# Musicals for people who don't usually like musicals. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 16, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371 "2010-10-16T19:59:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/1 "2010-10-16T19:59:18Z")
I’m not in love with musicals, although there are a few that I genuinely like. My roommate detests them! Anything we might enjoy together? We both LOVE, LOVE Across the Universe, for example. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/2 "2010-10-16T20:04:22Z")
CHICAGO is probably the most popular musical movie I know with friends who don’t ordinarily like musicals, with SWEENEY TODD second. (Personally I loved the former, hated the latter.) The movie CABARET is also popular, I think partly because the musical numbers all take place in a nightclub (i.e. it’s not characters bursting into song in the real world). ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/3 "2010-10-16T20:06:45Z")
**South Park: BL&U** - Best. Musical. Evar. Also **Hedwig & the Angry Inch**. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/4 "2010-10-16T20:22:59Z")
**Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog** - short, web-released musical from Joss Whedon **Once** is a different sort of musical. Kind of a “realistic” musical. What about animated movies? There’s the whole Disney catalog, including the live-action \*\*Enchanted \*\*from a few years ago. Also, \*\*The Nightmare Before Christmas \*\*is a favorite of mine. I liked the music in **Moulin Rouge** , though I didn’t care for the characters and plot. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/5 "2010-10-16T20:47:47Z")
Great ideas, all! Although the room mate detested Moulin Rouge and Sweeney Todd; both of which I happen to love…go figure! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/6 "2010-10-16T23:09:25Z")
Little Shop of Horrors ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/7 "2010-10-16T23:38:45Z")
Rocky Horror Picture Show?..no?..well, I usually have it playing on Halloween night while I’m handing out candy at the door. A Hard Day’s Night? Help!? Yellow Submarine? The King and I? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/8 "2010-10-17T00:01:14Z")
What is it about musicals that you don’t like? If we knew that, we could do a better job of recommending movies for you. For many, it’s that they’re “not realistic,” but if you liked _Across the Universe_, that’s obviously not a problem for you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/9 "2010-10-17T00:13:29Z")
In the 50s, there was a trend on Broadway towards making testosterone-driven musicals that men wouldn’t be embarrassed to see: **Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, Damn Yankees, Li’l Abner**. Maybe one of these would do the trick? ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/10 "2010-10-17T00:57:23Z")
I’ll suggest _Tommy_ - songs they probably already know but will hear in a different context, just like _Across The Universe._ ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/11 "2010-10-17T01:13:49Z")
> [@Dr.Rieux](#): > > Little Shop of Horrors Seconding it. It’s a lot of fun. I don’t like the movie as much as the stage version but it’s still great. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/12 "2010-10-17T02:05:01Z")
Did you try Rent? I only tried it because Rosario Dawson was in it, but I was hooked by the first song “Seasons of Love” and there are several other good songs in the show. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/13 "2010-10-17T02:20:41Z")
Jersey Boys ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/14 "2010-10-17T02:30:40Z")
My girlfriend and I liked **American Idiot**. We also happened to catch it the week Billie Joe Armstrong was performing. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/15 "2010-10-17T02:36:41Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > What is it about musicals that you don’t like? If we knew that, we could do a better job of recommending movies for you. Maybe the OP doesn’t like show tunes? If that’s the case, more pop-band oriented shows might be the way to go. I don’t what it is about musicals, but I always find myself staring at the Playbill counting down songs until the end. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/16 "2010-10-17T02:41:40Z")
_Hair_,\* Jesus Christ Superstar \* are both good. IMHO the best contemporary musical ever written is _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat._ _Sound of Music_ is a great intro to classic musicals. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/17 "2010-10-17T02:49:26Z")
I really don’t like musicals at all, except for _All That Jazz_, and _Fame_– the movies, I don’t even know if there are stage versions. _All That Jazz_ has the advantage of being about a choreographer. so it at least makes sense that the people are frequently bursting into song and dance. Likewise with _Fame_, about kids at a performing arts school. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/18 "2010-10-17T03:19:24Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > In the 50s, there was a trend on Broadway towards making testosterone-driven musicals that men wouldn’t be embarrassed to see: \*\*Guys and Dolls, \*\*. I detest musicals and enjoyed _Guys and Dolls._ ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/19 "2010-10-17T03:32:10Z")
I can’t believe we totally forgot about… Grease I’ve never met anyone who didn’t love that movie. Who doesn’t love Olivia Newton John? 😃 😃 I’ve also seen the play performed at college. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371/20 "2010-10-17T05:54:17Z")
My Best Friends Wedding is kind of a musical. People sure do sing a lot in it but it is practically a ‘regular’ movie. Not a ‘musical’ but Strictly Ballroom has plenty of dancing so it is musical-ish and it is one of the funniest movies ever. Cats is a musical for people who don’t like musicals. There is no movie version but Sunset Blvd is excellent. How about EVITA? Speaking of Alan Parker how about the movies The Commitments and The Wall? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicals-for-people-who-dont-usually-like-musicals/557371.md?page=2)