Why Hollywood Musicals Suck

[katepaulk]

Well, the later ones do. Back in the 50s, and even into the 60s, they still remembered that a very important part of filming a musical was that it is in fact a musical - a performance that requires all concerned to actually be able to sing. Really sing, not just burble along more or less in tune.

The Madonna Evita sucked, because she wasn't a good

Comments

[brownkitty]

Have you seen the stage production of Les Miserables? Not a movie, true, but some damned fine voices.

And I take it you haven't seen the version of Phantom of the Opera that has Sarah Brightman as Christine and Michael Ball as the Phantom?

[katepaulk]

I've seen several stage productions of Les Mis, ranging from magnificent to "when does it end?" (Amateurs should NEVER attempt Les Mis.)

I've never seen Phantom live, but I have the original London cast soundtrack recording and that IS good. I'd hoped that the movie would be decent, but I was sadly disappointed.

[brownkitty]

I highly recommend this version of Les Miserables http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113637/

Javert in this is perfect IMO. Strong deep beautiful voice, severe and deep convictions, simply wonderful. Adult Cosette in this I believe is a miscast, but she's the only one I can really point to and say "I disagree with this."

I could swear I've seen the Sarah Brightman/Michael Crawford version(my mistake in saying Michael Ball earlier, he was one of the singers in Les Mis) on tv if not owned the DVD. I am unable to find it, but it matches the original London cast.

[katepaulk]

I've seen it, and I agree with you.

That Javert was the Australian one :) Unfortunately the original Oz Valjean, Normie Rowe, got replaced by Rob Guest (who should have been shot before being allowed to take that role. Idiot seemed to think you show emotion by shouting).

I was wondering who the heck Michael Ball was ;) Michael Crawford astounded me. I grew up on Brit sitcoms, and all I knew of him was Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. (If you've EVER seen it, the idea of THAT as the Phantom was utterly ludicrous...)

[amandatkd]

Gotta agree with you, Kate. I grew up going to musical theater. Luckily, Dallas over the years has been able to draw some wonderful Broadway stars in their signature roles (Angela Lansbury as Mame being just one of them).

And yes, when we go to see a muscial, it's for the overall talent of those appearing, not for the name of the people involved. But then, back when musicals were really good, those acting in them were jacks-of-all trades. They could sing and dance and act. That's not what those casting musical films are worried with these days.

For the record, I thought Emmy Rossum was great in Phantom but casting Gerard Butler as the Phantom was a stroke of sheer stupidity.

[katepaulk]

Emmy Rossum wasn't bad, although I think she wasn't really ready for the part. It's a true opera role, and the difference between when they had the reverb on and off was painfully obvious.

Gerard Butler should not have been the Phantom. They'd have done far better with Hugh Jackman (who is a damn good singer - I've heard him as Curly in Oklahoma!) or even dragging any professional tenor in off the bloody street.

It's the curse of growing up in a musical family - I got to be not-quite-professional on trombone, and a reasonable choral singer. I don't have the voice for professional singing, alas.

Singing Musicals

[jane_barfly]

Hugh Jackman was awesome as Curly - we only saw the TVcast of the London production, but it had marvelous energy.

We saw a touring production of Les Mis some years ago, and we were very lucky- they were cast with operatic-quality voices, with the exception of the adult Fontine. She had an Ethel Merman brassy voice, and that also worked beautifully.

What really disappoints is some musical movies that were made in the sixties that don't even hold up to the energy and musical verve of really good amateur theater. I utterly cannot *stand* the Gene Kelly-directed Barbra Streisand "Hello Dolly." I left the exclamation mark off, because the movie had nothing to exclaim about. And how Kelly managed to make a movie with Walter Matthau dull, I will never understand.

And I loved Fred Astaire in lots of movies, but not in Finian's Rainbow. Darn it. And the guy who played Og didn't have the chops.

In both cases, I've seen better amateur productions.

Laura
Reasonably good choral singer.

[lindaabdavis]

I don't know much about music as a whole, but my family thoroughly enjoyed last year's release of Hairspray. We thought the MC had a sweet voice and I enjoy Queen Latifah's work. I wasn't overly impressed with Michelle Pfeiffer's voice, but we just went with it. I think that Hollywood COULD make good musicals if they thought there was an audience for it. I'm hoping that the popularity of Hairspray will urge them to do more.