Friday, July 07, 2006

An Unhappy End


So being the supremely cultured person that I am, Erica and I have season theater tickets to the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) here in San Fran. Generally its a very good theater, in fact it's probably considered the premiere theater in the city. Even though it doesn't get the big musicals (those go to the Orpheon), or the smaller, new, and edgy stuff (those go to the Berkeley rep) It does get most of the Broadway run plays, and a number of big names pass through the set each season. So like I said, Erica and I are extremely cultured and have season tickets to the ACT.


Our last play for the season was last night, but I'll tell you the truth. It was kinda crap. Sorry, lets not dance about it, it wasn't kinda at all, it was really just total crap. The play was called A Happy End, a musical melodrama, with lyrics by Bertholt Brecht, and music by Kurt Weill. But it couldn't have been crappier if it was written by a tone deaf goldfish. (cause goldfish cant hear well). A gangster musical, it was maybe slightly worse than the old Disney film Newsies.

When you make a musical you should try to actually come up with some decent songs. I mean Little Shop of Horrors, now that's a musical, or Jesus Christ Superstar, or Tommy, those are musicals... but this was just utter garbage. E and I walked out at the intermission. Very disappointing.

PS - Yes I know all my examples are of movie musicals, and yes I've seen my share of live musicals too. I just like those examples; get over it.

PPS - Did you know that they are making (or at least planning to make) a movie version of like my favorite musical in the last 5 years? It's true - WICKED.

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