Flibbertigibbet

You're right, Flibby. Musicals lack any sort of depth. They are silly and pointless. And at the end of them...you come to realize that not much happened...there's hardly ever a climax!

I don't reject the format entirely. I mean, it seems theoretically possible to have a musical that is completely satisfying as a work of art. I mean, I really love the movie version of Chicago and Moulin Rouge. Mary Poppins is a great movie, too.

So, it seems like these things could be set to stage with at least as much gratification.

But I don't like theater very much in itself. Theater appeals to people in large part due to the fact that it is live. It's analog. And that is precisely what I don't like about it. Every time you go see it, it will be slightly different.

Also, you can't get very close to a theater production.

Usually, when I'm at a theater production, I find myself paying a lot of attention to the stage and lighting design rather than the performance itself. It's like real-life gets in the way of me enjoying it.

Add spontaneous singing, dancing, and overwrought emotion and it's a recipe for disaster for me.

You don't care if you never have...What!? So have you gone straight? :P

In all seriousness, did you mean to include musical films too? I actually like a few musical films. But I've never watched a musical on stage, or have any interest in doing so.

While it seems to happen in waves, the next time I get free tickets to a GOOD musical, you're first on my list to invite so you can say you've experienced it. But if you don't like musical theatre, no matter what the price, you're not going to leave the theatre wanting to tap dance down the street or serenade someone.

The idea behind bursting into song and dance is that your emotions are so high (whether good or bad), and just words can't express how you feel, so you have to take it to the next level (and there just happens to be an orchestra on standby to help you out with that). People who love the theatre can believe it; others think it's a load of dung. To each his own.

But as a "semi-retired" performer I will be the first to tell you -- I'd rather gnaw off my feet and run a marathan with the bloody stumps I would have for legs than go to a piano bar! You deserve a medal of honor for suffering through that one.