Can A Real Man Love Show Tunes?
 

I'm listening to Rent right now, one of my favorite musicals. That Jonathan Larson was a genius. Just some great songs, a great story.

Anyway, I love show tunes. I love the classic songs from My Fair Lady and Oklahoma and of course especially Guys and Dolls... to the musicals of Bernstein and Sondheim, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret... to some of today's classics like Little Shop of Horrors, Les Miserables, and yes, even Cats.

I always wanted to write for Broadway and make musicals... movie musicals invariably come across as fake, but in the theater, somehow it just seems natural for a man to suddenly break out in song...

So what do you think -- does loving show tunes somehow make me less of a man?

What? Which question are you asking?

Can A Real Man Love Show Tunes?

or

Does loving show tunes somehow make me less of a man?


[AGuyNamedMike breaks into song]

Oh, yes!
Them a'women were sobbin', sobbin', sobbin',
Fit to be tied,
Every muscle was throbbin', throbbin',
From that riotous ride,
Seems they cried and kissed and kissed and cried
All over that Roman countryside,
So don't forget that when you're takin' a bride,
Sobbin' fit to be tied,
From that riotous ride.

Yes! I love show tunes and I am indeed a real man. I LOVE the rent sound track, Jeckyl & Hyde is up there too. Phantom and Les Mis are classic. I spent a number of years playing show tunes for piano (after playing all classical music, it was a blast)

Anyhow..show tunes are great....I listen to them all the time in the car....I use to come from work to go to lax practice, and my teammates would give me a funny look when they heard me listening to Phantom.

-pedagogue

If a real man, such as myself, love show tunes... does that make him somewhat less of a real man, in the "grab a brewskie and a brat and watch the game while scratching" tradition?

I'm sending the link to this thread to NCMojo's wife. Expect a tearful confrontation when you get home.

It certainly doesn't make you seem anymore macho, but it doesn't necessarily downgrade you either.


God I hope I get it!
I hope I get it!
How many does he need?
How many boys?
How many girls?

I just got back from my annual pilgrimmage to New York - 11 Broadway shows in 11 days, from the brilliant (the revival of Nine, Hairspray, Brian Stokes Mitchell in Man of La Mancha, Bernadette Peters in Gypsy) to the pleasant (42nd St, The Producers) to the painful (Melanie Griffith in Chicago is a triple threat: can't sing, can't dance, can't act).

Yep, a real man can definitely love show tunes.

The reason I asked is because the two questions are logically transverse. Given that I would answer yes to the first, I must answer no to the second.

Due to this confusion, the poll will not be accurate, I fear.

Didn't like Jeckyl & Hyde, but Les Mis was awesome. We had front row tickets on Broadway, and it was just overwhelming. Have not seen Phantom yet... I'll get up to NY eventually.

We need to start a whole new thread just about how great Rent is... don't want to hijack this one just yet. :D

Pedagogue, you're in Baltimore, right? If there's ever another D.C. Otter Meet, I'll drive up... if we can find a bar with a free piano...

I voted no, but that's probably because I can't stand musicals.

Hijack away - Rent is fabulous, and the loss of Larson's talent at such a young age pains me to this day.

Tick Tick Boom is just out on cd - has anyone heard it? How does it compare to Rent?

I voted no and yet I like some show tunes.

But.. liking show tunes is right up there with worshipping Madonna, Cher, and Barbara Streisand.

It's all right, Groucho... she knows that you and I are secret gay lovers, and she's OK with it.

She wants pics, tho.

Of course. But does she know that you like show tunes? :eek:

Willie, I need another new thread like I need a new pair of Prada pumps -- why don't you grab the bull by the horns and start up a new Official RENT Appreciation Thread?

Damn you, you dirty bastard -- damn you!

;)

Of course real men can like show tunes.. I mean real Robots like show tunes. :p

http://www.theonering.net/staff/images/bender.jpg

My friends crack on me all of the time, but I don't care: I'm all man, and I love showtunes!

Is it showtunes thats bad or musicals.

Absolutely. I try to see just about every musical on Broadway (or elsewhere) whenever possible. Plus, I have a massive CD collection.

Of course, listeining to <I>cabaret singers</I> calls into question one's manhood. ;)

Yes, theoretically speaking, a "real man" could - but his taste in music (let alone any other facet of life) would never, ever, ever be trusted by his buddies ever again.

Showtunes are right down there with polka and novelty dance tunes on the scale of "hip" and "cool."

Since when did polka become uncool?

Man, I'm always the last to find out.

Actually, I do know about you two. I was actually hoping to watch. Any room in the twosome for me guys?

C

Get your grubby hands off him, bitch. He's MINE. ALL MINE!

I used to hate showtunes. Then in college I needed some background music to write a paper to, went to the library and for some reason selected Sout Pacific. And I liked it. I don't like too many, but I do dig Little Shop of Horrors, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Guys and Dolls.

My brother came up to visit this week and went through the stacks of new CDs since his last visit. He pointed to Guys and Dolls and my copy of Queen's Greatest Hits Vol. 1-3 as Exhibits A & B that I was gay.

And, in case you don't know, Franks Sinatra and Marlon Brando - two real men - were in the movie adaption of Guys and Dolls.

So, yeah, I would hope listening to showtunes doesn't make me any less of a man. Jeez, I already wear sweater vests and buy candles, so this better not put me over the top.

Yet, my mind keeps on thinking back to the trailer of Singin' in the Rain that played before Jaws this weekend at the Ohio Theater and I can't get rid of the image of all the guys doing "jazz hands."