Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Longest Running Musical on Broadway? - I Really Tried. Really Really Tried

So believe it or or not, I've actually never seen The Phantom Of The Opera live on stage. Somehow I've avoided it for this many years, even after it running originally in Toronto for about 8 years, and then again living in London, England. Perhaps it was the fact that no matter what, growing up in the late 80's and 90's, like it or not, the songs were forceably ingrained in my head (and I wasn't even into musicals back then. Lorraine, I blame you).

It's funny because people think I'm a musical freak and yes, you may have noticed that I do see a lot of them, and I do love the ones I love, but there's also a lot of musicals I hate and feel pain when seeing them (Starlight Express, The Producers, Wicked). So my theory is that more people out there actually might like musicals if the only one that they have seen wasn't just something like Cats or The Phantom of The Opera.

Because after last night, I think I would hate musicals too. I finally decided to just go see it once and for all (with a student deal thanks to my sister. No way in hell am I paying full price). It wasn't even bad. It was just BORING. I found myself hoping for MORE of the mediocre music just because it was still the most interesting thing in the show.

Seriously, THAT is now the longest running show on Broadway? (and I believe in London as well now?) Seriously, who is still watching it? (I guess me, eh?)

3 comments:

Jennifer said...

I'm sorry you didn't like Phantom...it was one of the first I ever saw and I really loved it. But I wonder if I would have felt the same had I seen it after seeing other, less old-fashioned kinds of musicals.

Cats, on the other hand, I HATED. I just didn't get it at all...

Vance said...

Yeah. I think if I first saw this when I was 10, I could see myself wowed, but I think now, I need more emotional and intellectual impact (like in Spring Awakening, Company, A Chorus Line, Cabaret, Urinetown), or be more humourous and not take themselves so seriously (Avenue Q, Mamma Mia). I re-watched Miss Saigon 10 years after first seeing it when it opened, and I LOVED it at first, but upon second viewing years later, I was NOT as impressed and realised half my love was more built up nostalgia, which I think Phantom is currently milking.

Liz said...

JUST SAY NO to Andrew Lloyd Webber. Urgh. I can't say I mind The Producers, though.