Musicals have become a strange focal point of my film and music interests. As I speak, the Reefer Madness soundtrack is sitting in my iTunes Music Store Shopping Cart, Into the Woods is playing in my DVD player and I have plans to see Wicked and Repo the Genetic Opera over the weekend.Now, what could define a musical for someone? The definition (for me) has changed from Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast to more accomplished musicals like Rent and Avenue Q (both of which I'm seen some Broadway form of). The Disney musicals of my childhood worked when I was five or six, but while I still enjoy The Little Mermaid, I'd really prefer to watch something along the lines of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street or Into the Woods (strangely, both are Stephen Sondheim plays).
There are many types of musicals that one could be drawn to, but lately there have been so many revivals for a new generation, it seems some of the oldest and established shows are making a resurgence, while musicals based on popular movies seem to popping up everywhere. A prime example would be the upcoming show based on the 2001 smash-hit, Shrek.
Now...I'm a bit dubious about this one. Shrek was a very enjoyable family film (as was it's sequel Shrek 2), but the idea of turning a family movie into a Broadway show (shows which usually run for two hours or more) seems like an unwise move. I said the same about the news of Legally Blonde the Musical back in 2007, but I saw the MTV airing of it, and I'm only slightly ashamed to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed myself. So, while I have my doubts about this upcoming venture, it could very well be the 2008 version of Legally Blonde.
Now, obviously, when it comes to musicals and this day and age, I'm sorry, but I must mention the dreaded High School Musical franchise. Calling it this generation's Grease? I think not. Grease actually had cast members that sung instead of warbled. Obviously, I am not a fan of those movies. I saw the first movie when it originally aired on the Disney Channel in 2006, watched the entire thing, and was forever done. How could I have known there would be two more sequels to such an over-publicized piece of (insert many expletives here). Now I'm hearing rumors of a fourth installment? Disney, I know you love this steady stream of income like anyone else would, but LET IT GO. Enough of Zac Efron prancing around trying to assert his masculinity and Vanessa Hudgens screeching about like a Prima Donna wannabe.Can I please have a decent musical back? Here's hoping that Avenue Q and Wicked make it to the big screen in the next few years.
