This week we are joined by our friend Mr. Skullhead from the Kingdom of Loathing. (www.kingdomofloathing.com) We talk about Salsa’s dream play and theater in general, and discuss which fantasy world universe we would rather live in. Matt’s son has discovered lying, much to his chagrin, and we continue to find new ways to segue to completely unrelated topics. Have a listen.
I’m going to be pedantic, shocking, I know… but Rocky Horror Picture Show is not a rock opera, it’s a musical.
By definition, “opera” implies no spoken words at all. In traditional opera all lines are sung, including any random conversations. Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera, and actually a very good one; best music Andrew Lloyd Webber ever wrote, and likely to remain so.
The definition has come to allow for a little wiggle room, in that it’s still likely to be considered opera or rock opera if a few lines here and there are spoken in modern shows but the vast majority still needs to be sung to qualify. So while there are some spoken lines in Repo I’d say it also falls in the opera category as most are sung, and even the lines that are spoken are generally delivered in a rhythm to some degree.
But again, RHPS: musical, clearly.
Actually, thank you for clearing that up. That was something that I HAD known, and forgot that I knew, so thank you for reminding me.
That having been said, I’m going to disagree with you on the topic of JCS. I’m sure that it’s great, but I’ve never been a fan. It’s always kinda grated on me somehow. Now, maybe I’ve only seen crappy renditions of it, but I just can’t get behind it.
Haven’t been Christian for a long time but I still like the original broadway(?) soundtrack (The LP had a brown sleeve) better than the movie soundtrack version.
Matt(?), duh, of course it sucked. YOU’re not supposed to be wearing the white dress.
I find grown men genuinely giggling – and not being malicious – over my last name like a bunch of 8-year-olds hi-larious. Knowing you two, I would’ve omitted it if I felt sensitive about it.
I’m a pretty untraditional person myself, but for some reason, I LOVE rituals and proper etiquette and all that shit. Maybe it’s the OCD. They just make me feel nice. That said, if I were ever getting married (which I vehemently will not), I’d skip the public wedding ceremony and spend all my money on a giant fucking traditional Chinese banquet instead, because I’m not gonna make my friends sit through rituals just because I like them, and everybody likes food.
(Oddly enough, I was totally obsessed with Pachelbel’s Canon when I was 12.)
Do we still drink if Eric is being pedantic in the comments?
My initial reaction to this question was a resounding “Yes”, but upon further reflection, I think the best way to go about this is to use your own discretion. My reasoning? If you drink EVERY time that Eric is being pedantic, you might die of alcohol poisoning. Proceed at your own risk.
I really appreciate your professional approach. These are pieces of very useful information that will be of great use for me in future. Thanks for it.
Haven’t seen a play for ages, I’d be more likely to go to something comic, or musical as opposed to something serious.
I figure even if someone like Spike Lee directed it would outrage people, but for a long time I’ve wanted someone to do an Ebonics version of Pygmalion/My Fair Lady. Problem is if it was done as a musical you’d have to suffer through hiphop songs…
I thought things were so bleak in Firefly because they were traveling on the fringes of the settled planets. I got the impression that the core planets that were more tightly controlled by the Alliance were more advanced, but the outskirts of the system had fallen behind
I kind of like the way some British TV shows are self-contained serials that have an ending. I’ve also thought someone should try doing a rotating program. Back in the ’70′s “The NBC Mystery Movie” had a weekly rotation between three 90 minute detective shows “McCloud,” “Columbo” and “McMillan & Wife”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_Mystery_Movie Since a traditional TV standard “season” was about 13 episodes if you rotate 3 shows with 4 episodes of each so you could test more shows per season to see which catch on.
Fortunately for them, they won’t actually be aware of most times I’m pedantic so they’re probably pretty safe.
I still need to record that sound bite for you guys to use.
Out of curiosity, is it simply the religion thing? Because first, I don’t actually think JCS is a particularly religious portrayal of the Jesus story.
I actually just like the music quite a bit. Like I said, best thing ALW has done.
Charles, I ABSOLUTELY agree, that’s always been the definitive version. Ian Gillan as Jesus and Murray Head as Judas? Fabulous.
Pachabel’s Canon may be a bit cliche for weddings but it’s a lovely piece of music and as an instrumental I find it a lot less cloying than some of the typical stuff with overly sappy lyrics.
I’m a little confused about them mentioning Amazing Grace, though, I’ve hardly ever heard that at a wedding. It’s a lot more common at funerals, in my opinion.
I thought I had said I was mentioning Amazing Grace in the context of being over done for funerals. If not, my bad, that is what I intended. Same reasoning applies.
I agree with you as well Eric, Canon in D is a lovely piece of music, the first few times you hear it. It’s the repetition and ubiquitous use that get under my skin.
First of all, I look damn fine in a white dress.
B. Thanks for the ok to giggle while saying “Wang.” It just makes life better.
Thing the third, as a veteran of three weddings, you have the right idea with the large buffet wedding plan. My favorite (and longest lasting) marriage was the quick and fun Vegas wedding Gretta and I did with Jick and Skully in attendance. Do what suits you, not what you are told you should do.
(Or better yet, don’t do it at all.)
Banquet, man. A thousand times more awesome than a buffet. I’m assuming y’all like to go to not-really-Chinese-buffets >.> Google image “Chinese banquet” to see how awesome they are.
http://foodists.ca/2009/01/12/chinese-wedding-banquets.html
And ENTIRE roasted suckling pig.
No, not at all. My mother was a music teacher, and I have an appreciation of music that goes beyond sacred or secular. I was in the Chapel Choir in college, and have performed in many Easter Cantatas and even performed the St. John’s Passion by Bach when I was living in Switzerland (in the original German). All that said, it’s not the religious thing. It’s the music. It just kinda grates on my nerves somehow. That’s just my opinion.
I officiated for a wedding this spring where the recessional was “Another one Bites the Dust”