Welcome to the Musicals Thread, the Avocado’s space for anything and everything related to musical theatre! Every month I’ll post a discussion prompt, but please feel free to comment on other topics, from new discoveries to old favorites. If you have ideas for future prompts or would like to write a feature for the thread, let me know!
I’ve been reading a book called Another Fine Mess, about the history of American film comedy. It’s given me some new titles to check out, but it’s also given me pause at those times when the author and I have totally different takes on a film I’ve already seen – and it makes me think I shouldn’t necessarily take for granted that the films unfamiliar to me but dismissed by him aren’t worth my time, either.
I’ve experienced a similar disconnect about musical criticism. I owe Ethan Mordden for hours of fun reading and listening, but I can’t agree with the general attitude towards late-20th-early-21st-century Broadway indicated by the title of his book thereabout, The Happiest Corpse I’ve Ever Seen.
It isn’t the job of a critic to be the last word on what’s good and what’s bad. Over time, however, an audience member can compare their own experience of an art form with someone else’s and judge whether their tastes are similar enough for that someone else to be a reliable guide, which can be a valuable thing in the face of seemingly endless options.
Then again, the options may not be so seemingly endless for musical fans. A new or new-to-you show is not as easily accessible as a new movie or book, and one can’t afford to be picky when expanding their horizons. I remember a time when I wouldn’t dare lend an ear to a story so rooted in violence or sex as Assassins or A Little Night Music. Soon enough I was running out of Sondheim, though, so I gave each a try, and now they’re among my favorite shows (and they spend much more time talking about than portraying the things Young Me was so worried about).
What about you? How much weight do you give to a show’s reputation? Is there somebody/something you trust to point you toward a good show or warn you away from a not-so-good one? Do you go by your own instinct? Are there elements (writer, actor, plot detail, etc.) that will immediately convince you to either pass on a show or give it a chance?