The Most Overrated Musical -- Spring 2009

I apologize for my extended absence from the blogosphere, but I had a perfect storm of real work last week, and couldn't find the time to post. One of the things that was keeping me busy was grading this season's crop of "overrated" papers from my Boston Conservatory students.

As regular readers may recall, each semester, I have my BoCo students write papers defending their choices for the most overrated and underrated musicals. It's not a totally fair task, I must admit: since my students are typically around 17 or 18 years old, they really haven't had enough exposure to musical theater to make a definitive pronouncement in either regard. But the two papers get them thinking critically about the form, and they serve as a sort of out-of-town tryout for the midterm and final exams.

The point really has nothing to do with whether I agree with their choices. For me, it's all about how they argue and support their respective cases. Often, I wind up giving higher grades to people who are offering up for sacrifice shows that I personally love, and lower grades to people who are skewering shows that I, too, detest. Regardless, the list of "overrated" musicals is always illuminating. Here's this semester's victims, along with the number of people who chose write about that particular show:

Spring Awakening - 3
Annie - 2
Bye Bye Birdie - 2
Damn Yankees - 2
Legally Blonde - 2
Les Misérables - 2
Rent - 2

The following shows received one "vote" each: 42nd Street, Annie Get Your Gun, Anything Goes, Avenue Q, Cats, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Singin' in the Rain, South Pacific, The Light in the Piazza, The Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, The Wild Party (Lippa)

It's an interesting mix of recent shows that the students have likely seen on Broadway or on tour, and shows that they've likely done in high school or with community groups. (The Conservatory is currently rehearsing a production of 42nd Street. Did the person who wrote about that show not get cast? Or did he or she actually make it into the show, only to discover a lack of there there?)

Lots of the usual suspects, but I was struck by Spring Awakening taking the top spot. In the very recent past, the BoCo folk were all kvelling over Spring Awakening. In fact, a number of my former students were cast in both the Broadway and touring productions. And now there seems to be a bit of a backlash. I found the Broadway production quite stirring and innovative, if a bit of a downer. (Read my review here.) It's not really the sort of show I'd normally want to see again, thinking that I'd spend the whole time dreading what was to come in terms of the plot. But I do have a ticket to see the tour when it comes to Boston, if only to see my former students in action. 

Next Monday, the students hand in their "underrated papers," and I must confess I usually look forward to grading those papers more. Less bile and vitriol, and all that. ("But, Chris, I would have thought that you'd love all that bile." Sure, when it's coming from MY spleen...) I've already started to get requests from students to borrow the librettos to Bat Boy, The Full Monty, She Loves Me, and...The Scarlett Pimpernel? Hey, don't laugh. Last year, the student who got the highest grade on the underrated paper wrote about Footloose. She did a terrific job of pointing out the show's admittedly scarce merits.

So, anything's possible.

Comments

[Justin]

No one thinks Wicked is overrated?

[chris caggiano]

Justin: Well, no one picked it to write about this semester. It has certainly shown up in the past. I happen to think that Wicked is a terrific show, albeit flawed. I get the sense that you don't agree.

[Steve On Broadway (SOB)]

Great read, Chris. I would have thought "Cats," "Les Mis" and "Phantom of the Opera" would have shown up more often. "Spring Awakening" is a real surprise.

[chris caggiano]

Steve: Yeah, I know. And those shows have certainly shown up quite a bit in the past. Keep in mind, though, that this same group that listed Les Mis as the "bestest" show ever at the start of the semester.

And truth be told, I actually discourage my students from choosing Cats. It's not that I think it's a good show, it's just that experience has shown me that it's very hard for my students to articulate why it's not very good.

Is it because Cats doesn't have a plot? Well, it basically has the same plot as A Chorus Line. ("Ooh, pick me, pick me!") Is it because it's a seemingly random collection of songs? Well, so is Ain't Misbehavin'. So, I usually try to steer them to writing about shows that they can make the strongest case for. For some reason, I rarely see very strong papers about Cats.

[Justin]

Chris, Wicked is fun and entertaining however, if I want fluff I certainly enjoyed myself much more at Legally Blonde. If I was in your class I would have a very hard time choosing a show for this assigment.

[Rogue Zentradi]

I suspect that if I were in your class, I'd be writing Les Mis as my overrated paper, though Wicked must be coming close. Underrated would almost certainly be Starlight Express, which lives on your Shows that Suck list.

Also, I take it you saw that the revised Next to Normal is going to Broadway. Are you planning to re-review it?

[Scot Colford]

I find the Spring Awakening thing quite fascinating. I saw it early in its Bway run and quite enjoyed it. That said, I was a bit disappointed in the experience. I'd heard so many *wonderful* things about the Atlantic production and the video for "Bitch of Living" got me really psyched. But when I saw it, I was kinda annoyed by some of the plot-dampening songs, particularly the ballads. And I found that youthful exuberance didn't quite carry *all* the performances, and by that, I mean Lauren Pritchard. Eek.

Again, I quite liked the show and I really enjoy most of the cast album. But if I'm measuring the gap between my expectations of and my satisfaction with the show, yeah. I would agree with those three students. The show is really overrated.

[Justin]

A very interesting fact: Out of the top 7 shows your class voted on, all but Legally Blonde won "Best musical."

Side bar, I did not see "Light in the Piazza" on this list when I first read the post, I made up my mind and have decided that I will write my paper on "Light in the Piazza" Chris, when is it due?

[Scot Colford]

And to add to Justin's comment, I'm sad I can't take your class, Chris! We had nothing like it at my school when I got my BFA. All I had were well worn copies of The Season and Not Since Carrie.

[Esther]

I'm wondering if there's some psychology at work here: "Spring Awakening" was the hot show for their age group and maybe it's become fashionable to take it down a peg. Perhaps there's a certain thrill or challenge that comes from knocking it off its pedestal? (Not that I ever would. I loved it, even though I'm way past that demographic!)

[simbo]

Justin, I suspect that's because a "Best Musical" winner has, by definition, a "high rating". And arguing that award winners are undeserving... well, that should be a critic's bread and butter!

[simbo]

Oh, and in my over-rated group, I'd probably pop "A Chorus Line". There are a lot of really poor elements in it - the premise is of course ridiculous (Auditions DO NOT HAVE THIS STUFF HAPPENING), a lot of the score is undistinguished, generic, or simply wrong (there will be a long demolition of "What I did For Love") and the centrepiece speech, Paul's long gay monologue, manages to be, for my contemporary ear, incredibly depressing, meandering, condescending and victim-y. It's Boys-In-The-Band level stuff, really.

And there is absolutely nothing in the script or score that indicates why some dancers get cast and others don't. Which... given that's the central premise of the show, is goddamn ridiculous.

[Elisabeth]

I love how these posts about your students assignments always get the most comments! I know I always comment on them. Maybe I secretly should have done a BFA rather than a boring Economics degree.

Overrated: Gypsy, I just don't get the love for what many seem to call the ultimate musical.

Underrated: Starlight Express, I know I've commented on it before here but I had to give a shout out to Roque above! Good to know I'm not the only one who loves it.