more

<small>[ 18 August 2004, 10:20 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

The musicals of the Golden Age (I'm thinking of shows like South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof, and my all-time favorite, Man of La Mancha) were about writing, directing, and performing; the modern blockbusters are mostly about fog and helicopters (and plots ripped off from classic operas).

Put differently, the older shows were about art and the newer shows are about technique.

Is this an absolute? Of course not; many older shows were not good at all, and some modern shows are quite valid, artistically. Nevertheless, those are the trends.

I mourn the era that produced "Oklahoma" and "Carousel", musicals that went beyond mere entertainment and had memorable songs and dance.

I wonder if this would be better placed in "World Dance, Musicals and Social Dance".

<small>[ 18 August 2004, 10:21 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>