a gap in research on the topic, this conference will look at the visions of
English-speaking societies conveyed by the musicals and the means used by
this genre to reflect this optimistic vision of society from the Roaring
Twenties onwards to which it contributes. It will also look at the various
directions taken by the musical comedy in the United States, Great Britain
and other English-speaking countries, and the evolutions of the genre
itself. Other topics may include the study of the libretti, the lives of the
authors, producers and actors involved, and the locations associated to the
genre such as the West End Theatre in London or Broadway. Finally,
contributors may analyse the vision cast by the most recent manifestations
on the genre and more largely on the history of the country with which it
has been closely associated. The themes proposed here will eventually enable
this research group to analyze to what extent the musical has throughout the
twentieth century been used as a propaganda instrument on both sides of the
Atlantic.
Contacts : gcouderc@club-internet.fr, alexandra.slaby@unicaen.fr
April 23, 2007 at 8:01 am
bloody hell. bring it on! Thanks for this, Richard. You sort of want there to be a compulsory fancy dress element to the conference, don’t you…
April 27, 2007 at 10:26 am
I think you should go along dressed as Mary Poppins or, if you really want to make an impact, something from the Rocky Horror Show.
Enough of my fantasies
July 27, 2007 at 8:21 pm
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September 15, 2007 at 1:21 am
u are a filty bitch……….what lies u spout
September 15, 2007 at 1:24 am
do u still ‘write’ for the warmongering rag, guardian? just what are they guarding, from who, and for who?
who are u going to stich up today?
September 15, 2007 at 1:51 am
u graduated from oxford! that makes u think as shit. u have been taught, you haven’t “learnt” anything. oops, an irresponsible use of quotation marks, mustn’t do that again.
October 8, 2007 at 9:57 am
Hi Emma and all,
Emma, I just bought your book yesterday and began to read it that night. I am loving it! I am finding myself within this book being a big musical lover. My mother introduced me to The Wizard of Oz at an early age, it grew from there, deep in the denial closet until I was old enough to not care what others thought of my tastes only to discover friends of like minds!. Mary Poppins is one of my all time favourites! I can’t stop watching it over the last few day’s of finishing my O.U. course. ‘Feed the birds’ brilliant, enjoyed the stage version, but it wasn’t as good.
I can’t wait to carry on reading to find how much more I agree with you on the subject or not as the case may be. Thank you for writing this book, it’s the kind of book I’ve been waiting for, something that I know a few of my friends would also enjoy.
As we’re all members of musical am dram groups this book should go down well with them also!?
November 7, 2007 at 10:16 pm
Emma – thankyou!I
I enjoyed your book so much. I live in LA now and my husband bought it for me on our last trip to London in the summer – what a great find.
And isn’t the internet marvellous? Found you straight away.
I have only ever “blogged” just 2 days ago on the site where I get voiceover jobs ( I wanted to state that, along with porn I wished not to receive any religious castings – went down surprisingly OKish with the Americans…) and now, here i am – among friends! I think it’s just fine to be a little kooky if you’re into musical theatre and is is definitely one of my passions (along with junk shops, auctions and currently Christian Bale)
I have a Lionel Bart story. i bought some perfume a couple of years ago in Nice and my Mum informed me that “L’heure Bleue – that was Lionel’s favourite!” my parents were in showbiz and i was raised on musicals.
in October i saw Legally Blonde – The Musical on Broadway. Loved it. Bought the score….To see all that energy and hear all the great voices…it set me off again and I’ve been taping musical movies ever since. my husband is very good about it…
I was once in a cheap tour of Hair where the cast consisted mainly of boys called Joyce. it was a joyous few months and pretty much one of my first ever jobs which i got because i knew all the words (of course) and i had long hair…
I have a cast recording of a 60’s modern musical show which played at the Lyric called “On the Level”. I had a crush one of the chorus boys called Trevor Willis…..
etc…etc…
many thanks for your great book and your cheeky turns of phrase
kara
February 10, 2008 at 10:30 pm
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November 26, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Dear Emma,
I hope I have the correct e-mail address. If I have you may remember visiting me in Houston in 2002 and a trip to San Antonia with Tania de Kiewiet.
If I have the incorrect person just ignore the rest of the e-mail. Anyway John and I will be in London at the beginning of December and if possible would like to invite you to dinner. We are leaving Houston on Friday Dec 5th and returning the 11th Dec. The reason for the trip is two fold. I am having problems with arthritis in my shoulders and I am going to consult with Dr. Stephen Copeland about having additional shoulder surgery. Secondly we are going to attend the 100th anniversary of the Royal College of Science Association dinner on the 9th Dec. If it is possible we would like to see you on either the 8th or 10th Dec. and catch up with your life which judging by the internet seem impressive, good work.
Best Wishes,
Edith Sherwood
December 4, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Hello, i’ve read and loved your book, except for one bit in particular, which i’ll get to after i rant about Les Mis for a bit
I’m a good music lover ( Most Sondheim, WestSideStory, Carousel and lots of classical music too,although i am young (15)).. and turn my nose up at Wicked, i hate it, and unlike most people, Les Mis.. i honestly think the score is terrible, and it annoys me so much at how overrated it is! Best Musical ever? No. That is West Side Story, or something like Sweeney Todd. Most Overrated ever? Yep.
Carrying on with my Les Mis rant (sorry!), i think that between the ’songs’ (a few good ones), the sung ‘dialogue’ is horrible, awful music and written so badly, the characters are given parts with a ridiculously wide range. I can’t stand it! Anyway, how can it be considered the best musical ever when it hasn’t got all the 3 main elements, Music, Dancing, Dialogue.. (Only a tiny bit of dancing and no speaking) WestSideStory has all 3, all at an incredibly high standard. I just don’t see the appeal of Les Mis, and most professional musicians i know (Many – and also a WestEnd director), agree!
Also, the bit i didn’t like in your book was the bit on Billy Elliot! Yes, i know the score isn’t amazing, but unlike Les Mis, it isn’t famous for it’s music, or overrated. I personally think Elton’s music is as good as Les Mis’, which isn’t a compliment, granted. It fits with the story so well. The story makes it so amazing, and the talent of the children. When you refer to Billy as a ’snivelling stage-school brats’..well before Billy.. none of them were at stage schools, just local dance schools mostly, and the majority of them are not well off, i wonder which Billy you saw?
I’d be interested to hear your comments! And sorry for my rant, i just don’t take criticism of Billy well
I did very much enjoy your book! And i love the Music in Carousel so much too 