Could there ever be a "Wizard of Oz" or "Sound of Music" again? Is

[babylonsister]

there something I'm missing?

Seems sad if the answer is no.

[napoleon_in_rags]

1. You mean another great musical?

Sure, why not. I think we've gotten too caught up in superficial stuff, and that's stolen the depth from recent musicals, like the Johhny Depp Willy Wonka remake. But once we burn out on eye/ear candy and return to substance and meaning, there will be others, I'm sure of it! :)

[babylonsister]

3. "Substance and meaning." That's what I meant, but more importantly,

musically, music that stands the test of time.

[napoleon_in_rags]

12. Yeah, there's something about those old classics, isn't there?

But its so hard to put your finger on exactly what makes them great; its a qualitative thing...but we've kind of forgotten that in this quantitative information age. Its like with that Scottish Lady, there really is something about her voice, something that you could never put your finger on well enough to quantitatively define, but its there. I have no idea how to get that qualitative something back, but there must be a way. :shrug:

[ColbertWatcher]

17. Get corporations out of the music business? n/t

[dysfunctional press]

25. "stands the test of time"...???

how much time are you talking about? in some respects, they aren't all that 'old'. and- i don't recall seeing any of the songs from the 'wizard of oz' or 'the sound of music' on any of the pop charts lately, anyway.

for a lot of people from a lot of our generations- they've seen many of the 'classic' musicals over and over again since they were kids- so they and the people they know are very familiar with them, and they get a very comfortable feeling from it.

styles of music, theatre, and now movies have always changed and adapted through the ages- would you put mozart's operas on a par with the wizard of oz or the sound of music? or vice-versa? and yet how much time passed between the 'eras' of each set of works?

there will definitely be ore great musicals in years to come. how many years trhat is- who knows?

i really liked 'avenue Q', and bought the cd after we saw the show in las vegas.

[merwin]

27. Rent?

That one more than stands the test of time, both musically as well as substance and meaning.

And on a side note, my wife always makes fun of me because I have a man-crush on Jesse L Martin. Met him once at the Waldorf while on a business trip. Picture sitting on a couch in the lobby with a few co-workers and Jesse L Martin comes walking in with a couple people from The Sopranos and a few other people I recognized but couldn't place. Couldn't help but get his autograph in the elevator. He looks even better in person, and I didn't think that was possible.

Wow, I quickly googled it and found out why he was there:
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-69525651.html

[muffin1]

36. For Sondheim fans,

there will always be "Sweeney Todd" and "Company".

[Retrograde]

38. and "Pacific Overtures" and "Follies"

and one of my favorites, "Assassins" - at least before he crammed that extra song in.

[ColbertWatcher]

2. ?

This is why I feel so bad for the people in the so-called "fly-over" states.

If you've ever had the chance to see the musical above, then you wouldn't be asking that question.

[babylonsister]

4. Nope, have no clue, and that's the tragedy. nt

[ColbertWatcher]

5. That's too bad.

Maybe they'll go on a nation-wide tour then, or, better yet, maybe they'll make a movie out of it?

Nothing beats live theater, though.

[ColbertWatcher]

9. Here's a clip ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J72thWNW6PE

[lynne]

6. Why, she looks absolutely WICKED ;-)

[ColbertWatcher]

8. LOL! n/t

[shugah]

7. Wicked has not been made a movie yet

has it? i assume you read the book?

i could decry the OP one further- are there ever going to be good books to read again?

[ColbertWatcher]

10. Not a movie yet.

But, it has to be.

There will always be good books.

[dysfunctional press]

22. in regard to 'fly-over states'...wicked recently closed in chicago after a multi-year run.

so-
don't cry for us, colbertwatcher-
the truth is we'd never let you...
and screw our 'mild ways'-
it's our existence.
if you don't like it-
please, keep your distance.

[ColbertWatcher]

28. As far as theater goes, I don't think Chicago would call itself a "fly-over" state!

What I meant by fly-over is an area where the population density isn't profitable enough for new productions to try out their stuff.

I'm really hoping that satellite performances catch on.

That way everyone can see them, without forcing the company to risk a tour for a new show.

[MineralMan]

31. It's been here in the Twin Cities, too.

Folks who aren't in the "flyover" tend to not know much about the "flyover."

We's reel sufistakated hear, two.

[dddem]

29. You took the words right out of my mouth.

'Wicked' is amazing on so many levels - the performances, the lyrics. the story, but mostly, the music. I listen to the soundtrack in my car almost every day, and I'm amazed that I still hear new things. The good news is, I heard they are making a movie version. I'm in the Boston area, and I've seen the show twice, but I have no idea if and when it's coming back. You're right, for those people who have not had a chance to check out this amazing story, they will never know what greatness they are missing.
PS - the book was written by Gregory Maguire, and is fascinating in it's own right, but I preferred the musical version better - it was more about the relationship between the two witches. Either one was much different from what you might expect. So not the Wizard of Oz (which I also love).

[madeline_con]

11. Let's hope there is never another "Oz". It sucked.

I've heard Sound of Music is good, but I watched it once in the 60's so I can't really give an opinion. If it's anything like "Oz" :puke:

[ColbertWatcher]

13. LOL!

If you ever get the chance, watch this documentary on PBS or find it and rent it or get the http://powells.com/biblio/62-9780821229057-0">book.

It will change the way you view musicals.

[madeline_con]

15. It's not musicals, it's Judy Garland.

Who lied and told her and Liza they had talent?! Egads!

[ColbertWatcher]

16. What is your favorite musical? n/t

[madeline_con]

18. I like West Side Story, Man of La Mancha, Grease, I like quite a few.

I just never thought Judy Garland had anything to offer.

[ColbertWatcher]

23. OK.

Although, I find it strange that you don't think she had anything to offer.

[Hannah Bell]

19. Judy garland rules. liza, not so much - though if you think she has no talent, i think

you're wrong, she's got plenty.

[madeline_con]

20. :)

[babylonsister]

14. Ii'm 53 and watched it for about 13 years with my 4 siblings, and we

all loved it. So, depends on your experience.

[RandomKoolzip]

21. Jeez, I hope not!

I grew up with the Wizard of OZ (still love it), walked out on a showing of Sound of Music (corny as an Iowan's turd), and nothing would make me happier than the (long-overdue) death of the musical. In fact, the only way I can watch OZ nowadays is to fast-forward through the musical numbers.

I really prefer our new, cynical, postmodern age. I'm comfortable with ambiguity, realism, and the denial of standard narrative tropes like closure and good/evil binaries. Magical realism a la Pynchon is okay - but people don't break out in song in the middle of a fucking scene, so why should our fictional narratives include such manipulative devices? The sooner we can leave those outdated conventions behind, the healthier, less deluded, less enchanted by bullshit our culture will be.

Of course, I know my opinion will be in the minority here. That's okay. Shit like "Wicked" and "Rent" is huge these days (inexplicably), so those genres (whcih i personally have no use for) will survive, only streamlined for a modern age. If that floats yer boat, fine. Great. There's dozens of Judy Garland musicals on DVD you can rent. But the days of "Oz" and Rodgers/Hart are long over, and it's time we started petitioning for NEW great narratives rather than constantly rehashing old ones or pining nostalgically for times which never really were, in my opinion.

Yes, I know this must seem harsh, but it's my opinion and I'll stick by it.

Good night, everybody! :hi:

[ColbertWatcher]

24. "pining nostalgically for times which never really were, in my opinion." ?

It sounds like you're doing a little pining yourself re: Rogers and Hart.

Good old days that never were?

Although it's Hammerstein and not Hart, this is one great musical that wasn't very "nostalgic"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHKzn8aHyXg

[smalll]

26. LOL -you "really prefer our 'new, cynical, postmodern age'" -- you're...

comfortable with "ambiguity" (can we get much more buzz-wordy?) -- and you're clearly comfortable with using words like "tropes" without blushing -- and blathering on about "narratives."

Yeah, you're well hard, or hella gangsta, or whatever, in your little upper-middle-class, Mac-using, arugula-eating, po-mo trusty-fundy ivory tower gilded ghetto.

When you can afford to shop at Whole Foods, you can be all "dark." Real people could use a little new well-crafted uplift. Cutting up sharks is easy. Writing something beautiful is hard.


(Fear not, OP -- classical music, believe it or not, is on an upswing -- there's a lot of great young new composers writing good stuff again -- it's only a matter of time before musicals find their new Orpheuses (Orpheii(?)) and we'll get great melodies again, and we'll overthrow the pampered pseudo-revolutionary beauty-hating grumps (like the person I'm responding to right now) who saddled us with shit like Neil LaBute and "Stomp.")

:)

[RandomKoolzip]

34. You know nothing about me. I work three jobs and live in a single room.

I go to school full-time. So you and your accusations of elitism can go push a rope uphill, fucko.

[RandomKoolzip]

35. Also...you're blaming me for "Stomp?!"

:wtf:

[DailyGrind51]

30. "Wizard of Oz" was a poplulist fable for its time.

"Baum viewed these events from up-close in both rural South Dakota and urban Chicago. He mourned the destruction of the fragile alliance between the Midwestern farmers (The Scarecrow) and the urban industrial workers (the Tin-man). Along with Bryan (the Cowardly Lion with aloud roar but little bit), they had been taken down the yellow brick road (the gold standard) that leads nowhere. Each journeyed to the Emerald (the Capitol) seeking favors from the Wizard of Oz (the President). Even the name Oz is an abbreviation of the standard measurement of gold, the ounce. Dorothy, the symbol of Everyman, went along with them, in her silver shoes (changed to ruby in the 1939 movie). She was innocent enough to see the truth before the others.

Along the way they meet the Wicked Witch of the East who, Baum tells us, had kept the little Munchkin people "in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day." If we have any doubt as to whom the witch represents, Baum soon tells us. The Tin Woodsman, once an independent and hard-working man, had been put under aspell by the witch so that each time he swung his axe it chopped off a different part of his body. Lacking another trade, he "worked harder than ever." The worker becomes like a machine, incapable of love. (Recall the Tinman singing: "If I only had a heart.") The Scarecrow (farmer) wants the Wizard to give him a brain. The Wicked Witch of the East symbolizes the large industrial corporations and eastern finance..."

http://www.wccusd.k12.ca.us/elcerrito/history/oz.htm

[Catshrink]

32. I loved Hairspray.

John Travolta and Christopher Walken were so much fun!

[muffin1]

37. Me, too!

You're timeless to me..good stuff!

[mudesi]

33. Both Of Those Are Over Rated If You Ask Me