Musiktheater

Musical. Theatre. Okay so I was not gonna write a blog post about this because I have an unbelievable amount of thoughts on this subject, and honestly I thought that no one would want to read this but who cares! I'm just gonna get out my stream of consciousness Erin style and hope that it is somewhat competent.

So honestly, before I started becoming interested in this trip I had no idea of the amazing theatre scene that was going on here in Berlin. I was so bubbled into the NYC/NJ theatre scene that I was oblivious to the impact theatre had on the rest of the world. Therefore I had no idea what impact musical theatre had on Germany.

When we were talking to Roland he mentioned coming to America and being amazed by the performers who could sing and dance just as well as they could act. Which I completely understand, after one of the shows that included musical interludes I realized how machine-like the chorus girls we see in the US are. And I've always known, through my research or friends, that going to most of the musical theatre college BFA programs is pretty much like going to a theatre boot camp. The amount of stamina and skill it requires to sing, dance and act on the professional level 8 times a week is incredible. However, after a while it tends to become just that, a machine. I've heard many stories about broadway performers simply preforming in musicals where it just becomes a routine, no real life in their storytelling, simply going through the motions. And although we may pity or look down upon this, these kind of performances are often accepted by the American public viewing these shows. Because we do live in such a consumer based theatre community, simply giving the audience what they surface-level and technically expect to see is accepted.

That's why I think I was so disappointed when I came to see Ball At Savoy. Coming from an American musical theatre background I think that there has been certain techniqual aspects of theatre drilled into me. That were not only common sense to that community, but also just widely accepted. Small things such as aligning the "t" sounds at the ends of phrases when singing in a chorus, or certain hand movements that were never to be done onstage because they appeared "not honest". Little things that made me so agitated that these opera and musical theatre performers did not know. They were big stars with successful careers and were over twice my age, yet did not seemed to be as versed in the musical theatre culture that me and so many of my friends grew up on.

Yet then in the second act I had a realization; 1. Charlotte, you're being a bitch. Yes, you're allowed to have your own opinion on a production, but you're not allowed to judge every little bit of it without giving the artists any credit. 2. Musical theatre, as well as just theatre in general is different all around the world.

And so I think that I have come to the realization to be critical and have opinions on art that I might see, but not judge and deflect every single little bit that I disagree with because 1. Just because something does not have an effect on me does not mean it does not profoundly affect another person and it should be appreciated for that 2. Just because a piece of art does not make you feel anything doesn't mean it is worthless 3. "EVERY. SINGLE. THING. HAS. FLAWS." (Jessie McLaughlin)