Random Bits

Or possibly just my level of geekery. Had to describe to a room full of people what a Mickey Finn was. A fair number of the people in the room were older than me.

I know this shouldn't surprise me, but it really really does. I mean, the under fourteen crowd you can kind of excuse from knowing that... but people my parent's age?

Does nobody watch old movies anymore?

Okay, I'm gonna say some things that are not going to be a surprise to most of you. Confession time. Ready?

I am a complete musical theatre dork. I have no idea what happened at the Oscars, but am a HUGE fan of the Tony awards. Seeing all the actors of Broadway together is exciting. It is exciting because you *know* these folks work their asses off night after night.

I love the form. I love the storytelling. I love the music. I love the creativity. I love that the songs usually have something to say (even if it is silly and/or crazy). It takes a whole hell of a lot for me to *hate* a musical.

I can be indifferent (Jersey Boys? really? Okay fun music, but it is not *new.* Contact - the first and ultimate juke box musical - I still enjoyed it as an experiment). But outright hate? Hmmmm....

Even the borderline-bad concepts have something to recommend them (whoever thought Les Miserables would make a hit musical? Big-ass depressing French novel - or Oliver - a big-ass depressing English novel). Then we have the socially conscious. Carousel took on domestic violence, and South Pacific took on prejudice. Rent became the battle cry of youth in the nineties. Now we have Spring Awakening dealing with ignorance, confusion, sexuality, and puberty - which I also have no desire to see (can you say depressing?).

So while the concept of "Lord of the Rings: The Musical" makes me think "That right there? Likely nothing but a hot mess." However, having heard some of the music, it is lovely. I can't imagine how they could tell the story of the LotR journey in any kind of meaningful way in a stage production. But the ethereal style they made the elvin music contrasts and complements the folky drinking-song-style of the hobbits.

So while I have no real desire to *see* it staged, the music has intrigued me. I can see the writers of the music doing something really fine with a retelling of an Arthurian legend. Or Merlin. Or anything uniquely British and from a thousand or so years ago.

There. Done. Off my soapbox for the night. :D