Buffy The Musical

[Free Thinker]

I have watched "Buffy the Musical" several times, and enjoy some of the music on it. Firstly, has anyone else seen it? Secondly, what does everyone think stories, such as Buffy and "The Phantom of the Opera", where the guy struggles and fights but "doesn't get the girl"? Are they moral, or do they, in a sense, justify angst?

Edited November 27, 2005 by Free Thinker

[scottkursk]

I have watched "Buffy the Musical" several times, and enjoy some of the music on it. Firstly, has anyone else seen it? Secondly, what does everyone think stories, such as Buffy and "The Phantom of the Opera", where the guy struggles and fights but "doesn't get the girl"? Are they moral, or do they, in a sense, justify angst?

If you are talking about the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode where everyone was forced to sing and dance ala a broadway show, yes I have seen it. It has been a while but I remember enjoying it quite a bit though I do not remember any of the particular story lines. Sure, there were some actors who definately should not quit their day jobs when it comes to their singing but overall it was pretty well done. I felt the show became pretty stale at that point and it was a very refreshing and brave show. I mean, broadway musicals and Buffy the Vampire Slayer do not quite share the same demographic profile. Still, even though that was the 1st time many of the viewers were exposed to that sort of production, it was a good introduction that may have lead to some real appreciation of Broadway musicals and their style.

In all seriousness, I was introduced to Gilbert and Sullivan through The Simpsons episode where Sideshow Bob (as voiced by Kelsey Grammer) asks Bart if he has any last requests before he dies and Bart says "a rousing medley of Gilbert and Sullivan tunes." I was blown away by the enjoyably light, positive sense of life and light operatic tunes Kelsey Grammer was able to belt out. I have attended about 10 live performances of G&S, have numerous recordings, and count Topsy-Turvy as one of my favorite movies.

G&S are what made me truly start to appreciate opera and go to various operatic performances 3 or 4 times a year not counting the local G&S society performances. Funny how little things can make big differences.

Edited December 4, 2005 by softwareNerd

[Tom Robinson]

I have attended about 10 live performances of G&S, have numerous recordings, and count Topsy-Turvy as one of my favorite movies.

.

I too am a fan of G&S and Topsy Turvy (by far the best film of 1999). Compare the wit, elegance and metrical craftsmanship of Sir William Gilbert's lyrics with anything being written for the stage today, and you get an immediate sense of how literacy among the educated classes has plummeted in the past century.

[Ariana Binetta]

I have watched "Buffy the Musical" several times, and enjoy some of the music on it. Firstly, has anyone else seen it?

That was the best, most creative 'Buffy' ever! Simply wonderful and better than 95% of all big budget Hollywood movies. The only thing that compares is that one episode where it appears Buffy's whole superwoman life is a psychotic delusion. (Very brave of the producers to put forth that premise.)

The songs on the musical were almost uniformly outstanding and very inspiring/romantic/heroic. The whole Buffy/Angel line is generally outstanding and Randian romantic. If Ayn really liked and promoted Mickey Spillane then today's Objectivists should adore Buffy and Angel!

Edited November 27, 2005 by Free Thinker

[Tom Robinson]

The whole Buffy/Angel line is generally outstanding and Randian romantic. If Ayn really liked and promoted Mickey Spillane then today's Objectivists should adore Buffy and Angel! 

Am I the only one who thinks Sarah Michelle Geller is made out of wood?

[Free Thinker]

I have watched all the Buffy and Angel episodes except fot the final season of Angel, which my friend has yet to lend me. I really love Joss Wheldon's work.

I would like to pose my question again. In Buffy, for instance, Spike struggles and goes through a lot of pain for Buffy. Is that moral? Should he have simply cut his loses and moved on, or is that kind of devotion admirable?

Edited November 27, 2005 by Free Thinker

[Ariana Binetta]

Am I the only one who thinks Sarah Michelle Geller is made out of wood?

Yes.

[Free Thinker]

Yes. 

No

[Ariana Binetta]

Free Thinker and Tom, I think you guys are being a little harsh! Which actor in that series isn't wooden? Which version of Superman or Batman do you regard as a model? When is a cartoon-like superhero ever all that expressive? Frankly, I think John Galt is more "wooden" that my girl Buffy!

I've seen this episode at least four times and it always thrills me.

Spike is never more menacing than when he growls to Buffy:

Let me rest in peace! Let me get some sleep!

Let me take my love and bury it in a hole six foot deep!

I can lay my body down but I can't find my sweet release!

So let me rest in peace!

And he's never more plaintive and sweet than when he mummurs:

I know I should go,

But I follow you like a man possessed.

There's a traitor here beneath my breast,

And it hurts me more than you've ever guessed.

If my heart could beat it would break my chest.

But I can see you're unimpressed.

The song near the end--Walk Through The Fire--is nothing short of fabulous. It's a pure metaphor for life:

Buffy: I touch the fire and it freezes me.

I look into it and it's black.

Why can't I feel?

My skin should crack and peel!

I want the fire back!

Now through the smoke she calls to me,

To make my way across the flame.

To save the day, or maybe melt away.

I guess it's all the same!

So I will walk through the fire,

'Cause where else can I turn?

(And) I will walk through the fire, and let it...

Spike: The torch I bear is scorchin' me,

Buffy's laughin' I've no doubt

I hope she fries -- I'm free if that bitch dies!

I'd better help her out.

Dancing Demon: 'Cause she is drawn to the fire,

Some people never learn

Spike: She will never learn,

And she will walk through the fire and let it...

Giles: Will this do a thing to change her?

Am I leaving Dawn in danger?

Is my Slayer too far gone to care?

'Xander: What if Buffy can't defeat it?

Anya: Beady Eyes is right, we're needed!

Or we could just sit around and glare.

Scoobies: We'll see it through, it's what we're always here to do,

So we will walk though the fire.

Buffy: So one by one, they turn from me,

I guess my friends can't face the cold.

Tara: What can't we face?

Buffy: But why I froze, not one among them knows,

Tara: If we're together

Buffy: And never can be told.

Anya: She came from the grave much graver.

Dancing Demon: So one by one, they come to me

Spike: First he'll kill her, then I'll save her!

Dancing Demon: The distant redness as their guide

Tara: Everything is turning out so dark.

Buffy: Going through the motions...

Dancing Demon: ...Ain't what they had in mind

Spike: No I'll save her, then I'll kill her!

Willow: I think this line's mostly filler.

Giles: What's it going to take to strike a spark?

Buffy: These endless days are finally ending in a blaze!

Dancing Demon: She will come to m - e.

All: And we are caught in the fire,

The point of no return,

So we will walk through the fire,

And let it bu - rn!

Let it bu - rn!

Let it bu - r - n!

Let it BURN!

Edited November 27, 2005 by Free Thinker

[Free Thinker]

... Let it BURN!

Wow, I guess it never dawned on me that that song was one big metaphor. Duh! (Good observation!) I LOVE Spike's song!! I also like the:

I know, I should gooo..

But I follow you like a man possessed.

There's a traitor here, beneath my breast,

And it hurts me more, than you'll ever guess.

If my heart could beat, it would break my chest!

But .....(and so on...)

Did you type that out from memory as well, Ariana?

Edited May 22, 2006 by GreedyCapitalist

[A Kat]

I have been recently introduced to the Buffy musical (though not the show...I just didn't catch a lot of Season 6). I ADORE it. First of all I feel like on a purely musical level the songs are awesome. Melodic, well done, with outstanding lyrics. The only actor who I feel flat out couldn't sing was Alysson Hannigan (and she's so awesome in so many other ways that we can forgive her).

Secondly, it integrated incredibly well with the plot and foreshadowed a lot of things ("I'll Never Tell" and Xander's subsequent jilting of Anya at the altar just one example). It furthered the show rather than just being a musical for its own sake.

How bout Marti Noxon (a writer) doing the parking ticket song? "I'm not wearing underwear" thrown in at the end there...cute.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the song "Give me something to sing about" at the end there. Even though Buffy's singing about something kind of sad, not being able to enjoy life on earth after being yanked out of a blissful afterlife, I think she drives home the point that simply being alive is not where the value comes from, but what we do with our lives. And ultimately she does find reasons to go on. I especially like the way Spike puts it: "You have to go on living...so one of us is living..."

The experience of living, the things we think and feel, the things that make each of us who we are..."I am the warrant and the sanction", anybody?

[Free Thinker]

I have been recently introduced to the Buffy musical (though not the show...I just didn't catch a lot of Season 6).  I ADORE it.  First of all I feel like on a purely musical level the songs are awesome.  Melodic, well done, with outstanding lyrics.  The only actor who I feel flat out couldn't sing was Alysson Hannigan (and she's so awesome in so many other ways that we can forgive her).

It was an incredible musical. Xander couldn't sing as well either....

Good observations!

Edited May 7, 2005 by ASelameab

[Styles2112]

You know...I've seen pretty much every Buffy episode....EXCEPT THAT ONE!!! Damnit. My parents told me that it was good. I seriously need to get Season 6 on DVD soon. The two other great Buffy's (Artistically, and boldness) are Hush (the entire show was silent, no music or speaking, until the end.) and the one in season 5 where her Mom dies (Again no music, and the acting was suberb in bringing out the reality of emotions.)

Between Buffy and Angel, Joss Whedon had to killer shows, where creativity could run rampant.

[Free Thinker]

You know...I've seen pretty much every Buffy episode....EXCEPT THAT ONE!!!  Damnit.  My parents told me that it was good.  I seriously need to get Season 6 on DVD soon.  The two other great Buffy's (Artistically, and boldness) are Hush (the entire show was silent, no music or speaking, until the end.) and the one in season 5 where her Mom dies (Again no music, and the acting was suberb in bringing out the reality of emotions.)

Between Buffy and Angel, Joss Whedon had to killer shows, where creativity could run rampant.

Actually, my friend has the CD...its not as good as seeing it, but I think that the music stands alone. I did enjoy those episodes, they were very chilling. Joss Wheldon is a wonderful creator. I can't wait for Serenity!

[Ariana Binetta]

I have been recently introduced to the Buffy musical (though not the show...I just didn't catch a lot of Season 6).  I ADORE it.  First of all I feel like on a purely musical level the songs are awesome.  Melodic, well done, with outstanding lyrics...

 

...I'm surprised nobody mentioned the song "Give me something to sing about" at the end there.  Even though Buffy's singing about something kind of sad, not being able to enjoy life on earth after being yanked out of a blissful afterlife, I think she drives home the point that simply being alive is not where the value comes from, but what we do with our lives. 

When I first heard they were going to do a musical version I was really offended at the whole idea. I thought it would be both pretty lame, as well as ruin the atmosphere of the show. I was really prepared to hate it. But it won me over in maybe 4 minutes and two songs at most!

[Free Thinker]

In all seriousness, I was introduced to Gilbert and Sullivan through The Simpsons episode where Sideshow Bob (as voiced by Kelsey Grammer) asks Bart if he has any last requests before he dies and Bart says "a rousing medley of Gilbert and Sullivan tunes." I was blown away by the enjoyably light, positive sense of life and light operatic tunes Kelsey Grammer was able to belt out. I have attended about 10 live performances of G&S, have numerous recordings, and count Topsy-Turvy as one of my favorite movies.

G&S are what made me truly start to appreciate opera and go to various operatic performances 3 or 4 times a year not counting the local G&S society performances. Funny how little things can make big differences.

Who are G & S?

[scottkursk]

Who are G & S?

Gilbert & Sullivan. Here are some examples of their music and the seemingly obligatory wikipedia link.

I can bet you have heard their music but you just didn't know who they were. Things like the Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore, The Mikado, etc. Most all of which was a very tounge in cheek look at British society and their love of burecracy.

[RationalBiker]

I really love Joss Wheldon's work.

If you haven't already viewed it, I think you would really enjoy the Firefly series. Joss Whedon did that series a little while back, but unfortunately it was short lived. I think this is a series any Objectivist would appreciate.

There is a new movie coming out September 30th called Serenity. This appears to be the same story line and characters introduced in the television pilot but with some alterations.

[Edit - RC - Removed factual inaccuracy]

Edited November 28, 2005 by Free Thinker

[RationalBiker]

and the one in season 5 where her Mom dies (Again no music, and the acting was suberb in bringing out the reality of emotions.)

To this day, that episode is difficult for me to watch. My mother died very unexpectedly a short period of time before I first saw it.

I did find it to be a very powerful example of just how dazed one can be when something of such magnitude happens to a person right out of nowhere.

[A Kat]

A friend of mine, also a huge Buffy fan, is a Firefly fanatic. She has the entire series on DVD. The other day when we were cleaning up the kitchen for House Day we were playing the Buffy musical and ended up singing all the different parts. There were like 3 or 4 of us in there all singing "Walk through the fire."

[Free Thinker]

If you haven't already viewed it, I think you would really enjoy the Firefly series.  Joss Whedon did that series a little while back, but unfortunately it was short lived.  I think this is a series any Objectivist would appreciate.

There is a new movie coming out September 30th called Serenity.  This appears to be the same story line and characters introduced in the television pilot but with some alterations. 

[Edit - RC - Removed factual inaccuracy]

Thank you, I have seen the series. I am very excited for the movie as well!

[AshleyShrugged]

I love Buffy! I've seen nearly every episode.

I think that it's interesting when you think of the love triangle between Buffy, Angel, and Spike. Buffy and Angel clearly did and likely never stop loving each other, but their love leads to the loss of his soul, so they have to part. Spike realizes how amazing Buffy is and falls in love with her, but it's a disaster because she just can't love him (despite the fact I just want her to and get it over with.) I think it draws some good comparisons to what we are and arn't capable of. Sometimes in a relationship you may be with a good person, but that doesn't make them the right person.

The musical was fantastic. When I heard about it I was sure the season was dead for ever, but the premise with the demon making them all sing really rocked. (I was worried they were just going to break into song for no reason.) Not to mention that none of the singing was terrible. Sure it wasn't broadway musical style, but it was hardly kareoke night at a pub. (I think some of the actors went through a lot of singing training to prepare for it.)

I definetely don't understand any distaste for Sarah Michelle, sure maybe her best acting isn't in Buffy, but after watching cruel intentions I have no doubt that she can pull off quite the charactor.

One of the worst episodes ever had to be when Dracula comes to town. Dracula in buffy? Why? I like that the main charactor actually dies more than once (then is resurrected, twice) but at least she isn't invincible.

I also appreciate how they've managed to keep any religious untertones out of the storyline. In a world where their is obviously a hell, you will likely believe there is a heaven, yet it seems none of the charactors try to reckon with the other side.

Joss Whedon is awesome, I'm so sad that firefly was cancelled. I think that putting it on Sci-Fi may have been the wrong idea, and that it might have done better on a network like the WB or Fox. After watching Serenity I've been working on getting my hands on Firefly. Really good premises in play in that film. (Like the government can make terrible mistakes when they're trying to make everyone the same.) Not to mention that the cowboy style main charactor is awesome!

[RationalBiker]

The musical was fantastic. When I heard about it I was sure the season was dead for ever, but the premise with the demon making them all sing really rocked. (I was worried they were just going to break into song for no reason.) Not to mention that none of the singing was terrible. Sure it wasn't broadway musical style, but it was hardly kareoke night at a pub. (I think some of the actors went through a lot of singing training to prepare for it.)

I recently purchased the soundtrack for this episode off iTunes. I think the music was very well done.

You may or may not have noticed, but Willow had no singing parts. Allison Hannigan apparently cannot sing, at all.

What I liked about it is that even though it was such an off the wall departure for the series, it was still integrated well into the mythology of Buffy. This was a very pivotal and telling show when all of the characters were forced to sing about all the secrets they had been hiding from each other. The title itself essentializes the episode, "Once More, With Feeling". Sweet (the demon) sums it up quite nicely in his finale;

What a lot of fun

You guys have been real swell

And there's not a one who can say

This ended well

All those secrets

You've been concealing

Say you're happy now,

Once more with feeling

Now I gotta run

See you all in hell

I particularly liked Sweet's songs and his style of singing. The singer is named Hinton Battle and the only other thing I have been able to find with him on it is a recording of Miss Saigon (another great musical).

[khaight]

Joss Whedon is awesome, I'm so sad that firefly was cancelled. I think that putting it on Sci-Fi may have been the wrong idea, and that it might have done better on a network like the WB or Fox.

A minor factual correction -- Firefly originally aired on Fox. The Sci-Fi network re-aired the episodes some time after the cancellation, as they often do with other canceled SF programs. So, empirically, it would not have done better on Fox because that is in fact where it was when it got cancelled.

That aside, I agree that the Buffy musical episode was very good.