Can you sell musicals to someone who hates musicals?
I'm at a bit of a crossroads. There's a show I really adore (two actually, it's complicated) because it has lots of characters that appeal to me as someone who never found a lot of characters I could really identify with. However, I've become distant from it recently because there's a big theatre/musical element to it that has become more pronounced over time, to the point where it kind of overshadows the rest of the show for me. I can't watch it now because when someone starts singing, I roll my eyes and turn it off. Musicals don't work for me typically because the logical side of me can't rationalize people singing about their worries, etc. in the context of something ostensibly meant to be taken seriously. It completely takes me out of it. Maybe it's just me, maybe it's some deep-seated childhood trauma, who knows.
That said, is there anyone who can perhaps offer some film musicals that they feel play well to a non-theatre nerd demographic? I've seen stuff like Rocky Horror and Cannibal! The Musical, which I didn't hate mostly because I adore Tim Curry and the South Park guys. I'm not about to jump on the La La Land bandwagon or something, though.
EDIT: Since some people pointed out that I didn't mention the title, the show(s) in question is Helluva Boss/Hazbin Hotel. You can find both on Youtube if you're curious. Be warned though, it's pretty R-rated and LGBT-oriented if that's not your thing.
I actually feel like La La Land is a great movie for someone that doesn't like musicals. If your brain can't handle non-diegetic musicals, there's not much to like transition you into it. You either suspend your disbelief or you don't. It'd be like "I can't get into sci-fi because the logic in my brain has trouble processing laser swords and magic."
I mean, if you want something that's diegetic then something like A Star is Born (2018) or Elvis (2022) which essentially function as musicals. There's also the films of John Carney that revolve around music: Once, Begin Again, and Sing Street.
In terms of just diegetic musicals that maybe would appeal to you. If you liked Rocky Horror you'd probably like Cry Baby from John Waters.
Singing in the Rain might appeal to you since there's a reason for them to be singing and dancing in the context of the movie.
As someone who also hates musicals for similar reasons as OP and was made to sit through Singing in the Rain, it definitely doesn’t feel as musical-y.
And it is a hoot. My partner and I basically repeat the diction scene whenever one of us says “can’t”
I mean it kind of is the musical in a lot of ways. Probably the most highly regarded musical from that era of Hollywood.
I kind of see what you mean, that it transcends its genre, but at the same time I don't.
I mean you said it in your own previous post: there’s actual context for a lot of the singing and dancing
I adore Once, but having looked through some of OP's other responses in this post, they don't really seem to grok the concept of "love". A movie about two people briefly connecting and truly, painfully longing for each other despite being on two separate paths in life might not resonate with the OP. Which is a shame, sadly.
I love John Waters and I'll watch just about anything he's made. Thank you for the suggestions!
You might also consider Hairspray 2008. It is not directed by Waters (he does have a cameo) but it is based on his non-musical film of the same name. The songs are very catchy and the movie never takes itself too seriously (despite some serious subject matter) and the world feels whimsical enough that the musical element never feels forced or out of place.
The original movie from 1988 was written and directed by John Waters.
It actually transitioned from film to stage and back to film I think. I'm pretty sure it started with Waters.
Thank you for giving me a new vocabulary word - "diegetic." I'll definitely be doing some reading about diegesis!
Once upon a time I tried, unsuccessfully, to sell La La Land to someone. It didn't work until that person saw another man he respects endorse it. Then once he felt "allowed" to enjoy it, he did.
If your reasons for hating musicals stems from some kind of insecurity or fear of allowing yourself to enjoy something emotional or "illogical" expression of feelings, then perhaps try to seek out the endorsements from men you respect.
When I was 10, all the boys in the class were into Power Rangers. There's nothing at all logical about most tokusatsu; sci fi can be extremely corny and "speculative" at best, and explosions on screen are non-musical emotions writ large; most approved male power fantasies are precisely that, a fantasy. And yet most of us grew up with some baggage over what kind of suspension of disbelief and enjoyment we are allowed to enjoy.
I would also suggest School Of Rock: its music is mostly diegetic. Much of Sister Act is also diegetic music so perhaps those can sneak past your eye roll detector.
I don't often jive with emotional anything; as someone with dissociative disorders I sometimes find it very hard to express or understand emotions. It's a big reason why I loathe romance genres. I wouldn't say it's insecurity so much as I don't have these feelings for anyone in real life and don't understand why these characters find them so important.
It was so weird to be made fun on in late elementary/middle school for liking pokemon and meanwhile the "trendy" stuff to like for mid 00's kids involved trendy dances, reality TV shows, and early youtube stuff. People's line on what fiction is "cool" or not is odd.
Cabaret is a musical with a logical justification for the singing. The movie focuses on a night club and the songs are performances on stage for an audience within the film
I might give it a shot! The time period makes it a bit more interesting to me than the majority of musicals.
Cabaret is also a REALLY well made film, with interesting and very serious subject matter that is still quite relevant to current times.
Similar vein to Cabaret, maybe Chicago? It's pretty brilliantly adapted to film - the story is about women trying to make it in showbiz, so the musical framing makes more sense anyway, but the actual numbers are split into the show style of the music juxtaposed with straight acting and cuts to the actual location about what's going on (even in the middle of the songs). Great story, great music, spectacular casting.
Specific examples aside, it's OK if it just doesn't appeal to you. But if it helps make "sense" of it, think of it as magical realism - it's just a method of getting you to feel what the people are feeling, regardless of whether it's "happening" or not. (Again, why I love Chicago - Roxy is practically fantasizing the whole movie.)
Yes, with Chicago, the musical sections are Roxy's fantasies, which often fall very short of cold reality. The filmmakers did such a great job with the contrast: the musical acts are filmed to look warm and glamorous, while the contrasting reality scenes are dreary. It's a great musical for someone who has trouble suspending disbelief.
I think that musicals often capture and play up the moments where we, in our day-to-day lives, feel that certain something that only music can capture. It's like how the perfect song can amplify a "first dance" at a wedding, a song that makes you remember your mother on a Saturday afternoon, how a night drive can become something almost magical and...out of life. I think that's the feeling musicals are trying to capture. That "out of life" feeling we can get when a song, when music creates these big moments where you might otherwise have silence or dialogue.
I think my suggestion would be to try some...lower stakes musicals. And, while Team America might disagree, Cats and The Lion King are my top recommendations. Not the, er, newer Cats to be clear. You'll want the 1998 version. You don't need to logic your way into understanding why cats are singing because we've already firmly departed logical territory. Who is to say that cats aren't always singing instead of talking? On that premise, I think you'll be able to enjoy the music more for what it is delivering: telling a story, creating excitement, and delivering loads of talent. I've introduced guys and gals in their 20s/30s to it and even those who weren't really into musicals had a good time and enjoyed themselves.
As for The Lion King, this is sort of an interchangeable recommendation. Find an animated musical that you enjoy and see if you enjoy its theatre counterpart. For me, I watched the movie as a kid and then went and saw it live as an adult. It's also possible that played a factor - perhaps you might enjoy seeing a musical live more than just watching it on your TV? That has certainly been true of my experience with some musicals. Something about being in the audience versus watching through a screen. But perhaps taking an animated musical that you already enjoy and watching the theatre version will suit you better and allow you to ease into other musicals.
Maybe you'll have better luck with musicals that were made for being watched as film? Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, The Blues Brothers, Footloose (the 1984 version), Chicago, Sweeney Todd, or Moulin Rouge.
Just taking the opportunity to suggest TS Eliot's Old Possums Book of Practical Cats as fun poetry to read, even without the musical context
I've seen The Blues Brothers quite a few times, and I've seen a few different versions of Sweeney Todd. Like I've mentioned in some other replies, because of my mental state I bounce off a lot of musicals because they're heavily romance-focused (or too happy-happy, joy-joy), and love to me isn't much more than a four-letter word to be honest. I'm not sure I can think of any moment in my life that I associate with music, typically musical associations only happen with characters that I create. Often I'll hear a song that informs a character's motivations and it permanently becomes synonymous with them.
Did you enjoy those movies? They may be the best way to make a more informed decision about other ones you want to check out.
If you want to avoid romance-heavy themes, please do consider giving Cats a watch. Other animated musicals may help steer you in a better direction as well - The Lion King is not too romantic or overly happy, Moana might also be a candidate though I am not sure if there's a live/theatre version yet. Maybe one of the Muppet movies? Those are for kids but Muppet Treasure Island has Tim Curry and it's really fun. I hope you find something that helps you enjoy musicals a little more :)
I like Blues Brothers because of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. The cameos are fun, too. I don't really consider it a musical, to me it's more of a celebration of blues culture mixed with comedy. The songs aren't really about what's going on, but adjacent.
Check out the Book of Mormon, written by the guys from South Park. When I left the theatre my face was sore from laughing so much. Definitely a great musical for people who don't like musicals! :)
I like most of Trey Parker and Matt Stone's stuff (I'm one of the few people who love BASEketball).
There's dozens of us. I think it punches too close to home to people whom are obsessed with sports. Book of Mormon was quite excellent. I'll toss you another good one: Repo: The Genetic Opera. It's been over 10 years since I last watched and the songs still creep into my head periodically.
And to round it out, might as well bring up Orgazmo (though not a musical). In college the Rocky Horror club did a shadowcast double-feature of Orgazmo and Rocky Horror. Good times.
I also came here to recommend Book Of Mormon, it's hilarious 😆 also, for those who haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend not looking up any info about it, and just going into it blind. It's such a treat!!!
Maybe it would help for you to learn a bit about the genre of musicals and how they derived from opera? This youtube video does a good job of explaining it (yes it's about Mulan but he starts out by explaining a bunch of musical theory).
Honestly I'm less averse to opera than I am musicals.
I thought it might be the case, which is why I also thought learning about their connected history might help. That song in musicals is the modern equivalent of aria in opera, and it's used for particularly emotional parts. The song is the character development, if you will. When someone is singing, you get to look inside their head. It's not realistic because it's not supposed to be - they're connecting to the us, audience. The emotion is too powerful to be expressed through mere words, we need to hear the poetry, the music, even see the dance, to really connect to them at this moment.
That's the glorious power of musicals. The emotion of aria.
I think for me it's more because opera music isn't meant to be short and catchy, the compositions are the story and not something that just pops up from time to time like many musicals seem to do.
Beg to differ, opera is full of short and catchy passages. From Wagner's Ring Cycle (which my handle is named after) I'd call out:
all as imminently catchy/"hummable."
I'm in the same boat as you, mostly disliking musicals for more or less the same reason and liking the ones you listed. Another you might like is Repo! The Genetic Opera. It's a campy sci-fi horror in which Paris Hilton gets her face ripped off. And it's also an opera. I also enjoy Jesus Christ Superstar but that is very nostalgia fueled so that's less of a recommendation, more of an admission of a guilty pleasure.
I remember seeing it years ago but I don't recall anything about it. It was recommended by a friend who was very big into musicals/theatre.
I actually bought the DVD of Repo! because it was impossible to pirate in 2008 :) Mostly because I was a huge fan of Anthony Stewart Head from Buffy, but the movie was actually good. I discovered that Paris Hilton can, in fact, act and Sarah Brightman has some amazing pipes.
I loved the Jesus Christ Superstar version that had Tim Minchin as Judas. I think it was free during Covid on Youtube for a while and I watched it there.
I've specifically watched his versions of Heaven on Their Minds and Superstar multiple times
Whoa, I didn't know Tim Minchin was in a version of it, I quite enjoy him. I've only seen the Ted Neeley one (even saw it on tour once). I will have to check it out, thanks!
Instead of approaching musicals as something to take seriously, maybe coming from the more campy side of things would help? Avenue Q (Spotify) is a comedic musical in the style of an adult Sesame Street. It's irreverent (see the songs "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist", "Schadenfreude", and "The Internet is for Porn") and the songs don't exactly stick out since most of the characters are puppets, so I'm not sure what serious reality there is to hang on to in the first place.
Edit to add: On the flip side, maybe a show that's entirely serious might change the way you're able to take on musical content. Next to Normal (also Spotify) is a devastatingly sad story about a family struggling with the mother's mental illness. It's a tough listen and always makes me cry, but it is hauntingly beautiful.
Edit again: OK, one more recommendation just because I love it. Jekyll & Hyde: The Gothic Musical Thriller (still Spotify, what a surprise) is an epic telling of the story and Anthony Warlow's performance as the titular characters gives me chills every time I listen through it. I will admit, I tend to skip through the romantic songs in this one, but the chorus numbers and J&H's specific songs are outstanding. Just do yourself a favor and don't attempt to watch a video recording of it because there is one and the worst part of it isn't that they cut most of the good music for the stage version, it's the fact that it stars David Hasselhoff. In fact, forget I ever mentioned a stage version. It's better to think of this one as a concept album only.
Well, the only musicals I can really stand are firmly in camp territory already. I appreciate the recommendations!
I adore Avenue Q. I was doing a lot of theater at the time, half of which were musicals, and it was a cast favorite. I knew the soundtrack backwards and forwards. I was pleasantly surprised that while I was pretty sure I knew the story from the soundtrack there were still a lot of surprises.
I was a big fan as well, but not quite as big a fan as one of the guys that was in the same musical theatre program I took, a year ahead of me. He actually won the chance to be in the show for a night!
That would have been amazing. I've not tried puppeteering. Watching closely how the Broadway cast does it, I "get it," but it was something else to see how they bring those characters to life. I loved Princeton and Kate Monster's songs, felt like I could have played a mean Trekkie Monster, but realistically would have been type cast as Brian.
I'm actually in almost exactly the same boat. RHPS was the only musical I ever really got into at all for a while.
That being said, I used to work at a movie theatre and got to see La La Land for free. I wouldn't have, because I hated musicals, but plenty of people who claimed the same said it was just worth it.
It definitely got me, I loved it - but it didn't ignite anything in me, so I'm curious if anything can. I've put up with plenty of them for the sake of being with people who wanted to watch them, but I just can't enjoy them.
Tick... Tick... Boom!
It's on Netflix starring Andrew Garfield and directorial debut of Lin Manuel Miranda. This is one of those that I would recommend to those who don't usually like musicals.
It's an adaption of a rock monologue. It's all about the protagonists life and troubles when they turned 30 and hadn't found success on broadway as a musical writer.
It works because the setting is the character(s) on stage playing instruments and singing. As the songs go on, it cuts back to the protagonists memory of the events. So when the memory turns into a musical, it subconsciously makes sense. I mean they are trying to create musicals after all.
I wouldn’t agree with this recommendation considering it’s way more of a theater kid thing and would annoy someone who’s already not into musicals.
I'm not a fan of Andrew Garfield so that would put me off more than it being a musical.
I'm not really a theater kid and I really liked it. I've also seen some reactions from people don't watch musicals who enjoyed it as well. I really think the way the movie is directed makes it easier to digest.
I really enjoyed the film, but if you're someone who kind of absolutely hates theater kid schtick it's not gonna go over well with you. Tons of references to Broadway musicals. All the characters have that theater kid personality, that even I find annoying in real life (although didn't mind in the film). It's like a glorification of a theater kid in a way since it's both an adaptation of Larson's life and a celebration of it.
Like if you don't like people just singing out of nowhere I'm not sure how you'd feel about this stuff.
Yea, that clip would be an appropriate litmus test for whether you'd like the film. The trailer with it sold me on watching the film.
My wife and I went to see "Into the Woods" because we liked the idea of a more mature take on Grimm's fairy tales. Neither of us knew it was a musical by the same name before seeing it. I don't enjoy musicals, but that one was enjoyable for me. Might be worth a shot for you?
I'll look into it!
Try out Schmigadoon! on Apple TV. The characters of the “real world” are stranded in a magical realm where people sing and dance. You may connect with one of the main characters, who hates musicals and thinks they are silly and finds the situation they are in to be ridiculous.
I like the show because its tongue and cheek, poking fun at typical musical tropes that require suspension of disbelief. It also is an excellent stylistic review of the early classic musicals like The Music Man, Oklahoma, and Carousel.
As an aside, not everything needs to be logical to be enjoyable. Sometimes its ok for things to just be a spectacle, whether they are weird and strange, or fantastical, or obnoxious and whimsical. A lot of entertainment is about escaping the harsh realities and logic of the real world.
Also, if musicals are not your taste, that’s fine too. They’re not for everyone.
Oh no, this show was made specifically for theater kids. There are so many jokes that would fall flat if you didn't know what they were making fun of.
That being said, I don't have the perspective of someone who doesn't like musical theater, so it might still be good.
I disagree. I’m not a theatre kid and very much appreciated the “musicals are dumb, but I’ll play along if it means we can escape” perspective of one of the main characters.
Shows can be produced for more than one audience.
I don't have Apple TV but I'll look into it. I'm just trying to understand why I have such an ingrained hatred of something honestly benign.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Netflix. There are a few musical numbers in every episode. They're all spoofs of either musicals or popular bands so the genre changes frequently. The actors break into these performances somewhat unexpectedly but it flows with the show well and is hysterically funny. It doesn't 'take itself too seriously' the way a lot of musicals do, they're very much making fun of themselves and it's easy to watch.
Just to add onto this vein of thought I'd add 'the flight of the conchords' and 'mighty boosh' as easy entry musical comedy shows.
And as I'm already typing... I'm generally not a big fan of musicals either even though I go to a lot of theatre in London. However, a friend got me and my partner front row seats for the musical adaption of Oscar Wilde's 'the importance of being Earnest' in the Royal Opera House about 10 years ago and holy shit I almost died from laughing. I had seen the play a few times beforehand, and there's a reasonably good movie adaption, so I knew the plot very well. It only served to make the musical adaption all that more fantastically ridiculous. I wish I could explain to you what it was that transformed this slightly dated, clever play into a maelstrom of farce slapping your face ruddy from unexpected angles but I would never do it justice. The musical aspect and it's absurd delivery was a massive part of what elevated it. Regardless, I still will sniff suspiciously at musicals. And panto.
I've seen Flight of the Conchords and have both seasons on DVD.
Well if you liked that you might like mighty boosh too. Though is it measurably more bonkers and maybe a bit London centric.
Does the musical adaptation of The Impotance of Being Earnest have a name I can search for/an album I can listen to? It's my favorite straight play and I love musicals so I think I'd probably enjoy it.
I wish I could find a recording of the Royal Opera House's production. I did find this highlights reel
This is a review of the production I saw. I remember seeing some short clips of it online at the time but can't find them now.
Here's the composer chatting about the writing process etc
There's some little fragments of it here
Ooh I didn't realize it was a proper opera and not a more showtune-y musical, now I'm properly fascinated (but alas that does definitely lower my odds of ever getting to see/listen to it, I'd wager). Thanks for the links!
Edit to add: oh god the pictures of the costume/set choices are making me even more sad I can't see it.
Yeah sorry i forgot it was a proper opera but honestly it just leans into the whole absurdity of it.
oh yeah no I'm totally sold on the concept, it seems to really lean into the absurdity aspect
I don't have Netflix but I appreciate the suggestion!
I am not much of a "musicals on TV" person either. But have you seen any live? They are absolutely excellent, I love live musicals. For me that is enough to suspend my disbelief when matching a movie, ymmv.
Can't say I have. There's not exactly a lot of venues where I live (out in the sticks next to an army base).
If you're feeling the vibes I'd recommend poking around. I bet there is something, those dang charismatic theater kids get everywhere. If you have a partner it's a good date.
No partner and no plans for one, either. I gave up dating years ago.
Generally live is a different vibe and can tell a different story. Most people hate the movie adaptations of musicals because they have to condense things or even outright change them. Little shop of Horrors has a completely different ending in the live show than the movie.
That said, my recommendations would be Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The movie and live show really jive and it's an interesting story. So either one is good.
And Jesus Christ Superstar, one of my favs because despite the name it is so anti religious/Christian it's amazing that it's made it this far.
For me, I find I get into the ones above because I love punk more and get really bored of repetitive music. So these have great hooks and quick songs that aren't repeating a million times. Plus a story that makes me analyse it deeper makes me happy!
Oh and Cannibal! The musical is fantastic. Love it.
I saw the film version of Hedwig a few years ago. I enjoyed it because it was about someone facing a similar crisis of body and mind as I was at the time, the musical element was secondary to me.
Might I recommend Team Starkid?
They are prime meme material, and I find them hilarious. They did Harry Potter Musicals, and are the source of the "I don't really wanna do the work today" meme.
They even have a musical titled:
The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals
I haven't heard of them but I'll look into their channel when I get home.
Maybe an understanding of some of the logic behind the medium would help?
In a musical with a "traditional" structure that mixes dialogue, songs, and choreography, the question of when do you use each one is an interesting one. As a general rule, you talk about emotions/conflicts until they don't fit in dialogue any more so they spill over into song and as standing and singing doesn't get the point across either, you spill into dance.
So, it's not that people burst into song for no reason. It's that they are trying to communicate an idea and they have to escalate their efforts when they aren't getting their point across.
I'm about as straight as the Nürburgring. That's a bit of an assumption, kind of like how people think all gay folks love musicals, but as it's subjectively your own experience I can't speak to it. I don't really see a correlation between seriousness and toxic masculinity myself. If you were watching the original Halloween and suddenly Michael Myers broke into song about how he was just misunderstood, that would deflate the entire atmosphere that had been built up to that point. It's not the time nor the place. The reason I don't jive with emotions is mental illness from a childhood of neglect, not because I'm trying to be stoic.
I feel musicals are silly and distracting, but there are a few I’ve enjoyed lately. I’ve heard that in musicals, songs are used to express feelings that go beyond what words would be able to describe. This reasoning has definitely made things more palatable for me.
Bob Fosse, famed musical director and choreographer:
I can get that. In the story I'm working on, I try to picture the whole thing visually in my head, like it was a TV show. I'll pick songs that I feel fit the scene or convey the feelings of the characters involved and imagine that's what would be playing if it really was a show.
Not sure what you meant by the La La Land bandwagon. I personally hate the musical genre and I like LLL a lot. I’ve heard that fans of musicals don’t tend to like it as much ans they should and it’s made for people who don’t really care about the genre, which rings very true to me. It’s a film about existing as a creative person and choosing between the passion for the arts and passion for romance. If you could relate to that theme at all, it’s definitely worth watching. It’s also incredibly well made technically and very cynical compared to most musicals. If you don’t want to watch it because you think the movie might be a celebration of Hollywood culture, it’s not.
I felt the complete opposite; whenever I look anywhere online about topics similar to what I originally posted, La La Land comes up quite often as one of the suggestions. I don't want to watch it because the one thing I enjoy even less than musicals is romance films. Love isn't part of my life, it's just depressing to watch.
Whist it may not be a celebration of Hollywood, it is definitely a love letter TO Hollywood: in the end their dreams came true, and the magic of La La Land (the industry) enabled the dream like epilogue sequence where Mia and Sebastian were able to communicate wordlessly. The place will chew you up and spit out your bones and break your heart, yes, but nevertheless for the dreamers the magic is worth it, much like how it was worthwhile for Mia's aunt to jump into the river and die tragically young.
The Happiness of the Katakuris is a horror comedy with some musical bits. I'd recommend it if you like unique movies.
I was in a similar boat and forced myself to watch a few classics to better understand what I could like out of them. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg ended up really working for me. All the dialogue is 100% sung. Perhaps it was the lack of transition between spoken word and singing that made it more palatable.
I'd watch Happiness of the Katakuris solely because it was directed by Takashi Miike, who's made some of my favourite J-Horror flicks.
Since this is about your desire to change your own mind - do you like to sing? If not, have you considered learning to sing? Anyone can sing - you don't have to be a professional or anything - and it can definitely be an emotional and therapeutic experience.
I don't sing. I'm pretty sure it would be prohibited by the Geneva Convention as a war crime.
I don't think that's in the accords as of yet. You could just deploy your singing in a remote atoll, and as long as you're careful about radio activity, no one should get hurt!
But yeah, singing doesn't always has to be comedic, as in the excellently goofy Team America: World Police. I don't think it's explicitly about whether you are a theatre nerd; you can have a deeply serious relationship with song even as someone who has otherwise nothing to do with the performing arts.
But I'm sorry I took this in a direction you might find unhelpful. You don't want me to help you keep liking your show, but movie recommendations. How about The Producers? It's comedic (which you seem to like) and the music is well integrated in the plot since the story is about producing a musical. I think anyone can like it.
I do not like most Broadway style musicals, but I have to admit that the first time I saw them performing 'Springtime for Hitler' I was sold on The Producers, lol. I also enjoyed the Book of Mormon. I think the key for me is that a musical needs to be funny for me to enjoy it.
I just don't sing, I find it embarrassing. I have a reputation for doing voices and impressions/impersonations but that's really the closest I can get without going over. I've seen Team America and the 1967 version of The Producers numerous times, perhaps the comedy is the spoonful of sugar that makes the musical go down.
And you are quoting Mary Poppins which is very much a musical. Good luck OP. I like musicals but I also like to sing and I am happy suspending disbelief in theater productions.
I hear you about avoiding romance. It's not easy but it can be done.
I think it would be easier to offer recommendations if we knew more about the show that you like. That way it might be easier to "gateway drug" you into musicals.
A lot of people are responding with musicals that have diagetic songs, which is usually a good way to get past the "I can't suspend my disbelief" factor. But I think it's possible that might not be the full picture here, and it might be easier to identify what might be putting you off with more details about what you're trying to get into.
It's Helluva Boss/Hazbin Hotel. I'm not sure there's a lot of adjacent material on account of it being what it is.
Ooh fair point. Still, there might be folks out there who've listened to more musicals than I have who know stuff that's a little more similar in tone.
I'm glad you mentioned the titles because I can maybe relate on this one.
I don't mind musicals, but I think most are "eh". I've enjoyed theater productions of things like Les Miserable/Phantom of the Opera (and Mean Girls to be less pretentious about it), and felt La La land was a pretty fun movie that successfully pulled an Oscar Bait at the last moment. I watch a variety of things and get the "turn your brain off" fun of some things (like really bad movies such as the 90's The Avengers or Niel Breen stuff), and that's generally how I handle musicals.
THAT being said, while I do enjoy those shows, I think they over rely on it. The father singing to his daughter in one of the early episodes was an excellent use of song and I was shocked at how high quality it was, but their decision to work a musical into every (nearly?) episode has me also zoning out on most of them because they just feel like they're there to be there.
To be fair though, that might just mean it's not really for your and me. I see it kinda like fanservice/junkfood shows where everyone's got different tastes on what they enjoy and what they don't, so I'm sure there's a ton of people who love every song, and it might just not be for the likes of us. Show's are still mostly good enough I'm probably going to watch them, but I imagine i'll continue to start browsing the web when the songs kick in.
Edit-
Forgot to ask, how do you feel about Disney movies? I feel they share DNA (with obviously much more adult content in the shows being discussed), and I generally don't care that the protagonist and the town are singing about their troubles in unison because it's clearly supposed to be a fun/interesting spectacle
I didn't mind some of the animated movies Disney did in the 90s but on the whole I don't like Disney. Way too saccharine for me on the whole.
Maybe you see musicals as stories that get interrupted by people randomly bursting into song and dance? But you could reframe it as being a concert that just happens to have a story tying the songs together.
Do you enjoy concerts / music in general, apart from musicals? If so, I'd recommend looking for musicals that have the same kind of music you already enjoy.
That said, it's also fine if you just can't get into musicals. Maybe it's just not your thing and that's ok. I still consider myself as someone who's not really into musicals even though there are some that I really love. (What I generally dislike about musicals is the feeling that the words are being "forced" into the melody. To me, it's not enough to have words that correctly fit into the timing of the music-- the words themselves have to sound nice with the cadence and the melody, they have to sound like they really belong in that melody.)
I've never been to a concert so I wouldn't know. There's nobody I want to see live, all the bands I enjoy are either not touring, not together or dead.
Time to pimp one of my favourite shows! I don't generally like musicals either, but I don't hate them. It's usually a slight turn off for me, but once in a while I find something I enjoy. I too, don't really like romance stories and have never felt any kind of romantic feelings for anyone else. That's important for context as the premise of the show I'm going to recommend includes some romance, but romance really stops being the focus pretty quickly. It's just to set things up.
So! Have you watched Galavant? It's a comedy and there's only two seasons. The premise is basically that a knight lost his partner as she was abducted by the king who was infatuated with her. But the show proceeds to subvert everything that's cliche of this kind of story. Some people call it a parody, but I wouldn't exactly call it that. One of the cast members called it "the bastard child of Monty Python and The Princess Bride"
This is basically the opening of the first episode to explain the premise. Don't be put off by it yet! It's intentionally doing a cliche opening so that they can play around with it later.
This is the king singing about his frustration that his kidnapped bride doesn't like him. I don't think this is really a spoiler because I think it happens in the first episode, and it's pretty logical for a kidnapped bride to be unhappy with her captor.
It's also not a love song. It's more of a hate song towards Galavant.
If you don't mind spoilers here are some of the other songs that I like from the show for you to get how subversive it is:
Secret Mission
I Love You As Much As Someone Like Me Could Love Anyone This Is not a love song.
My dragon pal and me
That's Democracy
Jackass in a can They're dissing knights in this song.
I just realised a lot of those songs include King Richards in them. But he's the best character. He's my favourite.
There's this video lamenting that Galavant isn't talked about more.
Now I feel like re-watching the show.
Edit: I didn't know that there's no way to watch Galavant now. It's not in any of the streaming services.
So you've just got to find other means.
If it was ever put onto the internet, I'll find it. I don't use streaming services, there's just too many and they constantly seem to remove stuff I want to see.
That said, Monty Python formed a lot of my absurdist comedy leanings, so I might look into it!
You definitely can find it online by other means. The "That's Democracy" song feels a lot like Monty Python.
But I have just re-watched the two seasons and the second season has more people pairing up. So there's more romance in it than I remembered. Just giving you a heads up. I didn't mind the romance here because it's mostly played comically and there was a lot more going on than just romance.
Tim Minchin's standup specials are musicals, they're super fun. The Pope Song and Thank You God are my favorites.
Also the new Matilda movie is a musical (with Tim doing the music), and it's utterly fantastic.
I've listened to a few of his songs but I think that's about it.
As a cinematic and musical historical artifact, may I suggest The Threepenny Opera (1931)?
To a certain extent, it satirizes the operatic romantic tropes that became even more overblown in modern musicals, and there's a hefty dose of old school anti-capitalist messaging. It's witty rather than comic, anti-heroic... imagine a Marxist Victorian Peaky Blinders with music.
May not be your cup of tea, but thought I'd mention it since you asked.
Anything is worth taking a look at if I haven't seen it before! I appreciate the recommendation.
Not a musical, but have you heard of the podcast MusicalSplaining? In this podcast, a passionate musical enthusiast takes on the challenge of making a self-proclaimed musical hater discover the magic of musicals.
So, if none of the recommendations here seem tempting, maybe try listening to the perspective of someone who firmly proclaims to hate musicals, but still managed to find some endearing things about them.
I have not, I honestly don't listen to podcasts except for one that deals with debunking conspiracy theories. I'll have to look it up!
I would say i am lukewarm to musicals. I dont outright hate them, but I don't go searching for them. What i have realized is I like fun movie musicals like Rocky Horror or Hedwig and the angry inch. Something where they a few good dance tunes.
But I also really enjoy seeing musicals live like on Broadway. Live musicals are easier to suspend your belief. Honestly, I enjoy the craft of it when it is live. I have only seen 3 broadway musicals but they all been great. I just enjoy people being really good at something. Although, seeing this way is pretty privileged, and I am glad I was able to see it. I didnt get musical until i saw it live.
I've heard that same sentiment from a few other people. Unfortunately where I live is pretty rural; the nearest place they do anything musical here is over in the next town which I don't have an easy way to get to.
I've seen both versions, but I honestly don't recall much about the either other than the main character was named Seymour and the plant was named Audrey.