Journalist Makes an Attack on Musicals and Musical Fans Strike Back
By: Julie Musbach Jan. 11, 2018
News recently broke about a Les Miserables television series on the BBC starring Dominic West as Jean Valjean along with Lily Collins as Fantine, David Oyelowo as Javert, and Erin Kellyman as Eponine. The adaptation will not be a musical, which has several theatre fans intrigued but confused.
Stuart Heritage of The Guardian wrote a piece regarding the series that moved fans straight from apprehensive to infuriated. Heritage has used his stance as a journalist to vent some seriously pent up thoughts and feelings about the musical genre claiming "the worst part of any musical has been the music. All the bloody music, swelling up out of nowhere and killing the story dead."
Op-eds are one thing, but Heritage made the mistake of sharing his hard edged thoughts with the Twitterverse and the internet responded with gusto. His tweet proclaimed that "all musicals stink", which no one found charming.
All musicals stinkhttps://t.co/DtuqX60geW
- Stuart Heritage (@stuheritage) January 10, 2018
Responses came from all sides and took the form of comments and, of course, gifs.
- Olivia Smith (@oliffia) January 11, 2018
hey stuart. do me a favour. Go watch some sondheim. go watch Dear Evan Hansen. Go watch West Side Story. If you feel the same after that, then i feel sorry for you. I await your next article where you say that Classical music is pointless as we now have Tiesto and Stormzy
- Matt Bateman (@MattBateman1991) January 11, 2018
- Natalie Hollingworth (@NCHollingworth) January 11, 2018
Even celebrities are getting involved. Check out Laura Dreyfuss and Sara Bareilles's responses:
It's not our fault you didn't get cast in your high school musical production of Grease ???? https://t.co/Ay6dD61E0P
- Laura Dreyfuss (@lauradreyfuss) January 11, 2018
Wow. I hardly ever retweet things I disagree with so passionately, but the sweeping statements in this article are quite shocking. Saying ALL of anything is any ONE way is usually an indicator of someone who doesn't know very much about it. Long live the theater, music and all. https://t.co/grSZ2fgpTR
- Sara Bareilles (@SaraBareilles) January 11, 2018
Well thought out opinions are valid, but just because you don't want to hear the people sing doesn't mean others will agree. Maybe it's time to make like Dot and move on...
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