Survey regarding Buffy and Musicals

[tiguh_tiguh]

Hi all

I'm doing some research on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, particularly on the episode "Once More, With Feeling" (the musical episode). In particular, I'm looking for information on how the episode was received, and how it affected people, particularly if they are/were fans of musical theatre before or after seeing the episode. I've created the

Comments

[ancientsong]

1.

Yes love them!!

2.

The melodies speak to me. I adore the idea of people breaking into song to truly speak their minds. I come from a musical family where we all sang as often as possible so singing was paramount and routine for communication and sharing.

There is drama and music and joy and laughter and poignancy all at the same time. Truly, what's not to love?

3.
Yes. Lots.
Of course, you know I sing (and have since I was about 9mos old; apparently I hummed in harmony to my mom's singing before I could speak).
I play guitar, violin, flute, percussion. I did a great deal of theatre and musical theatre in high school and college, sang in choirs and various singing groups. I have been in bands of various kinds for the last 20 years and still perform either in groups or solo doing both my own music and covers.

4.

Pippin, Wicked, Fantasticks, Company, Sunday in the Park with George, Evita, to name but a few.

Oy, this is tough. Steven Schwartz is a god. His writing is impeccable at making me *feel* and that's why I love it. Sondheim does similar things to my emotions. He can take me so very high and drop me down into the depths with just a flick of his fabulous wrist.

5.
I'm hard pressed to find least favorite, but Phantom is pretty bad. I found the music was poorly written (hard to define and follow, sometimes there was cacophany among the singers). The set design was amazing but the story ultimately boring and I'm sick and tired of women being worth loving just 'cause they're pretty.

6.
I am a fan so I'm not sure how to answer this one.

7.
I'm a fan.

8.
When it debuted.

9.
Way before.

10.
OMWF didn't really do anything for me WRT other musicals. I loved them before and loved them since.

It followed a certain prescribed set of plot points (down to the self-referential the curtains close on a kiss god knows line). I enjoyed a lot of the numbers, good melodies, lyrics that for the most part were not too clever (one of my problems with Whedon's writing overall is just how clever his characters always are, even the Zeppos) and they carried the story along beautifully. In fact, I really enjoyed that he incorporated music into it all by having it be a demon that causes the entire thing. I didn't care for the fact that Xander called the demon up and was somehow too unaware to realize that since he had done magic to make things lighter and more musical and happy that what was going on might be his fault.

11.
No, I'm not sure it's my favorite. I love Hush. I love Becoming. OMWF is a lovely moment in television history and while it moves the overall arch along, I prefer a lot of the more poignant episodes for their dramatic impact even as I truly enjoy the musical episode *because* it's a musical. It's new and a great introduction to musicals for those who don't know them, but really, I can't say it changed my life WRT musicals even though it did change my thinking on the possibilities of those kinds of unions on TV.

12.

I'm female and almost 42.

[tiguh_tiguh]

Thanks for your answers.
"I really enjoyed that he incorporated music into it all by having it be a demon that causes the entire thing."
Could you elaborate on this more? Do you like that he used a Demon for that purpose, or would it have been the same if he used some other way of incorporating music into it? I guess I'm not sure what you mean...