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A bitchy comment

  • Writer: Amanda Riddell
    Amanda Riddell
  • Jun 9
  • 1 min read

Modern opera has no drama; modern musicals have no music. Both are tedious, live and on video. I see my style as akin to Third Stream music. - None of my shows are neatly defined as either musicals, music theatre or opera. In order, they're a movie musical, a song cycle, a masala film and a melodrama. Working For Each Other is a revue, which isn't strictly a musical. Shipwrecked on Islands isn't really a rock musical. It's more than that. I call films of that type integrated set-piece films, whether it's porn or body horror.

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1 Comment

Amanda Riddell
Amanda Riddell
Jun 08

Why do musicals have no music? They're written by formula, so the gestures are formulaic. Every show sounds like the same version of mediocre pop-rock. Even the 1950's shows were more musically varied. Lin might be a rather banal rapper, but at least his sound is fresh and contemporary. - Why do operas have no drama? Because none of the composers are dramatists and dramaturgs are the bane of all the people who have to work with existing institutions. Written on Skin has gorgeous music and amazing design, yet it's so boring I gave up on it. People who a) aren't good enough writers, b) aren't good enough directors and c) aren't fully responsible for the production are given the ability to tell those who are in…

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