A few questions that I hope will provoke some discussion/mild debates/large-scale arguments/huge flame wars to scorch the very coding of this site.
So.
Are there any sci-fi or fantasy ( or if you prefer, "speculative fiction" ) musicals? Doesn't the concept seem fairly ludicrous? Can you think of any sf/f theater--or for that matter, cinema--that could possibly be taken seriously? There are a few old movies, like 2001: A Space Odyssey. But really, can you think of any made after, say, 1990?
Why do you think sf/f is largely not taken seriously? And why do you think it transfers so poorly to other media, given that so much of the theater's established classics have elements of the fantastic?
And no, A Midsummer Night's Dream is not "fantasy." Actually discuss the failings of the genre; don't try to co-opt other works into it.
EDIT: Chatting with someone about this has made it apparent my question isn't clear. In short, why aren't sf/f plays or musicals written, if the genre is deep? I'd prefer for the discussion to be limited to 20th century works and later, since I foresee anything else deteriorating rapidly into arguments for the inclusion of Homer's Iliad into the corpus of fantasy.
So.
Are there any sci-fi or fantasy ( or if you prefer, "speculative fiction" ) musicals? Doesn't the concept seem fairly ludicrous? Can you think of any sf/f theater--or for that matter, cinema--that could possibly be taken seriously? There are a few old movies, like 2001: A Space Odyssey. But really, can you think of any made after, say, 1990?
Why do you think sf/f is largely not taken seriously? And why do you think it transfers so poorly to other media, given that so much of the theater's established classics have elements of the fantastic?
And no, A Midsummer Night's Dream is not "fantasy." Actually discuss the failings of the genre; don't try to co-opt other works into it.
EDIT: Chatting with someone about this has made it apparent my question isn't clear. In short, why aren't sf/f plays or musicals written, if the genre is deep? I'd prefer for the discussion to be limited to 20th century works and later, since I foresee anything else deteriorating rapidly into arguments for the inclusion of Homer's Iliad into the corpus of fantasy.
But perhaps this is the wrong place to ask, as the board is primarily about books, and musical set books are not at all common.
I honestly can't remember any real musicals based on these themes, but I can't see any reason why it won't work - the absurd nature of musicals could easily be fit into the somewhat strange setting of spaceships and/or dragons...
"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world" - Calvin.
Obviously I have musicals on the brain.
- 31/01/2010 06:36:33 AM
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Musicals are tricky things to do
- 31/01/2010 07:57:44 AM
694 Views
If sf/f relies on effects, then it doesn't deserve respect.
- 31/01/2010 08:04:10 AM
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I'm not saying it can be done or relies on effects. I'm just saying it might be tricky
- 31/01/2010 06:40:44 PM
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There is a musical episode of buffy.... 
- 31/01/2010 09:50:22 AM
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- 31/01/2010 09:50:22 AM
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The board ends up being about books, but it's actually titled "Sci-Fi & Fantasy."
- 31/01/2010 07:23:45 PM
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- 31/01/2010 07:23:45 PM
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Yes, but the site is read and find out. Maybe you should go to listen and find out? *NM*
- 31/01/2010 07:28:19 PM
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Tell that to the games board. 
*NM*
- 31/01/2010 07:50:53 PM
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*NM*
- 31/01/2010 07:50:53 PM
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Which is an interesting example.
- 02/02/2010 06:41:08 AM
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Very silly. Less silly, though, when you consider the lack of a Theater/Musicals board. *NM*
- 02/02/2010 07:00:00 AM
308 Views
Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide stories were originally radio plays
- 31/01/2010 06:16:42 PM
821 Views
Which in turn reminds me of the infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast with Orson Welles... *NM*
- 31/01/2010 06:36:32 PM
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Nonsense.
- 31/01/2010 07:22:25 PM
679 Views
I feel like I'm a broken record, telling you to re-read what I actually said
- 31/01/2010 08:40:17 PM
689 Views
Yes, well, it was a fairly weak defense when you started using it.
- 31/01/2010 09:23:49 PM
796 Views
I'd have to agree with you - it has become more of a niche.
- 31/01/2010 10:16:02 PM
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I think cinema has outstripped theater more than theater has declined.
- 31/01/2010 10:28:06 PM
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I don't know, I've seen a theater adaptation of The Hobbit, for instance...
- 31/01/2010 10:11:47 PM
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Not quite sure what I was thinking about cinema either. My defense was that it was 3 in the morning.
- 31/01/2010 10:26:03 PM
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I would definitely count Little Shop of Horrors among some sort of sf/f mold.
- 01/02/2010 12:56:40 AM
841 Views
Definitely. But again, it's campy and ludicrous.
- 01/02/2010 02:25:00 AM
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Repo! The Genetic Opera, both the play and the film were great. = Rocky-Horror + Bladerunner *NM*
- 02/02/2010 12:41:31 AM
332 Views