rec.arts.theatre.musicals

On Jul 29, 4:06 am, Matthew Winn <*...@ > wrote:
> It starts off by introducing a set of characters who are so blatantly
> stereotypical that after five minutes anyone who hasn't already died
> of boredom could write the entire script of the show based purely on
> the inevitable outcome of what they'd already seen. It's possibly the
> least imaginative story ever told, and probably the least deserving of
> being given time on stage.

Yes, but I had to read twice to make sure what show you were talking
about.

Parade is populated by an endless procession of stereotypical stupid
Southern bigots. The leads are oddly free of passion until more than
two hours in, when the first expression of emotion that isn't obvious
comes as a welcome relief. When a little girl dies, we know it's sad:
Why sing about it at such length? Time and time again, Parade tells
us the obvious, and there's not a single laugh in it.

Not having laughs is even more destructive to a comedy. The blatant
stereotypes of Urinetown are, at least, part of a meta-parody; they're
intentionally written that way. Spencer Kayden and Nancy Opel
fashioned original inventions, but if you've ever seen a TV sketch
about how stupid musicals are, you've seen Urinetown, and, like an
overlong sketch, it wears out its welcome very quickly.

Footloose, I've never seen. But a few of the songs are fairly
catchy. You've really got Hobson's choice there.