Pamela found this one last night....


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6195135.stm

By next year I can see a WHOLE musical being
cast from members of the public....

It is only one show per year!

Law of diminishing returns......

Hey, if it gets mainstream theatre into peoples homes at prime time TV slots then I am all for it.

It is not as though we are searching for a new 'Phantom' or Javert is it? I mean, Maria is as slight a part as you are ever going to find, completely 1 dimentional as is Joseph (otherwise Philip Schofield and Aled Jones could not have done it).

yes, we can all scoff that TV programmes are now jumping on the bandwaggon, but what fun we had watching Musicality...and see what has come of the finalists in that programme.

Anything that gets Jo Public watching theatre and encouraging them through the foyer doors can only be a good thing... no?

Tonight was the first episode of Joseph that I've seen, and I can't say I found the programme addictive this time like I did Maria.

But at least the final song wasn't quite so cheesy.

The great thing about these shows is it means that any one can have a chance to perform on a west end stage! You, me, the kitchen sink! and the great british public vote (the same great british public who voted for scooch to represent us in europe dear god!) But although it encourages people to go to the theatre, is it just not a little annoying for those who study for years to perfect their acting craft (I've never watched the shows so I don't know if the people entering are pros or not!) If these are just folks off the street a la X-Factor it does somewhat throw a spanner in the works of all these drama teachers and courses - what's the point of going if you can get on stage this way? I know it's only one show at the moment - SOM, then Joseph, then Grease.... where does it end! (and hasn't Maria now had to take time off because of the strain on her voice?) I'm under no illusions - it's really all just publicity (and bloody good at that!) - Perhaps we should all do this when we put on shows. Do the auditions live in a pub or club and let the punters vote for who takes the parts! Can you imagine.....

Remember that there are thousands of people out there who have never seen live theatre in any shape or form except possibly panto as a child. Anything that makes them think it might be fun to go into a theatre and watch for real has to benefit all of us. Yes it's artificial, but it's harmless and entertaining. I think the number of roles it would work for is limited and it will eventually burn out, and I wish they didn't seem to base so much of it on pop songs, but hey it beats shows like "I'm a celebrity" - which I once watched half an hour of by accident *shudders*

All,

I would suggest that the major factor in the return of these shows is that the broadcaster gets cheap prime time TV and makes a mint form the voting system. They also get something that is a talking point to outdo the competition. If it didn't fulfil these criteria it wouldn't get aired and hence wouldn't get made.

Dave

If these are just folks off the street a la X-Factor it does somewhat throw a spanner in the works of all these drama teachers and courses - what's the point of going if you can get on stage this way? I know it's only one show at the moment - SOM, then Joseph, then Grease.... where does it end! (and hasn't Maria now had to take time off because of the strain on her voice?)
[/quote]
// But they're not just folk off the street. Connie had professional training @ Mountview(?) and worked in
the West End. No pro ever does every performance in a West End musical especially not the matinees. She
was original booked along with a hardened pro to share the burden but the pro pissed off because she wasn't getting equal billing. Now Connie is sharing honours with that polished Welsh lady whose name I find impossible to pronounce (or remember)
Leone had had records released before she appeared on the show as had others on X-factor or extensive
club experience. Overnight success rarely if ever happens. Anyone who's worked Pontins, Butlins etc is hardly a raw amateur. Those audiences are sheer hell !
Doubtless eventually we'll uncover similar less than amateur CVs for some of the singers on the two current shows from the gutter press.Watch this space.

Like you say, it's bland accessible TV for the masses - - hands up if you've never seen or been in Joseph or Grease - Joseph has got to be the school musical! So, they're not really being very adventurous with their programming - If they'd made the show around casting Into The Woods, Company, City of Angels, Carrie the Musical (I could go on and on with lesser known shows) then you could truly say they were promoting getting people to the theatre rather than stay at home in front of the TV (hang on.....). They used these musicals because people know them and know the songs. Therefore, they're not really regenerating an interest in theatre are they? Anyhoo - they know what they're doing - they're making TV, making money on the phone votes and laughing all the way to the bank. Let's be honest, that's all they're bothered about - not bringing culture to the masses.

I agree that's all the TV company is bothered about, but I still believe a knock onn effect is an increase in musical theatre interest. Yes they've chosen well known shows, of course they have, and they have chosen parts that aren;t that difficult. It also is a fact that lots of people booked to see the Sound of Music after they'd watched the show on telly. Many of those people will not have watched live musical thatre before (I'm not counting school shows, I do those and they are different). With any luck those same people will book tickets for other things, and the overall level of interest is up. I also don't necessarily think all musical theatre is cultured, nor should it be, but it is live, and if done well, fun and exciting.

I wonder how many people went to see TSOM and how many went to see Connie?

My point pretty much exactly - they'll have gone to see Connie but with any luck will have realised musical theatre is actually rather good.

How can anyone not realise musical theatre is rather good!

Because some people don't come from the sort of background where going to the theatre is a natural event.

That got me to thinking and I never went to the theatre when I was growing up - My parants had a diverse musical taste from the Troggs and The beatles on my dad's side too Michael Bolton, Biederbeck and Barry Manilow (whom I still have an affinity for much to my friend's disbelief) on my mother's side. I think my love of musical theatre started with the afternoon films - one of my earliest memories is watching Bing Crosby in a conneticut yankee and I used to lap up those mgm compilation shows. Or then again, perhaps my love of musical theatre is just genetic?

Can we hope for a similar result from Equus then?

Let's hope so!

The best comment I heard after Equus was from one teenage girl sitting near us who said that it had been 'the best experience of her whole life ever'.