Like many people I know, I love musicals. Yes, it is true that in many ways they are unrealistic. People on dates do not break into song accompanied by a full orchestra, and I have yet to be in a library where dancing occurred on the tables, or seen gangsters doing ballet on the streets, or witnessed a forgotten world that only shows itself once a day every hundred years, or experienced a group of people floating up from unbridled laughter and happiness. And yet, while none of these events are a normal part of everyday life, at the same time, a musical can lift us beyond the drudgery, the mundane, the inane, and the malicious malapropisms that seem to occupy most of our attention.
A good musical reaches into our emotional wing, our sensitivities, our heart and soul and takes us into a new territory we often cannot seem to find on a daily basis. In school we emphasize the attainment of cognitive facts, application of logic, intellectual development, passing standardized exams, scientific data, knowledge, truth, awareness, mechanics, reasoning, understanding, and comprehension. All these things are important and without them, we would not have the great musicals that we can all enjoy. Our enjoyment is dependent on the skill and knowledge of someone else who wrote the story, acted the part, wrote the music, created the film, produced the work, designed the stage, dealt with the lighting, sound, and the endless vicissitudes of events that go into making a musical.
But in the end, we can simply bask in the pleasure of all this work and sit back and enjoy a musical in all its magnificence and glory. Although I could change my mind at some point, I believe that West Side Story is the greatest musical ever made. I realize this kind of statement is bold and arguable but I base this on several factors including story, design, musical quality, juxtaposition of elements, emotional content, and depth of presentation. Yet, each musical seems to reach a different emotion. When I am looking for artistic expression and gut-wrenching emotion, West Side Story meets that musical and aesthetic need.
Last night, however, we watched The Music Man. A delightful musical about a con artist who sets out to "sell" a town on the idea of a boys band. The budding romance of the music man and the librarian, the creation of a town barbershop quartet, the sarcastically charming practices of the ladies club, the blossoming of a little boys' verbal abililties, and mostly, the transformation of the salesman, come together with engaging melodious music that although not overly profound, makes up for in musical wit and memorable lines. My own favorite song is "Marian the Librarian," although "Till There Was You" certainly has some fascinating chromatic alteration and difficult melodic leaps. It is a great musical and worth seeing over and over. Robert Preston does a great job of "snowing" the town and then getting "caught" himself.
My personal list of other favorites is almost too long to mention but here are a few: Oliver, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, My Fair Lady, Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Singing in the Rain, Brigadoon, South Pacific, Oklahoma, Cinderella, Showboat, Fiddler on the Roof, On the Town, Wizard of Oz, Into the Woods, An American in Paris, and many others. Anytime you need something to see on a Friday night, check out a musical. You won't be disappointed.
3 comments:
My favorite musical is "The Sound of Music." This is a rare movie that I'm willing to watch over and over. The political aspects of a single man standing up for freedom and liberty is overwhelming. Then of course, my all time favorite female singer with whom I can't find any flaws, Julie Andrews, makes this a perfect musical for me. My question to God has always been, "Why can't I sing like Julie Andrews?" Someday I'll find the answer.
Watching Fiddler right now. I had forgotten just how political the film is!
On the Music Man, what's interesting to me is how much this "fraud" actually knew more about the truth behind music than most professionals know. Making music is indeed mostly mental, about the attitude we bring to it, about our desire to make the world more beautiful. Especially for singers--less so for band and piano etc.--the "think method" is pretty much the whole method. You have to bring the generous human spirit to it or the music dies.
The Music Man was no fraud. He spoke the truth, even if he didn't entirely know it.
Great post. As a singer, of course I really enjoy musicals. In fact, sometimes I feel like I'm living inside a musical every day...in my head, at least.
Some of my favorite musicals are The Sound of Music, even though people seem to think it's "overdone", Mary Poppins, The Music Man, Into the Woods, Westside Story...I could probably go on for awhile...
There is another part of me, however, that absolutely, hands down, without a doubt, adores opera. All forms. From operetta to comique to the heavy dramatic stuff! Sometimes I wish more people could give the general category of opera a chance, instead of minimizing it to one Wagnerian "fat lady" with a horned helmet.
Anyway, as I said. Good post. :)
Post a Comment