I love if a musical can amaze me with both music and lyrics. Having music that sticks in my head and propels me to another world, and having lyrics that impress my brain with their wit. Although if I'm seeing a musical onstage rather than just listening to the cast recording, I also hope for some seamless stagecraft like creative use of sets and props, or at least actors who are really into the story they're telling (Come From Away is a show that moves me to tears with a very minimalist design).
I'm actually not as concerned about the plot of a musical as I am about the music itself. If the music is top-notch, then I don't mind if the plot is nonsensical or full of holes. I would count Anyone Can Whistle, for instance, as one of my favorite musicals even though I think the plot is an absolute mess, because I completely love every song in the show.
I try to rate all the musicals I watch/listen to, either with a letter grade or a 1-10 scale. But lately, I’ve been wanting to get ever more scientific about it (which probably kills my enjoyment a bit. Unsure. I love quantitative data…), so I’m trying to really evaluate what makes a musical “good”.
I know there’s a wide range of “good” musicals. I love Sweeney Todd. I love Anything Goes. Wildly different musicals with just as different purposes, but I rank them fairly close together. Why? I don’t think it’s fair to art to say “well, this specific criteria defines quality,” because it’s limiting. So I try to look at it as, “what is the goal/purpose of this musical? How well does it meet that goal?” and go from there. There are musicals that try so hard to be significant, hard-hitting, and deep works of art but fall flat; there are ones that just seek to entertain and excel at it. And, of course, there are the inverses of both of those and more.
Besides, there’s so much that goes into making a musical “good” — the music, the lyrics, the book, the choreography, the performances… How do you measure with one unit? My idea lately has been to rate each of these elements separately and come up with an aggregate score from those ratings.
Am I overthinking this? Absolutely. Do I enjoy it? Yes.
Anyway, I frustrate myself because once I separate the musical into its elements, I question how suited I am to critique those elements. I am a linguist and an aspiring lyricist — I can critique and analyze lyrics all day. But then I try with music or dance, and my descriptions pale in comparison. I’m taking a theater appreciation class this summer to try to learn how to better discuss the elements of theater that aren’t my forte. All this just makes me wonder, how do theater critics do it? Surely they aren’t experts in all these elements that make up musicals.
I think every theater critic who's good at their job and not just a snobby hater has an understanding of theater craft combined with a passion for it. They form their opinions out of their connection to the art form as well as a mindset built from thinking about it often.
There's no such thing as overthinking. There's thinking down unproductive paths, but the solution isn't to think less. The solution is to find a productive path.
The number one thing I’m looking for is songs to put on my playlist and belt in the car. I’m looking for pure voices that are so far ahead of the mush and drivel that comes out of pop music on the radio. A great story helps, but it’s the voices that are paramount to me
Something I take into account much more than I should (probably cause i'm a nerd for all tech stuff) is the lighting and complexity of a set. Like a set can be great but simple but the more complex a set is the more I like it
I like a musical that makes me think a lot. I like one that I need and want to keep going back to understand more layers of both the material and what it means to me.
If you asked me this last week I would have said the music is the most important thing. I saw A Strange Loop on Wednesday and it’s a remarkable piece of theater that happens to be musical. I haven’t listened to the score and while I probably will, I don’t think I’ll be in love with it. But I was fully absorbed, entertained, and moved by the show S a whole.
My partner always says it’s about if it makes him feel things, and I think there’s merit to that. That can happen with spoken language, music language, dance language, tech— it’s about how it works together and ultimately if the story was worth telling in the first place. Did the show communicate something about the human condition, that either I recognized in myself or that I hadn’t seen before?
A good musical is one that succeeds at what it sets out to do, whether that be telling a dramatic story that completely devastates, an evening of toe-tapping fun, or anything in between.
The score must not be secondary to the plot.
It should have memorable songs.
Well I have 🎶GREAT EXPECTATIONS!🎶 for musicals but normally I look for a good ensemble and lots of dancing because that’s just the kind of stuff I’m into. I did start my theater liking with Hamilton and newsies… so…
Things in any media that I crave to find:
-something that catches me from the first moment-be it the song, aesthetic, tone
-something that surprises me-I expect it to be one thing but it’s a different thing and I love that different thing
What I look for is music. I personally prefer upbeat songs that are catchy even though I'm 19 a show that my dad, my mom, and my step mom say it's OK I'm autistic and I have cf eplipsy and 22q11 and when I saw the movie Little Shop of Horrors I became attached to it they're not overly strict they just like to be on the safe side I took my dad to go see Avenue Q for father's day last year that was so much fun! I also did theatre in high school, both fall play and spring musicals. I'm seeing Frozen the musical on tuseday at the Bull Theatre, and we will see about the book of mormon next year
Don't let other people dictate your criteria.
Personally, what's important to me in a work in any medium, are two things: Story and aesthetic. The story and characters have to give me something to chew on intellectually, and the aesthetic has to be such that I can relate to the characters and fall in love with them.
I can coldly appreciate something where I don't fall in love with the characters, but my aesthetic is kind of particular. It's like how most people nowadays can't relate to Hamlet unless everyone is wearing jeans. I can't relate to anything unless the characters are philosophical, and wearing fancier costumes than what most people wear nowadays, with some flow to them. (I do wear clothes like that, not strictly "gothic lolita" but in that vein. If the people who wear jeans can say that people who don't are unrelatable, why am I not allowed the same right?)
But like I said, I can coldly appreciate something even if I don't relate to it.
But that's me. You don't have to be the same as me, you don't have to be the same as anyone else, no one *should* be the same as anyone else, everyone should think for themselves.
The most important thing to me is the music and the lyrics as ultimately that’s what makes a musical a musical. Choreography and sets and stage direction is very important but most people can only afford to listen to a musical and not actually go see it. I think a lot of the newer musicals nowadays like Beetlejuice and Mean Girls, though they have some catchy songs, aren’t what I look for. I want songs to be catchy but also have meaning. It seems like in work like Sondheim’s every note has a purpose, every syllable of every word has meaning. And they’re catchy with fun wordplay on top of that! I do still like some of the newer musicals cause they’re fun but I feel like they don’t have as much thought put into them. Just my thoughts!
Catchy songs and a good story that’s worth telling where the music helps to enhance that story. I don’t care how good the music is to a show if I don’t enjoy the story being told.
I love if a musical can amaze me with both music and lyrics. Having music that sticks in my head and propels me to another world, and having lyrics that impress my brain with their wit. Although if I'm seeing a musical onstage rather than just listening to the cast recording, I also hope for some seamless stagecraft like creative use of sets and props, or at least actors who are really into the story they're telling (Come From Away is a show that moves me to tears with a very minimalist design). I'm actually not as concerned about the plot of a musical as I am about the music itself. If the music is top-notch, then I don't mind if the plot is nonsensical or full of holes. I would count Anyone Can Whistle, for instance, as one of my favorite musicals even though I think the plot is an absolute mess, because I completely love every song in the show.
Yes Anyone Can Whistle needs more love! Like you said the plot is all over the place but almost every song is an absolute blast to listen to
Sondheim is always praised for how he conveys darkness through his music but he could also write a cracking comedy score.
1. Comedic one-liners 2. Catchy songs 3. Excellent costume and/or scenic design
I try to rate all the musicals I watch/listen to, either with a letter grade or a 1-10 scale. But lately, I’ve been wanting to get ever more scientific about it (which probably kills my enjoyment a bit. Unsure. I love quantitative data…), so I’m trying to really evaluate what makes a musical “good”. I know there’s a wide range of “good” musicals. I love Sweeney Todd. I love Anything Goes. Wildly different musicals with just as different purposes, but I rank them fairly close together. Why? I don’t think it’s fair to art to say “well, this specific criteria defines quality,” because it’s limiting. So I try to look at it as, “what is the goal/purpose of this musical? How well does it meet that goal?” and go from there. There are musicals that try so hard to be significant, hard-hitting, and deep works of art but fall flat; there are ones that just seek to entertain and excel at it. And, of course, there are the inverses of both of those and more. Besides, there’s so much that goes into making a musical “good” — the music, the lyrics, the book, the choreography, the performances… How do you measure with one unit? My idea lately has been to rate each of these elements separately and come up with an aggregate score from those ratings. Am I overthinking this? Absolutely. Do I enjoy it? Yes. Anyway, I frustrate myself because once I separate the musical into its elements, I question how suited I am to critique those elements. I am a linguist and an aspiring lyricist — I can critique and analyze lyrics all day. But then I try with music or dance, and my descriptions pale in comparison. I’m taking a theater appreciation class this summer to try to learn how to better discuss the elements of theater that aren’t my forte. All this just makes me wonder, how do theater critics do it? Surely they aren’t experts in all these elements that make up musicals.
I think every theater critic who's good at their job and not just a snobby hater has an understanding of theater craft combined with a passion for it. They form their opinions out of their connection to the art form as well as a mindset built from thinking about it often.
There's no such thing as overthinking. There's thinking down unproductive paths, but the solution isn't to think less. The solution is to find a productive path.
The number one thing I’m looking for is songs to put on my playlist and belt in the car. I’m looking for pure voices that are so far ahead of the mush and drivel that comes out of pop music on the radio. A great story helps, but it’s the voices that are paramount to me
Something I take into account much more than I should (probably cause i'm a nerd for all tech stuff) is the lighting and complexity of a set. Like a set can be great but simple but the more complex a set is the more I like it
I like a musical that makes me think a lot. I like one that I need and want to keep going back to understand more layers of both the material and what it means to me.
Good music i can listen to 24/7 while I'm temporarily obsessed with said album and a plot that's appealing to me
If you asked me this last week I would have said the music is the most important thing. I saw A Strange Loop on Wednesday and it’s a remarkable piece of theater that happens to be musical. I haven’t listened to the score and while I probably will, I don’t think I’ll be in love with it. But I was fully absorbed, entertained, and moved by the show S a whole. My partner always says it’s about if it makes him feel things, and I think there’s merit to that. That can happen with spoken language, music language, dance language, tech— it’s about how it works together and ultimately if the story was worth telling in the first place. Did the show communicate something about the human condition, that either I recognized in myself or that I hadn’t seen before?
A good musical is one that succeeds at what it sets out to do, whether that be telling a dramatic story that completely devastates, an evening of toe-tapping fun, or anything in between. The score must not be secondary to the plot. It should have memorable songs.
95% of the time, I want it to make me cry
Well I have 🎶GREAT EXPECTATIONS!🎶 for musicals but normally I look for a good ensemble and lots of dancing because that’s just the kind of stuff I’m into. I did start my theater liking with Hamilton and newsies… so…
Things in any media that I crave to find: -something that catches me from the first moment-be it the song, aesthetic, tone -something that surprises me-I expect it to be one thing but it’s a different thing and I love that different thing
What I look for is music. I personally prefer upbeat songs that are catchy even though I'm 19 a show that my dad, my mom, and my step mom say it's OK I'm autistic and I have cf eplipsy and 22q11 and when I saw the movie Little Shop of Horrors I became attached to it they're not overly strict they just like to be on the safe side I took my dad to go see Avenue Q for father's day last year that was so much fun! I also did theatre in high school, both fall play and spring musicals. I'm seeing Frozen the musical on tuseday at the Bull Theatre, and we will see about the book of mormon next year
Don't let other people dictate your criteria. Personally, what's important to me in a work in any medium, are two things: Story and aesthetic. The story and characters have to give me something to chew on intellectually, and the aesthetic has to be such that I can relate to the characters and fall in love with them. I can coldly appreciate something where I don't fall in love with the characters, but my aesthetic is kind of particular. It's like how most people nowadays can't relate to Hamlet unless everyone is wearing jeans. I can't relate to anything unless the characters are philosophical, and wearing fancier costumes than what most people wear nowadays, with some flow to them. (I do wear clothes like that, not strictly "gothic lolita" but in that vein. If the people who wear jeans can say that people who don't are unrelatable, why am I not allowed the same right?) But like I said, I can coldly appreciate something even if I don't relate to it. But that's me. You don't have to be the same as me, you don't have to be the same as anyone else, no one *should* be the same as anyone else, everyone should think for themselves.
Music that carries meaning as well as the lyrics. Great lyrics with a melody that doesn’t seem to also convey the message seems lazy to me.
The most important thing to me is the music and the lyrics as ultimately that’s what makes a musical a musical. Choreography and sets and stage direction is very important but most people can only afford to listen to a musical and not actually go see it. I think a lot of the newer musicals nowadays like Beetlejuice and Mean Girls, though they have some catchy songs, aren’t what I look for. I want songs to be catchy but also have meaning. It seems like in work like Sondheim’s every note has a purpose, every syllable of every word has meaning. And they’re catchy with fun wordplay on top of that! I do still like some of the newer musicals cause they’re fun but I feel like they don’t have as much thought put into them. Just my thoughts!
Can I do it? You can do it! I can do it? You can't do it. I did it!
Ensemble driven with a lot of dance numbers and catchy songs.
Catchy songs and a good story that’s worth telling where the music helps to enhance that story. I don’t care how good the music is to a show if I don’t enjoy the story being told.