In light of my views on musicals, it can be safely inferred that I was not highly impressed with Buffy's foray into the genre. (On a side note, I'm focusing on musicals in movie/ tv form, not broadway, just in case that comes up). Back to Buffy. A fantastic action/ horror tv show taking on musical episode with a set of actors that are, for the most part, not in any way proficient in the genre, and writers who are probably not going to be writing any songs really worthy of real attention and acclaim is a bad thing. Leave the musicals to the people who know what they're doing and stick with what your good at, namely characterization, dialogue, and killing monsters.
Before ending this post, I would like to say that while I am a stickler for the classic musical and only the classic musical, I did like how Whedon fit the music into his show's usual plot arc. Weird desire to suddenly burst into song? Must be some sort of monster! This sensibility did at least a little to alleviate the episode's overall musical awkwardness and I was grateful for it.
Rock the Classics.
5 comments:
First, let me say I *love* _The Sound of Music_. It is my sentimental choice for "favorite movie." I can sing every single line. (Don't test me on this one! Ha!)
Jonathan's throwing down the gauntlet here a bit, really daring folks to defend this episode. (And I love that he's doing that.) Now you know I am chomping at the bit to do so, but how about the rest of you? Care to take on his idea that a bunch of non-singers/dancers taking on the musical form is a "bad thing?"
I think Whedon threw non-singer/dancers into a musical genre on purpose as a homage to musicals, but also as a parody. The high points of this episode aren't in its musical numbers, but in its witty lyrics, and "bland, amateur" vocal style used by the cast.
I to have an appreciation for classic musicals. And I to did not like this episode. I don't like singing in tv in general, it just always seems to come across as awkward and forced. This episode wasn't a total train wreck though, and I think that can largely attributed to Whedon's excellent writing.
I think making non singers perform in a musical style challenged their acting skills, I felt so much for Buffy, and I personally think SMG is a terrible singer. The thing with musicals is, I feel that back in the day, the bar was higher, classical music performers also had to be good actors because musicals were very popular and there was much competition. Then there seemed to be shift to focusing merely on those with phenomenal voices, foregoing the acting. Now in modern hollywood, and to a degree bway, musicals, the trend seems to have blended and even allowed for less vocally talented artists, as long as they express themselves.
I know this episode worked for some people, others it didn't. But I honestly feel like the acting/writing actually stepped up a notch because of the obstacle/challenge of the episode being so musical
A small note: a lot of actors in those "classical" musicals weren't even doing their own singing. Check out this interview with Marni Whiting (who just recently passed away). She was the voice of Natalie Wood in _West Side Story_, Audrey Hepburn in _My Fair Lady_, and Deborah Kerr in _The King and I_.
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/05/132685317/Marni-Nixon-Hollywoods-Voice-Ghost
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