How old are you and how did you get into musicals?

Love2love

Just wondering what the age group of the musical forum is??

I'm 26 and I grew up with musicals. Not many of my friends can say the same. They think I'm nuts!! My parents were big musical fans too especially my dad who introduce me to all the MGM favourites. There is nothing better than chilling out on a Sunday afternoon watching one.

fonpokno

I'm 19! I grew up watching musicals and disney films and all. Started piano at about 6 and I sing too so I was always into music anyway.

My dad was big into musicals and brought us to them as often as he could. We started with all the classics of The Sound Of Music and Singin' in the Rain and all of those and now I'm getting him into the likes of Sweeney Todd and Avenue Q! Did a few musicals in secondary school and they're just so cool!

I think there's just something so magical about musicals, it's a total escape from reality and they never ever fail to improve my mood. I'm sick atm and I'm watchin all the musicals and Disney films i have!

Niamh-17

Im 18 and i think i was about 3 or 4 when i went to my first musical (which was fiddler on the roof and that was the first show then when i performed it ha) Since iv been going to shows loads, and it was my dad who got me into them!

Love2love

Seems we have a trend here. Daughters and Dads!

Aisling(",)

im 17 and it was my dad who got me into them aswell.

ive been performing in musicals since im around 4 when i joined my first stage school

fonpokno

Love2love wrote: »

Seems we have a trend here. Daughters and Dads!

Yeah I've been noticing that around here alot lately! not really what I'd expected at all!

Honey-ec

I'm 26, and have been doing shows since I was about 4 and joined the local variety group - my whole family was in it bar my eldest brother and my mam.

My parents were into Andrew Lloyd Webber and at every single family gathering we always had a massive sing-song - I think "Take That Look Off Your Face" was probably the first song I knew start-to-finish

I'm the only one in the family who still performs, though.

Christopher cap

when i was 19 i went to an pop show seeing the singer's popularity i want to become popular like that singer. This is the way i got interested in music.

nkay1985

I'm 23 and it's kind of odd that I ended up doing anything musical.

Neither of my parents, or their families, would be traditionally musical. Nobody ever played any instruments or anything but at any family party (of which there was at least two a year) there would be a huge singsong. It was mostly old songs and rebel songs but still, everybody sang. Some were actually pretty decent!

But there was never any emphasis put on music. My parents didn't listen to a lot of music, just what was on the radio. They didn't go to shows or anything.

Then when I was about 9 or 10 they started to go to musicals on trips with work. And that started a trend, I suppose. My brother who's three years older than me started secondary school and did music. I did the same having become really interested in it in the intervening years.

The school I attended, De La Salle College in Waterford, has had its own musical society for 30 years. They put on a show every year in the Theatre Royal in town. Mu older brother did Some Like It Hot when he was in transition year. I did Joseph. But I then went on and did Little Shop of Horrors that year, and Fame the following year. Since I left secondary school I've not done anything really musical. It's strange having sung in choirs two or three times a week and doing shows as well, to not do anything. But there was no musical society in Limerick while I was there. And now that I'm back in Waterford I work shift work which doesn't lend itself to rehearsals. I'm not sure if I've been out of the loop too long to get back in too!!!

So now it's my younger brother carrying the flame. He's played Pilate in Superstar and Danny in Grease. And has gotten the part of Prince Charming in the upcoming Panto so he's doing well for himself.

evil-monkey

22. Girlfriend.

I'm 23 and 3 days. Don't really remember how I got into musicals but I've always loved them.

Aoifums

I'm 15 and semi obsessed with musicals. I didn't realise that there was a musicals board, so it rocks!!

I was a little obsessed with Annie and Oliver when I was around 5-7. My mam bought them because they were on sale and they never went a week with out being played at least twice.

My English teacher showed us the dvd of Phantom when I was 13. I bought the dvd the next day and it kicked of my Andrew Llyod Webber obsession. I was in London about two weeks later and went to see it live... I haven't been able to stomach the movie since. I've just tried to see as many as possible since then. My current obsession is Hair, one of my friends introduced me to it Good times.

I have turned into a musical snob though. It's really bad because I was livid when I realised my school only ever produced all girls mucials. I'm just glad I wasn't there when they produced Joseph...

Agent Smith

I'm 23, I got into them when i was about 10/11. I used to watch all the old mataines on C4 during the summer with my Grandmother. She had Alzimeiers but could Recite all the songs as if she sung them herself.

Dublinstiofán

I'm 21 and played Marius in a school production of Les Mis. Got myself into them after that. Theyre great. Would like to see a few more decent ones come to Ireland. It's a pain in the arse having to go to London to see them.

I think its unsusal that most people who have posted are between 15 and 26. That's really strange in my mind. Is it because we all saw 'the lion king' in the cinemas when we were kids?

What have you guys seen to date?

Honey-ec

Dublinstiofán wrote: »

Would like to see a few more decent ones come to Ireland. It's a pain in the arse having to go to London to see them.

The Point was the only theatre in Ireland large enough to take most of the "big" shows, so while it was closed there was absolutely nothing decent touring here. Now that it's redeveloped, hopefully we'll start to see some of the large West End productions coming back...

Aisling(",)

Joseph and the amazing thecnicolour dreamcoat is coming to the gaeity again i think

mishka2008

Just discovered this thread!! brilliant!!! the point (or O2 whatever they are calling it these days) is purely a concert venue from now on... no more shows... start keeping an eye out for cheap flights to London!

fonpokno

mishka2008 wrote: »

Just discovered this thread!! brilliant!!! the point (or O2 whatever they are calling it these days) is purely a concert venue from now on... no more shows... start keeping an eye out for cheap flights to London!

What??? Seriously?? That's such terrible news... What on earth possessed them to do that?

Agent Smith

maybe they think irish people are too thick for musicals

Aoifums

mishka2008 wrote: »

Just discovered this thread!! brilliant!!! the point (or O2 whatever they are calling it these days) is purely a concert venue from now on... no more shows... start keeping an eye out for cheap flights to London!

What...??? My life is ruined... I can't afford a trip to London... Ah well, I have Evita in Belfast in April!

mishka2008

im not absolutely 100% sure but I do remember hearing it somewhere before the <snip> reopened... if you google it its only referred to as a live music venue and if you go onto the o2 website and look at upcoming events its all concerts...
also if you go onto the ticketmaster website and search for musicals you get mostly things in the <snip>, <snip> and the <snip>...! nothing in <the snip>...

Aoifums

mishka2008 wrote: »

the <snip>...!

Don't mention that place. I can still dream that the amazing <snip> will show musicals someday.

mishka2008

ive never actually been to the <snip - I forgot we're not allowed talk about MCD venues>... is it that bad???

Aoifums

It is actually. I've only been there once, but I can say without a doubt, I will never go again.

I'm not going to go all ranty, it's not too nice when I do that. There's just a couple of problems.

-The sound is awful. They amplify the orchestra and it's just a wall of sound. I couldn't pick out each instrument, or even each section.
-The seats are so uncomfy Every time you move, they move and some squeak so it's really noisy. And people brought kids, who got bored and were shifting around.
-The stuff they sell. They sell Pringles! Delicious crisps but everytime they're opened they make the same noise over and over... It just gets annoying when you're trying to listen. Same with sweet bags, they sell stuff in noisy bags.

There's more where that comes from. And I know they sound like small stuff, but they all combine to really irritate me. I'm a theatre snob though, so I guess most people wouldn't notice it. And I had just come back from London, where people actually like musicals, so I'm a little biased.

fonpokno

Aoifums wrote: »

There's more where that comes from. And I know they sound like small stuff, but they all combine to really irritate me. I'm a theatre snob though, so I guess most people wouldn't notice it. And I had just come back from London, where people actually like musicals, so I'm a little biased.

I'm the same. I absolutely hate when people are loud or obnoxious in a theatre. Drives me demented. When I was in 6th year we went to see the theatrical version of How Many Miles To Babylon for English. The play was fantastic and the lead actor was just amazing but the whole play was marred by f*ckwit teenagers who hadn't an ounce of respect for the people on stage. Made me so angry.

I don't like the <snip> or the <snip> tbh. I much prefer the Abbey or, even better, The Gate. I think the Gate is an amazing venue. I think the Civic Theatre is great also and I loved Andrew's Lane. I was really very disappointed when it closed! I love smaller intimate settings for plays and musicals though. Also the selling of pringles and crisps and stuff at a play is criminal. Nothing worse than crunching and rattling and phones going off.

Aoifums

fonpokno wrote: »

whole play was marred by f*ckwit teenagers who hadn't an ounce of respect for the people on stage.

I can totally relate to this. My first and only time at the opera was in second year. It was great, but the girl sitting beside me kept leaning over and saying really loudly "I think he's gay". She must have said it at least thirty times.

fonpokno wrote: »

Also the selling of pringles and crisps and stuff at a play is criminal. Nothing worse than crunching and rattling and phones going off.

Same with fizzy drinks or anything in cans, popcorn (who sells popcorn at a musical?), or anything that can be used to create noise. Any theatre that I have been to in London have had a limited selection of sweets. I've been trying to figure out if these are only allowed because they make minimal noise.

angelinalove

I am 22 years old and I am in high school musical3 and guitar hero world tour.

Mario007

hey people, just want to say that even though i do not like musicals sweeney todd is amazing(the film version that is)...oh and i'm 17:D

fonpokno

Dude, if you think the Sweeney Todd movie was good you should see the live show! The live show is freaking amazing. Best musical I've ever seen.

Mario007

really? i've read some stuff about the live show on the internet and it didn't seem too appealing with more johanna and anthony context and less blood than in the movie. Plus depp is actually amazing in the movie

fonpokno

Well there would be less blood in a live show than in the film. But I thought it was great to see how they got around the inability to have blood spewing all over the place even though he was murdering left right and centre.

I saw the show first and was quite disappointed with the movie tbh. Found the portrayal of the characters in the show was alot more...distsurbing than in the film. Also the effect of actual singing is much more powerful and affecting than the mediocre vocals that Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter provided.

But that's just me! I'd say if you ever got a chance to see the live show to take it! There really is quite a difference between the two! Also they leave out The Ballad Of Sweeney Todd in the film and that's my favourite song from the whole thing. Super dramatic.

Edit: and also, while Johnny Depp is really like the most amazing actor he just doesn't have to singing voice to pull it off well enough for my liking.