Though often (maybe usually) we're all disagreeing with each other
about something, I wanted to start a thread reflecting on what we all
have in common: a love for musical theatre (well, presumably).
I don't know about the rest of you, but as a kid, in various
cir***stances I was often the only person I knew (or one of the very
few), who was into listening to musical cast albums, and knew about
musical theatre history -- and I was somewhat of an outcast for it.
Most people around me listened to popular music, which I never paid
much attention to generally. Even in summer arts camp surrounded by
young classical musicians, I remember some of them expressing disdain
for musicals and, surprisingly to me, even opera (I mistakenly assumed
that their appreciation for classical music would extend to opera, but
that wasn't necessarily the case). Though I got into new wave music
for a while in the early 80s (Blondie and the B-52s were favs), and
around the same time developed an appreciation for much of 60s pop/
rock/folk music, as well as educated myself more about classical
music, most of what I've listened to over the years has been musical
theatre.
When I was in college, there was a female dorm-mate whom I remember
saying very emphatically how much she loved musicals. As I quickly
learned, however, her knowledge of musicals was confined to A CHORUS
LINE, GODSPELL and PIPPIN. I'm not sure she even knew WEST SIDE
STORY. Unfortunately, I don't remember being very successful in
helping her expand her horizons. I do remember turning up the volume
in my dorm room when I played shows with a more contem****ary beat like
I LOVE MY WIFE or WORKING, to see if I could catch someone's ear and
get them interested (never happened, though). Here and there,
however, I did know people who loved a particular musical (a childhood
friend adored APPLAUSE, a college dorm neighbor used to play BALLROOM
incessantly), and a longstanding friend****p began in camp when I was
listening to the soundtrack of LOST HORIZON in my cabin, my soon-to-be
friend who had just arrived at camp came into the cabin, heard me
playing it, and called to his other friend, "Hey, Jeff, this kid likes
musicals!" Our friend****p was born. For years afterward, we used to
send each other tape letters, and included tracks of some of the
things we were listening to at the time. He introduced me to I DO, I
DO that way, which was a favorite of his then.
A number of years ago I was delighted to find a photograph I didn't
even know existed, which showed me about 12 years old or so, sitting
on the floor of my room with my headphones on, my Raleigh bicycle
behind me next to my window, listening to something on my stereo
system -- in all likelihood a musical. It was so quintessentially me
at that time, and shows many details from my room then (books on my
shelf, things hanging on my wall, etc.), I just love that photo. The
only thing missing from the photo is showing my Panasonic tape
recorder/player/radio and the wires I'd use to connect my stereo to it
so that I could make copies of my favorite albums on cassette, so as
not to wear out the LP. It was always a little tense getting a new LP
-- listening through it the first time to make sure it didn't pop too
loudly anywhere or skip. I remember having to take a number of LPs
back to the store for a replacement. Had a particularly bad time with
the PIPPIN LP, as I think I went through three or four copies before I
got one that didn't make this crackling kind of sound on the first
track. I remember the FOLLIES LP had a lot of surface noise, and I
used to wonder if that might be intentional, to make the score sound
quainter. It's not like that on the CD, so I don't wonder about that
anymore. The Columbia albums were usually the cleanest and least
problematic.
My first show album LP was either FIDDLER ON THE ROOF or YOU'RE A GOOD
MAN, CHARLIE BROWN; my first stereo album, played on my new stereo
system, was the soundtrack of HELLO, DOLLY!; and my first CD was
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE. Certainly my love for musicals was
influenced much more by listening to cast albums than by seeing live
performances or even films. There are still many shows whose scores I
love but which I've never seen performed. THE ROTHSCHILDS is the
first favorite that comes to mind.
As a performer, though I was in school productions in second and third
grades which I think contained some music, my first "real" musical (if
G&S is to be considered under the heading of "musical") was playing
the Major General in PIRATES OF PENZANCE in the fifth grade. That was
followed by Chief Sitting Bull in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN in sixth grade,
followed by Ko-Ko in THE MIKADO in seventh grade. (I've been in THE
MIKADO four times now in my life, having also played Pooh-Bah and The
Mikado, and was in the chorus of another production when, in raising
my fan, I accidentally took off the wig of a female chorus member who
was standing in front of me at the end of the Act One Finale. It was
a funny, but embarrassing moment).
Kinda random thoughts, I know, but jump in everybody!
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