A NEW LOOK AT MUSICALS
A New Look at Musicals
Those who have known me for a long time know that it does not take much to get me to rant and rail against Musicals. I have often referred to them as "the lowest art form devised by Western Man" and have attributed their creation to the fact that it took so long to invent television --- there was a vapidity vacuum there which needed filling until t.v. came along! Musicals, of course, are bad enough on Broadway but, when translated to the cinema . . . it too often borders on the criminal. With the exception of the Blues Brothers first Movie and West Side Story, I was always appalled at people shifting from conversation to rapturous singing (Oklahoma comes to mind, and South Pacific, too, since those settings, in particular, hardly seem like places where rough-tough guys would suddenly start singing ....I guess Guys & Dolls fits that way, too). I have been waiting to see this happen somewhere so that I could think, "Well, maybe I just haven't been paying attention and this really does happen in the 'real world.'" However, after years and years of living in a variety of cities (New York, Boston, Cambridge, Providence, New Haven), no one has broken out in song at the check out line, or walking through the park; no traffic cops have begun dancing and singing in the middle of 6th Avenue rush hour, . . . you get the picture.
But now, dear readers, now I have been sent a clip from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, which changes my view on how the world can operate --- how we can actually live in a real musical theatre, even as we teach. What you can witness below is a video of a Popular Culture class taught by Dr. Montana Miller at BGSU. Her letter of explanation, and lyrics, follow.
Here is Montana's e-mail that accompanied the video.
Dear friends,
Being an assistant professor was just getting too boring...so I decided to inject some excitement into my Youth and Popular Culture course, which is a required course for our majors and minors. I wrote some lyrics, enlisted some co-conspirators among the students in the class, as well as my colleague Dr. Jeremy Wallach from the Popular Culture department... and yesterday about half an hour into my lecture we staged our "spontaneous" performance. It begins with me attempting to write some key terms on the whiteboard and (as usual) having trouble finding a whiteboard marker that works.
In this course, we examine portrayals of youth culture in popular media, and of course one important theme is the ubiquitous genre of musicals where everyday teenagers erupt into song and dance in the course of their everyday lives. (West Side Story, High School Musical, and of course the all-time favorite classic, Grease, all are significant topics in my syllabus.) It was only fitting to enact this theme in real life, casting students who were not necessarily performers but just regular (even shy) members of the class, and see if it could ring true. The audience response was tremendous! Students have been emailing me all day to say this was the highlight of their college career. :) It was a nice way to punctuate the course in the last week of classes. To my delight, attendance was almost perfect on this day.
Since not all of the audio is very clear, I am copying the lyrics below, so you can follow along!
ENJOY! Here's the link:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=95Do8OD6Mp4
Whiteboard Dreams
Montana: Dried up markers, pain in my ass!
What's the point of coming to class?
I can't even write on the board!
Can't this wretched college afford
Now and then, a usable pen?
Just one good marker that writes!
(Tell me more, tell me more)
These are all out of ink!
(Tell me more, tell me more)
This could drive me to drink!
John: Dr. Miller, I understand--
Montana: Whatever happened to raising your hand?
John: I found a marker, and it looks brand new!
Montana: Extra credit!
John: Hey, I've got two!
Rachel: I see more--there on the floor!
All: Let's just hope that one of these writes!
(Tell me more, tell me more)
John and Rachel: Why should we give a damn?
(Tell me more, tell me more)
John: There's no final exam!
Emily: Dr. Miller, why're you so stressed?
Thought you said we're not having a test?
Montana: All these youth traditions and trends
Are much more than a means to the ends
Emily and Montana: We know that culture can't be defined
It's always changing, changing your mind!
(Tell me more, tell me more)
Kendall: All this theory's for snobs!
(Tell me more, tell me more)
Anthony: Will it help us get jobs?!
All: Come on BG, our future's at stake
Imagine all the notes we would take
If our professors could write on the board!
Montana to Tyler: Go find out where the markers are stored!
All: School supplies, they do symbolize
Our free expression rights!
(Tell me more, tell me more)
John: Have you tried Powerpoint?
(Tell me more, tell me more)
Kendall (sniffing marker): This is better than a joint!
Montana: Every year I try to pretend
That youth culture's not going to end
That you won't all forget this next year…
Dr. Wallach (appearing in doorway with Tyler): Dr. Miller, what's going on in here?
All: Whiteboard dreams, erased, so it seems…
Montana and Dr. Wallach: But oh….
All: … this marker WRITES!
[Montana writing on board: "WRITES of passage"]