My school is putting on Les Miserables, and my parents are encouraging me to audition for it. They did Guys and Dolls last year, and despite never having been into musicals I went along and watched it, and to my surprise enjoyed it immensely. It looked like a lot of fun. Now, I like acting a lot, but I've always hated singing, not because I have a terrible voice, because I don't think I do - it's just never been something I've been inclined to.
What do you lot think? I've watched the DVD of the 25th Anniversary concert of Les Mis, and I like the music and characters quite a bit. Should I go for it?
On a wider subject, in order to keep the thread alive beyond 'Yes, go for it' and 'No, don't!' answers, what is your opinion on musicals in general?

Matthew94:
Nope

I just don't like the medium. I think the idea of telling a story through song and dance is a bit silly. I know that is closed minded but it's hard to be immersed when a child dies and they break out into song and dance.

3333 Posts, COMBO!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am honoured that my thread is the one to play host to this momentous event in your forum career.

TheBobmus:
Yes. I'm a guy and an unashamed fan - Les Mis is the best of the bunch, with West Side Story falling a close second.
Though if you're an under-confident singer at school, be prepared for a chorus/minor part...

I think the main problem for me is that I've always told my parents that I hate singing and I'm not very good, so whether there is actually any truth in that fact has been buried by the fact that I don't want to admit that I was lying about it to my parents. If I go for it then I'm just going to think 'fuck it' and sing my heart out. I'd quite like the part of Enjolras, mainly because he gets the best song, imo.

Not really, but I loved The Blues Brothers.

(sung to the tune of "I am the very model of a modern major-general")
I love to sit down on the couch with friends and watch a musical!
There are so many good ones I don't know which one to choose-ical!
They're great both when you're sober and when you have had some booze-ical!
No matter what it's always great, this thing we call a musical!

As long as all the songs are good I don't care what the plot is like,
so musicals with stupid plots I certainly do not dislike.
So even though the plot is lame I gladly would pay cash to go
and see a midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show!

Queen Michael:
(sung to the tune of "I am the very model of a modern major-general")
I love to sit down on the couch with friends and watch a musical!
There are so many good ones I don't know which one to choose-ical!
They're great both when you're sober and when you have had some booze-ical!
No matter what it's always great, this thing we call a musical!

As long as all the songs are good I don't care what the plot is like,
so musicals with stupid plots I certainly do not dislike.
So even though the plot is lame I gladly would pay cash to go
and see a midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show!

Did you make that up yourself? It's very good.

theparsonski:

Queen Michael:
(sung to the tune of "I am the very model of a modern major-general")
I love to sit down on the couch with friends and watch a musical!
There are so many good ones I don't know which one to choose-ical!
They're great both when you're sober and when you have had some booze-ical!
No matter what it's always great, this thing we call a musical!

As long as all the songs are good I don't care what the plot is like,
so musicals with stupid plots I certainly do not dislike.
So even though the plot is lame I gladly would pay cash to go
and see a midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show!

Did you make that up yourself? It's very good.

Thanks! Yeah, it's the first thing I wrote in verse that didn't suck comepletely, haha.

Hell no, if there is one thing on this world that makes my teeth grind more then QTEs it's musicals, as silliness goes they don't just turn it up to 11 they go a full 21.

Mr.K.:
Hell no, if there is one thing on this world that makes my teeth grind more then QTEs it's musicals, as silliness goes they don't just turn it up to 11 they go a full 21.

Have you seen Les Miserables? It's actually a very good story, it just happens to be told entirely through song. But yes, I agree with that statement regarding a lot of musicals.

I love musicals, both in theaters and on stage.

In reference to your specific question, yeah, you should audition. Life is about experiences, you don't want to miss that one and regret it.

I'm very particular about the musicals I like. I can't stand Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Rent makes me break out in boils, but I love Stephen Sondheim. (I'm going to see Sweeney Todd in the West End next week, actually.) I also really enjoy Gilbert and Sullivan, althought their stuff is more properly operetta.

As for your other question: Hell yes, audition. Life is short, and you're always going to regret the things you didn't do way more than the ones you did[1].

Yes, yes I do.

theparsonski:
My school is putting on Les Miserables, and my parents are encouraging me to audition for it. They did Guys and Dolls last year, and despite never having been into musicals I went along and watched it, and to my surprise enjoyed it immensely. It looked like a lot of fun. Now, I like acting a lot, but I've always hated singing, not because I have a terrible voice, because I don't think I do - it's just never been something I've been inclined to.

Wow... Les Mis, that's a bit of an undertaking (i.e. editing the original musical to an accessible length and still making the story coherent). Still, props to the director of music for that one.

What do you lot think? I've watched the DVD of the 25th Anniversary concert of Les Mis, and I like the music and characters quite a bit. Should I go for it?

Oh, hell yeah! There are some numbers from Les Mis that I'm more than willing to belt out given the opportunity. And there's enough of a range to it that some of the songs even cater to my voice.

On a wider subject, in order to keep the thread alive beyond 'Yes, go for it' and 'No, don't!' answers, what is your opinion on musicals in general?

Ehm, have a guess. Though I'm more 'old school' insomuch that I don't like Andrew Lloyd Webber (or rather William Lloyd Webber... but that's a whole other kettle of fish) that much, and I sooooooooo prefer Rodgers & Hammerstein and Cole Porter.

And Avenue Q.

As for performing, I used to enjoy it when I was more assured about my singing voice. Having perfect pitch and terrible pitch aim is one of the worst combinations to have when you want to sing. Anyway, I had a classically trained voice, as opposed to a musical theatre one, which suits oratorios more (and anyone who suggests opera gets punched).

I haven't seen many musicals, but I participated in one a year ago, I wasn't that thrilled about the experience, and I think the music could've been better (if I have to hear that damn 1960's Archie song again...)

I do like musicals, especially Broadway musicals like Billy Elliot or the Phantom of the Opera. However, seeing myself actually singing and dancing? Sweet Marry Mother of Christ NO! I just nauseate from thinking about the idea.

I do. I really do. I try to say that I only like these specific ones but but every musical I've heard has always had more than one song that I really liked. I've never heard Les Mis but I know one of two songs from it. Even bad ones like Love Never Dies have a couple of songs that are currently stuck inside of my brain.

You should TOTALLY GO FOR IT! They're a ton of fun to be a part of unless you, like me, can't dance.

Shoggoth2588:

You should TOTALLY GO FOR IT! They're a ton of fun to be a part of unless you, like me, can't dance.

Thats the great thing about les mis! no dancing, mostly standing around looking depressed and hard-done by!

1. Of course you should go for it! He who dares, wins!
2. As to my opinions on musicals, I love them. However, I don't particularly like Golden Age musicals (Rogers and Hammerstein, etc.). I prefer pre-Golden Age stuff like Cole Porter, or film musicals like Golddiggers of 1933, Broadway Melody, etc...and the harder sort of musicals that emerged post-golden age like Sondheim, Fosse, etc. I like film musicals a lot.I'm not super excited about the current remake and revival mania on broadway, don't like Webber that much, and I'm lukewarm on mega musicals.

But overall? I enjoy musicals, operetta, opera, melodrama, vaudeville, revue, cabaret, music hall...you name it, I like it.

Depends. I really don't know my own tastes when it comes to it and I think it depends on my mood. I've always loved Annie and I watched Camelot for a class in college and really dug it. However, I loathed 90% of West Side Story and HATED My Fair Lady. Also, like someone else mentioned, Blues Brothers is fantastic.

I'm not entirely opposed to them; I just don't think there's a lot of GOOD musicals. Most of the ones that win awards are terribly overrated.

Although I did enjoy "The Producers" and "Spamalot."

I used to like the old musicals, Singing in the Rain, Music Man, stuff like that. I actually owned the Mary Poppins soundtrack at one point. People forget that at one time, musicals were Hollywood staples.

I say that you should go for the audition. If you don't get a part you could always help out back stage if you still wanted to be part of the play.

I generally like musicals and enjoyed the ones that my school did that I saw.(which is most of them) I never acted in any of the plays, but the few times I was helping back stage I always had a blast. Other than that, a good musical every now and then is good.

TheBobmus:
My school has put on shows like Les Mis before. Why would you need to edit the length at all? Those who like musicals/have children in it will come watch it anyway, and it'll be better off for it. I think the drama department actually makes a pretty good profit whenever they do a big show like that.

Considering there are 45+ musical numbers, it's hard to fit them all into a 2hr (usually the longest schools are willing to allow for dramatic productions, at least that's how it was for me and my sisters) affair, so a fair few need to be removed, particularly when you consider the reprisals.

...

Wait, there's only one, isn't there...?

Anyway, are you dreading the film that's coming out next year (I think)? The only upside (for sure) is Hugh Jackman being Jean Valjean and you know he's the only one who's definitely not going to be instantly dubbed.

TheBobmus:
Shit, they're doing a film? I didn't even know that, and now I'm immediately concerned. To IMDb!

Well it's got one hell of an all-star cast. Russell Crowe as Javert sounds interesting, but if he butchers 'Stars' I may never be able to watch Gladiator again...

Yeah, I know... but it's Sacha Baron Cohen as Thenardier that left me going: *double take* Uh-th'-whah?!

My friend is has been in a number of them, and so whenever he has a showing I go and watch. I usually like them, although some do get boring.