What musicals are 'allowed' according to my son's rather limited criterion?
He tells me that musicals only make sense if they are set in a fantasy land where singing to express emotion would be a ‘rule’ to follow. Anything contemporary or on the real historical timeline would not pass this test. So, the following would be OK according to him:
Camelot
Spamalot
Wizard of Oz
Wicked
Return to Forbidden Planet
We Will Rock You
My favourite musical is ‘Guys and Dolls’ but that is a complete failure according to this rather hash rule.
What else passes this test?
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18 Answers
I would totally count “The Phantom of the Opera”.
The Book of Mormon by Matt Stone and Trey Parker and Spider-Man
The musical episode of Buffy is awesome.
Some I am sure of: Fantasia, Beauty and The Beast, Once Upon a Mattress, Rock Apocalypse, Star-crossed, Peter Pan.
At least your son allows musicals at all, my dad’s criteria is that if they sing for more than 1/8th of the movie, he won’t watch it. ;)
Lion King and Madagascar Live (fyi I know Madagascar is coming around here soon)
I don’t know if you would consider it a musical but what is a comedic and musical proformanace and is really good is Blue Man Group.
Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
With all due respect, this is a stupid rule that misses the point. It sounds like your son has a theory of art that went out in ancient times. Pure representation is not the goal. There are also factors like expression and form to consider. The songs could be symbolic and need not represent actual events happening in the story line.
Does he have a problem with opera, where everything is done with song? Does he really need to pretend that the entire story takes place in an alternate universe where singing is the typical mode of conversation? And does he like action movies, where implausible (and often impossible) acts are carried out by heroes and villains alike with startling regularity?
Tell your son to get over himself. Until then, maybe he can watch Bye Bye Birdie. It happens in the “real world,” but at least the fact that it’s about a rock and roll star might help explain why everyone has music on the brain.
He should watch ‘Dancer in the Dark’ and tell us what he thinks.
How about Hair? Certainly a fantasy…
Classic Fantastic— Mozart’s “Magic Flute”
Most any of the Disney 2D animation fits this rule. Snow White, Jungle Book, Aladdin…
Curious to see what he makes of something like ’Once’
Where there’s a ‘real world’ reason for all the singing and carry-on.
@SavoirFaire Your answer has some good points, but it’s pretty damn harsh there at the end.
@ladymia69 The end of my post is a recommendation: Bye Bye Birdie fits the son’s criteria. The only bit of my response that I can read as harsh is “tell your son to get over himself.” But honestly, the son’s rule is just as pretentious as anything I’ve heard from an opera snob. Nor do I see how @Tocon_Tactus could legitimately disagree seeing as the question and details describe the boy’s criterion as being “limited” and “harsh.”
Oh! How did I not previously mention “Repo! The Genetic Opera”?
‘Tis awesome, and sufficiently science-fiction to pass the test.
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