It’s one of those experiences where the director is the star. And the lighting designer. And the set designer.
So it’s a ham-fest. Which musicals are, anyway. But more than most. And the crowd is less than highbrow, which doesn’t mean they don’t deserve theater, as well. Shakespeare originally wrote for the masses, you know. And it’s ok, I guess, that the giant man at the corner table has on cargo shorts, a dirty Red Sox T-Shirt and hat and sandals, and happens to be shoving copious amounts of fried chicken (yes, fried chicken) into his face.
But it makes me want to shoot myself. I’m not trying to be a theater snob, but I am. It’s the same reaction when Indiana Jones and the Craptastic Staff of Doody or whatever receives great ratings and a thumbs-up from my nephew, or my nieces tell me they’ve watched “Camp Rock” (or whatever other “High School Crapsical” clone comes on next week) 147 times.
It’s not good art. It’s not high art. But it’s art, in one sense. It tries. Fails, but tries.
But what I’m mad about is that this is stuff we are supposed to show to kids. You know what, watch ANY Disney movie ever made, or any of the shows and movies on the Disney Channel, and tell me that they don’t perpetuate negative stereotypes. These are the ONLY things we have for our children to watch, aside from Nickel-blow-dion, which isn’t any better – tell me that each and every show isn’t about being a hot, trendy and rich girl (or trying to fit in with them) and catching that cute, mop-topped, kinda-on-the-edge boy. It’s utter trash, and it is all the same. And each 14 year-old girl is dressed like a 20 year-old whore (you may not be a whore, but you are wearing a whore’s uniform -DC), and vying for the attention of the boy/man she desperately needs.
Am I the only one that notices this? And this is what we show our children, because it is “family” entertainment?
You know, I would care less about “adult” content in stuff that kids watch (they watch it when you aren’t looking, anyway), if it would just have an empowered, smart (and not candy-coated) message for them.
“Gee, Sally, you’re right. We should all be nicer to each other. Now hike up that belt-for-a-skirt and French kiss Rocko, the semi-edgy rocker dude who bet his friends he could make any girl look, walk and talk just like the rest of us whores.”
And “Guys and Dolls” is the same story. And “Grease”. And “Annie Get Your Gun”. And… well name me a “family” musical that DOESN’T follow this pattern. Please. You know, for a change, go watch “Sideways”, or “Little Miss Sunshine”, or “John Adams,” for fucks sake, which are all stories about NOT fitting in, about sticking to your guns and being who you are.
Which are all worthwhile things for children to see. Empowered. Proud. Happy.*
Smart. How about smart. For once.
*Well, not so happy, in the case of “Sideways”, but you get my point. And so what. Life isn’t all beer and Skittles, anyway, fuckers.