Theater Fans: Discuss Your Favorites & Experiences

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around participants sharing their favorite stage plays and musicals, as well as their experiences with theater. The scope includes personal preferences, reflections on specific productions, and comparisons between live performances and film adaptations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a deep appreciation for musicals, particularly favoring "Phantom of the Opera" while finding "Cats" less appealing.
  • Another participant questions the lack of discussion on theater in the forum, suggesting it may be due to limited interest.
  • A participant mentions the upcoming PBS special celebrating the 25th anniversary of "Phantom of the Opera," highlighting its production value and historical significance.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the appeal of live theater compared to high-quality film versions, questioning the necessity of attending live performances.
  • One participant shares a positive experience attending "The Lion King," noting the impressive production quality despite initial expectations.
  • Another participant advocates for Gilbert and Sullivan's works, emphasizing their clever lyrics and engaging characters.
  • Several participants engage in a light-hearted exchange about a specific song from Gilbert and Sullivan, with references to its appearance in popular culture.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of enthusiasm for theater and skepticism about its value compared to film. There is no consensus on the merits of live performances versus recorded versions, and opinions on specific productions vary widely.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the value of live theater, suggesting that personal preferences and experiences may heavily influence opinions. The discussion reflects a range of tastes and expectations regarding theatrical productions.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in theater, musicals, and live performances, as well as those curious about personal experiences and opinions related to stage productions.

Ivan Seeking
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We haven't seen much discussion about stage plays and modern opera here. Do we have any fans of the theater? Favorites?

I grew up watching musicals - The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady, Flower Drum Song, Guys and Dolls... and later, productions such as A Chorus Line, and Cats. I always enjoyed the theater. My favorite by far was Phantom of the Opera. Perhaps my least favorite of the major hits, was Cats. I liked a good bit of the music but it just didn't work for me. The one I most regret missing was Les Miserables. Everyone I knew who saw it, loved it.

Perhaps the most interesting drama that I've seen was Tom Stoppard's, Arcadia.

Arcadia is a 1993 play by Tom Stoppard concerning the relationship between past and present and between order and disorder and the certainty of knowledge. It has been cited by many critics as the finest play from one of the most significant contemporary playwrights in the English language...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadia_(play)
 
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Maybe there's a good reason why in 8 years we haven't seen many threads on this subject... if any!

By the time Phantom opened in Los Angeles, Brightman had already moved on. But Michael Crawford was still playing the phantom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5dhyiqhR7Y

And I have to cheat a bit by including my favorite scene from a play, from movie about a play that would never be.

About half way, through the act takes a significant turn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSHnK4dvi3w
 
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This week, Great Performances celebrates the Silver Anniversary of Phantom, on PBS.

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall
About the Program


The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, a fully-staged, lavish 25th anniversary mounting of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-running Broadway and West End extravaganza, comes to Great Performances in March (check local listings) on PBS.

To mark the musical’s Silver Anniversary, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh presented “The Phantom of the Opera” in the sumptuous Victorian splendor of London’s Royal Albert Hall. International audiences were invited to join the celebration when the evening was transmitted live to cinemas worldwide. This dazzling restaging of the original production recreates the jaw-dropping scenery and breathtaking special effects of the original, set to Lloyd Webber’s haunting score.

Watch a preview:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/episo...the-royal-Albert-hall/about-the-program/1258/
 
I've never seen the attraction of watching stage plays, especially when I can likely find a movie version of the play to watch in 1080p and 7.1 surround.

Do you prefer a live version to a movie? Why?
 
I can't think of one "musical" I enjoy, but I love most of Gilbert and Sullivan. If you aren't familiar with Gilbert and Sullivan, Ivan, I'd recommend their two best , The Mikado, and H.M.S Pinafore.

The music is positively infectious, and the lyrics witty/silly. They are peopled by 3 dimensional characters trying to inhabit a 2 dimensional world of stereotypes demanded by society and tradition, and the plots revolve around the logical paradoxes that situation inevitably creates.

I looked a bit and can't find a performance YouTube that does them justice. The classic D'Oyley Cart recordings are audio only:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-Ky0v_0w0E


A British tar is a soaring soul,
As free as a mountain bird,
His energetic fist should be ready to resist
A dictatorial word.

His nose should pant
and his lip should curl,
His cheeks should flame
and his brow should furl,
His bosom should heave
and his heart should glow,
And his fist be ever ready
for a knock-down blow.

His eyes should flash with an inborn fire,
His brow with scorn be wrung;
He never should bow down
to a domineering frown,
Or the tang of a tyrant tongue.

His foot should stamp, and his throat should growl,
His hair should twirl, and his face should scowl;
His eyes should flash, and his breast protrude,
And this should be his customary attitude.
 
KrisOhn said:
I've never seen the attraction of watching stage plays, especially when I can likely find a movie version of the play to watch in 1080p and 7.1 surround.

Do you prefer a live version to a movie? Why?

Why go to a concert when you can download the music?

Why meet in person with family and friends when you have email and texting?
 
I went to see The Lion King one time with my wife a few months back (a birthday present to her from her mother). I can't say I enjoyed it that much, but the production value was extremely surprising. I thought I was going to see guys running around in lion masks (kind of true for the main characters), some painted backdrops, basically cheesy stuff but it was so much more. They somehow made the costumes so realistic, it looked like a real elephant was in the theater, the music was really good, the stage would open up and unfold etc. Lots of technical stuff and really made you feel like you are in the scene.

It was my first time going to any type of theatrical show, although I've lived in NYC my whole life. I am definitely up to do it again, but maybe see something less "Disney" and more mature. Its ridiculously expensive though! I think the tickets we had cost somewhere around $100-150 a pop (maybe we had good seats?)
 
zoobyshoe said:
A British tar is a soaring soul,
As free as a mountain bird,
His energetic fist should be ready to resist
A dictatorial word.

Hey I know that! That's from Raiders of the Lost Arc! :biggrin:
 

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