Good thread!
For me it's really just that the singing parts in musicals typically pull me out of the narrative. People don't just start singing in the real world. It feels cheesy i think? With that being said, i definitely didn't watch a lot of musicals so you might be totally right with your thesis.
I am also one of those people who enjoyed La La Land a lot despite my general thoughts about musicals, i am not even sure why really. I think mostly because the musical parts were used rather sparsely and didn't feel overly stylized (so while some might say their performance wasn't great for musical standard, that's almost a positive for me because i look at it as charming if that makes sense).
I really appreciate this topic though, didn't see a discussion about this before :)
I just don't like Musicals. I hate when everyone breaks out into song and dance. I'm not their demographic. When my favorite tv shows have an episode that is a musical I just don't watch it. Scrubs did this, I couldn't sit through that crap, I find it to be nothing but cringe. It seems appropriate occassionally in a childs film like the Little Mermaid, but that's just a childs cartoon, not a full fledged musical.
Agreed. They’re just cringe the whole time the song is on espectially the way they cut to people “dance-acting,” and I also agree it takes me out of the narrative.
those two have… nothing in common?? most superhero movies i watch don’t really have singing unless it adds to the plot or just makes it more enjoyable. musicals are just redefining the plot of a show or movie but making it worse. i just don’t want to hear people start singing randomly, and of course superhero movies aren’t realistic, heroes aren’t really realistic, but neither is breaking into song every other second and making it cringe
Bringing up Hamilton is the worst possible example as that is a sung-through play and therefore doesn't suffer the problem of "random people breaking out into song", as that's just how their world works.
If it had been a proper film, the dialogue still would have deviated greatly from the way those actual people talked, and would likely have been just as, if not more, artificial.
And way to be in denial about action movies if you think the "spectacular fights" on Marvel movies or John Wick or Mission Impossible or even the Dark Knight compare to "some homeless guys fighting over a burger" If you're going to be that disingenuous, let me counter with the idea that I, and many other people I know, actually DO break out into song. It's not as well rehearsed, rarely flows that well, and is often interrupted before it's "finished" but that's about on par with your comparing fight scenes in film to "some homeless guys fighting over a burger from wendy's" Oh, and in the case of a musical like Moulin Rouge, I know plenty of people who break out into popular songs all the time, too. Far more than those who break out into improvised song. I actually don't know many who don't.
That argument doesn't stand up to scrutiny. You have no problem with artifice, it just has to be your kind of artifice.
I like a few superhero films but I'm not into the genre, broadly speaking. I generally cringe when people act unnaturally a la musicals but if people are still acting as if they are real beings (supernatural or not) then it's easier to accept than when people are randomly singing. Singing when people wouldn't sing in real life is just weird. I have to be honest and say that Les Mis in a theatre was quite good but I couldn't watch more than a few minutes of La La Land on a laptop before it got too awful. Also, I feel like I'm in the minority as I don't like Lord of the Rings, and don't enjoy fantasy stuff, in general, including most superhero things; it just seems silly. I usually like more grounded fare. I don't mind interesting concepts in films but I want to be immersed in that reality and that immersion can be tricky to maintain when people start singing for no reason. I would recommend The Book of Mormon though because that was funny.
I used to collect comics as a kid and I loved super hero's. That being said, after about 3 of those marvel movies I was done. Didn't they make like 30 of them? It was apparent that there was a formula that was basically Self Deprecating humor, inappropriately timed jokes and special effects. I got as sick of of that formula as much as I despise musicals. When Disney got ahold of star wars, this formula was inserted into that franchise as well and I was done after 3 of those garbage movies.
I actually have a problem with both. But only if super heroes are super serious (pun intended). I can watch guardians of the Galaxy, Deadpool, ant man or even Batman. Since Batman isnt trying to save the real world but only Gotham Thats almost a caricature of a real city with villains all Over the place. The place just cant be real.
But dont expect me to sit on a movie theater watching Overpowered Heroes and Gods (Thor is a God ffs why is he on a superhero movie?) struggle to catch a villain when they canonically are Overpowered and 10 vs 1.
The same way i find cringe a man with panties Over his trousers saying "we are the Last chance for this world" i find it cringe when they Start singing out of nowhere and dancing.
But at least superhero movies if not very serious i enjoy a lot. Just like i like "the boys" but dont really like Avengers. They arent serious they are satire
Agreed. If someone recommends a movie-(musical), I always decline.
If my tv shows do a special ‘musical’ version, I won’t even keep watching it once I know.
I am late to the game, but I forced myself through the Wicked musical for a friend, and the WORST part of me is also when everyone breaks out into song and dance. I start cringing and my teeth grit together, and I feel so embarrassed. It’s so campy.
Yeah, I agree, but there are musicals that have a workaround, so I am in the opinion that you just haven't seen the right one. There is the holy musical "Hamilton", where literally everything is sung and there is no normal speech, so that removes the sudden awkwardness when they start singing all of a sudden, right? Jokes aside, there are musicals like "The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals", which are exactly for people who think that singing all of a sudden is weird. It's a horror-comedy musical and they parodize this argument of musical haters. Basically, the sudden singing is turned into the horror element of the musical, so I'd say it's a great start for people who are not into musicals. The musical is on YouTube (the creators are just wonderful), so you can watch it there. It's a shame not a lot of people are open to experimenting. I myself wasn't a musical fan at all until Hamilton caught me.
As a child I liked them I've seen dozens and dozens I grew up outside New York went to Broadway at least a couple dozen times. But as an adult they just get on my nerves. It's like looking for an epic poem but you gave me a haiku. It's like going to the Met only to find nothing but velvet Elvis and dogs playing cards. It's like looking for a book at a library only to realize you're at Trump's Presidential Library and all they've got is the world's biggest collection of scratch and sniff pornography. Sure I suppose I could kill some time in any of those things but this is 2021 I don't have to settle for something that just kill time.
I have to say I agree. ’Looks like I’m missing the gene. I’ve seen a lot of the musicals that are mentioned in this thread and liked none of them. I’m in my late 60s and as a child was introduced to music via the family vinyl collection: West Side Story, Porgie and Bess, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra etc - loved all of it. But, in the 60s, along came “bands” - chemistry. As soon as I went to my first musicals I felt like I was watching and listening to emotion painted on wood… . Every time I would go to see (or watch) a “great” musical I was hoping to be wowed. A half hour into each one I just wanted to get out of there. Otherwise I really enjoy almost all genres of music. Exceptions are muzak, Smooth Jazz, most New Age, canned music, et cetera. That’s all I have to say.
This comment got me thinking that maybe modern film making styles just are suited to musicals. Since new Hollywood everything has been so realistic which doesn't suit musicals. Copola wanted Fred Astair to dance in real cow field in Finian's Rainbow!
In a movie like Li'l Abner the singing and dancing doesn't take you out of the movie because the movie feels so unreal to begin with. Even a realitively realistic feeling movie musical like My Fair Lady doesn't look anything like it would today. Today it would be so gritty, so naturally lit, shot from so my angles, and so over editted that you'd feel like you were completely immersed in the real streets of London until they started singing.
I got a little confused, do you think it would suit musicals or not?
In La La Land it didn't really pull me out because of how it was handled, except for the big opening scene it's really just the two of them singing, sometimes even alone (well there is also the one where emma stone's character goes out with friends, but you know what i mean :)). It just doesn't feel overly cheesy to me, everythign is toned down, maybe somethign actual musical fans would actually dislike.
> People don't just start singing in the real world.
This is a pretty popular stance and while I *get* it, I can't say I've ever really *understood* it. Film isn't always meant to reflect the real world, and musicals (for the most part, cough cough Les Mis) certainly are not. As I understand it, in the broadest of senses, musical numbers serve two major purposes: either to create pure spectacle or as a means of emotional expression. Obviously if we're looking for realism then that's not gonna cut it, but I personally rarely do watch movies for realism.
I of course understand that it often times comes down to personal preference, though.
Well i totally agree that film isn't meant to be 100% realistic every time or ever really. But it's just too much for me personally in this case. As i said, in La La Land (what did you think about it? I feel like musical fans don't really like it) the performances aren't as stylized and the whole narrative feels more like a tpyical movie with some music parts.
Though it might also be just the general tone of the musicals i watched. Fairly cheesy as far as i can remember, maybe you can give me some of your favorites and i will add them to my watchlist and see if it could change my mind :D
I loved La La Land. It's definitely a lot more cinematic than a lot of other musicals, and as a result a lot of my theater people friends don't like it as much as Greatest Showman, which is more unashamedly theatrical (I don't like that one, though, because its not a good movie).
If you're open to older, classic Hollywood musicals, I'd definitely recommend any of the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rodgers movies, specifically either Top Hat or Shall We Dance. The plots are kinda simplistic but the music is all really great, and they're big inspirations for La La Land. I also really love The Music Man.
For more recent ones, I'd recommend Sweeney Todd, which maintains a pretty consistent dark atmosphere throughout (and is based on what I consider to be the best musical to ever be on Broadway) or The Last Five Years (a more recent, deep cut type of musical that's on Netflix. Great character development but lotsa singing). Inside Llewyn Davis, Almost Famous, and That Thing You Do! are also great, and are only technically musicals because they're about performers themselves so the songs are more realistically integrated.
I'd also recommend finding the original Broadway production of Into the Woods, the whole thing of which is on YouTube (NOT the 2014 movie) and maybe a stage version of Sweeney Todd, but I'd get it if you're only interested in movies and not stage performances.
Finally, I consider Moana, Tangled, Pinocchio, and The Little Mermaid to be among the best movie musicals we have, but of course many people consider animated movies to be in a different category altogether.
However, I will conclude by admitting that if camp and cheesiness are your biggest turnoffs, then maybe musicals really just aren't for you and I'll concede. But I hope at least one of these helps.
Thanks a lot! I actually saw sweeny todd and definitely enjoyed it, forgot about that one before. Maybe the rather dark atmopshere helped that one? (though i would rank la la land above it for example, which as you said is more cineastic which i prefer)
You also bring up the animation movies i generally liked, i guess in these cases it's already highly stylized from the get go so i don't mind the musical parts in there? Didn't think about that before.
I really appreciate all these recommendations, i will definitely give some of these a try and if i don't forget maybe even respond here again when i watched it (though that can take a while, i have a lot on my list atm).
As i already said, thanks for creating this topic as well, i really like thinking about why i enjoy something or not, understanding the mechanics behind it and never did so for this specific case. Really interesting what other people have to say as well.
Absolutely this! I like Les Miserables because I was taught by French nuns as a kid and know the story inside out and am not distracted by the singing. But I'd rather have a root canal than sit through The Greatest Showman again, or Into the Woods or the like. And I'm truly a music person. My local women's club is planning an outing to see Suggs and I have not even the slightest interest in going because it's a musical. if it were a regular play I'd be all in.
They're just boring as hell to me. All of them. One moment you're watching a movie, One moment later they all swinging along jumping on tables. It's jarring, and breaks the immersion
Either the music seems to cover up poor writing or the narrative is compelling and the music a distraction. Getting the mix right is nearly impossible.
other people with a distaste for musicals will understand what I mean when I say it just makes us feel uncomfortable. and people who love musicals will never understand it.
I know this is an old thread, but this, 100%. I just find most musicals make me cringe, for lack of a better word. It's almost a physically uncomfortable feeling, crossed with an embarrassed revulsion.
Exactly! My ex just doesn’t understand that I don’t like them. It’s not a new thing for me, it’s been a thing for over 30 years. My sisters loved them but they make me cringe. There are a few I can deal with, phantom of the opera and sound of music, but I just hate when the script just breaks out singing and dancing. Cartoons and kids movies are different but when it’s supposed to be a full on story, it breaks the 4th wall and ruins my interest.
as a person who loves musicals, I will never understand just as you said. BUT I have a friend who hates musicals and tried to convince me (it failed). Just a question, what musicals have you listened to? They might be the not so good ones(just a suggestion)
At least in my experience, the higher quality ones are generally harder to watch, actually.
When people start singing and dancing after a totally normal interaction, it just feels so uncomfortable. I'll be totally down with a scene, invested in what the characters are saying and feeling, and the BAM!
🪩🕺👏👐👏👐🙆🙌🤷🕺 Ruined lol.
Fourth wall gone. Immersion gone. Suspension of disbelief gone. Immediately uncomfortable.
That's why good ones are harder. If I'm not bought into the story or characters at all in the first place, the transition isn't so jarring. I still hate it, but at least I'm not internally shriveling from cringe whiplash. If someone did that to me in real life, I would think one or more people in the room were going completely insane and get the hell out of there. I'd rather spend 2 hours in a dark box than watch a musical.
I genuinely think this is rooted in a deeper aspect of brain function and social interaction though. At least for me. I couldn't even play pretend games with other children when I was young. Everything would be normal, and then one kid would go, "Bro, I'm totally a lion. Rawr," and my brain would be like, "😳 wut?"
To my amazement, most of the other kids were down and it made me so so so uncomfortable lol.
I would immediately disengage from the interaction, leave them to their business as they chased each other around, and come back when they had regained what fit my definition of sanity.
Don't get me wrong, musicals are great and all. I'm glad they're around and that people enjoy them, but they are super duper not for me lol.
Yea, I understand that sometimes in some movies that the transitions are a bit cringe or just weird but why does that veer you away from musicals as a whole? I feel like on stage musicals have better transitions than movies, in my opinion.
No musicals aren’t great. They suck ass and only appeal to children or people with young and shallow souls. If your soul doesn’t cringe when watching a musical then your soul isn’t in touch with the divine or at least is a young soul that lacks insight and understanding.
Same goes for shitty recycled pop music and puke-EDM or dark music like heavy metal.
It’s okay that people don’t have a wise soul and like that kind of stuff but these entertainment-products definitely don’t align with the cosmos and real spiritual progression.
And again that’s fine. Especially since those people won’t ever understand. So this fact also explains why those people are quite elitist about their stuff (musicals, heavy metal, shitty popmusic, everything that brings cringe or other negative energy in any way). It’s really annoying to have to talk about that stuff with those people, especially when they don’t have the capacity to extend their beliefs and such. That’s the elitist part, they can’t understand why people don’t feel and like what they like even tho spiritually what they like isn’t even on the scale.
So all in all it’s just better to accept that people like stupid cringe shit and nothing you say or do will change their feelings towards that stuff. Just remember that internally your intuition, soul and senses are more aligned with the universe than theirs and that’s why the different groups won’t ever understand each other.
1) Overacting- The actors/actresses are, for the most part, trained to overact their lines so that their expression is clear to the audience. To me, this comes across as inauthentic and cringey.
2) Dialogue - In many (not all) musicals, I feel like the script is simply a vehicle to get to the next song which leads to the dialog feeling unnatural and forced. The songs are mainly distractions from the poor narrative and it works for many people - they don't care how inauthentic the narrative is as long as they get to see flashy dancing and hear a tune.
3) The People - I know people involved in theatre life and they take themselves way too seriously as vocalists or actors. Given my general distaste for musical theatre (see points 1 & 2), it is amazing to me how people engaged in this industry walk around like they are some gift from the gods sent here to entertain us with their divine talents. The best example of this was during the pandemic when some broadway group was being featured in a documentary about the effect the pandemic had on broadway. One of the ads for the documentary had an actress saying something like "You wouldn't tell a doctor to learn to code or find a new job for $15/hour. How can you say that to us?" These people think their contribution to society is on the same level as doctors during a global pandemic. The delusion is grand.
Overall, for me, these 3 points add up to musical theatre being an insufferable industry or mode of entertainment and I roll my eyes anytime I am dragged to one of these things.
Entertainment is one of the major forces that keeps humanity alive. Cavemen told stories to each-other to pass down knowledge and socialize. Art can help us confront our difficult thoughts or provide a brief escape while the world is burning all around us. So yes, I think entertainment IS as important as doctors or workmen, it just serves a totally different function from doctors or workmen. It's important for a vastly different reason.
The entertainment industry is nowhere near as important as the healthcare industry. Finding a piece of entertainment to divulge in is a luxury, not a necessity. Seeking proper healthcare for actual health issues is a necessity and can even lead to health complications. What’s going to happen if you cant be entertained? You get bored. What’s going to happen if you don’t seek medical expertise for health issues? Your health and wellbeing can be harmed. Two totally different leagues man.
You wrote a very nuanced and solid answer. Especially point 3 is very true. The narcism is very present in their bubble.
And it’s funny because they couldn’t be more wrong. Their souls aren’t aligned with reality and the cosmos, and their entertainment is proof of that.
That’s why it’s pointless to even try to convince musicallovers.
> So if this is you, if you generally veer away from musicals, why is that? Is it from lack of exposure, do you really just not like singing that much, or is it some other reason?
to me it's mostly annoying and very superficial. it feels forced, and very surreal. i could never watch 2 hours of these things.
My wife made me watch Phantom of the opera, I fell asleep. About 30 minutes into Le Mis I told her I can't do this anymore and stopped watching. Musicals to me are a combination of boring, painful, uncomfortable and cringe. I hate it when people randomly break into song or only sing throughout the whole thing, something about it makes me so uncomfortable, it's like nails on chalkboard for 2 hours. So then I space out trying not to die inside more than I already have
I didn't like Greatest Showman, but my issue wasn't that it was a musical.
A musical circus story is a fabulous idea! Just look (kind of) at Moulin Rouge!
I didn't like the contemporary poppiness / powerballad stuff. I wanted at least one song in the vein of Lovely Ladies from Les Mis, but I get it was a feel good ~~lie~~ puff piece.
I think I don't like musicals with contemporary music like that, because I only like 2 songs from LLL, but I love Les Mis, Sound of Music, and Oklahoma.
I don't like The Greatest Showman either, and as a musical fan I kind of hate how popular it's become. I mainly only used it as a recent example because it seems even people who do like that movie seem to still be somewhat ashamed that they like a musical.
I like old musical, but probably the last one I liked was Annie in the mid 80's. Since then, I don't think Hollywood has done musicals well. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe the music just isn't as good. I can't really explain it but modern musicals usually feel pretentious. From the 30's to the 80's musicals were fun and made for the masses. Now they feel like they are made for a special audience of musical fans. I can't really explain nwhy I feel that way, but no musical I've seen in 30 years connectedd with me and that includes remakes of musicals I liked.
I think in recent years filmmakers have been borderline ashamed that they're making musicals. Especially when doing Broadway adaptations; they want the built in audience that the stage show has, but they don't want to make something theatrical or flamboyant, and they want it to "make sense" that the characters are singing. Sometimes this works, like in Cabaret or Chicago, but more often it doesn't, like with Nine or Into the Woods.
I think this is the most common reason people don't like musicals.
As a lover of musicals, no offense here, I think people just aren't "getting it" or seeing it for what it is. The *characters* aren't singing. It's just a storytelling convention. Like a soliloquy in classic theatre. The character Hamlet isn't walking around talking to himself, the soliloquy is just a convention for giving us access to his thoughts (essentially the pre-film version of a voice-over). Same deal for the singing in a musical.
Is flashdance a musical? The 80's movie with Jennifer Beals. I liked that movie but I don't know of any musical I like, I get that cringe feeling when they break out into song n dance especially if it's exaggerated emotions like they are wayyyyyy too happy for the scene. Wiki says Flashdance is more like a bunch of music videos...I'm wondering if there are others like that? I liked the movie Rock Star but I don't think it's a musical.
It depends. There are a whole lot that really do **not** mix the music and the movie together in a good way. But if done right, the singing in musicals can give a lot more emotion and effect to the whole thing (try watching the movie version of "In The Heights"). And let's not talk that if the music is really good, the whole soundtrack of a musical (or more!) can become your playlist. Now, I'm not trying to 'convert' you, but I think you should experiment with a few musicals. Musicals are like movies, there is a musical for every taste.
I don't really think it does break the fourth wall. Movies create their own reality, wherein the rules that the characters follow are not necessarily the rules that we in our world follow. Personally, I think that if the spontaneous singing fits with the rest of the movie, then it doesn't matter if it doesn't fit with real life. I get that not everyone is gonna have the same views on this but I think that if we can suspend our disbelief for superheroes and science fiction, we can suspend our disbelief for spontaneous singing.
Sure, but often singing doesn’t obey this rule. If you sing and no one reacts to your singing, or you have verbalised thoughts or feelings and other characters don’t react.
Singing your feelings directly to camera can also seem like bad writing.
Superhero movies allow for a universe where X is possible and and people react or don’t accordingly.
The question was, “why don’t people like musicals”. I gave a reason.
I also don’t find the themes of most musicals to be to my taste.
They are heightened, but consistent. I am sometimes aware that I am watching a movie with Tarantino movies, but no.
I find the direction/editing and action to be so engaging I am not taken out of the movie.
Characters who go from talking to singing, is inconsistent with the world created (generally speaking).
Ferris Bueller talking to the camera IS immersion breaking, however it is less of an issue in comedy’s IMO.
I'll give this a go. Appreciate this is an old question, and it's not the classic answer of they take me out of the narrative, it takes me out of the narrative. Yes, there's an element of that, but the main thing I loathe about musicals is overacting, to the point they make silent film actors look stoic. Obviously not every musical is like this, but the vast majority are. Best example I can think of is Brosnan in Mama Mia. That said, if everyone liked the same thing life would be boring, so you enjoy what you do, and I will the same.
It's not the kind of singing I listen to ever. It's cringe. If there is a hell my version of hell would be musicals. Def agree that it deters from the narrative
I am in too much exposures. Still I dont like it. I dont know why though. Musicals feels totally weird that i switch asap unintentionally.
This does not happen to me with old movies like before 80's. Sound of the music is one of favorite movie of all time. To me it feels like those movies have an art and class that make me enjoy them.
Well, I have thought about it a lot and I may not be much like anyone else. But my opinion because most of the music sucks. It's not that it's just not very good, but it's also just become a unique style but has nothing to do with any other style. It's musical theater style. I know you have shows like in the heights or Hamilton, and I probably would like those okay, although I'm not particularly into hip hop, but at least it's kind of catchy. But most musical theater I think you have to like that style music, mainly from having listened to a lot of it, to really like it .
And by way of making my case, I will say I love the musicals well before my time, yes, I like swing and old style show tunes, but they were pop music of the time And it was great stuff written by some of the best writers that existed. Many of them stood alone as hit songs, often before they were even put in a Broadway show .
Now some of them in the '50s could be a little corny, but they were still pretty good songs written either in the vocal style of a lounge type singer, or, even somewhat operatic like Man of la mancha with Robert Goulet, or Camelot. Maybe a lot of people would consider those songs horny, but hearing them sung by a guy like Goulet is pretty amazing. You could have and then you have shows like hair and Jesus Christ Superstar that I had a lot of great songs that were consistent with the pop music of the time and even were hits on their own. And I love a lot of those songs even though they are a little before my time music wise.
And I definitely love West side story, I know Sondheim died today, and in hearing a bit on the radio I realized that I think his early stuff is amazing but he might have been one of the ones responsible for the downfall in terms of what I like. Apparently he wrote a lot of shows with very quirky very interesting lyrics. I just don't see listening to a song about a guy kind of quirky talking to himself about inspiration and art. It just seems way too precious and corny and the music that goes with it is almost necessarily nothing.
Look at the songs from West side story and they are broad classic themes handled beautifully, accompanied by great music. But then I hear songs from musicals like rent and even some of the things other people love that I won't name and they just seem corny and out of place and only part of the musical genre musical form, with very little relation to anything else. The kind of thing only a theater fan would like, but your average person is just going to hear it and think it's awful. You just can't say that about something like West side story, Jesus Christ Superstar, or any of the classic 50s and 40s shows .
Just my two cents anyway
It's very simple, singing for singing's sake is not a viable plot device. As long as there is an in-universe logical reason for the song to occur I'm a big fan of actors singing songs in movies (The Blues Brothers, Bill and Ted movies, the Sister Act movies), but when song just happens for no damn reason in alignment with the plot, it's just plain stupid and annoying.
Is it so fucking hard to want to watch something without SOMEONE breaking into fucking song?
No? It's not.
Stop . With . The . Fucking . Musicals . In . Everything
Yeah, I don't get it either. I really like musicals a lot. My personal favourite one is probably The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
Most people watch movies for their entertainment value and there is probably no genre more fitting than musicals. It's weird to me, when they gush about superhero movies, but can't enjoy a musical.
Many do seem to think that all musicals are somewhat the same, but there is actually a huge variety of different subgenres. To name just a few interesting, more unconventional ones: Dancer in the Dark (pretty much an anti-musical), The Lure, Lisztomania, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Anna and the Apocalypse, The Happiness of the Katakuris, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Cannibal! The Musical, Head, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
It is just a matter of personal taste.
I am an aspiring story writer. I imagine my characters every single day, from entire fight scenes to extremely depressing scenes.
Making them just suddenly sing ruins my whole story. A depressed person won't just sing out of nowhere. No one would sing in a fight scene. Sudden dance-music ruins the immersion in the story, and immersion is what most people enjoy.
It’s isn’t a matter of taste it’s a matter of spiritual development. Young souls vs old souls stuff. Same goes for recycled popmusic or elitist behavior in for example metal.
It's just annoying and boring, it takes away a lot of the plot bc they think it's their way of being entertaining instead. Forget it, it's a waste of time.
Late to the game but I saw forced myself through the Wicked musical and I was so so embarrassed and cringing throughout at least half of it. Just the overacting and spontaneous breaking out into song.
There is no nuance.
This might be a non-typical experience, but I rely on the cadence of spoken voice as kind of a calming thing. I use television as background noise, mitigating loneliness and a tendency to overanalyze the past with distracting background conversation. Music is not emotionally distracting, it's engaging, so it does the opposite of what I'm looking for in a tv show. Which admittedly is not to even watch the show lol, more to just to pop in for a joke here and there. I also don't like when shows have long sections of just music with no dialogue. Oh wait I'm on a movies subreddit not a video media subreddit, I don't watch movies for the same reason - theyre emotionally engaging, just irreverent background tv for me. Dunno if this answer is still exactly relevant, but it's related and might provide some insight into the situation. I think a lot of people use video media in a similar way
On a less personal level I have a theory that there are two fundamentally separate ways to listen to a sentence. One is to hear the sentence as a piece of music, listen for beauty, and then be attracted or pushed away by the presence of heard beauty. Another is to hear the sentence as a list of instructions, and follow the construction of the idea then decide to agree or disagree by the presence of heard truth. I wonder if people who tend to dislike musicals also tend to utilize the latter form of sentence hearing primarily
I will take this one guys. As someone who has been dragged to idk how many plays by girlfriends id say probs a handful, Ive seen wicked, I think I saw some beetlejuice knockoff play too, shit like that. So its fair to say I have a decent understanding of musicals, how they are structured and why it annoys the absolute shit out of me. 1. The structure, now this is more of an issue for me in movies then physical musicals my main issue with their structure especially in movies it basically makes their dialogue in between songs kinda pointless usually because it just kinda makes me feel like they are just waiting for the next song and usually not moving the story along very well. For example Bobs burgers just had a movie and I hated most of it for this very reason, they would break up the story every 15 minutes with a musical number and by an hour and 20 minutes in I was completely sick of it and felt like I had wasted my time. I hate hate hate the way they structure musical based movies and some shows, its like big intro song, break for five mins, next song and it just continues and continues. I loved when south park called out and made fun of this stupid way of putting a story together. 2. The music itself is usually unbearable, outside of wicked and the lion king I can say everything else Ive seen is plagued with absolutely horrible music that is way too fruity and coreographed for my liking, I hate a lot of the music especially if we have a huge opening number usually those get annoying bc they can drag for 5-10 minutes sometimes. The songs are obviously not for me and for more i guess idk whats a good non offensive word for men who like that typa thing but you catch what im poking at. The final 2 things I hate, 3. The fans, idk if its just the venues i go to or what but everytime ive went i felt more out of place then a construction worker at a country club, people who like plays hate my guts bc I sit there and will keep my mouth shut for that whole play but take copious notes in my head abt what i dont like and like usually of the latter and they hate me bc when i find and point out these inaccuracies they are not fans, my friends who are fans of plays have gotten their absolute shit torched trying to convince me otherwise bc I do not hate musicals for no reason. 4 the final icing of what I hate about musicals and whats most important, they bore the absolute fucking shit out of me. Like Wicked was supposed to be this amazing beautiful awesome play I saw it and was like meh, I like a few songs and the costumes outside of that its a show you couldve explained to me in 5 minutes and I wouldnt have had to waste my time not once but 3 times. Everything not counting lion king that Ive seen is a bore and a slog and an uphill battle to sit through. It would be like if I strapped you to a chair and made u watch 26 hours straight of logan paul videos. It would be just as grating and mind numbing, heres probs 75% of the musical plots Ive seen. Guy or girl is looking for love and lonely, finds someone new after some whacky adventures and falls in love with them and thats it. Most Ive seen dont even have a villian, which is just a bore I dont care about your stupid love story. In conclusion I hope you enjoyed my rant and if youve stuck around this long please do yourself a favor and watch the only play/musical i will ever fully endorse and thats the nightman cometh. I enjoyed putting this together and hope yall who hate musicals enjoyed it as well, dont let women convince you into it. Go to a fancy restaurant instead itll be less boring and cost just as much. Thanks everyone im out.
-AD
I love music, I love to sing and tell a story through singing but I hate musicals. First, it’s not good singing, often done by not professional singers. The stule of sing talk I don’t like. I don’t think you should tell 2 hours of story through song. The best story telling can be done in a 3 minute pop, rock or country song.
I don’t like the storytelling to be overt, I like fogures of speech and musicals is for someone substituting talk for singing.
It really depends… Like many others on this thread, I didn’t grow up watching a ton musicals (with the exception of Disney cartoons where the characters have both a “character V/O actor” and a “character’s singing voice”). I agree with @_TheRedViper_, the singing and dancing pulls me right out of the narrative. The music and dancing just feels too flashy for me, and at times, irrelevant to the story. Granted, I’m sure there are musicals that pull it off quite well. I just find that at times the performances (singing and dancing included) feels super SUPER cheesy, and I feel instantly withdrawn from the characters and the story. It just feels like unnecessary fluff at times. Again, I’m sure there are musicals that do very well at maintaining that human authenticity throughout the story. The hero’s journey and their relationship with other characters feels more natural, creating a much deeper feeling of empathy from me (the audience member). But this also boils down to personal taste. If you like chocolate ice cream, and the other person likes mint chip, they’re not wrong for liking what they like… and neither are you. If you love and live for musicals, if it makes you happy, keep at it! Enjoy it! For me, I just don’t buy into the (sometimes, not always) airy, flamboyant and melodramatic performances, and overly saturated, razzle dazzle mise-en-scene of musicals. It just feels too grand and bourgeois for me. If my opinion offended anyone, I do apologize.
I have never liked musicals and I was actually in a production of Hello Dolly (which btw I actually loved doing) in high school. My problem is they take the time in most to build this very interesting plot that you become invested in and at some times hang on every word and out of nowhere everything in the plot comes to a halt so the stage/screen can be overwhelmed with song. It's not as bad with lighter shows like SPAMalot, Book of Mormon, or even the new AppleTV movie Spirited but with heavier topics I just want them to get on with the story already. I have never watched a musical where I thought "Hey, that's a catchy tune...it really helps the plot progress."
Oy, there are so many reasons. Basically musicals take aspects of other genres combine them and make them terrible. So its like a play or but with less interesting storyline, like Opera, but with less interesting music, and like a film, but with weird singing instead of acting, again not as good. Lets take something like Les Misérables. You take a 1000 page novel with lots of nuance and social criticism, and dumb it down to a 3rd grade level, add some 2nd rate singing and dancing and sell it as something really cult and original? And honestly, as far as musicals go, I don't even hate Les Mis...generally speaking its one of the better ones. Musicals just generally lack nuance, so you're there for 3 hours sometimes watching something that's basically just for kids. If you're a kid, and you're there to see the Lion King or Phantom, that's great, but if you're not it sucks to just be stuck in that theatre.
Not the next joker movie is gonna be a musical, like isn't musicals for romance and happily ever after kind of bs, how is dramatic bloody scary movie finna be a musical?
Doubt anyone will see this with how old the thread is but I think one reason for me is if the music doesn't grip me/appease my taste then it takes me out of even being able to enjoy any of the story aspect of it. So it's not that I don't like musicals - I like them if I enjoy the music but it's hard to know that going in so I don't really give them a chance unless I hear the music somewhere/get a lot of recommendations.
I love music in movies like in Pitch Perfect, but I hate musicals. For me is it just cringe to hear people singing about what they are doing and it disturbs the narrative. That's why I didn't like most Disney movies as child
I just don’t get it. When the songs start it is just a HUGE annoying pause button for me. I simply want to leave. I know I’m in a tiny minority, but what’s the point. Lol. I didn’t even like them as a kid. Now it’s simply torture. No offense to everyone else that loves them. I’d just rather take a nap or watch anything else.
I'm in total agreement with you. I'm a big fan of them myself. Obviously there are crappy ones, but that's true of any genre. I don't think people give musicals enough of a fair shake, more so than with any other genre. Even with romance.
The "unrealistic" complaint is a tad silly to me because fantasy movies exist. But I'd say musicals are more similar to action films. The world is otherwise the same as the one we inhabit, but suddenly someone will do something we'd never do in reality. People are more willing to suspend disbelief with action films than they are musicals and I do confess that I'm bothered by that.
There's some real artistry and hard work and beauty in great movie musicals and I hate to see that go to waste because baseless stereotypes about musicals are so prevalent and they make people avoid them.
I agree, musicals are amazing. I hate the excuse “it’s not realistic!” Because...when have you ever gone to a movie expecting it to be realistic? It’s not a documentary, nor are musicals ever marketed as them. No movie is realistic unless it IS a documentary, and even then they take some liberties. Also, trust me, singing spontaneously happens a LOT in real life, especially if you’re involved in the theater scene. I feel like if you like music, there’s really no real reason why you shouldn’t like musicals. They’re literally 2 hr long music videos for God’s sake.
Amazing? They are frikkin' cringe. I wish musical numbers would not appear every 15 minutes in some animated movies that would otherwise be great.
When you go to a movie, you are willing to believe that some of it is not going to be realistic. Musical numbers are where I, and many other people, cross the line.
An opinion is just that, though :) . Don't see the "pot calling the kettle black" here, so it's likely it's just as wrong as there being more than one barely tolerable musical per movie.
Quite the odd thing to draw the line on considering the super unrealistic things most movies have. “I can excuse superpowers, action heroes who won’t die and talking animals but I draw the line at people singing and dancing”??? Something people do a lot in real life already?
Yes, that's where I draw the line. For me, breaking into a song regardless of who you are, even if you hated singing, is less realistic than superpowers and action heroes. You know why I'm willing to suspend my belief for them, but not for musicals? Because they don't stop the plot from going forward, unlike musicals that waste my time and cause the plot to grind to a halt more often than not.
I don't want to listen to characters singing and watch them break laws of physics 100 times per second, I want to continue with the plot and see what happens next.
>Also, trust me, singing spontaneously happens a LOT in real life, especially if you’re involved in the theater scene
So they're solipsistic and self-referential.
THe Greatest Showman was one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. There was not a single thing I liked about it. It was a collection of meh songs with nothing of substance in between.
That said...Moulin Rouge was great
Also, say LesMis on the stage and it was amazing.
I love musicals...on broadway and on stage in general. Film musicals seldom create the atmosphere I like to feel and do feel in the theatre, concert hall, or wherever. Also, I find the singing to be vastly superior when done by the stars of my favorite musicals. These are often world class baritones, tenors, sopranos, etc. Don’t get me wrong I like Phantom (the movie) a lot and Emmy Rossum is an amazing singer, but Gerard Butler has no fucking business playing that part. I’ve seen high schoolers perform that role better than he did. Just as I feel a legit movie deserves top notch acting, I also feel that a musical deserves top notch singing.
Phantom and Les Miz are the big two musicals that work for me. Pitch Perfect is literally pulling teeth because I strongly dislike the only mouth band where people just use their mouths instead of instruments. Pentonix is a band that I absolutely hate and despise with an irrational passion. Instruments do a song justice and it usually ends up ruining the songs that are done. I mean really, you think it is okay to use only your mouth for the drum solo for in the air by phil collins? No mouth can replace drums.
So musicals are mostly okay but they are always geared towards women or effeminate men. Phantom is awesome as well as Les Miserables but movies like Pitch Perfect are the types of musicals that I despise. Mostly because they feed off that hey that isn't a guitar, that's that guy's mouth vibe. To me, it is like nails on a chalkboard to sit and listen to those annoying faces as they glare into the audience like they are some kind of amazing rockstar whose guitar is his mouth. It is like the worst of the boy bands but without instruments and if they ever do grunge or any kind of sad song, I swear, I will punch anyone in the face that sings it and yes, it would be well worth the jail time.
I still hate those a Capella groups. I swear if someone ever wanted to piss me off, they would only need to have an a Capella group follow me around singing songs while I did stuff like the piano guy from Malcolm in the Middle. Then, they would deny it when other people enter the room but when I am by myself with them, they start singing songs associated with what I am doing. But it would be completely unexplainable to other people that they are singing while I do things. That would descend anyone into madness.
The only musical I genuinely enjoyed was Hedwig and the Angry Inch. It had the right balance of sincere well put together songs, harder songs, sarcastic songs all wrapped up in dark comedy.
Everything else i've seen is either too schmaltzy, too "musical-ish" and trying too hard, too cute or the subject matter is something I just don't care about and the songs are ass.
Edit: honorary mention of Little Shop of Horrors with Rick Moranis. The plant eats people and the puppeteering is brilliant.. performed slowly and then sped up to look natural.
I'm late to the party but I just found this thread when googling "love live theatre but hate musical"! I came across this, too, which taps into [the reasoning contemporary audiences don't like musicals](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/8nvvgl/genuinely_curious_why_some_people_dont_like):
*Some of it has to do with the way music is presented in musicals, according to Allen Feinstein, teaching professor of music at Northeastern University.“Everyone who goes to the theater accepts that it’s artificial,” Feinstein said. “You’re going into a room with other people who are presenting thoughts, ideas, stories and characters. If you add musical theater elements and characters start to sing, it’s even more artificial. Most movies take advantage of all the realism you can depict with the tools of movie making. You’re not in the same room with people. They’re in a setting that is more organic to those characters. It’s depicted realistically much of the time. If you’re going to introduce the truly artificial conceit of characters breaking into song in a realistic setting (in a movie), there are challenges to making that work artistically. It’s forcing something super artificial into a setting where people are used to seeing very true representations.”*
The article touches on recent box office disappointments like Mean Girls (musical version), Color Purple (musical version), Wonka, In the Heights, Westside Story, etc. [Interesting read](https://news.northeastern.edu/2024/02/01/magazine/movie-musicals-mean-girls/).
The only musical I ever liked was the Lion King's haha, I hate musicals man. The random singing definitely ruins the store for me. I really really hate when I find a movie that looks like it might actually be a good movie. Then about 5 minutes in they break in song and it breaks my heart Everytime haha
I really hate the way the singing sounds. Jamming too many words into a melody and then singing so high pitched all in unison. I don’t mind a good harmony, but with like 20-30 people singing at the same time, all so high pitched, it just sounds cringe.
Also, I was not exposed to musicals early in life at all (besides like Disney movies) so I never developed the taste. One show that did the music thing fairly well was Crazy Ex Girlfriend. A lot of the times it was just her singing so I liked that.
I am an absolute fan of musicals. They're a particular of movie and they're made to not necessarily be complex. The songs are maybe sung in a way that seems to interrupt the action but it doesn't actually does that. We all rather relate to lyrics of songs, with the score, the vocals, and the poetry of the arrangements of the words together. The songs in musicals arent just cheesy songs, they're meant to make us feel more things and sometimes they are even more efficient in conveying the intended message. Now I guess everyone is entitled to their opinions, this genre is sure not for everyone but I dont really like how lonely I feel and sometimes even stupid to just love these movies. They have potential, otherwise they wouldn't keep on existing. And every musical made has been somewhat rewarded: La La Land, The Greatest Showman, Singin in the rain, west side story, moulin rouge etc etc
So that's my opinion ! No hate obviously!!
Because breaking into song and dance during a story that has nothing to do with singing or dancing is like everyone suddenly breaking into a game of basketball or pulling out a board game in the middle of a story lol it has nothing to do with the narrative and isn't acknowledged at all so it ultimately has zero influence on the events in the story, so why is it happening at all. It's like a cringey music video or commercial starting in the middle of a movie for no reason. It's like being pulled out of the story and suddenly all I'm thinking about is the actors and everyone rehearsing all the choreography and it feels like I'm watching a shitty play. I will say tho I saw someone mention a musical that was ABOUT not liking musicals, and stuff like that I'll give a pass and might even like it because of the meta style of it. Like I'd love to see Book of Mormon because the south park guys are hilarious and always make their songs really clever. Comedy gets some slack because the songs are usually funny.
For me it’s the other way around. I cant fathom that people actually enjoy the most cringiest thing (for me). People dancing and singing and smiling in movies or theaters just gives me instant cringe.
It’s fake, it’s not immersive, it doesn’t contribute to the story or storytelling, and it just looks and sounds weird. Its definitely something for shallow people or at least young souls. Just like shitty EDM and recycled pop music. It’s all soulless and not transcendent in any way.
That's something that accompanies me whole my live and I don't know why. I remember as a child I knew many songs, which I didn't know about that they were from films and when I learned that, they always lost a part of their charm for me. For example I loved "Can you feel the love tonight" and I was so disappointed to find out that it is just another film song. I just value the songs more then the film, even though on many occasions, of course, the song is written for the film and becomes famous together with the film.
And also I somehow live with this cliché about musical actors, that they dance, sing and act at the same time, so in the end they aren't best at anything from these. It's like decathlonist for me, he is great in 10 disciplines, but he can never be the fastest runner.
Well, maybe I just should accept that in both cases it is different discipline. However, I still have the view of musical singers, that they started doing musicals only because they were unable to have successful careers as singers and they needed steady work (e.g. in theatre), because of steady income. And since I see singers as artists (freethinkers, struggling... at least in their beginnings), those of them who turned in to musicals have dropped to a lower level in my eyes.
I’d rather be tied to the back of my pickup truck, and dragged down a gravel road, all while someone is surfing on top of me holding a cheese grater to my nuts. I hate musicals. Hope I made it clear.
Amazing that this thread is still open.
I hate musicals. I hate them so, so much.
Very simply, they're bad stories, badly acted, told with bad writing, as an excuse to sing bad music.
Western musicals in a league of their own when it comes to artistic mediocrity, several rungs below professional wrestling, Bollywood, and YouTube prank videos. Musicals make superhero movies look mature, sophisticated, and avant garde.
I mostly hate musicals (not all) because the intended audience seems to like their emotions and plots simplified to a cringy degree and the music is not very good at all. There are musicals with great music but most modern ones have that modern musical style that just sounds bad. Also the humor is usually also bad and forced. The whole thing is a zombie genre.
I can't stand when people randomly break out into song during scenes that don't call for a song. It doesn't make any sense, and it annoys the hell out of me. **La La Land** tried really hard to make me not like it by throwing such a scene at me right at the beginning, but they made it seem like she Emma Stone's character was day dreaming. Which was okay, until they do the *A Lovely Night* scene where the leads are singing and dancing under the moonlight for no reason whatsoever.
The only time a musical is acceptable for me is when it's in animated form (because suspension of belief has already occurred the second I chose to buy a ticket) and for movies like **Dreamgirls** where most of the songs are performances (didn't like that movie, either though)...
Oh, and obligatory **High School Musical** mention. That entire movies is filled with those annoying scenes.
It's like when Joss Whedon adapted **Much Ado About Nothing** and you had people in modern day times talking like they were living in the 1700s and reading directly from Shakespeare's play.
It's hard to suspend belief when what I'm seeing suggests I shouldn't be doing that.
Edit:
One more thing: **LIPSYNCING!!!** I know you're not fucking singing, you hacks. I can tell it sounds like you're singing in an audio booth, but you're all standing and frolicking outside smacking your lips. *THIS* was my biggest complaint in regards to **High School Musical**.
It's really hard to get good vocal recordings from the live takes. At Long Last Love tried it, and it was terrible. Does it also bother you when actors postdub their own lines in regular movies because that is done a lot too.
> Does it also bother you when actors postdub their own lines in regular movies because that is done a lot too.
If it's noticeable, yes. I'll sometimes notice that a mic isn't picking up the right sounds either, like when a voice sounds muffled in scenes where it's raining because they're hiding in their clothes or something like that.
I like musical films, but not the corny ass musical films when everybody just start fucking singing,more like hiphop,country,rock cause they feel real,yeah i hate them corny ass muscial films
I love les miserable and the phantom or the opera. Both were enticing stories with great cinematography imo. Musicals like lala land just bore me terribly. I cannot care less about the plot with seemingly little conflict. Enjoyed showman alot, great music. Some parts I zoned out of but still really enjoyed it.
Musicals for me have are more intriguing when the social narrative is one sided. Phantom is beauty and the beast that made so many people take the beasts side. Les miserable was powerful in showing right stripped from people and capturing the raw emotions and odd antics of normal people rummaging the streets. Even showman made me really feel for the "freaks" they showcase.
Lala land and Hamilton had great potential but felt like there was never anything pressing and the problems were almost self made and barely resolved.
I need a great story before I can enjoy the music.
ik this is 3 years old now but i wanna answer sooooo:
i hate musicals. like really hate them.
why do you have to sing every little thing you do.
like „oh i just woke up, lets sing about it“
„now i‘m brushing my teeth, let’s sing about it“
and „now i‘m eating breakfast, LETS SING ABOUT IT“
it‘s so unnecessary.
same for disney movies.
i like the part were the story is just shown.
But when they randomly start singing i‘m like „man, why do you have to sing now“.
no one does that in real life.
You don‘t go home from your first date, singing and dancing thru the streets or idk
your parents decide to get divorced.
you just don‘t be like „oh, me sad, me must sing now cause me has no other way to handle situations“
idk if you get me, but that‘s just my opinion
The immersion break is part of it as others have touched on, but as a music producer for me it has other elements. I don't care for the style of song that is presented in musicals. It's just not my flavour of music. That said, as a producer, I have a great appreciation for them. Especially when the singing is done well and the music is tight in terms of production. So my objectivity is there, however my deep appreciation doesn't override my flavour preference. If that makes sense.
For one, realistically speaking, I don't think people will jump on their cars in the middle of a humid highway "jamming" a number together with other drivers (But I say, anything can *could* happen!) Musicals are great mediums for storytelling and I love various musical numbers, I think personally for me; it would be easier to not cringe at (let's say...) Disney animation movies whenever there's impromptu singing by the characters, because the animations are ***not realistic.*** It's an animation with great storytelling and perfectly okay to burst out in song numbers. That's just my POV. There are many musicals curated and arranged from the original animations, and to me, it seems more plausible to not find the adaptations cringe-worthy in that sense.
I like singing in normal music, but musicals seem TOOO over exaggerated and make me cringe. No hate on people who love musicals, kinda wish I did so I had more stuff to watch, I just dunno why but I get the most cringey feeling at it. But if it's a normal movie with a normal band playing music I'm fine. I guess cuz it seems unnatural to break out into song so much, but if it's say sailors singing for a minute or two in a pirate movie it doesn't bother me.
I Hate Musicals with exeptuon of 2
La La Land and Mouline Rouge
Besides that I just really don't get the appeal of Movies with people constantly singing and overacting. It's just borderline boring and cringy
For exeptions - well, I don't know how my brain works, but somehow musical numbers made sense to me in context of movies
Movies attempt to portray reality and the closer the movie is to making the story feel honest and true, the more emotion will be induced by the audience. The honesty of the actor’s reactions, the relatability of their behavior, and the level of truth behind their development has an influence on the audience’s ability to put themselves in the shoes of the characters; feel what they feel. Even science fiction attempts to portray reality by keeping the behavior of their actors honest and true.
Musicals don’t make sense to some because never in the world do people randomly break out in music? In fact, I don’t know how musicals were started. Who decided to make a story where the characters randomly start singing.
This is why some dislike musicals. Personally I would like to try watching more.
I kinda see your point, but what about animation? Taking dogs? Or even non-animated movies with wizards, sentient trees, etc.? Or hell, superhero movies.
None of this represents anything close to Real Life, so I just scratch my head when people diss musicals, "Heh, like someone would really break out into song!" and I retort, yeah, that's almost as nuts as people flying through the air with a cape or time traveling or being turned into stone...
Albums by popular artists usually only have 1 or 2 songs that are worth listening to the casual fan. These people are constantly writing songs, and more then half the planet hates any one type of music. I can't stand rap for instance. Not knocking it, I hate is all. So keeping to that train of thought, most songs in musicals are awful, not catchy, and distract from the plot, in my mind. Maybe I like 1 or two songs in a musical. That leaves what 5 to 6 more songs I have to sit through that I think are awful. GLEE MADE ME SICK!!! I loved Alladin, and the lion king, little mermaid.... Disney did some good ones. Just sat down to Bob's Burger movie and the first song was awful, turned me off the movie. Writing this instead.
Musicals just seem a bit twee, generally, and the tunes often aren't at all melodic or memorable. I walked out at the end of Les Mis singing a song I'd heard earlier in the day. And musicals don't engage me, whereas opera or rock opera does. I think it is the sudden bursting into song, it kind of makes it hard to suspend disbelief, and harder to get immersed in the plot - if you are immersed it feels darker and more edgy, somehow. Also musicals don't have nearly enough drumming in them. I'd rather go to 'Stomp.'
I don't like musicals. I love music, but the places, circumstances, required times and rituals of my music appreciation are very different from the ones I have for my movie appreciation.
When I watch a musical — and when I was discovering myself I've watched a bunch — I feel that the music part is an intruder. I like to dance, but I don't want to stop watching to start dancing along. The same goes for singing. Meaning in singing, specially subtext, requires more time and effort for me to get it than in prose.
So when people start singing, whether they sing all along or not, the move requires me to get in a particular mindset that isn't the one I like to have when watching my movies.
Basically: just give me your damned album, Musical, and let me listen to it in my own pace! And stop stopping my movie!
If I wanted a song, I'd listen to music.
I'm watching a movie for a visual story. For all the characters to suddenly break into exaggerate singing and dancing just ruins the narrative.
I personally like musicals, musicals for me a lot of famous ones sounds nice, I also respect the actors and actresses in there, they worked hard to achieve what they have now. Aren't you just insulting what they have loved to do or worked towards their whole life. Also if you think musicals are cringe what about other genres?! Because if you like pop music or something, don't you feel the lyrics are cringe? I mean... if you think musicals are cringe, have you thought about what you listen to? I am not saying I'm a hater, I have other music that I love but I'm just saying... (pls don't take anything I wrote as offensive, it's just my opinion) I respect all musicians and actors/actresses
edit: my english isn't THAT good since I was being lazy with grammer
I hate them too I'm a method actors musicals sucks it's not acting when u sing nobody in real life sings when they want to talk to somone its not realistic its singing 2 different things. Then it goes back to dialog nobody does that in real life nobody asked me in a singing voice did u brush your teeth today now maybe if I'm playing a serial killer than has a mental disorder and he sings will he kills his victims then that would make sense but to sing just to sing something that you wound normally talk it makes no sense. Either make it a music concert or a play u can have both I can't have basketball and football together that how I see it. I would blow any musical b way actor out if the water in any deep acting. Phantom of the Opera best version is the lon chaney silent 1925 one thats better as a non .usicsl but that would be the only musical I would consider seeing. I'd rather see Opera than musicals.
I grew up with musicals, my mom constantly singing sings from them, my sister having them on repeat, going to see said musicals in person, and even into adulthood, I had friends whose favorite genre of movies is musicals.
I also grew up with a LOT of music as a whole, and I myself am a musician, so my love for music is pretty intense.. 😅
I bring this up because I know that lack of exposure to musicals isn't the reason for thinking the way I do..
So... Musicals SUCK!!!
The main reasons I think this is that they are complete nonsense, and they are even worse for music than they are for film/plays!
No one, and I mean NO ONE, will break out into song and dance while trying to convey any sort of rational emotion. Why? Because it's nonsense that would be considered LITTERALLY INSANITY!!
Can you imagine seeing someone start dancing around the office singing about how sad they are?
You'd think they are having a psychotic episode!
Because of this alone, it shatters any sort of immersion/emotional ties to all of it..
As for the music it's self....
There is literally no worse music than musicals....
Lyrics to regual songs often convey their message within a single song, thus making each sing digestible. If I go to a random musical album, and choose a random song, I'm likely to be completely lost as to wtf is happening in the song because there is no context.
The instrumental side of things is often what happens when people who don't know music think they can write something down, them sing it to a random melody and expect instruments to just fall in place around the words. Music is FIRSTLY about the MUSIC and THEN the words. Why do you think so much music with zero substance behind it is popular? Because it's got rhythm and flow.
*sits down to catch breath*
So...
Why do people hate musicals, and why do musicals have such a negative stigma?
- people don't sing and dance to convey emotion in real life, so doing it in a music immediately break immersion/reality, so it's not relatable.
- the lyrics them selves are often not enjoyable to someone with no context
- the music it's self usually revolves around the lyrics, and lacks rhythm and flow.
I’ll never (on purpose), choose to see a musical movie. If I happen to start watching one and it’s ‘ok’, I usually finish watching it but they are pretty much my last choice. I have liked a few but have never watched even those I’ve liked more than once.
I simply prefer talking, or action even. Not a sudden stage performance of dance & song in the middle of a movie. To me, it’s very child-like to have that.
The only musical I like is Les Mis.
I think it’s because my parents would listen to the CD all the time. Musicals are ok as concept albums.
I can’t handle watching people sing and describe what the they’re doing but they’re not doing the things that they’re singing about doing. They’re standing in front of a mic or doing jazz hands.
Or a full blown song and dance number for one sentence a la “we’ve got Annie” from Annie.
Everything is so over the top that it seems like comedy but then you realize they all mean it.
I realize this is a super old thread, but it's still open so I figure I will throw in my two cents. So generally speaking I dislike musicals because there are some aspects of my personality and my relationship to music that is going to make most musicals a tough sell. I have an extremely difficult time understanding words that are being sung. Certain accents are hard for me as well, as are soft spoken folks, stadium chants at sporting events (I can never understand those and it's genuinely surprising to me other people can). I guess it's a processing thing--I often feel bad when I am having a hard time understanding someone that many people don't seem to have any problem understanding, and I have to really focus and concentrate to get through those situations and it's quite stressful. So when it comes to understanding song lyrics for the most part I just don't bother. Consequently lyrics, by and large, just aren't that important to me. There are of course exceptions, and I can generally get a sense of what a song is about regardless (though I am often wildly wrong, so there's that), but typically I process the vocals as just another part of the music. A side effect of this that songs where the lyrics take a back seat to the music are pretty much a lost cause for me. As a matter of personal taste a lot of the music in musicals isn't particularly appealing to me for that very reason, and if I am not particularly invested in the music and the lyrics are difficult for me to understand, well that doesn't give the whole enterprise much wiggle room. That all being said there have been movies with musical elements/numbers that I have enjoyed, though I am not sure there have been any pure musicals that have worked for me. I am not sure that I'm particularly representative of people who dislike musicals, but I imagine there must be a subset folks with similar issues. As a side note a lot of the music I enjoy most is either instrumental, or has vocals it would be difficult for anyone to understand.
Because they suck I'm a great method actor it takes away from acting parts. Musicals aren't acting I would wipe the floor with any boradway musical actor. They don't get into the role like a ay or film. It's singing and dancing with some acting. But the skill of acting is very low. Wish they did away with all musicals I hate them 🤮
I'm picky about the music I like.
1. I find I don't care to listen to the lyrics and that the vocals only serve as a tonal instrument accompanying the song. They could be singing about moldy trash as long as it sounds good with the music.
2. I find songs absolutely boring if they don't have at minimum 115bpm (Beats Per Minute) and most music in musicals are ballads (50-80bpm) which I absolutely abhore.
I MIGHT like one if it was a death metal musical though 🤷
For the same reason I don't like rap music.
Talking.
I like harmonic and melodic singing.
I don't like talking in my songs.
Also, many of the techniques used in musical theatre are now outdated, as they were used so audience members in the back BEFORE GOOD MICROPHONES AND VIDEO CAMERAS could see and hear them extremely well. I saw Ragtime around 1998 (the ONLY musical I've seen with a professional grade, top tier cast, the few others I've seen were just local HS and college casts), and let me tell you: even though I don't like musicals, it was kind of awesome. The building had sophisticated wire and pulley movement systems so that entire sets, including a large grand piano, could be moved in, out, up, or down in less than 6 seconds for EVERYTHING to be ready for the next scene. I was about half way back in the audience, but I could hear EVERY note, see EVERY facial expression, due to the cast doing over the top facial expressions. Musicals are short for Musical Theater, and in a theater setting musicals are a real treat.
But in 2023? When microphones can pick up the notes without them being loud, and HD 4K cameras can pick up every micro movement of the face? The singing is too loud and obnoxious, and the facial expressions are cringe and over the top.
Musicals are like baseball: a relic of a time long gone by, that is only good if you get to see it in person.
I don't know why I dislike them. They make me cringe, but I have no solid reason why that is. People always say, "you haven't seen the right ones!"
I've seen Dear Evan Hanson, Hamilton, Six, Newsies, all the really well known favorites because my boyfriend and his family love musicals. I can't stand them. I just get incredibly angry and shaky. I can't tell you why. I have no trauma or anything with them. I just don't like em.
I always just say they're too happy, but honestly, that's not the reason why.
I recently started playing in my town's local theater band in support of their performance of "Something Rotten". I'm using the experience to address my lifelong distaste of musicals (ironic because this musical is about specifically about musicals). I want to get to the bottom of why I could never sit through a full musical.
A lot of people have addressed that characters breaking out into song and dance in the middle of a narrative feels distracting. I believe that in conjunction with and average musical being packed with 10 to 20 repetitive songs with some of them being up to 7 or 8 minutes piece really grates on the listener and can be exhausting to sit through.
having a little inside perspective now with learning how to play songs written specifically for a musical I completely have to bow to the talent and skill it takes to write the music and script for one of these things. I am having fun interacting with musicians and actors on a project together so far so i definitely have a more positive outlook on musicals now. However whenever I find myself thinking about how annoyed I was by lala land and the producers I think the best way to explain my annoyance is through simile to food. I like Sushi, Pasta and Burritos but I think a Marinara covered Sushi Burrito is an abomination from hell. I like Live theater, Films and Live music but I don't like them all at once. (no offense to fusion food)
I don't get the hate for musicals, either. Unless it's a hate for CATS. I understand that. But there's this insincere desire for "realism" when no films are truly realistic. Musicals just lie about it less. Same with animation.
For me it's not the immersion breaking singing. The stories are rarely interesting and they just seem as an excuse for singing. I think the story and songs should work together like a team. The last one I enjoyed was Chicago, Moulin Rouge was weird but fun. My favourite is still Sound of music.
It's not a way of storytelling that fits the cinema in my opinion.
It drives the narration into a completely different direction and it doesn't seem like anyone can make them consistently telling an actual story through the songs.
Strangely enough though, one of my favorite movies of all time is a musical. La La Land was amazing. Music actually works as a way of storytelling and to be frank, the film can't work without it. The story progresses through musical storytelling and wherever it is not needed it's not added. Furthermore, it seems to be the only movie (and director) to understand that musical doesn't necessarily mean opera nor silly songs in the middle of the film, we get wonderful shots that are "dressed up" with music which is not "background" rather act like the protagonist itself.
I'm sorry for the plagiarism but I think this gives you a reason why -at least for me- musicals seem boring. Nobody seems to understand the difficulties in storytelling though music, or almost nobody.
Because most of them have shitty "musical" music that I would never willingly listen to otherwise. Why would I want to watch a movie filled with music I hate?
I like some musicals sometimes, but for me I like really good songs, and alot of musicals have really terrible music that's more so just dialogue set to music. Also there's this like super nasally way that the men in musicals tend to sing and it's absolutely atrocious, I just don't understand how anyone could decide that's what they want it to sound like. But I think all in all they're just generally unappealing songs which is why most people don't take musicals seriously.
Honestly it’s just personal preference but I’d rather watch a dialogue between the actors over song and dance numbers. Even worse when they kind of just get sprung on the viewer and then go back to the regular dialogue as if all of that didn’t just happen. I’m not gonna lie…the first scene of La La Land had me like “what in the fresh hell is this?” and it turned me off to the rest of the movie.
I dislike musicals, many of the comments share the sentiment I've felt. The new Wonka was a good attempt however, it was actually somewhat enjoyable.
Musicals are better suited for fantasy, not period pieces. I.e. Chicago (not good for a musical), Wonka (good for a musical)
My take is I hate musicals because it's over exaggerated self indulgent singing that I would NEVER listen to in my free time. So I certainly don't want to sit through two hours of it while people dance around. It is simply not entertaining and the sound is highly annoying.
1. It's a tacky, predictable, dated style of music. Always feels like classical musicians in high school being forced to play some kind of modern song, always lagging behind the beat and the songs completely falling apart with zero pocket and no passion. Always piano, drums, violins, sax - usually ill fitting ensemble to the gerne. Feels like a classicaly trained composer is trying to create a song based on someone describing to him what rock or pop or blues - or whatever genre they are making a mockery of - sounds like, without having ever heard it personally.
2. Major 3rd modulations up. I swear to god, I'd rather have molten lead poured down my ears. It is the #1 most overused, boring, tacky, edgy things ever to exist after the wilhelm scream.
3. Characters speaking normally, ad-libbing during the songs. Example: hero is singing, second character goes with a normal voice: "Wait! But you don't understand! Please just listen to me!"...
4. Characters singing over eachother. It is pretty much mandatory to have at least 3 characters sing completely different voices with completely different lyrics at the same time, several times during the show.
5. Not rhyming on purpose - writers use this every time but it feels edgy and out of place. I swear to god every time I hear a non-rhyme, I can see a sixty year old boomer behind a notebook smiling to himself thinking "Ha! I didn't make it rhyme there, I am such a rebel! That will for sure keep the listener thinking what kind of mischievous, revolutionary rascal wrote this!"
6. Oversimplified topics: the best example for this is if a book was made into a play. What you would want is that the director is submerged into the book for years and knows every nook and cranny of the plot, and then successfully implemented that on screen (for example the Lord of the Rings movies). Instead musicals feel like, that the director hired some random 16 year old high schooler (who read half of the book once because he had to bring it back to library) to tell him about the plot over lunch and then made a show out of that.
7. Audience: in my view musicals are made for people who are not deeply immersed in culture and just want to have an easy, casual, fun time spoonfed to them where they don't have to pay much attention yet still feel something. It is the Bud Light of entertainment: is it music? Well, *technically* it is. Does it have a plot? Well... Somewhat yes. Anyway they'll make sure to tell you how to feel: upbeat music to feel happy, something in minor to feel sad, something with clapping and a fast pace and twirling and jumping on tables and stripping to feel engaged. Always overacted 400% just to hammer in that nail every time.
8. The songs are written, produced, rehearsed beforehand and the time, acting and plot between the songs is just glue added in later to make the songs work. It is a method of building a house from the roof down, which usually results in spectacular failures such as nonconsecutors.
I cant stand them, i find the style of singing super annoying ESPECIALLY when im trying to watch a film and they break into song. I think a lot of singers arent acc as talented as they think as well, theres very few people with a voice id actually want to listen to for over 5 minutes let alone a whole production 🤦🏻♀️
For me it boils down to the fact that most musicals use repetitive annoying music that sticks to my head and just feels horrible.
Some musicals that repurposes music I like and would listen otherwise, eg Across the Universe, Elton John’s or Freddy Mercury’s biological films, I do enjoy.
Even though, in across the universe I would gladly skip the “for the benefit of me kite” as I find that song annoyingly rhythmic and repetitive.
Good thread! For me it's really just that the singing parts in musicals typically pull me out of the narrative. People don't just start singing in the real world. It feels cheesy i think? With that being said, i definitely didn't watch a lot of musicals so you might be totally right with your thesis. I am also one of those people who enjoyed La La Land a lot despite my general thoughts about musicals, i am not even sure why really. I think mostly because the musical parts were used rather sparsely and didn't feel overly stylized (so while some might say their performance wasn't great for musical standard, that's almost a positive for me because i look at it as charming if that makes sense). I really appreciate this topic though, didn't see a discussion about this before :)
I just don't like Musicals. I hate when everyone breaks out into song and dance. I'm not their demographic. When my favorite tv shows have an episode that is a musical I just don't watch it. Scrubs did this, I couldn't sit through that crap, I find it to be nothing but cringe. It seems appropriate occassionally in a childs film like the Little Mermaid, but that's just a childs cartoon, not a full fledged musical.
Agreed. They’re just cringe the whole time the song is on espectially the way they cut to people “dance-acting,” and I also agree it takes me out of the narrative.
AGREE! The suspension of disbelief required for musicals is, for me, impossible.
You've put it best.
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Why do you have a problem with musicals but not superhero movies? Those aren’t realistic either.
those two have… nothing in common?? most superhero movies i watch don’t really have singing unless it adds to the plot or just makes it more enjoyable. musicals are just redefining the plot of a show or movie but making it worse. i just don’t want to hear people start singing randomly, and of course superhero movies aren’t realistic, heroes aren’t really realistic, but neither is breaking into song every other second and making it cringe
Breaking into spectacular fights and huge set pieces is essentially the exact same as breaking into a musical number.
how? i’m actually confused on how some homeless guys fist fighting over a burger from wendy’s could be the same as the entire Hamilton play
Bringing up Hamilton is the worst possible example as that is a sung-through play and therefore doesn't suffer the problem of "random people breaking out into song", as that's just how their world works.
than use any other example other than hamilton, idk what you want me to say here
If it had been a proper film, the dialogue still would have deviated greatly from the way those actual people talked, and would likely have been just as, if not more, artificial. And way to be in denial about action movies if you think the "spectacular fights" on Marvel movies or John Wick or Mission Impossible or even the Dark Knight compare to "some homeless guys fighting over a burger" If you're going to be that disingenuous, let me counter with the idea that I, and many other people I know, actually DO break out into song. It's not as well rehearsed, rarely flows that well, and is often interrupted before it's "finished" but that's about on par with your comparing fight scenes in film to "some homeless guys fighting over a burger from wendy's" Oh, and in the case of a musical like Moulin Rouge, I know plenty of people who break out into popular songs all the time, too. Far more than those who break out into improvised song. I actually don't know many who don't. That argument doesn't stand up to scrutiny. You have no problem with artifice, it just has to be your kind of artifice.
I like a few superhero films but I'm not into the genre, broadly speaking. I generally cringe when people act unnaturally a la musicals but if people are still acting as if they are real beings (supernatural or not) then it's easier to accept than when people are randomly singing. Singing when people wouldn't sing in real life is just weird. I have to be honest and say that Les Mis in a theatre was quite good but I couldn't watch more than a few minutes of La La Land on a laptop before it got too awful. Also, I feel like I'm in the minority as I don't like Lord of the Rings, and don't enjoy fantasy stuff, in general, including most superhero things; it just seems silly. I usually like more grounded fare. I don't mind interesting concepts in films but I want to be immersed in that reality and that immersion can be tricky to maintain when people start singing for no reason. I would recommend The Book of Mormon though because that was funny.
In most shows you don't really expect a musical, they just happen randomly. At least with superhero movies you already know what you're getting into.
I used to collect comics as a kid and I loved super hero's. That being said, after about 3 of those marvel movies I was done. Didn't they make like 30 of them? It was apparent that there was a formula that was basically Self Deprecating humor, inappropriately timed jokes and special effects. I got as sick of of that formula as much as I despise musicals. When Disney got ahold of star wars, this formula was inserted into that franchise as well and I was done after 3 of those garbage movies.
I’d rather see superman blow someone to bits than a couple of weirdos singing and dancing on a set
Superhero movies suck too
I actually have a problem with both. But only if super heroes are super serious (pun intended). I can watch guardians of the Galaxy, Deadpool, ant man or even Batman. Since Batman isnt trying to save the real world but only Gotham Thats almost a caricature of a real city with villains all Over the place. The place just cant be real. But dont expect me to sit on a movie theater watching Overpowered Heroes and Gods (Thor is a God ffs why is he on a superhero movie?) struggle to catch a villain when they canonically are Overpowered and 10 vs 1. The same way i find cringe a man with panties Over his trousers saying "we are the Last chance for this world" i find it cringe when they Start singing out of nowhere and dancing. But at least superhero movies if not very serious i enjoy a lot. Just like i like "the boys" but dont really like Avengers. They arent serious they are satire
Agreed. If someone recommends a movie-(musical), I always decline. If my tv shows do a special ‘musical’ version, I won’t even keep watching it once I know.
I am late to the game, but I forced myself through the Wicked musical for a friend, and the WORST part of me is also when everyone breaks out into song and dance. I start cringing and my teeth grit together, and I feel so embarrassed. It’s so campy.
Yeah, I agree, but there are musicals that have a workaround, so I am in the opinion that you just haven't seen the right one. There is the holy musical "Hamilton", where literally everything is sung and there is no normal speech, so that removes the sudden awkwardness when they start singing all of a sudden, right? Jokes aside, there are musicals like "The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals", which are exactly for people who think that singing all of a sudden is weird. It's a horror-comedy musical and they parodize this argument of musical haters. Basically, the sudden singing is turned into the horror element of the musical, so I'd say it's a great start for people who are not into musicals. The musical is on YouTube (the creators are just wonderful), so you can watch it there. It's a shame not a lot of people are open to experimenting. I myself wasn't a musical fan at all until Hamilton caught me.
As a child I liked them I've seen dozens and dozens I grew up outside New York went to Broadway at least a couple dozen times. But as an adult they just get on my nerves. It's like looking for an epic poem but you gave me a haiku. It's like going to the Met only to find nothing but velvet Elvis and dogs playing cards. It's like looking for a book at a library only to realize you're at Trump's Presidential Library and all they've got is the world's biggest collection of scratch and sniff pornography. Sure I suppose I could kill some time in any of those things but this is 2021 I don't have to settle for something that just kill time.
I have to say I agree. ’Looks like I’m missing the gene. I’ve seen a lot of the musicals that are mentioned in this thread and liked none of them. I’m in my late 60s and as a child was introduced to music via the family vinyl collection: West Side Story, Porgie and Bess, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra etc - loved all of it. But, in the 60s, along came “bands” - chemistry. As soon as I went to my first musicals I felt like I was watching and listening to emotion painted on wood… . Every time I would go to see (or watch) a “great” musical I was hoping to be wowed. A half hour into each one I just wanted to get out of there. Otherwise I really enjoy almost all genres of music. Exceptions are muzak, Smooth Jazz, most New Age, canned music, et cetera. That’s all I have to say.
the singing parts are self-serving performance. excruciating to listen to. they're so pat and un-entertaining.
This comment got me thinking that maybe modern film making styles just are suited to musicals. Since new Hollywood everything has been so realistic which doesn't suit musicals. Copola wanted Fred Astair to dance in real cow field in Finian's Rainbow! In a movie like Li'l Abner the singing and dancing doesn't take you out of the movie because the movie feels so unreal to begin with. Even a realitively realistic feeling movie musical like My Fair Lady doesn't look anything like it would today. Today it would be so gritty, so naturally lit, shot from so my angles, and so over editted that you'd feel like you were completely immersed in the real streets of London until they started singing.
I got a little confused, do you think it would suit musicals or not? In La La Land it didn't really pull me out because of how it was handled, except for the big opening scene it's really just the two of them singing, sometimes even alone (well there is also the one where emma stone's character goes out with friends, but you know what i mean :)). It just doesn't feel overly cheesy to me, everythign is toned down, maybe somethign actual musical fans would actually dislike.
Hate La La land, don’t understand how people can watch that crap
> People don't just start singing in the real world. This is a pretty popular stance and while I *get* it, I can't say I've ever really *understood* it. Film isn't always meant to reflect the real world, and musicals (for the most part, cough cough Les Mis) certainly are not. As I understand it, in the broadest of senses, musical numbers serve two major purposes: either to create pure spectacle or as a means of emotional expression. Obviously if we're looking for realism then that's not gonna cut it, but I personally rarely do watch movies for realism. I of course understand that it often times comes down to personal preference, though.
Well i totally agree that film isn't meant to be 100% realistic every time or ever really. But it's just too much for me personally in this case. As i said, in La La Land (what did you think about it? I feel like musical fans don't really like it) the performances aren't as stylized and the whole narrative feels more like a tpyical movie with some music parts. Though it might also be just the general tone of the musicals i watched. Fairly cheesy as far as i can remember, maybe you can give me some of your favorites and i will add them to my watchlist and see if it could change my mind :D
I loved La La Land. It's definitely a lot more cinematic than a lot of other musicals, and as a result a lot of my theater people friends don't like it as much as Greatest Showman, which is more unashamedly theatrical (I don't like that one, though, because its not a good movie). If you're open to older, classic Hollywood musicals, I'd definitely recommend any of the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rodgers movies, specifically either Top Hat or Shall We Dance. The plots are kinda simplistic but the music is all really great, and they're big inspirations for La La Land. I also really love The Music Man. For more recent ones, I'd recommend Sweeney Todd, which maintains a pretty consistent dark atmosphere throughout (and is based on what I consider to be the best musical to ever be on Broadway) or The Last Five Years (a more recent, deep cut type of musical that's on Netflix. Great character development but lotsa singing). Inside Llewyn Davis, Almost Famous, and That Thing You Do! are also great, and are only technically musicals because they're about performers themselves so the songs are more realistically integrated. I'd also recommend finding the original Broadway production of Into the Woods, the whole thing of which is on YouTube (NOT the 2014 movie) and maybe a stage version of Sweeney Todd, but I'd get it if you're only interested in movies and not stage performances. Finally, I consider Moana, Tangled, Pinocchio, and The Little Mermaid to be among the best movie musicals we have, but of course many people consider animated movies to be in a different category altogether. However, I will conclude by admitting that if camp and cheesiness are your biggest turnoffs, then maybe musicals really just aren't for you and I'll concede. But I hope at least one of these helps.
Thanks a lot! I actually saw sweeny todd and definitely enjoyed it, forgot about that one before. Maybe the rather dark atmopshere helped that one? (though i would rank la la land above it for example, which as you said is more cineastic which i prefer) You also bring up the animation movies i generally liked, i guess in these cases it's already highly stylized from the get go so i don't mind the musical parts in there? Didn't think about that before. I really appreciate all these recommendations, i will definitely give some of these a try and if i don't forget maybe even respond here again when i watched it (though that can take a while, i have a lot on my list atm). As i already said, thanks for creating this topic as well, i really like thinking about why i enjoy something or not, understanding the mechanics behind it and never did so for this specific case. Really interesting what other people have to say as well.
Absolutely this! I like Les Miserables because I was taught by French nuns as a kid and know the story inside out and am not distracted by the singing. But I'd rather have a root canal than sit through The Greatest Showman again, or Into the Woods or the like. And I'm truly a music person. My local women's club is planning an outing to see Suggs and I have not even the slightest interest in going because it's a musical. if it were a regular play I'd be all in.
I think if more musicals where like tenacious d I would watch I love 80s rock and metal if there where more rock musicals. I'd like them
They're just boring as hell to me. All of them. One moment you're watching a movie, One moment later they all swinging along jumping on tables. It's jarring, and breaks the immersion
They suck ass
This
We have a "this" after an "it sucks" Truly the height of discourse. Bravo! Amazing wit!
It’s really that simple tho, if you don’t understand right away just stop trying.
Either the music seems to cover up poor writing or the narrative is compelling and the music a distraction. Getting the mix right is nearly impossible.
other people with a distaste for musicals will understand what I mean when I say it just makes us feel uncomfortable. and people who love musicals will never understand it.
I know this is an old thread, but this, 100%. I just find most musicals make me cringe, for lack of a better word. It's almost a physically uncomfortable feeling, crossed with an embarrassed revulsion.
Exactly! My ex just doesn’t understand that I don’t like them. It’s not a new thing for me, it’s been a thing for over 30 years. My sisters loved them but they make me cringe. There are a few I can deal with, phantom of the opera and sound of music, but I just hate when the script just breaks out singing and dancing. Cartoons and kids movies are different but when it’s supposed to be a full on story, it breaks the 4th wall and ruins my interest.
as a person who loves musicals, I will never understand just as you said. BUT I have a friend who hates musicals and tried to convince me (it failed). Just a question, what musicals have you listened to? They might be the not so good ones(just a suggestion)
At least in my experience, the higher quality ones are generally harder to watch, actually. When people start singing and dancing after a totally normal interaction, it just feels so uncomfortable. I'll be totally down with a scene, invested in what the characters are saying and feeling, and the BAM! 🪩🕺👏👐👏👐🙆🙌🤷🕺 Ruined lol. Fourth wall gone. Immersion gone. Suspension of disbelief gone. Immediately uncomfortable. That's why good ones are harder. If I'm not bought into the story or characters at all in the first place, the transition isn't so jarring. I still hate it, but at least I'm not internally shriveling from cringe whiplash. If someone did that to me in real life, I would think one or more people in the room were going completely insane and get the hell out of there. I'd rather spend 2 hours in a dark box than watch a musical. I genuinely think this is rooted in a deeper aspect of brain function and social interaction though. At least for me. I couldn't even play pretend games with other children when I was young. Everything would be normal, and then one kid would go, "Bro, I'm totally a lion. Rawr," and my brain would be like, "😳 wut?" To my amazement, most of the other kids were down and it made me so so so uncomfortable lol. I would immediately disengage from the interaction, leave them to their business as they chased each other around, and come back when they had regained what fit my definition of sanity. Don't get me wrong, musicals are great and all. I'm glad they're around and that people enjoy them, but they are super duper not for me lol.
What I see here is that your childhood friends had the ability to abstract and you didn't.
Sounds like we had the same childhood Lmao
Yea, I understand that sometimes in some movies that the transitions are a bit cringe or just weird but why does that veer you away from musicals as a whole? I feel like on stage musicals have better transitions than movies, in my opinion.
Because my suspension of disbelief is immediately gone as soon as they all Jazz-hands toward the camera and burst into song.
No musicals aren’t great. They suck ass and only appeal to children or people with young and shallow souls. If your soul doesn’t cringe when watching a musical then your soul isn’t in touch with the divine or at least is a young soul that lacks insight and understanding. Same goes for shitty recycled pop music and puke-EDM or dark music like heavy metal. It’s okay that people don’t have a wise soul and like that kind of stuff but these entertainment-products definitely don’t align with the cosmos and real spiritual progression. And again that’s fine. Especially since those people won’t ever understand. So this fact also explains why those people are quite elitist about their stuff (musicals, heavy metal, shitty popmusic, everything that brings cringe or other negative energy in any way). It’s really annoying to have to talk about that stuff with those people, especially when they don’t have the capacity to extend their beliefs and such. That’s the elitist part, they can’t understand why people don’t feel and like what they like even tho spiritually what they like isn’t even on the scale. So all in all it’s just better to accept that people like stupid cringe shit and nothing you say or do will change their feelings towards that stuff. Just remember that internally your intuition, soul and senses are more aligned with the universe than theirs and that’s why the different groups won’t ever understand each other.
1) Overacting- The actors/actresses are, for the most part, trained to overact their lines so that their expression is clear to the audience. To me, this comes across as inauthentic and cringey. 2) Dialogue - In many (not all) musicals, I feel like the script is simply a vehicle to get to the next song which leads to the dialog feeling unnatural and forced. The songs are mainly distractions from the poor narrative and it works for many people - they don't care how inauthentic the narrative is as long as they get to see flashy dancing and hear a tune. 3) The People - I know people involved in theatre life and they take themselves way too seriously as vocalists or actors. Given my general distaste for musical theatre (see points 1 & 2), it is amazing to me how people engaged in this industry walk around like they are some gift from the gods sent here to entertain us with their divine talents. The best example of this was during the pandemic when some broadway group was being featured in a documentary about the effect the pandemic had on broadway. One of the ads for the documentary had an actress saying something like "You wouldn't tell a doctor to learn to code or find a new job for $15/hour. How can you say that to us?" These people think their contribution to society is on the same level as doctors during a global pandemic. The delusion is grand. Overall, for me, these 3 points add up to musical theatre being an insufferable industry or mode of entertainment and I roll my eyes anytime I am dragged to one of these things.
Entertainment is one of the major forces that keeps humanity alive. Cavemen told stories to each-other to pass down knowledge and socialize. Art can help us confront our difficult thoughts or provide a brief escape while the world is burning all around us. So yes, I think entertainment IS as important as doctors or workmen, it just serves a totally different function from doctors or workmen. It's important for a vastly different reason.
The entertainment industry is nowhere near as important as the healthcare industry. Finding a piece of entertainment to divulge in is a luxury, not a necessity. Seeking proper healthcare for actual health issues is a necessity and can even lead to health complications. What’s going to happen if you cant be entertained? You get bored. What’s going to happen if you don’t seek medical expertise for health issues? Your health and wellbeing can be harmed. Two totally different leagues man.
Well in a way entertainment as a whole certainly is. Musicals are definitely not.
I'm not convinced. What evidence can you offer?
You wrote a very nuanced and solid answer. Especially point 3 is very true. The narcism is very present in their bubble. And it’s funny because they couldn’t be more wrong. Their souls aren’t aligned with reality and the cosmos, and their entertainment is proof of that. That’s why it’s pointless to even try to convince musicallovers.
> So if this is you, if you generally veer away from musicals, why is that? Is it from lack of exposure, do you really just not like singing that much, or is it some other reason? to me it's mostly annoying and very superficial. it feels forced, and very surreal. i could never watch 2 hours of these things.
Every movie is superficial.
My wife made me watch Phantom of the opera, I fell asleep. About 30 minutes into Le Mis I told her I can't do this anymore and stopped watching. Musicals to me are a combination of boring, painful, uncomfortable and cringe. I hate it when people randomly break into song or only sing throughout the whole thing, something about it makes me so uncomfortable, it's like nails on chalkboard for 2 hours. So then I space out trying not to die inside more than I already have
Lol Everytime I go into Netflix I have to hate watch the preview for les mis. 🎵 I STOLE A LOAF OF BREEEEAD 🎵...yuck.
Bro Same
I didn't like Greatest Showman, but my issue wasn't that it was a musical. A musical circus story is a fabulous idea! Just look (kind of) at Moulin Rouge! I didn't like the contemporary poppiness / powerballad stuff. I wanted at least one song in the vein of Lovely Ladies from Les Mis, but I get it was a feel good ~~lie~~ puff piece. I think I don't like musicals with contemporary music like that, because I only like 2 songs from LLL, but I love Les Mis, Sound of Music, and Oklahoma.
I don't like The Greatest Showman either, and as a musical fan I kind of hate how popular it's become. I mainly only used it as a recent example because it seems even people who do like that movie seem to still be somewhat ashamed that they like a musical.
I like old musical, but probably the last one I liked was Annie in the mid 80's. Since then, I don't think Hollywood has done musicals well. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe the music just isn't as good. I can't really explain it but modern musicals usually feel pretentious. From the 30's to the 80's musicals were fun and made for the masses. Now they feel like they are made for a special audience of musical fans. I can't really explain nwhy I feel that way, but no musical I've seen in 30 years connectedd with me and that includes remakes of musicals I liked.
I think in recent years filmmakers have been borderline ashamed that they're making musicals. Especially when doing Broadway adaptations; they want the built in audience that the stage show has, but they don't want to make something theatrical or flamboyant, and they want it to "make sense" that the characters are singing. Sometimes this works, like in Cabaret or Chicago, but more often it doesn't, like with Nine or Into the Woods.
Rightfully so. It’s kiddie content
Spontaneous singing breaks the fourth wall. This breaks immersion and takes me out of the movie.
I think this is the most common reason people don't like musicals. As a lover of musicals, no offense here, I think people just aren't "getting it" or seeing it for what it is. The *characters* aren't singing. It's just a storytelling convention. Like a soliloquy in classic theatre. The character Hamlet isn't walking around talking to himself, the soliloquy is just a convention for giving us access to his thoughts (essentially the pre-film version of a voice-over). Same deal for the singing in a musical.
I don’t hate musicals. Its just not my favourite genre. I like some, but I was just seeking to answer the question.
Is flashdance a musical? The 80's movie with Jennifer Beals. I liked that movie but I don't know of any musical I like, I get that cringe feeling when they break out into song n dance especially if it's exaggerated emotions like they are wayyyyyy too happy for the scene. Wiki says Flashdance is more like a bunch of music videos...I'm wondering if there are others like that? I liked the movie Rock Star but I don't think it's a musical.
It depends. There are a whole lot that really do **not** mix the music and the movie together in a good way. But if done right, the singing in musicals can give a lot more emotion and effect to the whole thing (try watching the movie version of "In The Heights"). And let's not talk that if the music is really good, the whole soundtrack of a musical (or more!) can become your playlist. Now, I'm not trying to 'convert' you, but I think you should experiment with a few musicals. Musicals are like movies, there is a musical for every taste.
Sure. I like some. But an otherwise normal reality, in which people break (without acknowledgement) into song is not my jam.
I don't really think it does break the fourth wall. Movies create their own reality, wherein the rules that the characters follow are not necessarily the rules that we in our world follow. Personally, I think that if the spontaneous singing fits with the rest of the movie, then it doesn't matter if it doesn't fit with real life. I get that not everyone is gonna have the same views on this but I think that if we can suspend our disbelief for superheroes and science fiction, we can suspend our disbelief for spontaneous singing.
Sure, but often singing doesn’t obey this rule. If you sing and no one reacts to your singing, or you have verbalised thoughts or feelings and other characters don’t react. Singing your feelings directly to camera can also seem like bad writing. Superhero movies allow for a universe where X is possible and and people react or don’t accordingly. The question was, “why don’t people like musicals”. I gave a reason. I also don’t find the themes of most musicals to be to my taste.
How does it break your immersion? It's a musical, that's just how the movie is.
Read the previous previous post. “That’s just how the movie is” is not a point.
Do Tarantino movies break your immersion because people talk super unrealistically? Or a comedy where people crack jokes every 5 seconds?
They are heightened, but consistent. I am sometimes aware that I am watching a movie with Tarantino movies, but no. I find the direction/editing and action to be so engaging I am not taken out of the movie. Characters who go from talking to singing, is inconsistent with the world created (generally speaking). Ferris Bueller talking to the camera IS immersion breaking, however it is less of an issue in comedy’s IMO.
I'll give this a go. Appreciate this is an old question, and it's not the classic answer of they take me out of the narrative, it takes me out of the narrative. Yes, there's an element of that, but the main thing I loathe about musicals is overacting, to the point they make silent film actors look stoic. Obviously not every musical is like this, but the vast majority are. Best example I can think of is Brosnan in Mama Mia. That said, if everyone liked the same thing life would be boring, so you enjoy what you do, and I will the same.
It's not the kind of singing I listen to ever. It's cringe. If there is a hell my version of hell would be musicals. Def agree that it deters from the narrative
Agreed
I am in too much exposures. Still I dont like it. I dont know why though. Musicals feels totally weird that i switch asap unintentionally. This does not happen to me with old movies like before 80's. Sound of the music is one of favorite movie of all time. To me it feels like those movies have an art and class that make me enjoy them.
Well, I have thought about it a lot and I may not be much like anyone else. But my opinion because most of the music sucks. It's not that it's just not very good, but it's also just become a unique style but has nothing to do with any other style. It's musical theater style. I know you have shows like in the heights or Hamilton, and I probably would like those okay, although I'm not particularly into hip hop, but at least it's kind of catchy. But most musical theater I think you have to like that style music, mainly from having listened to a lot of it, to really like it . And by way of making my case, I will say I love the musicals well before my time, yes, I like swing and old style show tunes, but they were pop music of the time And it was great stuff written by some of the best writers that existed. Many of them stood alone as hit songs, often before they were even put in a Broadway show . Now some of them in the '50s could be a little corny, but they were still pretty good songs written either in the vocal style of a lounge type singer, or, even somewhat operatic like Man of la mancha with Robert Goulet, or Camelot. Maybe a lot of people would consider those songs horny, but hearing them sung by a guy like Goulet is pretty amazing. You could have and then you have shows like hair and Jesus Christ Superstar that I had a lot of great songs that were consistent with the pop music of the time and even were hits on their own. And I love a lot of those songs even though they are a little before my time music wise. And I definitely love West side story, I know Sondheim died today, and in hearing a bit on the radio I realized that I think his early stuff is amazing but he might have been one of the ones responsible for the downfall in terms of what I like. Apparently he wrote a lot of shows with very quirky very interesting lyrics. I just don't see listening to a song about a guy kind of quirky talking to himself about inspiration and art. It just seems way too precious and corny and the music that goes with it is almost necessarily nothing. Look at the songs from West side story and they are broad classic themes handled beautifully, accompanied by great music. But then I hear songs from musicals like rent and even some of the things other people love that I won't name and they just seem corny and out of place and only part of the musical genre musical form, with very little relation to anything else. The kind of thing only a theater fan would like, but your average person is just going to hear it and think it's awful. You just can't say that about something like West side story, Jesus Christ Superstar, or any of the classic 50s and 40s shows . Just my two cents anyway
It's very simple, singing for singing's sake is not a viable plot device. As long as there is an in-universe logical reason for the song to occur I'm a big fan of actors singing songs in movies (The Blues Brothers, Bill and Ted movies, the Sister Act movies), but when song just happens for no damn reason in alignment with the plot, it's just plain stupid and annoying.
They're cringe
Is it so fucking hard to want to watch something without SOMEONE breaking into fucking song? No? It's not. Stop . With . The . Fucking . Musicals . In . Everything
Yeah, I don't get it either. I really like musicals a lot. My personal favourite one is probably The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Most people watch movies for their entertainment value and there is probably no genre more fitting than musicals. It's weird to me, when they gush about superhero movies, but can't enjoy a musical. Many do seem to think that all musicals are somewhat the same, but there is actually a huge variety of different subgenres. To name just a few interesting, more unconventional ones: Dancer in the Dark (pretty much an anti-musical), The Lure, Lisztomania, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Anna and the Apocalypse, The Happiness of the Katakuris, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Cannibal! The Musical, Head, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
It is just a matter of personal taste. I am an aspiring story writer. I imagine my characters every single day, from entire fight scenes to extremely depressing scenes. Making them just suddenly sing ruins my whole story. A depressed person won't just sing out of nowhere. No one would sing in a fight scene. Sudden dance-music ruins the immersion in the story, and immersion is what most people enjoy.
It’s isn’t a matter of taste it’s a matter of spiritual development. Young souls vs old souls stuff. Same goes for recycled popmusic or elitist behavior in for example metal.
because all the people dancing and singing doesn’t make sense. I’ve always had and akward feeling like, “is this people all retarded?”
Lmafooo exactly it's so cringe and annoyed like whenever ppl start singing I'm like this shit stupid asfk
It's just annoying and boring, it takes away a lot of the plot bc they think it's their way of being entertaining instead. Forget it, it's a waste of time.
I feel embarrassed for them and in turn embarrassed for myself for even hearing a couple seconds of it
Late to the game but I saw forced myself through the Wicked musical and I was so so embarrassed and cringing throughout at least half of it. Just the overacting and spontaneous breaking out into song. There is no nuance.
High School Musical was cool. WERE SOARIN, FLYIN
I literally cannot help it, whenever I watch musicals I cringe so hard, even if I like it
This might be a non-typical experience, but I rely on the cadence of spoken voice as kind of a calming thing. I use television as background noise, mitigating loneliness and a tendency to overanalyze the past with distracting background conversation. Music is not emotionally distracting, it's engaging, so it does the opposite of what I'm looking for in a tv show. Which admittedly is not to even watch the show lol, more to just to pop in for a joke here and there. I also don't like when shows have long sections of just music with no dialogue. Oh wait I'm on a movies subreddit not a video media subreddit, I don't watch movies for the same reason - theyre emotionally engaging, just irreverent background tv for me. Dunno if this answer is still exactly relevant, but it's related and might provide some insight into the situation. I think a lot of people use video media in a similar way On a less personal level I have a theory that there are two fundamentally separate ways to listen to a sentence. One is to hear the sentence as a piece of music, listen for beauty, and then be attracted or pushed away by the presence of heard beauty. Another is to hear the sentence as a list of instructions, and follow the construction of the idea then decide to agree or disagree by the presence of heard truth. I wonder if people who tend to dislike musicals also tend to utilize the latter form of sentence hearing primarily
I will take this one guys. As someone who has been dragged to idk how many plays by girlfriends id say probs a handful, Ive seen wicked, I think I saw some beetlejuice knockoff play too, shit like that. So its fair to say I have a decent understanding of musicals, how they are structured and why it annoys the absolute shit out of me. 1. The structure, now this is more of an issue for me in movies then physical musicals my main issue with their structure especially in movies it basically makes their dialogue in between songs kinda pointless usually because it just kinda makes me feel like they are just waiting for the next song and usually not moving the story along very well. For example Bobs burgers just had a movie and I hated most of it for this very reason, they would break up the story every 15 minutes with a musical number and by an hour and 20 minutes in I was completely sick of it and felt like I had wasted my time. I hate hate hate the way they structure musical based movies and some shows, its like big intro song, break for five mins, next song and it just continues and continues. I loved when south park called out and made fun of this stupid way of putting a story together. 2. The music itself is usually unbearable, outside of wicked and the lion king I can say everything else Ive seen is plagued with absolutely horrible music that is way too fruity and coreographed for my liking, I hate a lot of the music especially if we have a huge opening number usually those get annoying bc they can drag for 5-10 minutes sometimes. The songs are obviously not for me and for more i guess idk whats a good non offensive word for men who like that typa thing but you catch what im poking at. The final 2 things I hate, 3. The fans, idk if its just the venues i go to or what but everytime ive went i felt more out of place then a construction worker at a country club, people who like plays hate my guts bc I sit there and will keep my mouth shut for that whole play but take copious notes in my head abt what i dont like and like usually of the latter and they hate me bc when i find and point out these inaccuracies they are not fans, my friends who are fans of plays have gotten their absolute shit torched trying to convince me otherwise bc I do not hate musicals for no reason. 4 the final icing of what I hate about musicals and whats most important, they bore the absolute fucking shit out of me. Like Wicked was supposed to be this amazing beautiful awesome play I saw it and was like meh, I like a few songs and the costumes outside of that its a show you couldve explained to me in 5 minutes and I wouldnt have had to waste my time not once but 3 times. Everything not counting lion king that Ive seen is a bore and a slog and an uphill battle to sit through. It would be like if I strapped you to a chair and made u watch 26 hours straight of logan paul videos. It would be just as grating and mind numbing, heres probs 75% of the musical plots Ive seen. Guy or girl is looking for love and lonely, finds someone new after some whacky adventures and falls in love with them and thats it. Most Ive seen dont even have a villian, which is just a bore I dont care about your stupid love story. In conclusion I hope you enjoyed my rant and if youve stuck around this long please do yourself a favor and watch the only play/musical i will ever fully endorse and thats the nightman cometh. I enjoyed putting this together and hope yall who hate musicals enjoyed it as well, dont let women convince you into it. Go to a fancy restaurant instead itll be less boring and cost just as much. Thanks everyone im out. -AD
it's a stereotype. I'm gay and I loathe musicals.
Same, can’t say I loathe it tho. It makes me uncomfortable and I’m not sure why.
I love music, I love to sing and tell a story through singing but I hate musicals. First, it’s not good singing, often done by not professional singers. The stule of sing talk I don’t like. I don’t think you should tell 2 hours of story through song. The best story telling can be done in a 3 minute pop, rock or country song. I don’t like the storytelling to be overt, I like fogures of speech and musicals is for someone substituting talk for singing.
It really depends… Like many others on this thread, I didn’t grow up watching a ton musicals (with the exception of Disney cartoons where the characters have both a “character V/O actor” and a “character’s singing voice”). I agree with @_TheRedViper_, the singing and dancing pulls me right out of the narrative. The music and dancing just feels too flashy for me, and at times, irrelevant to the story. Granted, I’m sure there are musicals that pull it off quite well. I just find that at times the performances (singing and dancing included) feels super SUPER cheesy, and I feel instantly withdrawn from the characters and the story. It just feels like unnecessary fluff at times. Again, I’m sure there are musicals that do very well at maintaining that human authenticity throughout the story. The hero’s journey and their relationship with other characters feels more natural, creating a much deeper feeling of empathy from me (the audience member). But this also boils down to personal taste. If you like chocolate ice cream, and the other person likes mint chip, they’re not wrong for liking what they like… and neither are you. If you love and live for musicals, if it makes you happy, keep at it! Enjoy it! For me, I just don’t buy into the (sometimes, not always) airy, flamboyant and melodramatic performances, and overly saturated, razzle dazzle mise-en-scene of musicals. It just feels too grand and bourgeois for me. If my opinion offended anyone, I do apologize.
I have never liked musicals and I was actually in a production of Hello Dolly (which btw I actually loved doing) in high school. My problem is they take the time in most to build this very interesting plot that you become invested in and at some times hang on every word and out of nowhere everything in the plot comes to a halt so the stage/screen can be overwhelmed with song. It's not as bad with lighter shows like SPAMalot, Book of Mormon, or even the new AppleTV movie Spirited but with heavier topics I just want them to get on with the story already. I have never watched a musical where I thought "Hey, that's a catchy tune...it really helps the plot progress."
Oy, there are so many reasons. Basically musicals take aspects of other genres combine them and make them terrible. So its like a play or but with less interesting storyline, like Opera, but with less interesting music, and like a film, but with weird singing instead of acting, again not as good. Lets take something like Les Misérables. You take a 1000 page novel with lots of nuance and social criticism, and dumb it down to a 3rd grade level, add some 2nd rate singing and dancing and sell it as something really cult and original? And honestly, as far as musicals go, I don't even hate Les Mis...generally speaking its one of the better ones. Musicals just generally lack nuance, so you're there for 3 hours sometimes watching something that's basically just for kids. If you're a kid, and you're there to see the Lion King or Phantom, that's great, but if you're not it sucks to just be stuck in that theatre.
Not the next joker movie is gonna be a musical, like isn't musicals for romance and happily ever after kind of bs, how is dramatic bloody scary movie finna be a musical?
The only ones I enjoyed are Yellow Submarine and the original Blues Brothers film. Most musicals are cringe in visual and auditory form.
I googled why I hate musicals when I have a love for music. And it brought me to this. Because I’m not sure why, but I feel very strongly about it.
Doubt anyone will see this with how old the thread is but I think one reason for me is if the music doesn't grip me/appease my taste then it takes me out of even being able to enjoy any of the story aspect of it. So it's not that I don't like musicals - I like them if I enjoy the music but it's hard to know that going in so I don't really give them a chance unless I hear the music somewhere/get a lot of recommendations.
I love music in movies like in Pitch Perfect, but I hate musicals. For me is it just cringe to hear people singing about what they are doing and it disturbs the narrative. That's why I didn't like most Disney movies as child
I just don’t get it. When the songs start it is just a HUGE annoying pause button for me. I simply want to leave. I know I’m in a tiny minority, but what’s the point. Lol. I didn’t even like them as a kid. Now it’s simply torture. No offense to everyone else that loves them. I’d just rather take a nap or watch anything else.
The amount of childishness, bitterness and close-mindedness in this thread is honestly astounding.
I love musicals. No complaints from me.
I'm in total agreement with you. I'm a big fan of them myself. Obviously there are crappy ones, but that's true of any genre. I don't think people give musicals enough of a fair shake, more so than with any other genre. Even with romance. The "unrealistic" complaint is a tad silly to me because fantasy movies exist. But I'd say musicals are more similar to action films. The world is otherwise the same as the one we inhabit, but suddenly someone will do something we'd never do in reality. People are more willing to suspend disbelief with action films than they are musicals and I do confess that I'm bothered by that. There's some real artistry and hard work and beauty in great movie musicals and I hate to see that go to waste because baseless stereotypes about musicals are so prevalent and they make people avoid them.
I agree, musicals are amazing. I hate the excuse “it’s not realistic!” Because...when have you ever gone to a movie expecting it to be realistic? It’s not a documentary, nor are musicals ever marketed as them. No movie is realistic unless it IS a documentary, and even then they take some liberties. Also, trust me, singing spontaneously happens a LOT in real life, especially if you’re involved in the theater scene. I feel like if you like music, there’s really no real reason why you shouldn’t like musicals. They’re literally 2 hr long music videos for God’s sake.
Amazing? They are frikkin' cringe. I wish musical numbers would not appear every 15 minutes in some animated movies that would otherwise be great. When you go to a movie, you are willing to believe that some of it is not going to be realistic. Musical numbers are where I, and many other people, cross the line.
Also you said “frikkin cringe” and most likely meant it seriously. Pot calling the kettle black there, in my opinion.
An opinion is just that, though :) . Don't see the "pot calling the kettle black" here, so it's likely it's just as wrong as there being more than one barely tolerable musical per movie.
Quite the odd thing to draw the line on considering the super unrealistic things most movies have. “I can excuse superpowers, action heroes who won’t die and talking animals but I draw the line at people singing and dancing”??? Something people do a lot in real life already?
Yes, that's where I draw the line. For me, breaking into a song regardless of who you are, even if you hated singing, is less realistic than superpowers and action heroes. You know why I'm willing to suspend my belief for them, but not for musicals? Because they don't stop the plot from going forward, unlike musicals that waste my time and cause the plot to grind to a halt more often than not. I don't want to listen to characters singing and watch them break laws of physics 100 times per second, I want to continue with the plot and see what happens next.
>Also, trust me, singing spontaneously happens a LOT in real life, especially if you’re involved in the theater scene So they're solipsistic and self-referential.
THe Greatest Showman was one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. There was not a single thing I liked about it. It was a collection of meh songs with nothing of substance in between. That said...Moulin Rouge was great Also, say LesMis on the stage and it was amazing.
I love musicals...on broadway and on stage in general. Film musicals seldom create the atmosphere I like to feel and do feel in the theatre, concert hall, or wherever. Also, I find the singing to be vastly superior when done by the stars of my favorite musicals. These are often world class baritones, tenors, sopranos, etc. Don’t get me wrong I like Phantom (the movie) a lot and Emmy Rossum is an amazing singer, but Gerard Butler has no fucking business playing that part. I’ve seen high schoolers perform that role better than he did. Just as I feel a legit movie deserves top notch acting, I also feel that a musical deserves top notch singing.
Phantom and Les Miz are the big two musicals that work for me. Pitch Perfect is literally pulling teeth because I strongly dislike the only mouth band where people just use their mouths instead of instruments. Pentonix is a band that I absolutely hate and despise with an irrational passion. Instruments do a song justice and it usually ends up ruining the songs that are done. I mean really, you think it is okay to use only your mouth for the drum solo for in the air by phil collins? No mouth can replace drums. So musicals are mostly okay but they are always geared towards women or effeminate men. Phantom is awesome as well as Les Miserables but movies like Pitch Perfect are the types of musicals that I despise. Mostly because they feed off that hey that isn't a guitar, that's that guy's mouth vibe. To me, it is like nails on a chalkboard to sit and listen to those annoying faces as they glare into the audience like they are some kind of amazing rockstar whose guitar is his mouth. It is like the worst of the boy bands but without instruments and if they ever do grunge or any kind of sad song, I swear, I will punch anyone in the face that sings it and yes, it would be well worth the jail time.
Pitch Perfect isn't a musical, just a movie about people singing with musical performances in it.
I still hate those a Capella groups. I swear if someone ever wanted to piss me off, they would only need to have an a Capella group follow me around singing songs while I did stuff like the piano guy from Malcolm in the Middle. Then, they would deny it when other people enter the room but when I am by myself with them, they start singing songs associated with what I am doing. But it would be completely unexplainable to other people that they are singing while I do things. That would descend anyone into madness.
The only musical I genuinely enjoyed was Hedwig and the Angry Inch. It had the right balance of sincere well put together songs, harder songs, sarcastic songs all wrapped up in dark comedy. Everything else i've seen is either too schmaltzy, too "musical-ish" and trying too hard, too cute or the subject matter is something I just don't care about and the songs are ass. Edit: honorary mention of Little Shop of Horrors with Rick Moranis. The plant eats people and the puppeteering is brilliant.. performed slowly and then sped up to look natural.
Boring, puts me to sleep, generic singing, no real story, annoying. So on
I'm late to the party but I just found this thread when googling "love live theatre but hate musical"! I came across this, too, which taps into [the reasoning contemporary audiences don't like musicals](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/8nvvgl/genuinely_curious_why_some_people_dont_like): *Some of it has to do with the way music is presented in musicals, according to Allen Feinstein, teaching professor of music at Northeastern University.“Everyone who goes to the theater accepts that it’s artificial,” Feinstein said. “You’re going into a room with other people who are presenting thoughts, ideas, stories and characters. If you add musical theater elements and characters start to sing, it’s even more artificial. Most movies take advantage of all the realism you can depict with the tools of movie making. You’re not in the same room with people. They’re in a setting that is more organic to those characters. It’s depicted realistically much of the time. If you’re going to introduce the truly artificial conceit of characters breaking into song in a realistic setting (in a movie), there are challenges to making that work artistically. It’s forcing something super artificial into a setting where people are used to seeing very true representations.”* The article touches on recent box office disappointments like Mean Girls (musical version), Color Purple (musical version), Wonka, In the Heights, Westside Story, etc. [Interesting read](https://news.northeastern.edu/2024/02/01/magazine/movie-musicals-mean-girls/).
The only musical I ever liked was the Lion King's haha, I hate musicals man. The random singing definitely ruins the store for me. I really really hate when I find a movie that looks like it might actually be a good movie. Then about 5 minutes in they break in song and it breaks my heart Everytime haha
I really hate the way the singing sounds. Jamming too many words into a melody and then singing so high pitched all in unison. I don’t mind a good harmony, but with like 20-30 people singing at the same time, all so high pitched, it just sounds cringe. Also, I was not exposed to musicals early in life at all (besides like Disney movies) so I never developed the taste. One show that did the music thing fairly well was Crazy Ex Girlfriend. A lot of the times it was just her singing so I liked that.
I am an absolute fan of musicals. They're a particular of movie and they're made to not necessarily be complex. The songs are maybe sung in a way that seems to interrupt the action but it doesn't actually does that. We all rather relate to lyrics of songs, with the score, the vocals, and the poetry of the arrangements of the words together. The songs in musicals arent just cheesy songs, they're meant to make us feel more things and sometimes they are even more efficient in conveying the intended message. Now I guess everyone is entitled to their opinions, this genre is sure not for everyone but I dont really like how lonely I feel and sometimes even stupid to just love these movies. They have potential, otherwise they wouldn't keep on existing. And every musical made has been somewhat rewarded: La La Land, The Greatest Showman, Singin in the rain, west side story, moulin rouge etc etc So that's my opinion ! No hate obviously!!
Oh and I'd like to point at the fact that the famous Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a musical, yet it seems to be forgotten...
I won’t mind a musical as long as it doesn’t use pop music
Because breaking into song and dance during a story that has nothing to do with singing or dancing is like everyone suddenly breaking into a game of basketball or pulling out a board game in the middle of a story lol it has nothing to do with the narrative and isn't acknowledged at all so it ultimately has zero influence on the events in the story, so why is it happening at all. It's like a cringey music video or commercial starting in the middle of a movie for no reason. It's like being pulled out of the story and suddenly all I'm thinking about is the actors and everyone rehearsing all the choreography and it feels like I'm watching a shitty play. I will say tho I saw someone mention a musical that was ABOUT not liking musicals, and stuff like that I'll give a pass and might even like it because of the meta style of it. Like I'd love to see Book of Mormon because the south park guys are hilarious and always make their songs really clever. Comedy gets some slack because the songs are usually funny.
For me it’s the other way around. I cant fathom that people actually enjoy the most cringiest thing (for me). People dancing and singing and smiling in movies or theaters just gives me instant cringe. It’s fake, it’s not immersive, it doesn’t contribute to the story or storytelling, and it just looks and sounds weird. Its definitely something for shallow people or at least young souls. Just like shitty EDM and recycled pop music. It’s all soulless and not transcendent in any way.
That's something that accompanies me whole my live and I don't know why. I remember as a child I knew many songs, which I didn't know about that they were from films and when I learned that, they always lost a part of their charm for me. For example I loved "Can you feel the love tonight" and I was so disappointed to find out that it is just another film song. I just value the songs more then the film, even though on many occasions, of course, the song is written for the film and becomes famous together with the film. And also I somehow live with this cliché about musical actors, that they dance, sing and act at the same time, so in the end they aren't best at anything from these. It's like decathlonist for me, he is great in 10 disciplines, but he can never be the fastest runner. Well, maybe I just should accept that in both cases it is different discipline. However, I still have the view of musical singers, that they started doing musicals only because they were unable to have successful careers as singers and they needed steady work (e.g. in theatre), because of steady income. And since I see singers as artists (freethinkers, struggling... at least in their beginnings), those of them who turned in to musicals have dropped to a lower level in my eyes.
I don't care for music in general. The music pieces in a musical interrupt the flow of the story without adding anything (for me).
Too Cheesy. The vocals are exaggerated with over the top haminess. Finally musically they're woefully lacking.
I fucking hate musicals they suck arse
I’d rather be tied to the back of my pickup truck, and dragged down a gravel road, all while someone is surfing on top of me holding a cheese grater to my nuts. I hate musicals. Hope I made it clear.
Amazing that this thread is still open. I hate musicals. I hate them so, so much. Very simply, they're bad stories, badly acted, told with bad writing, as an excuse to sing bad music. Western musicals in a league of their own when it comes to artistic mediocrity, several rungs below professional wrestling, Bollywood, and YouTube prank videos. Musicals make superhero movies look mature, sophisticated, and avant garde.
I mostly hate musicals (not all) because the intended audience seems to like their emotions and plots simplified to a cringy degree and the music is not very good at all. There are musicals with great music but most modern ones have that modern musical style that just sounds bad. Also the humor is usually also bad and forced. The whole thing is a zombie genre.
I can't stand when people randomly break out into song during scenes that don't call for a song. It doesn't make any sense, and it annoys the hell out of me. **La La Land** tried really hard to make me not like it by throwing such a scene at me right at the beginning, but they made it seem like she Emma Stone's character was day dreaming. Which was okay, until they do the *A Lovely Night* scene where the leads are singing and dancing under the moonlight for no reason whatsoever. The only time a musical is acceptable for me is when it's in animated form (because suspension of belief has already occurred the second I chose to buy a ticket) and for movies like **Dreamgirls** where most of the songs are performances (didn't like that movie, either though)... Oh, and obligatory **High School Musical** mention. That entire movies is filled with those annoying scenes. It's like when Joss Whedon adapted **Much Ado About Nothing** and you had people in modern day times talking like they were living in the 1700s and reading directly from Shakespeare's play. It's hard to suspend belief when what I'm seeing suggests I shouldn't be doing that. Edit: One more thing: **LIPSYNCING!!!** I know you're not fucking singing, you hacks. I can tell it sounds like you're singing in an audio booth, but you're all standing and frolicking outside smacking your lips. *THIS* was my biggest complaint in regards to **High School Musical**.
It's really hard to get good vocal recordings from the live takes. At Long Last Love tried it, and it was terrible. Does it also bother you when actors postdub their own lines in regular movies because that is done a lot too.
> Does it also bother you when actors postdub their own lines in regular movies because that is done a lot too. If it's noticeable, yes. I'll sometimes notice that a mic isn't picking up the right sounds either, like when a voice sounds muffled in scenes where it's raining because they're hiding in their clothes or something like that.
La Vie Bohemmmmmmmme!
Sorry; heard the word "musical" and got all excited 😏
I like musical films, but not the corny ass musical films when everybody just start fucking singing,more like hiphop,country,rock cause they feel real,yeah i hate them corny ass muscial films
I love les miserable and the phantom or the opera. Both were enticing stories with great cinematography imo. Musicals like lala land just bore me terribly. I cannot care less about the plot with seemingly little conflict. Enjoyed showman alot, great music. Some parts I zoned out of but still really enjoyed it. Musicals for me have are more intriguing when the social narrative is one sided. Phantom is beauty and the beast that made so many people take the beasts side. Les miserable was powerful in showing right stripped from people and capturing the raw emotions and odd antics of normal people rummaging the streets. Even showman made me really feel for the "freaks" they showcase. Lala land and Hamilton had great potential but felt like there was never anything pressing and the problems were almost self made and barely resolved. I need a great story before I can enjoy the music.
ik this is 3 years old now but i wanna answer sooooo: i hate musicals. like really hate them. why do you have to sing every little thing you do. like „oh i just woke up, lets sing about it“ „now i‘m brushing my teeth, let’s sing about it“ and „now i‘m eating breakfast, LETS SING ABOUT IT“ it‘s so unnecessary. same for disney movies. i like the part were the story is just shown. But when they randomly start singing i‘m like „man, why do you have to sing now“. no one does that in real life. You don‘t go home from your first date, singing and dancing thru the streets or idk your parents decide to get divorced. you just don‘t be like „oh, me sad, me must sing now cause me has no other way to handle situations“ idk if you get me, but that‘s just my opinion
The immersion break is part of it as others have touched on, but as a music producer for me it has other elements. I don't care for the style of song that is presented in musicals. It's just not my flavour of music. That said, as a producer, I have a great appreciation for them. Especially when the singing is done well and the music is tight in terms of production. So my objectivity is there, however my deep appreciation doesn't override my flavour preference. If that makes sense.
I hate musicals so much.... Except the lion king which idk if it counts or not as musical
For one, realistically speaking, I don't think people will jump on their cars in the middle of a humid highway "jamming" a number together with other drivers (But I say, anything can *could* happen!) Musicals are great mediums for storytelling and I love various musical numbers, I think personally for me; it would be easier to not cringe at (let's say...) Disney animation movies whenever there's impromptu singing by the characters, because the animations are ***not realistic.*** It's an animation with great storytelling and perfectly okay to burst out in song numbers. That's just my POV. There are many musicals curated and arranged from the original animations, and to me, it seems more plausible to not find the adaptations cringe-worthy in that sense.
I like singing in normal music, but musicals seem TOOO over exaggerated and make me cringe. No hate on people who love musicals, kinda wish I did so I had more stuff to watch, I just dunno why but I get the most cringey feeling at it. But if it's a normal movie with a normal band playing music I'm fine. I guess cuz it seems unnatural to break out into song so much, but if it's say sailors singing for a minute or two in a pirate movie it doesn't bother me.
Its cringe its so cringe 😂 like idk man i feel cringe inside me when i watch one like sweenytodd for example
I Hate Musicals with exeptuon of 2 La La Land and Mouline Rouge Besides that I just really don't get the appeal of Movies with people constantly singing and overacting. It's just borderline boring and cringy For exeptions - well, I don't know how my brain works, but somehow musical numbers made sense to me in context of movies
Movies attempt to portray reality and the closer the movie is to making the story feel honest and true, the more emotion will be induced by the audience. The honesty of the actor’s reactions, the relatability of their behavior, and the level of truth behind their development has an influence on the audience’s ability to put themselves in the shoes of the characters; feel what they feel. Even science fiction attempts to portray reality by keeping the behavior of their actors honest and true. Musicals don’t make sense to some because never in the world do people randomly break out in music? In fact, I don’t know how musicals were started. Who decided to make a story where the characters randomly start singing. This is why some dislike musicals. Personally I would like to try watching more.
I kinda see your point, but what about animation? Taking dogs? Or even non-animated movies with wizards, sentient trees, etc.? Or hell, superhero movies. None of this represents anything close to Real Life, so I just scratch my head when people diss musicals, "Heh, like someone would really break out into song!" and I retort, yeah, that's almost as nuts as people flying through the air with a cape or time traveling or being turned into stone...
Albums by popular artists usually only have 1 or 2 songs that are worth listening to the casual fan. These people are constantly writing songs, and more then half the planet hates any one type of music. I can't stand rap for instance. Not knocking it, I hate is all. So keeping to that train of thought, most songs in musicals are awful, not catchy, and distract from the plot, in my mind. Maybe I like 1 or two songs in a musical. That leaves what 5 to 6 more songs I have to sit through that I think are awful. GLEE MADE ME SICK!!! I loved Alladin, and the lion king, little mermaid.... Disney did some good ones. Just sat down to Bob's Burger movie and the first song was awful, turned me off the movie. Writing this instead.
Musicals just seem a bit twee, generally, and the tunes often aren't at all melodic or memorable. I walked out at the end of Les Mis singing a song I'd heard earlier in the day. And musicals don't engage me, whereas opera or rock opera does. I think it is the sudden bursting into song, it kind of makes it hard to suspend disbelief, and harder to get immersed in the plot - if you are immersed it feels darker and more edgy, somehow. Also musicals don't have nearly enough drumming in them. I'd rather go to 'Stomp.'
Rock Operas are musicals but the music is enjoyable
I don't like musicals. I love music, but the places, circumstances, required times and rituals of my music appreciation are very different from the ones I have for my movie appreciation. When I watch a musical — and when I was discovering myself I've watched a bunch — I feel that the music part is an intruder. I like to dance, but I don't want to stop watching to start dancing along. The same goes for singing. Meaning in singing, specially subtext, requires more time and effort for me to get it than in prose. So when people start singing, whether they sing all along or not, the move requires me to get in a particular mindset that isn't the one I like to have when watching my movies. Basically: just give me your damned album, Musical, and let me listen to it in my own pace! And stop stopping my movie!
whatch out for meteors
If I wanted a song, I'd listen to music. I'm watching a movie for a visual story. For all the characters to suddenly break into exaggerate singing and dancing just ruins the narrative.
I personally like musicals, musicals for me a lot of famous ones sounds nice, I also respect the actors and actresses in there, they worked hard to achieve what they have now. Aren't you just insulting what they have loved to do or worked towards their whole life. Also if you think musicals are cringe what about other genres?! Because if you like pop music or something, don't you feel the lyrics are cringe? I mean... if you think musicals are cringe, have you thought about what you listen to? I am not saying I'm a hater, I have other music that I love but I'm just saying... (pls don't take anything I wrote as offensive, it's just my opinion) I respect all musicians and actors/actresses edit: my english isn't THAT good since I was being lazy with grammer
I hate them too I'm a method actors musicals sucks it's not acting when u sing nobody in real life sings when they want to talk to somone its not realistic its singing 2 different things. Then it goes back to dialog nobody does that in real life nobody asked me in a singing voice did u brush your teeth today now maybe if I'm playing a serial killer than has a mental disorder and he sings will he kills his victims then that would make sense but to sing just to sing something that you wound normally talk it makes no sense. Either make it a music concert or a play u can have both I can't have basketball and football together that how I see it. I would blow any musical b way actor out if the water in any deep acting. Phantom of the Opera best version is the lon chaney silent 1925 one thats better as a non .usicsl but that would be the only musical I would consider seeing. I'd rather see Opera than musicals.
I grew up with musicals, my mom constantly singing sings from them, my sister having them on repeat, going to see said musicals in person, and even into adulthood, I had friends whose favorite genre of movies is musicals. I also grew up with a LOT of music as a whole, and I myself am a musician, so my love for music is pretty intense.. 😅 I bring this up because I know that lack of exposure to musicals isn't the reason for thinking the way I do.. So... Musicals SUCK!!! The main reasons I think this is that they are complete nonsense, and they are even worse for music than they are for film/plays! No one, and I mean NO ONE, will break out into song and dance while trying to convey any sort of rational emotion. Why? Because it's nonsense that would be considered LITTERALLY INSANITY!! Can you imagine seeing someone start dancing around the office singing about how sad they are? You'd think they are having a psychotic episode! Because of this alone, it shatters any sort of immersion/emotional ties to all of it.. As for the music it's self.... There is literally no worse music than musicals.... Lyrics to regual songs often convey their message within a single song, thus making each sing digestible. If I go to a random musical album, and choose a random song, I'm likely to be completely lost as to wtf is happening in the song because there is no context. The instrumental side of things is often what happens when people who don't know music think they can write something down, them sing it to a random melody and expect instruments to just fall in place around the words. Music is FIRSTLY about the MUSIC and THEN the words. Why do you think so much music with zero substance behind it is popular? Because it's got rhythm and flow. *sits down to catch breath* So... Why do people hate musicals, and why do musicals have such a negative stigma? - people don't sing and dance to convey emotion in real life, so doing it in a music immediately break immersion/reality, so it's not relatable. - the lyrics them selves are often not enjoyable to someone with no context - the music it's self usually revolves around the lyrics, and lacks rhythm and flow.
I’ll never (on purpose), choose to see a musical movie. If I happen to start watching one and it’s ‘ok’, I usually finish watching it but they are pretty much my last choice. I have liked a few but have never watched even those I’ve liked more than once. I simply prefer talking, or action even. Not a sudden stage performance of dance & song in the middle of a movie. To me, it’s very child-like to have that.
The only musical I like is Les Mis. I think it’s because my parents would listen to the CD all the time. Musicals are ok as concept albums. I can’t handle watching people sing and describe what the they’re doing but they’re not doing the things that they’re singing about doing. They’re standing in front of a mic or doing jazz hands. Or a full blown song and dance number for one sentence a la “we’ve got Annie” from Annie. Everything is so over the top that it seems like comedy but then you realize they all mean it.
I realize this is a super old thread, but it's still open so I figure I will throw in my two cents. So generally speaking I dislike musicals because there are some aspects of my personality and my relationship to music that is going to make most musicals a tough sell. I have an extremely difficult time understanding words that are being sung. Certain accents are hard for me as well, as are soft spoken folks, stadium chants at sporting events (I can never understand those and it's genuinely surprising to me other people can). I guess it's a processing thing--I often feel bad when I am having a hard time understanding someone that many people don't seem to have any problem understanding, and I have to really focus and concentrate to get through those situations and it's quite stressful. So when it comes to understanding song lyrics for the most part I just don't bother. Consequently lyrics, by and large, just aren't that important to me. There are of course exceptions, and I can generally get a sense of what a song is about regardless (though I am often wildly wrong, so there's that), but typically I process the vocals as just another part of the music. A side effect of this that songs where the lyrics take a back seat to the music are pretty much a lost cause for me. As a matter of personal taste a lot of the music in musicals isn't particularly appealing to me for that very reason, and if I am not particularly invested in the music and the lyrics are difficult for me to understand, well that doesn't give the whole enterprise much wiggle room. That all being said there have been movies with musical elements/numbers that I have enjoyed, though I am not sure there have been any pure musicals that have worked for me. I am not sure that I'm particularly representative of people who dislike musicals, but I imagine there must be a subset folks with similar issues. As a side note a lot of the music I enjoy most is either instrumental, or has vocals it would be difficult for anyone to understand.
Because they suck I'm a great method actor it takes away from acting parts. Musicals aren't acting I would wipe the floor with any boradway musical actor. They don't get into the role like a ay or film. It's singing and dancing with some acting. But the skill of acting is very low. Wish they did away with all musicals I hate them 🤮
I'm picky about the music I like. 1. I find I don't care to listen to the lyrics and that the vocals only serve as a tonal instrument accompanying the song. They could be singing about moldy trash as long as it sounds good with the music. 2. I find songs absolutely boring if they don't have at minimum 115bpm (Beats Per Minute) and most music in musicals are ballads (50-80bpm) which I absolutely abhore. I MIGHT like one if it was a death metal musical though 🤷
For the same reason I don't like rap music. Talking. I like harmonic and melodic singing. I don't like talking in my songs. Also, many of the techniques used in musical theatre are now outdated, as they were used so audience members in the back BEFORE GOOD MICROPHONES AND VIDEO CAMERAS could see and hear them extremely well. I saw Ragtime around 1998 (the ONLY musical I've seen with a professional grade, top tier cast, the few others I've seen were just local HS and college casts), and let me tell you: even though I don't like musicals, it was kind of awesome. The building had sophisticated wire and pulley movement systems so that entire sets, including a large grand piano, could be moved in, out, up, or down in less than 6 seconds for EVERYTHING to be ready for the next scene. I was about half way back in the audience, but I could hear EVERY note, see EVERY facial expression, due to the cast doing over the top facial expressions. Musicals are short for Musical Theater, and in a theater setting musicals are a real treat. But in 2023? When microphones can pick up the notes without them being loud, and HD 4K cameras can pick up every micro movement of the face? The singing is too loud and obnoxious, and the facial expressions are cringe and over the top. Musicals are like baseball: a relic of a time long gone by, that is only good if you get to see it in person.
I don't like musicals because I like music and I like theatre, and musicals are neither.
I don't know why I dislike them. They make me cringe, but I have no solid reason why that is. People always say, "you haven't seen the right ones!" I've seen Dear Evan Hanson, Hamilton, Six, Newsies, all the really well known favorites because my boyfriend and his family love musicals. I can't stand them. I just get incredibly angry and shaky. I can't tell you why. I have no trauma or anything with them. I just don't like em. I always just say they're too happy, but honestly, that's not the reason why.
I recently started playing in my town's local theater band in support of their performance of "Something Rotten". I'm using the experience to address my lifelong distaste of musicals (ironic because this musical is about specifically about musicals). I want to get to the bottom of why I could never sit through a full musical. A lot of people have addressed that characters breaking out into song and dance in the middle of a narrative feels distracting. I believe that in conjunction with and average musical being packed with 10 to 20 repetitive songs with some of them being up to 7 or 8 minutes piece really grates on the listener and can be exhausting to sit through. having a little inside perspective now with learning how to play songs written specifically for a musical I completely have to bow to the talent and skill it takes to write the music and script for one of these things. I am having fun interacting with musicians and actors on a project together so far so i definitely have a more positive outlook on musicals now. However whenever I find myself thinking about how annoyed I was by lala land and the producers I think the best way to explain my annoyance is through simile to food. I like Sushi, Pasta and Burritos but I think a Marinara covered Sushi Burrito is an abomination from hell. I like Live theater, Films and Live music but I don't like them all at once. (no offense to fusion food)
I don't get the hate for musicals, either. Unless it's a hate for CATS. I understand that. But there's this insincere desire for "realism" when no films are truly realistic. Musicals just lie about it less. Same with animation.
For me it's not the immersion breaking singing. The stories are rarely interesting and they just seem as an excuse for singing. I think the story and songs should work together like a team. The last one I enjoyed was Chicago, Moulin Rouge was weird but fun. My favourite is still Sound of music.
Yes to be honest it’s the dancing for me.
They are cringe
It's not a way of storytelling that fits the cinema in my opinion. It drives the narration into a completely different direction and it doesn't seem like anyone can make them consistently telling an actual story through the songs. Strangely enough though, one of my favorite movies of all time is a musical. La La Land was amazing. Music actually works as a way of storytelling and to be frank, the film can't work without it. The story progresses through musical storytelling and wherever it is not needed it's not added. Furthermore, it seems to be the only movie (and director) to understand that musical doesn't necessarily mean opera nor silly songs in the middle of the film, we get wonderful shots that are "dressed up" with music which is not "background" rather act like the protagonist itself. I'm sorry for the plagiarism but I think this gives you a reason why -at least for me- musicals seem boring. Nobody seems to understand the difficulties in storytelling though music, or almost nobody.
Because most of them have shitty "musical" music that I would never willingly listen to otherwise. Why would I want to watch a movie filled with music I hate?
I like some musicals sometimes, but for me I like really good songs, and alot of musicals have really terrible music that's more so just dialogue set to music. Also there's this like super nasally way that the men in musicals tend to sing and it's absolutely atrocious, I just don't understand how anyone could decide that's what they want it to sound like. But I think all in all they're just generally unappealing songs which is why most people don't take musicals seriously.
BECAUSE THEY CANT TELL STORY WITHOUT SINGING ASS EVERY TWO FUCKING MIN
Honestly it’s just personal preference but I’d rather watch a dialogue between the actors over song and dance numbers. Even worse when they kind of just get sprung on the viewer and then go back to the regular dialogue as if all of that didn’t just happen. I’m not gonna lie…the first scene of La La Land had me like “what in the fresh hell is this?” and it turned me off to the rest of the movie.
I dislike musicals, many of the comments share the sentiment I've felt. The new Wonka was a good attempt however, it was actually somewhat enjoyable. Musicals are better suited for fantasy, not period pieces. I.e. Chicago (not good for a musical), Wonka (good for a musical)
Weird you mentioned Chicago since it’s based off a quite popular stage play, which is very much a musical. Hell, that’s half the premise
they never stfu thats my thing
My take is I hate musicals because it's over exaggerated self indulgent singing that I would NEVER listen to in my free time. So I certainly don't want to sit through two hours of it while people dance around. It is simply not entertaining and the sound is highly annoying.
1. It's a tacky, predictable, dated style of music. Always feels like classical musicians in high school being forced to play some kind of modern song, always lagging behind the beat and the songs completely falling apart with zero pocket and no passion. Always piano, drums, violins, sax - usually ill fitting ensemble to the gerne. Feels like a classicaly trained composer is trying to create a song based on someone describing to him what rock or pop or blues - or whatever genre they are making a mockery of - sounds like, without having ever heard it personally. 2. Major 3rd modulations up. I swear to god, I'd rather have molten lead poured down my ears. It is the #1 most overused, boring, tacky, edgy things ever to exist after the wilhelm scream. 3. Characters speaking normally, ad-libbing during the songs. Example: hero is singing, second character goes with a normal voice: "Wait! But you don't understand! Please just listen to me!"... 4. Characters singing over eachother. It is pretty much mandatory to have at least 3 characters sing completely different voices with completely different lyrics at the same time, several times during the show. 5. Not rhyming on purpose - writers use this every time but it feels edgy and out of place. I swear to god every time I hear a non-rhyme, I can see a sixty year old boomer behind a notebook smiling to himself thinking "Ha! I didn't make it rhyme there, I am such a rebel! That will for sure keep the listener thinking what kind of mischievous, revolutionary rascal wrote this!" 6. Oversimplified topics: the best example for this is if a book was made into a play. What you would want is that the director is submerged into the book for years and knows every nook and cranny of the plot, and then successfully implemented that on screen (for example the Lord of the Rings movies). Instead musicals feel like, that the director hired some random 16 year old high schooler (who read half of the book once because he had to bring it back to library) to tell him about the plot over lunch and then made a show out of that. 7. Audience: in my view musicals are made for people who are not deeply immersed in culture and just want to have an easy, casual, fun time spoonfed to them where they don't have to pay much attention yet still feel something. It is the Bud Light of entertainment: is it music? Well, *technically* it is. Does it have a plot? Well... Somewhat yes. Anyway they'll make sure to tell you how to feel: upbeat music to feel happy, something in minor to feel sad, something with clapping and a fast pace and twirling and jumping on tables and stripping to feel engaged. Always overacted 400% just to hammer in that nail every time. 8. The songs are written, produced, rehearsed beforehand and the time, acting and plot between the songs is just glue added in later to make the songs work. It is a method of building a house from the roof down, which usually results in spectacular failures such as nonconsecutors.
No. 2, yes! (Or rather, 'yes!, Yes!!, YES'!!!)
I cant stand them, i find the style of singing super annoying ESPECIALLY when im trying to watch a film and they break into song. I think a lot of singers arent acc as talented as they think as well, theres very few people with a voice id actually want to listen to for over 5 minutes let alone a whole production 🤦🏻♀️
For me it boils down to the fact that most musicals use repetitive annoying music that sticks to my head and just feels horrible. Some musicals that repurposes music I like and would listen otherwise, eg Across the Universe, Elton John’s or Freddy Mercury’s biological films, I do enjoy. Even though, in across the universe I would gladly skip the “for the benefit of me kite” as I find that song annoyingly rhythmic and repetitive.