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Post by crabtree on Mar 26, 2016 9:24:19 GMT
About Officer krupke, who in himself has not been a major character, it seems to me to totally interrupt the drama at the point when you really want to know the fate of each the principals. I know some would say it relieves the tension, but it's like stepping off a roller coaster for a few minutes. And musically it's seems to jar. All around it are these soaring, tragic melodies, and suddenly we get this clever, clever song almost introducing the characters when we should have seen that two hours ago. Maybe it is meant to be light, and have a social message about justice and beign different, just as everything is about to go pear shaped, but it doesn't half get in the way of the flow of the second act.
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Post by mallardo on Mar 26, 2016 10:38:08 GMT
But Officer Krupke is the only light relief in the second act - it's totally needed and welcome when it comes. Perhaps some people here are going by the movie where the song was shifted to the first act - where it's not needed.
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Post by gra on Mar 26, 2016 15:38:08 GMT
The songs in West Side Story stage musical are masterfully organised within the dramatic structure, and unfortunately the film version does not reflect this.
'I feel pretty' and 'Krupke' are examples of this.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Mar 26, 2016 17:18:38 GMT
But Officer Krupke is the only light relief in the second act - it's totally needed and welcome when it comes. Perhaps some people here are going by the movie where the song was shifted to the first act - where it's not needed. But you go from a murder to Krupke? It feels like a WTF moment Perhaps it would work in a staging by John Doyle or Katie Mitchell |
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Post by mallardo on Mar 26, 2016 17:36:50 GMT
The murder ends Act One. Act Two opens with I Feel Pretty, then comes the Somewhere ballet and then Officer Krupke which is the Jets without their dead leader dealing with their freaked out state via this crazy goofy song - I think it's brilliant.
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Post by mrtumnus on Mar 26, 2016 18:39:47 GMT
Another Suitcase - Evita
Don't mind the song but superfluous.
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Post by richey on Mar 27, 2016 9:02:53 GMT
Another Suitcase - Evita Don't mind the song but superfluous. I actually thought it made more sense in the film version where Eva sings it instead. |
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Post by avenueqresident on Mar 27, 2016 11:47:04 GMT
Benjamin's Calypso from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
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Post by primitivewallflower on Mar 28, 2016 3:24:39 GMT
Dare I mention 'Gee, Officer Krupke?' > To me it seems to be not only in the wrong place in the show, but in the wrong show itself. It's jarring in exactly the right way -- these are kids after all, but they've become trapped in a terrifying situation. That's captured by the light, humorous veneer to the song contrasting with what just happened. And of course the lyrics are a pretty sharp social commentary. From the stage version of West Side Story I would have chosen "America", but the movie version of that song is a vast improvement. Anyway, my own contributions: "Without You" and "What You Own" in Rent, when Act II starts buckling. "High Flying, Adored" from Evita. Many have mentioned "American Dream" from Miss Saigon but I far prefer that to "If You Want to Die in Bed" which hits most of the same themes. |
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Post by synchrony on Mar 30, 2016 8:45:45 GMT
Agree with Something Baaaaaad and More I Cannot Wish You. I do skip over those.
I could live without I've Come to Wive it Wealthily in Padua in Kiss Me, Kate.
Painting By Heart (Betty Blue Eyes) didn't do it for me.
Feeling Yours, Feeling Mine (was that it's title?) from Paradise Found was a lowlight in a show full of lowlights. I still can't listen to the Wiener Blut waltz without a sense of horror.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2016 9:10:33 GMT
Agree with Something baaaaad and 'Sadie Sadie' both of which just grate on me.
I do love 'Bend and Snap' though I must admit.
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Post by danb on Mar 30, 2016 9:26:40 GMT
Dare I mention 'Gee, Officer Krupke?' > To me it seems to be not only in the wrong place in the show, but in the wrong show itself. It's jarring in exactly the right way -- these are kids after all, but they've become trapped in a terrifying situation. That's captured by the light, humorous veneer to the song contrasting with what just happened. And of course the lyrics are a pretty sharp social commentary. From the stage version of West Side Story I would have chosen "America", but the movie version of that song is a vast improvement. Anyway, my own contributions: "Without You" and "What You Own" in Rent, when Act II starts buckling. "High Flying, Adored" from Evita. Many have mentioned "American Dream" from Miss Saigon but I far prefer that to "If You Want to Die in Bed" which hits most of the same themes. Whoah there Neddy! "When act II starts buckling"? WTF? If it buckles anywhere it's the self indulgent nonsense of 'Over The Moon', but as soon as they return to the stage for 'Seasons of Love' to the last notes of 'Finale B', Act 2 has always sizzled along at a fair old pace when performed well. (ok 'Contact' is a bit of an oddity but...) Buckling...hmph! :/ |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2016 9:43:06 GMT
It's jarring in exactly the right way -- these are kids after all, but they've become trapped in a terrifying situation. That's captured by the light, humorous veneer to the song contrasting with what just happened. And of course the lyrics are a pretty sharp social commentary. From the stage version of West Side Story I would have chosen "America", but the movie version of that song is a vast improvement. Anyway, my own contributions: "Without You" and "What You Own" in Rent, when Act II starts buckling. "High Flying, Adored" from Evita. Many have mentioned "American Dream" from Miss Saigon but I far prefer that to "If You Want to Die in Bed" which hits most of the same themes. Whoah there Neddy! "When act II starts buckling"? WTF? If it buckles anywhere it's the self indulgent nonsense of 'Over The Moon', but as soon as they return to the stage for 'Seasons of Love' to the last notes of 'Finale B', Act 2 has always sizzled along at a fair old pace when performed well. (ok 'Contact' is a bit of an oddity but...) Buckling...hmph! :/ Indeed! personally (and believe me I've given this more thought than is every necessary/healthy) if I were cutting anything from Rent it would be a combination of 'Over the Moon' and 'Contact'. Though I conced that the former is needed for plot purposes and was at the time a good parody of 90s style performance art. I still skip it on a listen. For me actually, Without You will always be one of my favourites/most moving numbers in Rent. |
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Post by primitivewallflower on Mar 30, 2016 13:35:19 GMT
It's jarring in exactly the right way -- these are kids after all, but they've become trapped in a terrifying situation. That's captured by the light, humorous veneer to the song contrasting with what just happened. And of course the lyrics are a pretty sharp social commentary. From the stage version of West Side Story I would have chosen "America", but the movie version of that song is a vast improvement. Anyway, my own contributions: "Without You" and "What You Own" in Rent, when Act II starts buckling. "High Flying, Adored" from Evita. Many have mentioned "American Dream" from Miss Saigon but I far prefer that to "If You Want to Die in Bed" which hits most of the same themes. Whoah there Neddy! "When act II starts buckling"? WTF? If it buckles anywhere it's the self indulgent nonsense of 'Over The Moon', but as soon as they return to the stage for 'Seasons of Love' to the last notes of 'Finale B', Act 2 has always sizzled along at a fair old pace when performed well. (ok 'Contact' is a bit of an oddity but...) Buckling...hmph! :/ See, even though I've fallen out of love with Rent, I still really like 'Over the Moon'. I always took its self-indulgence as one of the few self-aware bits of parody in the musical. But Act II... with the exception of 'Seasons of Love', ugh. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2016 14:09:12 GMT
Whoah there Neddy! "When act II starts buckling"? WTF? If it buckles anywhere it's the self indulgent nonsense of 'Over The Moon', but as soon as they return to the stage for 'Seasons of Love' to the last notes of 'Finale B', Act 2 has always sizzled along at a fair old pace when performed well. (ok 'Contact' is a bit of an oddity but...) Buckling...hmph! :/ See, even though I've fallen out of love with Rent, I still really like 'Over the Moon'. I always took its self-indulgence as one of the few self-aware bits of parody in the musical. But Act II... with the exception of 'Seasons of Love', ugh. Oh it is-and staged it can be utterly brilliant and fun (the off Broadway revival did it really well) but in terms of a musical number when I hear it I feel like it's fingernails on a blackboard. Agree to disagree on Act II personally with the exception of 'Contact' I think it's equal to act I. (With a few tweaks here and there that no doubt would have happened had Larson been around to do so) |
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Post by danb on Mar 30, 2016 15:58:36 GMT
See, even though I've fallen out of love with Rent, I still really like 'Over the Moon'. I always took its self-indulgence as one of the few self-aware bits of parody in the musical. But Act II... with the exception of 'Seasons of Love', ugh. Oh it is-and staged it can be utterly brilliant and fun (the off Broadway revival did it really well) but in terms of a musical number when I hear it I feel like it's fingernails on a blackboard. Agree to disagree on Act II personally with the exception of 'Contact' I think it's equal to act I. (With a few tweaks here and there that no doubt would have happened had Larson been around to do so) I've said it numerous times, but normally as soon as 'What You Own' finished it always felt like a really sad, desperate realisation that it had nearly finished and I had to soak up every last second that was left. (I'm talking Broadway & Shaftesbury casts here rather than Rickett & Bourret!). 'Over The Moon' was just a challenge to endure before 'La Vie Boheme'  |
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Post by primitivewallflower on Mar 30, 2016 20:28:20 GMT
Oh it is-and staged it can be utterly brilliant and fun (the off Broadway revival did it really well) but in terms of a musical number when I hear it I feel like it's fingernails on a blackboard. Agree to disagree on Act II personally with the exception of 'Contact' I think it's equal to act I. (With a few tweaks here and there that no doubt would have happened had Larson been around to do so) I've said it numerous times, but normally as soon as 'What You Own' finished it always felt like a really sad, desperate realisation that it had nearly finished and I had to soak up every last second that was left. (I'm talking Broadway & Shaftesbury casts here rather than Rickett & Bourret!). 'Over The Moon' was just a challenge to endure before 'La Vie Boheme' Yep, we'll have to agree to disagree. 'La Vie Boheme' pretty well sums up the best and the worst of Rent for me. Energetic, totally infectious song with some moving moments... but also overbearing, affectatious, pushy in a meaningless way, and completely aware of how cool it's trying to be. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2016 7:30:16 GMT
Oh it is-and staged it can be utterly brilliant and fun (the off Broadway revival did it really well) but in terms of a musical number when I hear it I feel like it's fingernails on a blackboard. Agree to disagree on Act II personally with the exception of 'Contact' I think it's equal to act I. (With a few tweaks here and there that no doubt would have happened had Larson been around to do so) I've said it numerous times, but normally as soon as 'What You Own' finished it always felt like a really sad, desperate realisation that it had nearly finished and I had to soak up every last second that was left. (I'm talking Broadway & Shaftesbury casts here rather than Rickett & Bourret!). 'Over The Moon' was just a challenge to endure before 'La Vie Boheme' I have that exact same feeling! For me as well 'What you Own' is an underrated song and something for me that is often missed at the heart of the musical-Roger and Mark's friendship and the potential/actual losses there which gets missed because the love stories take centre stage (various debates about Mark's sexuality aside) That and for me What you own is one of the best songs in the piece. Apologies for the thread highjack...you can take the girl out of the Rent-related PhD but you can't take it out of the girl it seems... In an attempt to get the thread back on track...I really dislike 'The Schmuel Song' in 'The Last Five Years' for no reason other than it just irritates me. |
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