Pitting shows against shows. Why???

[mrssondheim]

On FB there have been many posts recently against Dear Evan Hansen, saying it is a piece of poo compared to The Great Comet or Come From Away.  I enjoy all three of the shows, for vastly different reasons.  Why do we have to shame one, just to praise our favorite. (This is one of the reasons I do not like awards.  The bring this shit out in people.  Its all apples and oranges to me.)

[Vera Charles]

@mamarose I'll be honest, Aileen. I haven't listened to any of the above. I also haven't listened to Hamilton. 😳
I know this isn't something to boast about and I have no idea why I can't bring myself to listen to any of them.
To drag myself back to the subject of your post, I don't understand why people put one musical against another. Comparisons and contrasts, I'm fine with but ripping one piece apart in an attempt to say another is "better" is usually unhelpful at the best and childish at the worst. 🍏🍎 and 🍊🍊 indeed.

[Hester Jean]

I agree @mamarose .  I seriously didn't care which show won the Tony.  I liked all four.  (Of course, if I'm honest, I was leaning toward Great Comet )


I think all awards are generally overrated.

[Bobster]

In a year like this, the awards do harm only for the plays that don't win.  It's so sad that 2 have closed (but a third did get a bit of an extension).


I try to avoid conversations between This and That because each show is so very different.  And it can bring out the worst in me.

I generally now avoid ATC and BWW because of the garden path to Hell of "XXXX is the Best Musical and if you don't agree, you're stupid/pathetic/unfeeling/old/should die!!!"


At a Tony party years ago when Avenue Q got the Award, people in the room--KNOWING my preference/hope for Wicked--kept saying things like "Omigod, the Right Musical won!" and the like.  I so wanted to lash out but I just left.

[George]

In a year like this, the awards do harm only for the plays that don't win.  It's so sad that 2 have closed (but a third did get a bit of an extension).


I try to avoid conversations between This and That because each show is so very different.  And it can bring out the worst in me.

I generally now avoid ATC and BWW because of the garden path to Hell of "XXXX is the Best Musical and if you don't agree, you're stupid/pathetic/unfeeling/old/should die!!!"

Isn't a variation of that the reason this board was re-formed? Seems a certain FB Group member was being all condescending about Lin-Manuel and his place in the new generation of Sondheimian composers.

At a Tony party years ago when Avenue Q got the Award, people in the room--KNOWING my preference/hope for Wicked--kept saying things like "Omigod, the Right Musical won!" and the like.  I so wanted to lash out but I just left.

Hard to begin to understand the reasons people would do something like that; in the end it doesn't matter for the shows in question what these people think, but they do a good job at breaking friendships.

[DrPangloss]

What I'm noticing on facebook, particularly in the Broadway themed groups I'm in (particularly in ONE Broadway themed group, and some of you may be in it and know which one I'm referring to), is that there are a lot of young people who are just getting into musical theatre and are experiencing their first really strong year. I mean, we haven't had a year like this with so many new musicals in a long time. And all of them have their favorites and their preferences, and when their favorite show doesn't get the nomination or the award, they feel the need to bring down the other shows. I say celebrate that there were so many new musicals this year that there simply wasn't room in the nominations for all of them to get the recognition they deserved.

[mrssondheim]

What I'm noticing on facebook, particularly in the Broadway themed groups I'm in (particularly in ONE Broadway themed group, and some of you may be in it and know which one I'm referring to), is that there are a lot of young people who are just getting into musical theatre and are experiencing their first really strong year. I mean, we haven't had a year like this with so many new musicals in a long time. And all of them have their favorites and their preferences, and when their favorite show doesn't get the nomination or the award, they feel the need to bring down the other shows. I say celebrate that there were so many new musicals this year that there simply wasn't room in the nominations for all of them to get the recognition they deserved.

I said that same thing in response to a very long thread knocking DEH. The majority of people on the thread were supporters of Comet.

[valmont]

I generally now avoid ATC and BWW because of the garden path to Hell of "XXXX is the Best Musical and if you don't agree, you're stupid/pathetic/unfeeling/old/should die!!!"

Isn't a variation of that the reason this board was re-formed? Seems a certain FB Group member was being all condescending about Lin-Manuel and his place in the new generation of Sondheimian composers.

I think everyone has the right to express a dissenting opinion, but the way that guy did it was over-the-top textbook how not to.

[fjlumia]

 I also haven't listened to Hamilton.
 
 I  can only encourage you to listen to the CD. After seeing the show I read the book which was excellent and made the show even more remarkable. It is brilliant!  It ma take you ore than one listening to really appreciate it unless you are facile with rap.
I have not seen the other 3 but did see War Paint and the revival of Falsettos.  War Paint was fun. Falsettos was head and shoulders above the original production about 20+ years ago.