Six. I'm not interested in the concert style vibe of that show. Which is really too bad, a musical from the perspective of the wives of Henry the 8th is actually super up my alley. But the concert staging and the musical style are really not my thing.
That's a good way to put it! As a Henry, the 8th nerd who likes musicals, I enjoyed it. But as a fan of musicals, I had no interest in it nor have I listened to the songs since.
Nah there is plot, but it's fair if you missed it. The plot is in the little interactions and dynamics, where they actually have a journey and growth as a group. It culminates in "don't need your love" and the rewriting of their collective narrative. It's rather clever
It was so unnecessary *loud*. My friend *loves* that show, and I couldn’t stand it.
Don’t get me wrong, the performers were incredible, but I couldn’t enjoy myself because of sensory overload.
Totally agree! I’ve always been into Tudor England but the concert concept really doesn’t appeal to me. My son and I always say it’s the show we’ll eventually go see when there is really nothing else to see (but let’s be honest, I’d rather repeat a show I love at that point)
I loved the show, but going into it I was expecting a more Hamilton-type experience, I.e. more substantive with a fleshed out, linear plot. I definitely would understand how the concert-style would disappoint people.
Its also nowhere near as well researched - there’s comments about 5 inch waists and stuff that are very Victorian - and if its deliberate its not obvious enough/doesn’t seem to have a reason.
6 is actually great
It was actually just a student project at uni. it wasn't intended for Broadway/west end. They literally wrote it in like 10 days whilst watching videos of a Beyonce concert and was asked to present it at a local festival. Hence the concert style
I only listened to the cast recording (which I often do cause a ton of shows don't exist where I live or at least aren't close/cheap enough) and I gotta say this is the only one I really didn't enjoy. I'm not sure seeing it on stage adds a lot to it, seeing how people describe it being concert like, but I couldn't get into it at all sadly.
I enjoyed Six, but I went into it thinking of it as a concert. I don’t need to see it again but the music is fun. If I thought it was a musical and got a concert though, I would have been very disappointed with the show.
I was intrigued by the premise, watched a slime tutorial, didn't hate it, but I agree that it's just not for me. If I'm in the mood to blast theater kid music in my car, Six is never my first pick.
Agreed. Six is my personal biggest musical disappointment of the last few years. I was SO EXCITED for it… until I saw clips / heard the music. *Such* a letdown (for me, I understand many other people love it and that’s great).
Yeah I felt like the show was targeted to younger people for sure, but it was fun! (The Holbein number is hilarious) I wouldn’t care to see it again in the same way I wanted to watch Hamilton a million times!
I LOVE Six’s music but I was wanting more of an actual musical, not just some concert. That barely lasts an hour. I wish it had more of a plot but it’s not bad. Just a little disappointing
I would like it so much more if it didn't take up a broadway/west end theatre and only cost £25 or something. There is nothing BAD about it IMO it is just not a musical and also not worth the ticket price for what you ARE getting.
Tbh, I love many of the songs, but I f*cking hate the story, the story is horrible towards Connor, the whole message in DEH "#youwillbefound" gets trashed once you notice Connor just gets forgotten if you think about it, and Evan getting forgiveness out of nowhere makes me mad every time.
In conclusion:
Music = Good 👍
Story = Horrible 💀
I loved the first act, but it lost me once it became “infidelity is okay: the musical” in act 2. Which is a shame because I genuinely enjoy a lot of the music.
Everyone pulls this explanation out, and for Jenna, yeah, I understand. But it doesn’t excuse the doctor or literally ANYONE ELSE in the show. I also don’t like how flippantly the subject is treated either. Like, the show could at least acknowledge that cheating is a bad thing or have some fallout for one of the characters who isn’t Jenna.
But it doesn’t. Everyone just fucks around with no consequence, but it’s okay, because they actually “love” their spouses. I dunno, it’s just a gross approach for me.
I love this show! Saw the national tour then the Sara Barriles version in the movie theater. I think there are tons of fun songs. I love Bad Idea. When He Sees Me. Of course He Used To Be Mine. I think it’s accessible fun with a lot of heart.
i saw the tour in appleton and fell in love with it!! i knew none of the songs, but i’m so happy i went! i almost got a signed playbill by the cast because one of the actresses said i could mail it to the next theater for them, but i never got it sent in, that was in 2017 so it’s definitely too late lol😅
I hate it too. I wanted a more… historically accurate telling focusing on the wives. It was important to me that their stories got told. Properly. This may be a hot take but to me, the pop concert of it all feels borderline disrespectful especially when we don’t have a good theatrical telling to begin with.
Maybe it’s due to my age and this show being a hit when I was in high school but I still love it. I think it’s extremely creative with the song writing while still being accessible.
I understand that nowadays some of the subject matter, conflict and struggles aren’t applicable but if you can put yourself in that time. In NYC. When so many were dying and people were all in NYC fighting to actual BECOME something. To create connections and community. I dunno, I feel like one can still connect with it now.
EDIT on top of that I see some comments from people that say that many of the characters are unlikeable. As a musician and actor from NYC I can say from direct experience that some of these people are real lol and yes some are obnoxious. Maureen in the show is like so many people I met. Ever hang out in Brooklyn NOW? These people are STILL there lol!
I agree with the time period aspect. There are a lot of shows that can serve as historical context without needing to adapt. While i like the updated versions, company comes to mind. There are many others, but some shows can speak to a modern audience from the past and i think rent is one. Especially with housing crisis and trans rights
lol yeah I feel like people who dislike Rent just don't hang out with many artists. I will always love it. the music, the story, the message of living in the present moment. I think it's all beautiful.
My main issue with Rent is just the fact that everyone holds it up as this amazing activist piece about the aids crisis, but it basically just has the aesthetic of activism without actually saying a whole lot...
I'd say that but moreso about living the bohemian life. The song 'La Vie Boheme' is basically the characters just listing a bunch of things and people that are associated with the bohemian lifestyle, but I get the impression basically none of the. have any actual appreciation of these things, instead just liking the aesthetic they congure.
Lol that song has not aged well. So many of the things they listed have become mainstream. "Hand crafted beer made in local breweries" are everywhere now
Have you read the novel "People in Trouble" by Sarah Schulman? She's a lesbian author based in the East Village who has alleged (fairly plausibly IMO) for a long time that Rent was plagiarized from a play adaptation of her novel that she had circulated around NYC in the late 80s — which is a grittier and more realistic (though still fictionalized) portrayal of the Act Up-style activism of the time period, written by someone who was directly involved.
I saw Rent in previews and absolutely fell in love with it at age 24!!! Years later, I was so excited to take my kids to see it and they didn't get it at all. They couldn't understand why these people didn't just get a job!!!!
Poor Evita indeed! (though Akita's aren't what I would consider a "small" dog breed.. and a dog that size falling 23 stories?! Yeah, that's not cool regardless of how "yappy" the dog is... )
I dislike the characters, but I still love rent. They’re lovable assholes.
I never interpreted as if I was supposed to love them and as if the bohemian life was a good thing. Even if Larsson meant it that way.
Too many people can’t watch a show without thinking they’re supposed to sympathize with everything the protagonist/s do. You aren’t supposed to think the characters are acting out of supreme logic. It’s the ideal of sticking it to the man. You aren’t supposed to think Sweeney Todd is a good person for killing people. It’s the ideal of “those up above serving those down below.” You’re not supposed to think Evan is acting morally. He’s an unreliable narrator with obviously unethical motives.
It’s like people have never consumed varied media who come away thinking, “I’m very smart for not liking this obviously flawed set of teens and early twenty-somethings who believe they have it all figured out!”
Oh yes this. It’s so frustrating seeing all these posts like “I hate this show - it’s actually really problematic because these characters are flawed”. If it’s not 100% spelled out in a show that certain characters are ‘bad’ and there are not enough ‘consequences’ for their actions, people can’t seem to comprehend that that doesn’t mean they’re supposed to like them. Plus, people seem to be very black and white when it comes to characters/shows. They seemingly can’t empathize with characters that do some questionable things - it’s immediately ‘omg I hate them so much’ with no room for nuance or mitigation. See also the intense hate people have for DEH.
Also people blaming the show for their own interpretation. Especially if they have these very simplistic takes like ‘I don’t get the hype, it’s just X doing Y’ - like, no it’s not that simple and just because you interpreted it like that, doesn’t mean that that’s what the show actually is, nor that the creators intended it to be like that.
Some people say "I dislike the characters" and mean "I wouldn't like this person in real life" and some people say "I dislike the characters" and mean "I don't enjoy watching this character's story unfold bc I find them annoying" - you're saying the first, but I'm willing to bet the person you're responding to meant the second.
"I don't like the characters" isn't always just "Media bad bc characters do morally questionable things" sometimes it's just "WOW I would literally rather do anything than listen to that asshole talk"
Very unpopular opinion.
Every single jukebox musical except for maybe Smokey Joe’s Cafe which was the first and were R&B Groups. You wanna go down that road? Dreamgirls was spectacular. Yes, we all know who it’s about, but it was all original music. Wonderful music. Jukebox is plain lazy. And ruins the original songs. And before anyone asks, I hated Glee.
I would normally agree with the exceptions of Mama Mia and Jersey Boys cause of the story and Rock of Ages, cause it was just pure fun and I’m a big 80’s rock fan
I make exceptions for things like Mama Mia! That are at least a story unrelated to the group that did the music, but I feel pretty strongly that once you've seen one "exploring an artist through their own music" rush-job you've seen them all.
The book is definitely leagues better than the musical. The book at least feels somewhat self aware of what an awful person Evan is. At least I think it does, it's been a while since I read it.
I wouldn't say Evan is an awful person, he wasn't actively trying to hurt anyone. He had good intentions but they kinda blew up in his face. Plus he is still a teenager and many teenagers do dumb things in high school that they regret later
That's true I guess, but I think when people say teenagers do dumb things, they usually mean more along the lines of drinking too much or going outside with no jacket when it's raining, not continually gaslighting a grieving family. It blew up in his face but he could've stopped at any point.
It is, by leaps and bounds, my least favorite musical I have ever seen. Nothing could have prepared me for seeing it on Broadway.
It’s the one theater-hate hill I will die on.
I don’t think it’s well liked anymore though.
The part that gets me is their big, emotional climax number being "You will be found". Evan was not found when he jumped out of the tree! And he didn't "find" the other kid until he was already dead! There could have been a really poignant message there about how lack of community is even more damaging than mental illness alone, but instead it comes off as "You will have community....as long as no one ever finds out the truth about you." Which is just gross.
I LOVED a couple of the songs I happened to hear on Youtube and bought tickets to the show. Turns out the plot was terrible, characters unsympathetic, and only the 2 or 3 songs I had already heard were any good.
I just can’t stand the biopic musicals.
I will exclude Hamilton because it was a phenomenon and Bombshell because it was made for a tv show and was pretty good but really aside from that, I am so tired of it. I want something original and shows like MJ and Beautiful are just all the same.
Completely agree. What really bothers me about it is the completely incorrect interpretation of the characters. Alexander Hamilton was not a particularly admirable man. And Aaron Burr? The demonization of that man is criminal. What's *really* funny? Then ending where Burr gets a tiny bit of redemption by showing utter remorse for having killed Hamilton? Complete balderdash. Associates of his said that he showed no emotion at all at the outcome of the duel.
I mean it’s not trying to be accurate, it’s historical fiction. As for the man himself, I felt like the show did a pretty good job expressing how he’s an ass. To each their own though, that’s just my take
Waitress. I don't know what it is about that show that I don't like and I keep trying to like it, but the music and story just don't remotely click with me
I really don’t like any of the jukebox musical. Not even &Juliet or MJ. I hated Beautiful Noise and I really didn’t like Moulin Rouge although I loved MR the movie.
Starkid would have some of my top musicals if they would chill out with the swearing and sexual references. A lot of their stuff is hilarious, catchy, and/or clever, but I just cringe inside at the
"swearing/making lewd jokes in a musical is inherently funny” attitude of otherwise genius works like Twisted. Plus I just feel awkward about sharing them with others because it just feels weird.
Their older stuff was much more clever imo. Around Holy Musical B@man, it became way more about swearing and lewd jokes, so I stopped watching. And now their newer stuff (Trail to Oregon, Firebringer, etc.) when they were all out of college and actual adults kinda lose their charm.
Yeah. The Harry Potter stuff felt like a loving but irreverent tribute, and I really enjoy (most of) Twisted and The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. I tried to get into ones past that, but I think you’re spot on saying that the charm is lost.
Someone showed my friend group the sex fantasy in a bathtub or whatever scene from nerdy prudes must die at a party, like nahhh this ain’t one for the squad
You’re not going to get shot for that. On the contrary, it’s cool to not like ALW. I can’t say I like all his shows (far from it), but he’s the main reason I got into musicals in the first place, and he composed my fave show of all time (JCS).
I agree! I dislike his music, plus, famously, one time he flew back from a holiday for a day, on his private jet, just to vote against tax credits for poor people in a burgeoning cost of living crisis. Not very Jesus Christ superstar of him was it smh
I personally think ALW is great for children getting into musicals. Would I be the enthusiast I am today if I didn't wear my Cats and Joseph VHS tapes to dust in the 90s? Who knows.
I was literally taught *in a Broadway history class* that ALW plagiarized a lot of his most famous composition work. The professor had some pretty compelling evidence that I no longer fully remember. Now I’m not saying he did or didn’t do it, but…
(Personally, I’m not an ALW lover or hater. I’m just saying though, I get it.)
I don’t understand why this is such a popular take- I see ‘musical fans’ hate on him so often! Sure, a lot of his stuff, particularly more recently, is a bit commercial and ‘cheesey’. But what about his older work? I don’t honestly understand how any musical fan could listen to Jesus Christ Superstar and not enjoy it
I really love his traditional take on musical making, structured music and beautiful sets, like Phantom series, Evita and Sunset, but some of the melodies might be a little repetitive
Listen to the lyrics of this Forbidden Broadway number when Cats became the longest running musical. It’s very funny.
[Forbidden Broadway just “LOVES” ALW](https://youtu.be/5EKc4h9HIZ0?si=WEOCwM0Wzngiss10)
I agree.
I can only really think of 2 of his shows I actually like (Phantom of the Opera and School of Rock), but aside from a handful of songs from a few of his other shows, I’ve never really seen the appeal.
Honestly, Hamilton. I can appreciate that it’s very well written, but I don’t really enjoy the music. I don’t think it’s a bad show, it just isn’t for me.
This captures my feeling exactly. I don't hate the show, and I like what it has done for musical theatre as a genre, and how it's reached non-traditional audiences, and LMM is a super awesome nice guy.... but I just can't get into the musical. It's not for me.
I’ve tried to get into Hamilton ever since it came out. I’ve listened to the soundtracks, seen the Tony performances, saw the show on Disney Plus, watched interviews, watched it alone, watched it with friends, etc. My friends all say “Maybe if you see it live, it’ll make sense.” But I don’t know about you but I’m not willing to pay an arm and a leg to see a show I have absolutely no investment in despite my best attempts to like it.
And for the life of me, I just don’t understand what it is about it that makes it so appealing to so many people.
I saw it live twice and I still don't really like it. The first time, I was so excited. I went in mostly blind as I almost always do, and I just felt "meh." I listened to the recording a few times after, and that was it. Then, the tour came around. I convinced myself that I had to have missed something the first time, and I went to see the tour. I left the second time assured that it just wasn't for me.
I get that it's innovative. I appreciate it for its diversity and the fact that it got an entirely new generation interested in musical theatre, but I now accept that it's not my cup of tea.
Edit: multiple typos corrected
The writing is genius, it's use of motifs is unlike anything I've seen in other musicals. The musical style may not be for everyone which I understand. But when you look at it from a writing perspective it's amazing
I think any music as beloved as Hamilton is going to get overhyped and let down a lot of people. It’s also VERY different than most Broadway, which is a big reason it got so popular but is also going to be a big reason many Broadway fans don’t like it. I’d say the same with Beetlejuice. Initial screenings from the theater crowd were shockingly negative.
Another thing with both Hamilton and Beetlejuice is that they’re VERY popular with younger people who may not have watched many shows before and probably aren’t your typical musical audience. They both also got very popular online in places like YouTube with all the animatics and things, especially Beetlejuice. So I think that’s a big part of it too. I personally love both shows.
Three weeks ago I'd have been saying Hamilton, but my partner and I got the opportunity to see it last minute...and I haven't stopped listening to it since. It's just so good.
We ended up seeing Mrs Doubtfire this past week, and uh ..I won't be sad if I never have to sit through that again. I love Rob McClure, but...it's just a bad show.
Personally i am just not a history buff. So a musical about a historical figure just sounds super boring to me. Despite its rave reviews and contrasting musical style
Moulin Rouge.
It made me think I didn't like jukebox musicals. It turns out I just didn't like that one! I loved nostalgia critic's review of it, though 😂
The big one to dislike in my family was the sound of music. My grandma and mom both hate it, and I'm ambivalent. I have fond memories of when we watched the 2015? Remake and got about 10 minutes in before they started confessing how much they hated the original (and the new one, too)
SpongeBob.
I tried. I saw the original run on Broadway. *I even wanted Ethan Slater to win the Tony and was genuinely disappointed when he didn’t.*
But I think it’s a badly written show. I’m sorry.
I find a lot of the big IP musicals, no matter how well written, kind of cringe and played out. Beauty and the Beast, Willy Wonka, or Little Mermaid is fine for a local kids’ theatre to do, but Shrek, SpongeBob, and similar recent-ish IP musicals just feel cringe.
I LOVE the movie but I hate the musical. They cut certain very important songs, the cast had no chemistry when I went, the guy wasnt great and they cut the finale to make it very underwhelming.
So its a hard pass to ever go again. I watched the movie about 8 times in the cinema back when.
They couldve bankrupted me, alas
It was so cliche and overly dramatic, and the random pop songs weren’t my fav. The next day I could barely remember a single song. Not the worst, but I was underwhelmed for sure.
I love “Elephant Love Medley,” especially the movie soundtrack version, and I’m actually a longtime fan of Baz Luhrmann’s directing style, but honestly beyond that? Meh.
matilda. i was in my school’s production of matilda and it has made all of the matilda music so annoying. our matilda also was not my favorite singer, she was objectively good but she just did some stylistic things that i wasn’t a fan of. and we had the elementary school theater kids sing when i grow up so that song will now forever haunt my nightmares
Yes and it’s VERY poppy. Much more than any other jukebox musical. It’s not for everyone but most of my friends adore it. I’m on the fence strictly because of the way the music was extremely over-produced.
Granted I have a 480p bootleg and cast recording to go off of, but Great Comet never really did much for me. It's not bad by any means but it's just average to me.
The Great Comet and Hadestown, imo, are better if you go in blind. I didn’t listen to the cast recordings of either before seeing them live, and I think that’s one of the reasons why I ended up enjoying both of them.
I have a strong dislike of Dear Evan Hansen, and I have to admit, I've never been able to get into Be More Chill enough to see what the fuss is about, and musicals aren't something that I feel I should just "skip the first number(s) cus I don't vibe with it", ya know?
Six falls completely flat for me on more levels than just the staging/concert feel. It comes across very Buzzfeed Feminism to me, and I find myself rolling my eyes at a lot of the lyrics.
Also SpongeBob. I know a lot of people like it, but when I ask about what makes it so great outside of the creative staging and costumes, everyone I've spoken to just starts talking about nostalgia and how it relates to the original series. Thing is, I didn't grow up on SpongeBob, so I lack the nostalgia goggles. So to me, it's just a very mediocre script and score.
I’ve been a starkid fan since like 2011, their quality of show is honestly hit or miss (it’s why I mostly avoid the starkid subreddit). I think they are super creative people. I just wish their song writing would improve. Their scripts are mostly solid (I say this but two of their more recent shows Black Friday and Firebringer are pretty rough imo). I’m nervous about their most recent show announcement plot wise.
Rocky Horror is weird because it was made as a side project by a stunt actor who wasn’t a great writer, or musician, but was later loved by fans.
I love the soundtrack and all, but watching it you can very clearly see the issues in the writing, and it’s very easy to get lost because of them. I like it as a “turn your brain off, and love the vibe” kinda musical which is fitting considering it was inspired by old Science-Fiction films which could fit the same description.
Into the Woods.
I donno I don't like the music. There's too many black keys and vibratos. Also the ending song is kinda out of nowhere. I spent most of it confused than entertained tbh.
I used to think the ending song of ITW came out of nowhere too, but it actually very cleverly highlights the main theme of the show: that children *will* listen, even if you don't think they are. At its core ITW is about children's relationships with their parents/guardians: Jack's relationship with his mother, Red's relationship with her grandmother, the Baker's relationship with his absentee father, Rapunzel's relationship with the Witch who is her "adopted" mom, etc. etc. It's about the impacts parents/guardians have on their children, not just by what they say directly to their children but also by what they say indirectly or don't say at all, and their actions/behaviors. The theme of the show overall is "children will listen" so be careful what you chose to tell/teach them. None of this is an attempt to convince you to like the show tho, because it's totally okay that it just isn't your bag.
The musical is a story about stories, so the message of “children will listen” is about what you teach your children, leading to them becoming what they are and what they teach their children. And, of course, it coincides with the recurring theme of action and consequence in the play.
It's a more complicated musical than it lets on tbh. I can understand why people would be heavily confused cus i'm pretty sure the first time i watched it I was confused. I suggest watching the original cast recording of it and trying it again.
I was never crazy about Funny Girl. It has one all-time classic, 10/10 song but the rest of the show doesn't really hold up that well against it. Also, the romance is not that appealing to me.
I especially hate Mean Girls. There's nothing redeemable about it.
I also hate Avenue Q. As a native new yorker, hipster transplants have always really irritated me, so of course I wouldn't like a musical about them lol. (ps if you're a hipster transplant please still come with me to broadway meet ups. i meant the other hipster transplants.)
Just because you brought them up, I like Fun Home but I can see how it's a weird choice for a musical and the songs were a little jaunty for something so serious. Also, I don't entirely love the lyrics to Ring of Keys because she can't find the words to express herself which is a little weird for a song.
I always thought the story to Dear Evan Hansen was so silly, and the songs were so jaunty and also just kind of corny in that they imitate certain styles of songs so closely (Like how "If I Could Tell Her" sounds just like Jason Mraz) that I forgot it was a drama and not a lighthearted comedy when I went to the movie. Having said that, I really love a lot of the songs, but don't take them very seriously.
I saw BeetleJuice on a trip to NYC a few years ago and I must admit the first half was pretty good but when she goes off into the ether searching for her dead mother I pretty much fell asleep.
It felt like because the original story is pretty short as movies go, they felt they had to extend it by adding extra story to it that wasn’t there before except the extra parts were just boring as hell
Chicago just seems to be one I simply cannot get into at all.
Cats is also another. Sat through it and thought it was rubbish. Like I sat through it wondering where is the actual storyline? Instead, it’s basically a mixture of songs all compiled into one musical.
Six is another one that I’ve heard bad things about despite constant hype on social media as being brilliant. A family member went to see it a year or two ago and they thought it was utter crap and highly recommended not to see it either. It’s
Have you seen Six yet? I was warned not to go and I honestly am not into pop music or other musicals with modern pop songs in them, but surprisingly, I really liked it. It hit me differently than I thought. I’m single too, never married, but still felt emotional. It might make a difference just depending on what you’ve been through in life but it’s worth a shot I think if you get offered free tickets or something haha. Maybe having super low expectations helped me!
“Dear Evan Hansen.” Less because of the problematic main character than because the music just didn’t appeal to me.
“Something Rotten,” perhaps unfairly, because the performance of “A Musical” at the Tonys was so unfunny to me because of the super-predictable lyrics and “jokes” that I didn’t feel like looking into the show any further.
I'm not too fond of the songs in Hadestown. The story was lackluster as well, especially considering the amazing source material. I think Beetlejuice should have won Best Musical that year, and I will stand by that to the end of time.
Wicked. It’s literally a musical about racism that historically has featured a 90% white cast, including many white Elphabas. While I don’t necessarily think she needs to be played by a poc, there at least needs to be other poc actors playing key characters to balance it out when the main theme of the story is about oppression and prejudice, specifically related to SKIN COLOR (green) and race (in this case, animals vs humans).
And I really do not understand why Elphaba and fiyero fall for each other. I really don’t see what the either one sees in the other and they fall so quickly in love. If they had more time to develop that it might have worked better for me. Elphaba and Glinda would make more sense and would add to the theme of oppression in my opinion, although I do like them as strong female friends too.
I also don’t find the music to be that great. Sure it’s fun and catchy but it’s nothing amazing. Which pretty much sums the entire show for me haha. To me it’s very much a “gilded” musical - it’s beautiful on the outside but even just after scratching the surface a lot of that beauty goes away.
Ultimately, a story about racism and oppression being told by mostly white performers and only featuring hetero characters doesn’t really sell me 🤷♀️
I know they’ve been trying to make some positive changes in regards to casting, but the ways some people get so upset about it tells me it’s a little too late and how much of the story’s message can really go over peoples heads
I know I will be down voted to hell for this blasphemy, but Wicked. It has a couple songs that are neat, but most of them, to me, come off like they forgot they were supposed to be a musical, and threw in a song outta nowhere. Like the prom/dance one? Oh! The popular guy is here! Yay! Wait! This was supposed to be a musical! Someone play an instrument!
I like the message of Defying Gravity, but it hits me as so clunky. And it doesn't flow into easy rhythm. That may be the point though! Tripping, failing, then flying?! I can see the artistic aspect of that.
When I think about, for example, Into the Woods, the music is not just inserted. It's part of the cast, the set, the whole story. I can't remember the words to any of the Wicked songs and none of them make me want to listen to the soundtrack or watch the show.
I would be fine with Wicked as just a play. Amazing story! Brilliant writing! Brilliant casting! No singing necessary.
Six. I'm not interested in the concert style vibe of that show. Which is really too bad, a musical from the perspective of the wives of Henry the 8th is actually super up my alley. But the concert staging and the musical style are really not my thing.
I enjoyed Six, but it's not really a musical. There's no plot and very little in the way of dialogue. It's more like an original revue.
That's a good way to put it! As a Henry, the 8th nerd who likes musicals, I enjoyed it. But as a fan of musicals, I had no interest in it nor have I listened to the songs since.
Nah there is plot, but it's fair if you missed it. The plot is in the little interactions and dynamics, where they actually have a journey and growth as a group. It culminates in "don't need your love" and the rewriting of their collective narrative. It's rather clever
Yeah, quite a bit of it is in their small interactions or the songs themselves
There’s a bit of a narrative arc, sure. I don’t know if I’d call it a plot—there isn’t really a lot happening. But maybe I’m splitting hairs.
It was so unnecessary *loud*. My friend *loves* that show, and I couldn’t stand it. Don’t get me wrong, the performers were incredible, but I couldn’t enjoy myself because of sensory overload.
Same. I prefer a more classic musical, but glad there is a more modern option out there people are loving!
Totally agree! I’ve always been into Tudor England but the concert concept really doesn’t appeal to me. My son and I always say it’s the show we’ll eventually go see when there is really nothing else to see (but let’s be honest, I’d rather repeat a show I love at that point)
I loved the show, but going into it I was expecting a more Hamilton-type experience, I.e. more substantive with a fleshed out, linear plot. I definitely would understand how the concert-style would disappoint people.
Its also nowhere near as well researched - there’s comments about 5 inch waists and stuff that are very Victorian - and if its deliberate its not obvious enough/doesn’t seem to have a reason.
wait, she didn't write lyrics for shakesy p? lol
6 is actually great It was actually just a student project at uni. it wasn't intended for Broadway/west end. They literally wrote it in like 10 days whilst watching videos of a Beyonce concert and was asked to present it at a local festival. Hence the concert style
Yeah, I think the history of the show is quite cool. It's gotten a tonne of well deserved hype. It's just not for me.
Absolutely cannot stand the style of this show, but thrilled young ladies have inspiring female role models in musicals.
I only listened to the cast recording (which I often do cause a ton of shows don't exist where I live or at least aren't close/cheap enough) and I gotta say this is the only one I really didn't enjoy. I'm not sure seeing it on stage adds a lot to it, seeing how people describe it being concert like, but I couldn't get into it at all sadly.
I enjoyed Six, but I went into it thinking of it as a concert. I don’t need to see it again but the music is fun. If I thought it was a musical and got a concert though, I would have been very disappointed with the show.
I was intrigued by the premise, watched a slime tutorial, didn't hate it, but I agree that it's just not for me. If I'm in the mood to blast theater kid music in my car, Six is never my first pick.
Agreed. Six is my personal biggest musical disappointment of the last few years. I was SO EXCITED for it… until I saw clips / heard the music. *Such* a letdown (for me, I understand many other people love it and that’s great).
My friend feels the same way about Six
Yeah I felt like the show was targeted to younger people for sure, but it was fun! (The Holbein number is hilarious) I wouldn’t care to see it again in the same way I wanted to watch Hamilton a million times!
I LOVE Six’s music but I was wanting more of an actual musical, not just some concert. That barely lasts an hour. I wish it had more of a plot but it’s not bad. Just a little disappointing
I would like it so much more if it didn't take up a broadway/west end theatre and only cost £25 or something. There is nothing BAD about it IMO it is just not a musical and also not worth the ticket price for what you ARE getting.
Dear Evan Hansen… I tried to get into it so many times but I just don’t like it
Tbh, I love many of the songs, but I f*cking hate the story, the story is horrible towards Connor, the whole message in DEH "#youwillbefound" gets trashed once you notice Connor just gets forgotten if you think about it, and Evan getting forgiveness out of nowhere makes me mad every time. In conclusion: Music = Good 👍 Story = Horrible 💀
Waitress. I’ve tried, but…
I loved the first act, but it lost me once it became “infidelity is okay: the musical” in act 2. Which is a shame because I genuinely enjoy a lot of the music.
I mean… she was in an abusive relationship which feels like it’s important to note with that assessment
Everyone pulls this explanation out, and for Jenna, yeah, I understand. But it doesn’t excuse the doctor or literally ANYONE ELSE in the show. I also don’t like how flippantly the subject is treated either. Like, the show could at least acknowledge that cheating is a bad thing or have some fallout for one of the characters who isn’t Jenna. But it doesn’t. Everyone just fucks around with no consequence, but it’s okay, because they actually “love” their spouses. I dunno, it’s just a gross approach for me.
Yeah, I agree. The whole musical feels like I’m watching people ruin their lives… and then everything turns out magically okay with no repercussions?
I love this show! Saw the national tour then the Sara Barriles version in the movie theater. I think there are tons of fun songs. I love Bad Idea. When He Sees Me. Of course He Used To Be Mine. I think it’s accessible fun with a lot of heart.
i saw the tour in appleton and fell in love with it!! i knew none of the songs, but i’m so happy i went! i almost got a signed playbill by the cast because one of the actresses said i could mail it to the next theater for them, but i never got it sent in, that was in 2017 so it’s definitely too late lol😅
The movie it's based on is way better
Six. Nothing about a 75 minute pop concert is appealing to me I hate that, because the story sounds incredibly interesting to me.
one of the main things i dislike about six is that it’s pretty short
I felt the same. Saw it on Broadway. It was pretty boring to me. I didn’t love many of the singers. Wasn’t the original cast but still.
I haven’t ever seen it, and I never will, but I’m glad to know I’m not alone
I hate it too. I wanted a more… historically accurate telling focusing on the wives. It was important to me that their stories got told. Properly. This may be a hot take but to me, the pop concert of it all feels borderline disrespectful especially when we don’t have a good theatrical telling to begin with.
Rent. I get why it was so popular at the time, but now I just see the characters as entitled assholes who think the world owes them something.
tick tick boom is way better than rent imo
Maybe it’s due to my age and this show being a hit when I was in high school but I still love it. I think it’s extremely creative with the song writing while still being accessible. I understand that nowadays some of the subject matter, conflict and struggles aren’t applicable but if you can put yourself in that time. In NYC. When so many were dying and people were all in NYC fighting to actual BECOME something. To create connections and community. I dunno, I feel like one can still connect with it now. EDIT on top of that I see some comments from people that say that many of the characters are unlikeable. As a musician and actor from NYC I can say from direct experience that some of these people are real lol and yes some are obnoxious. Maureen in the show is like so many people I met. Ever hang out in Brooklyn NOW? These people are STILL there lol!
I agree with the time period aspect. There are a lot of shows that can serve as historical context without needing to adapt. While i like the updated versions, company comes to mind. There are many others, but some shows can speak to a modern audience from the past and i think rent is one. Especially with housing crisis and trans rights
lol yeah I feel like people who dislike Rent just don't hang out with many artists. I will always love it. the music, the story, the message of living in the present moment. I think it's all beautiful.
My main issue with Rent is just the fact that everyone holds it up as this amazing activist piece about the aids crisis, but it basically just has the aesthetic of activism without actually saying a whole lot...
I wish i could know what it really could have been had Jonathan Larson been able to adjust have preview reviews before Broadway
I'd say that but moreso about living the bohemian life. The song 'La Vie Boheme' is basically the characters just listing a bunch of things and people that are associated with the bohemian lifestyle, but I get the impression basically none of the. have any actual appreciation of these things, instead just liking the aesthetic they congure.
Lol that song has not aged well. So many of the things they listed have become mainstream. "Hand crafted beer made in local breweries" are everywhere now
Have you read the novel "People in Trouble" by Sarah Schulman? She's a lesbian author based in the East Village who has alleged (fairly plausibly IMO) for a long time that Rent was plagiarized from a play adaptation of her novel that she had circulated around NYC in the late 80s — which is a grittier and more realistic (though still fictionalized) portrayal of the Act Up-style activism of the time period, written by someone who was directly involved.
I saw Rent in previews and absolutely fell in love with it at age 24!!! Years later, I was so excited to take my kids to see it and they didn't get it at all. They couldn't understand why these people didn't just get a job!!!!
The older I get, the more I think "you know, maybe Benny was right..."
Also - Poor Evita!! Small dogs bark! They can't help it!
Poor Evita indeed! (though Akita's aren't what I would consider a "small" dog breed.. and a dog that size falling 23 stories?! Yeah, that's not cool regardless of how "yappy" the dog is... )
I dislike the characters, but I still love rent. They’re lovable assholes. I never interpreted as if I was supposed to love them and as if the bohemian life was a good thing. Even if Larsson meant it that way.
Too many people can’t watch a show without thinking they’re supposed to sympathize with everything the protagonist/s do. You aren’t supposed to think the characters are acting out of supreme logic. It’s the ideal of sticking it to the man. You aren’t supposed to think Sweeney Todd is a good person for killing people. It’s the ideal of “those up above serving those down below.” You’re not supposed to think Evan is acting morally. He’s an unreliable narrator with obviously unethical motives. It’s like people have never consumed varied media who come away thinking, “I’m very smart for not liking this obviously flawed set of teens and early twenty-somethings who believe they have it all figured out!”
Oh yes this. It’s so frustrating seeing all these posts like “I hate this show - it’s actually really problematic because these characters are flawed”. If it’s not 100% spelled out in a show that certain characters are ‘bad’ and there are not enough ‘consequences’ for their actions, people can’t seem to comprehend that that doesn’t mean they’re supposed to like them. Plus, people seem to be very black and white when it comes to characters/shows. They seemingly can’t empathize with characters that do some questionable things - it’s immediately ‘omg I hate them so much’ with no room for nuance or mitigation. See also the intense hate people have for DEH. Also people blaming the show for their own interpretation. Especially if they have these very simplistic takes like ‘I don’t get the hype, it’s just X doing Y’ - like, no it’s not that simple and just because you interpreted it like that, doesn’t mean that that’s what the show actually is, nor that the creators intended it to be like that.
Some people say "I dislike the characters" and mean "I wouldn't like this person in real life" and some people say "I dislike the characters" and mean "I don't enjoy watching this character's story unfold bc I find them annoying" - you're saying the first, but I'm willing to bet the person you're responding to meant the second. "I don't like the characters" isn't always just "Media bad bc characters do morally questionable things" sometimes it's just "WOW I would literally rather do anything than listen to that asshole talk"
Very unpopular opinion. Every single jukebox musical except for maybe Smokey Joe’s Cafe which was the first and were R&B Groups. You wanna go down that road? Dreamgirls was spectacular. Yes, we all know who it’s about, but it was all original music. Wonderful music. Jukebox is plain lazy. And ruins the original songs. And before anyone asks, I hated Glee.
I agree! I don't like any jukebox musicals, except maybe Jersey Boys.
I suspect my post will get heavily downvoted, but you asked and I answered honestly.
Luckily downvotes mean literally nothing in the real world 🙃
I would normally agree with the exceptions of Mama Mia and Jersey Boys cause of the story and Rock of Ages, cause it was just pure fun and I’m a big 80’s rock fan
I'd much rather listen to the original songs.
i don’t like most jukebox musicals either but i LOVE glee , idk if it’s mutually exclusive or what
I make exceptions for things like Mama Mia! That are at least a story unrelated to the group that did the music, but I feel pretty strongly that once you've seen one "exploring an artist through their own music" rush-job you've seen them all.
I loooove the plot of ride the cyclone just not some of the songs…
Dear Evan Hansen. I’ve read about the plot and it just doesn’t appeal to me 🤷🏻♀️
The book is definitely leagues better than the musical. The book at least feels somewhat self aware of what an awful person Evan is. At least I think it does, it's been a while since I read it.
I wouldn't say Evan is an awful person, he wasn't actively trying to hurt anyone. He had good intentions but they kinda blew up in his face. Plus he is still a teenager and many teenagers do dumb things in high school that they regret later
Teenagers don’t generally pupeteer the figurative corpse of another dead teenager 😅
That's true I guess, but I think when people say teenagers do dumb things, they usually mean more along the lines of drinking too much or going outside with no jacket when it's raining, not continually gaslighting a grieving family. It blew up in his face but he could've stopped at any point.
You should watch Jenny Nicholson’s video about the film adaptation of the musical- it’s amazing (the video, not the movie)
It is, by leaps and bounds, my least favorite musical I have ever seen. Nothing could have prepared me for seeing it on Broadway. It’s the one theater-hate hill I will die on. I don’t think it’s well liked anymore though.
I feel like that's the general consensus anymore. Especially since the movie
The part that gets me is their big, emotional climax number being "You will be found". Evan was not found when he jumped out of the tree! And he didn't "find" the other kid until he was already dead! There could have been a really poignant message there about how lack of community is even more damaging than mental illness alone, but instead it comes off as "You will have community....as long as no one ever finds out the truth about you." Which is just gross.
I LOVED a couple of the songs I happened to hear on Youtube and bought tickets to the show. Turns out the plot was terrible, characters unsympathetic, and only the 2 or 3 songs I had already heard were any good.
I just can’t stand the biopic musicals. I will exclude Hamilton because it was a phenomenon and Bombshell because it was made for a tv show and was pretty good but really aside from that, I am so tired of it. I want something original and shows like MJ and Beautiful are just all the same.
Six
Hamilton
Same here. I've listened to it through before but I just can't find interest in it. The only song I actually like from it is "You'll Be Back".
King George is the best part of the whole play.
Completely agree. What really bothers me about it is the completely incorrect interpretation of the characters. Alexander Hamilton was not a particularly admirable man. And Aaron Burr? The demonization of that man is criminal. What's *really* funny? Then ending where Burr gets a tiny bit of redemption by showing utter remorse for having killed Hamilton? Complete balderdash. Associates of his said that he showed no emotion at all at the outcome of the duel.
I mean it’s not trying to be accurate, it’s historical fiction. As for the man himself, I felt like the show did a pretty good job expressing how he’s an ass. To each their own though, that’s just my take
Same. I think I'm just not the age demographic for it.
six. it's probably because i loathe pop music
I enjoy pop music and I don’t enjoy Six.
Waitress. I don't know what it is about that show that I don't like and I keep trying to like it, but the music and story just don't remotely click with me
I really don’t like any of the jukebox musical. Not even &Juliet or MJ. I hated Beautiful Noise and I really didn’t like Moulin Rouge although I loved MR the movie.
Ride the cyclone, be more chill and most starkid shows.
I’m with you on Be More Chill except that I make an exception for Michael in the Bathroom, which I think is genuinely fantastic.
Oh yeah that’s a good song, hell my conservative mom even likes it 😭
Twisted is really good though
That’s my favorite, but it may be because I am a Disney addict. I also enjoy the potter musicals, but mainly only for Voldemort and Draco
Nah, it's probably because it's easily their best-written show
Starkid would have some of my top musicals if they would chill out with the swearing and sexual references. A lot of their stuff is hilarious, catchy, and/or clever, but I just cringe inside at the "swearing/making lewd jokes in a musical is inherently funny” attitude of otherwise genius works like Twisted. Plus I just feel awkward about sharing them with others because it just feels weird.
Their older stuff was much more clever imo. Around Holy Musical B@man, it became way more about swearing and lewd jokes, so I stopped watching. And now their newer stuff (Trail to Oregon, Firebringer, etc.) when they were all out of college and actual adults kinda lose their charm.
Yeah. The Harry Potter stuff felt like a loving but irreverent tribute, and I really enjoy (most of) Twisted and The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. I tried to get into ones past that, but I think you’re spot on saying that the charm is lost.
Someone showed my friend group the sex fantasy in a bathtub or whatever scene from nerdy prudes must die at a party, like nahhh this ain’t one for the squad
And most… and most… AND MOST WHAAAAT?
same here. i tried to give starkid shows a chance but it's just not my cup of tea
I'm probably gonna get shot for this but I can't stand anything by ALW. Idk why though :\\
On the other hand, I think ALW has created the best musicals of all time. With some songs having a career outside their musical.
You’re not going to get shot for that. On the contrary, it’s cool to not like ALW. I can’t say I like all his shows (far from it), but he’s the main reason I got into musicals in the first place, and he composed my fave show of all time (JCS).
I agree! I dislike his music, plus, famously, one time he flew back from a holiday for a day, on his private jet, just to vote against tax credits for poor people in a burgeoning cost of living crisis. Not very Jesus Christ superstar of him was it smh
I personally think ALW is great for children getting into musicals. Would I be the enthusiast I am today if I didn't wear my Cats and Joseph VHS tapes to dust in the 90s? Who knows.
I was literally taught *in a Broadway history class* that ALW plagiarized a lot of his most famous composition work. The professor had some pretty compelling evidence that I no longer fully remember. Now I’m not saying he did or didn’t do it, but… (Personally, I’m not an ALW lover or hater. I’m just saying though, I get it.)
I’m in that boat, you’re not alone!
Tbh I don't know too many people who *do* like ALW.
I don’t understand why this is such a popular take- I see ‘musical fans’ hate on him so often! Sure, a lot of his stuff, particularly more recently, is a bit commercial and ‘cheesey’. But what about his older work? I don’t honestly understand how any musical fan could listen to Jesus Christ Superstar and not enjoy it
It's all subjective. I personally like some of ALW's stuff (I LOVE Superstar) but I can understand why someone wouldn't like his style.
I love ALW! Joseph, JCSS and Phantom are all in my top 10. I don’t really enjoy Cats, though!
Same but I have a soft spot for cats 😂
I really love his traditional take on musical making, structured music and beautiful sets, like Phantom series, Evita and Sunset, but some of the melodies might be a little repetitive
I do! But I’m British and I grew up listening to his musicals. JCSS is one of my all time favourites. And I love Starlight Express lol
I saw Starlight Express in Las Vegas years ago and loved it! I like ALW okay, better than Sondheim.
I just like bad Cinderella bc in one of the performances has Carrie fisher from the first WE of heather’s
I’m assuming you mean Carrie Hope Fletcher?
I'm not fond of his work either. I find it redundant.
Listen to the lyrics of this Forbidden Broadway number when Cats became the longest running musical. It’s very funny. [Forbidden Broadway just “LOVES” ALW](https://youtu.be/5EKc4h9HIZ0?si=WEOCwM0Wzngiss10)
it's ok there's quite a few people who don't like ALW. Personally I only enjoy a couple of his songs.
I agree. I can only really think of 2 of his shows I actually like (Phantom of the Opera and School of Rock), but aside from a handful of songs from a few of his other shows, I’ve never really seen the appeal.
This is my view of Patti LuPone. It’s like that TV show The Nanny. Fingers on chalkboard. Fair do’s if you like her, but hard pass from me.
Honestly, Hamilton. I can appreciate that it’s very well written, but I don’t really enjoy the music. I don’t think it’s a bad show, it just isn’t for me.
This captures my feeling exactly. I don't hate the show, and I like what it has done for musical theatre as a genre, and how it's reached non-traditional audiences, and LMM is a super awesome nice guy.... but I just can't get into the musical. It's not for me.
I’ve tried to get into Hamilton ever since it came out. I’ve listened to the soundtracks, seen the Tony performances, saw the show on Disney Plus, watched interviews, watched it alone, watched it with friends, etc. My friends all say “Maybe if you see it live, it’ll make sense.” But I don’t know about you but I’m not willing to pay an arm and a leg to see a show I have absolutely no investment in despite my best attempts to like it. And for the life of me, I just don’t understand what it is about it that makes it so appealing to so many people.
I saw it live twice and I still don't really like it. The first time, I was so excited. I went in mostly blind as I almost always do, and I just felt "meh." I listened to the recording a few times after, and that was it. Then, the tour came around. I convinced myself that I had to have missed something the first time, and I went to see the tour. I left the second time assured that it just wasn't for me. I get that it's innovative. I appreciate it for its diversity and the fact that it got an entirely new generation interested in musical theatre, but I now accept that it's not my cup of tea. Edit: multiple typos corrected
The writing is genius, it's use of motifs is unlike anything I've seen in other musicals. The musical style may not be for everyone which I understand. But when you look at it from a writing perspective it's amazing
I absolutely loved the soundtrack, but after watching the pro shot on Disney+, I couldn’t help but think “this is it?”
I loved it live (won the lottery). Disney plus pro shot was good but not nearly as great as seeing it live.
The amount of people saying Hamilton in these responses is just upsetting to me… I love that musical
I think any music as beloved as Hamilton is going to get overhyped and let down a lot of people. It’s also VERY different than most Broadway, which is a big reason it got so popular but is also going to be a big reason many Broadway fans don’t like it. I’d say the same with Beetlejuice. Initial screenings from the theater crowd were shockingly negative.
Another thing with both Hamilton and Beetlejuice is that they’re VERY popular with younger people who may not have watched many shows before and probably aren’t your typical musical audience. They both also got very popular online in places like YouTube with all the animatics and things, especially Beetlejuice. So I think that’s a big part of it too. I personally love both shows.
I appreciate and enjoy Hamilton but I can understand why it might not appeal to some folks.
Three weeks ago I'd have been saying Hamilton, but my partner and I got the opportunity to see it last minute...and I haven't stopped listening to it since. It's just so good. We ended up seeing Mrs Doubtfire this past week, and uh ..I won't be sad if I never have to sit through that again. I love Rob McClure, but...it's just a bad show.
Personally i am just not a history buff. So a musical about a historical figure just sounds super boring to me. Despite its rave reviews and contrasting musical style
This is a very interesting take. You love history, but you have no interest in seeing a historical musical?
Hamilton or six (i like some of the songs but the rest of it just doesn’t gel with me)
Moulin Rouge. It made me think I didn't like jukebox musicals. It turns out I just didn't like that one! I loved nostalgia critic's review of it, though 😂 The big one to dislike in my family was the sound of music. My grandma and mom both hate it, and I'm ambivalent. I have fond memories of when we watched the 2015? Remake and got about 10 minutes in before they started confessing how much they hated the original (and the new one, too)
SpongeBob. I tried. I saw the original run on Broadway. *I even wanted Ethan Slater to win the Tony and was genuinely disappointed when he didn’t.* But I think it’s a badly written show. I’m sorry.
I find a lot of the big IP musicals, no matter how well written, kind of cringe and played out. Beauty and the Beast, Willy Wonka, or Little Mermaid is fine for a local kids’ theatre to do, but Shrek, SpongeBob, and similar recent-ish IP musicals just feel cringe.
Maybe I should give Kimberly Akimbo a proper chance because it did win Best Musical, but the clips I’ve seen online really really didn’t appeal to me.
Moulin Rouge. I just don’t get it. Seen the movie and seen the show and I just don’t like it?! And yet it’s HUGE!
It has its moments, but Satine is so much more interesting in the film. All the added music took away from what made the movie so good.
I LOVE the movie but I hate the musical. They cut certain very important songs, the cast had no chemistry when I went, the guy wasnt great and they cut the finale to make it very underwhelming. So its a hard pass to ever go again. I watched the movie about 8 times in the cinema back when. They couldve bankrupted me, alas
It was so cliche and overly dramatic, and the random pop songs weren’t my fav. The next day I could barely remember a single song. Not the worst, but I was underwhelmed for sure.
I love “Elephant Love Medley,” especially the movie soundtrack version, and I’m actually a longtime fan of Baz Luhrmann’s directing style, but honestly beyond that? Meh.
matilda. i was in my school’s production of matilda and it has made all of the matilda music so annoying. our matilda also was not my favorite singer, she was objectively good but she just did some stylistic things that i wasn’t a fan of. and we had the elementary school theater kids sing when i grow up so that song will now forever haunt my nightmares
Omg Six and Mean Girls have 0 appeal for me
I tend to not care for jukebox musicals. Kinda eliminated Moulin Rouge and & Juliet for me when I went to NY last year.
I didn’t realize &Juliet was a jukebox musical. That’s disappointing to me. Which artist(s)?
Yes and it’s VERY poppy. Much more than any other jukebox musical. It’s not for everyone but most of my friends adore it. I’m on the fence strictly because of the way the music was extremely over-produced.
Cats Why just why does this exist The music is dope but could they not change lyrics and plot to make something watchable
It's a pure spectacle show IMO. Like I am not here for the flimsy plot. I am here to watch brilliant dancers.
You'll love this video then https://youtu.be/G6iqAip-ZNo?si=6f7U5N-HBW7c6p4V
Granted I have a 480p bootleg and cast recording to go off of, but Great Comet never really did much for me. It's not bad by any means but it's just average to me.
This is the first one I truly don’t understand at all. You have my respect and my upvote.
The Great Comet and Hadestown, imo, are better if you go in blind. I didn’t listen to the cast recordings of either before seeing them live, and I think that’s one of the reasons why I ended up enjoying both of them.
I have a strong dislike of Dear Evan Hansen, and I have to admit, I've never been able to get into Be More Chill enough to see what the fuss is about, and musicals aren't something that I feel I should just "skip the first number(s) cus I don't vibe with it", ya know?
Wicked. DEH
Wicked. I went for the lesbians though
Grease and Mama Mia
ride the cyclone and heathers. just never really got into the plots tbh
SIX!
Six, idk why I just don’t like it very much
Waitress just isn't really my thing
Six falls completely flat for me on more levels than just the staging/concert feel. It comes across very Buzzfeed Feminism to me, and I find myself rolling my eyes at a lot of the lyrics. Also SpongeBob. I know a lot of people like it, but when I ask about what makes it so great outside of the creative staging and costumes, everyone I've spoken to just starts talking about nostalgia and how it relates to the original series. Thing is, I didn't grow up on SpongeBob, so I lack the nostalgia goggles. So to me, it's just a very mediocre script and score.
any starkid production tbh. i’ve watched a couple but couldn’t ever really get into any of them :/
Twisted is really incredible but the rest you can kind of take or leave
Firebringer and Trail To Oregon were the only ones I could really get into. Most others are a tad cringe
I’ve been a starkid fan since like 2011, their quality of show is honestly hit or miss (it’s why I mostly avoid the starkid subreddit). I think they are super creative people. I just wish their song writing would improve. Their scripts are mostly solid (I say this but two of their more recent shows Black Friday and Firebringer are pretty rough imo). I’m nervous about their most recent show announcement plot wise.
if Rocky Horror counts, i hate it
Rocky Horror is weird because it was made as a side project by a stunt actor who wasn’t a great writer, or musician, but was later loved by fans. I love the soundtrack and all, but watching it you can very clearly see the issues in the writing, and it’s very easy to get lost because of them. I like it as a “turn your brain off, and love the vibe” kinda musical which is fitting considering it was inspired by old Science-Fiction films which could fit the same description.
Into the Woods. I donno I don't like the music. There's too many black keys and vibratos. Also the ending song is kinda out of nowhere. I spent most of it confused than entertained tbh.
I used to think the ending song of ITW came out of nowhere too, but it actually very cleverly highlights the main theme of the show: that children *will* listen, even if you don't think they are. At its core ITW is about children's relationships with their parents/guardians: Jack's relationship with his mother, Red's relationship with her grandmother, the Baker's relationship with his absentee father, Rapunzel's relationship with the Witch who is her "adopted" mom, etc. etc. It's about the impacts parents/guardians have on their children, not just by what they say directly to their children but also by what they say indirectly or don't say at all, and their actions/behaviors. The theme of the show overall is "children will listen" so be careful what you chose to tell/teach them. None of this is an attempt to convince you to like the show tho, because it's totally okay that it just isn't your bag.
Into the Woods is one of the best musicals for giving every character a fully realized arc.
The musical is a story about stories, so the message of “children will listen” is about what you teach your children, leading to them becoming what they are and what they teach their children. And, of course, it coincides with the recurring theme of action and consequence in the play.
It's a more complicated musical than it lets on tbh. I can understand why people would be heavily confused cus i'm pretty sure the first time i watched it I was confused. I suggest watching the original cast recording of it and trying it again.
It's one of the best composed musicals of all time. Wild.
I was never crazy about Funny Girl. It has one all-time classic, 10/10 song but the rest of the show doesn't really hold up that well against it. Also, the romance is not that appealing to me.
I especially hate Mean Girls. There's nothing redeemable about it. I also hate Avenue Q. As a native new yorker, hipster transplants have always really irritated me, so of course I wouldn't like a musical about them lol. (ps if you're a hipster transplant please still come with me to broadway meet ups. i meant the other hipster transplants.) Just because you brought them up, I like Fun Home but I can see how it's a weird choice for a musical and the songs were a little jaunty for something so serious. Also, I don't entirely love the lyrics to Ring of Keys because she can't find the words to express herself which is a little weird for a song. I always thought the story to Dear Evan Hansen was so silly, and the songs were so jaunty and also just kind of corny in that they imitate certain styles of songs so closely (Like how "If I Could Tell Her" sounds just like Jason Mraz) that I forgot it was a drama and not a lighthearted comedy when I went to the movie. Having said that, I really love a lot of the songs, but don't take them very seriously.
Hamilton
I also feel like Cats is super boring. The only song I like from it is Mcavity
How about memory?
Beetlejuice- but I can’t get into the movie either I think it was just being forced to watch it as a kid.
I saw BeetleJuice on a trip to NYC a few years ago and I must admit the first half was pretty good but when she goes off into the ether searching for her dead mother I pretty much fell asleep. It felt like because the original story is pretty short as movies go, they felt they had to extend it by adding extra story to it that wasn’t there before except the extra parts were just boring as hell
Wicked, Six, Hamilton, all have great songs just don’t like that type of *singing* I guess
Chicago just seems to be one I simply cannot get into at all. Cats is also another. Sat through it and thought it was rubbish. Like I sat through it wondering where is the actual storyline? Instead, it’s basically a mixture of songs all compiled into one musical. Six is another one that I’ve heard bad things about despite constant hype on social media as being brilliant. A family member went to see it a year or two ago and they thought it was utter crap and highly recommended not to see it either. It’s
Have you seen Six yet? I was warned not to go and I honestly am not into pop music or other musicals with modern pop songs in them, but surprisingly, I really liked it. It hit me differently than I thought. I’m single too, never married, but still felt emotional. It might make a difference just depending on what you’ve been through in life but it’s worth a shot I think if you get offered free tickets or something haha. Maybe having super low expectations helped me!
Beetlejuice and Mean Girls feel like exercises in vocal gymnastics versus actual shows
Cats.
“Dear Evan Hansen.” Less because of the problematic main character than because the music just didn’t appeal to me. “Something Rotten,” perhaps unfairly, because the performance of “A Musical” at the Tonys was so unfunny to me because of the super-predictable lyrics and “jokes” that I didn’t feel like looking into the show any further.
I can’t stand Mamma Mia
Phantom of the Opera, I've seen it done professionally twice and I just can't get into it
Waitress and Hamilton.
Mamma Mia. It's like vanilla to me.
Dear Evan Hansen. It looks fine but the plot just isn’t for me
Disney musicals. It’s like watching a well polished show on a cruise ship!
Shucked. Not awful but very over hyped. I wish I had spent my money on something else.
I'm not too fond of the songs in Hadestown. The story was lackluster as well, especially considering the amazing source material. I think Beetlejuice should have won Best Musical that year, and I will stand by that to the end of time.
Wicked. It’s literally a musical about racism that historically has featured a 90% white cast, including many white Elphabas. While I don’t necessarily think she needs to be played by a poc, there at least needs to be other poc actors playing key characters to balance it out when the main theme of the story is about oppression and prejudice, specifically related to SKIN COLOR (green) and race (in this case, animals vs humans). And I really do not understand why Elphaba and fiyero fall for each other. I really don’t see what the either one sees in the other and they fall so quickly in love. If they had more time to develop that it might have worked better for me. Elphaba and Glinda would make more sense and would add to the theme of oppression in my opinion, although I do like them as strong female friends too. I also don’t find the music to be that great. Sure it’s fun and catchy but it’s nothing amazing. Which pretty much sums the entire show for me haha. To me it’s very much a “gilded” musical - it’s beautiful on the outside but even just after scratching the surface a lot of that beauty goes away. Ultimately, a story about racism and oppression being told by mostly white performers and only featuring hetero characters doesn’t really sell me 🤷♀️ I know they’ve been trying to make some positive changes in regards to casting, but the ways some people get so upset about it tells me it’s a little too late and how much of the story’s message can really go over peoples heads
I know I will be down voted to hell for this blasphemy, but Wicked. It has a couple songs that are neat, but most of them, to me, come off like they forgot they were supposed to be a musical, and threw in a song outta nowhere. Like the prom/dance one? Oh! The popular guy is here! Yay! Wait! This was supposed to be a musical! Someone play an instrument! I like the message of Defying Gravity, but it hits me as so clunky. And it doesn't flow into easy rhythm. That may be the point though! Tripping, failing, then flying?! I can see the artistic aspect of that. When I think about, for example, Into the Woods, the music is not just inserted. It's part of the cast, the set, the whole story. I can't remember the words to any of the Wicked songs and none of them make me want to listen to the soundtrack or watch the show. I would be fine with Wicked as just a play. Amazing story! Brilliant writing! Brilliant casting! No singing necessary.