SHOWBOAT”: musicals, operettas – how would you rate these “light weights” relative to “Grand Opera”?
noticed Showboat was on too, did you catch “Tales of Hoffman”? There’s a place everything shades together. Perhaps the lighter works are not so light, as easily accessible to the general public. I was thinking of Gene Kelly’s “American in Paris” but that might be considered to be a hybrid ballet/screenplay. There is much depth of art in that popular work though. My girl works on Broadway and I am force-fed much “musical” fare I would otherwise ignore. Most musicals are song with accompaniment styled stuff, and so seem “light” in that sense, though I marvel at the things attempted in “Sweeney Todd”, and “I got the horse right here his name is Paul Revere” will get me singing along with anyone who knows it, since it is good fun. I am hesitant to compare musicals and operas, everything has its place, and a value in that place. There is a fine French dinner with truffles and Bordeaux, or corn on the cob with watermelon. There is more work and art in the former, but each is thoroughly enjoy
