February 03, 2005

Jerry Springer - The Opera What an absolute load of crap! Best of the web? Well, if it saves us the ticket money, it's worth looking at.
posted by Skrik 19 years ago
  • Did I mention the fucker goes on for three acts?
  • Peaches: A WEIRD THING HAPPENED LAST NIGHT, WHEN I WENT TO TAKE A LEAK I ENDED UP PISSING ON A MAN, WITH A GLORIOUS PHYSIQUE I SAID WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING ON THE RESTROOM FLOOR? HE SAID DON'T ASK STUPID QUESTIONS, JUST PISS ON ME SOME MORE PISS ON ME YOU WHORE I PISSED SOME MORE I GUESS WE ALL GOT OUR FLAWS, JERRY Jerry: I'm confused here. So are you gonna take him back? Peaches: UH HUH UH HUH UH HUH Dwight: BABY I LOVE YOU! I would pay money to see this. Provided that none of it actually goes to Jerry Springer, of course.
  • Is Nathan Lane in it?
  • I've heard that it is really, really good.
  • This American Life did a wonderful piece about him awhile back. Evidently he was quite a gifted and inspiring politician, back before he sold his soul to daytime TV.
  • I saw this at the Battersea Arts, way before it played at the National Theatre. It's *genius*. No, really. It's brilliant. Reading the libretto of any opera always ends in tears, and can never show the whole combination of music and staging. Even the plots of most of the classic operas will leave you giggling. But on stage, Jerry Springer the Opera is just fantastic. Just check out the awards it won.
  • DangerIsMyMiddleName is right (About Jerry Springer The Opera, not about his middle name. Although he's probably right about his middle name, too. I just can't vouch for it.) I was VERY skeptical about this play, but after months and months of reading uniformly ecstatic reviews from every critic in London, I bit the bullet and went. With my parents, no less. I didn't regret going. (My parents loved it, too.) I think what makes it work so well is that these obscene lyrics are combined with some of the most beautiful music I've heard in the theatre.It's a kind of thematic contrapuntal harmony, if that makes sense--in literal contrapuntal harmony, the various voices are doing very different things that somehow harmonize, and here, the often ethereal beauty of the music was doing something very different than the usually filthy lyrics--but they somehow harmonized together beautifully. In any case, seen in context, it becomes clear that the show is a satire of the trashy talk-show mentality rather than an exploitation of it. The only problem is that you will leave the theatre with the songs stuck in your head. If you see "My Fair Lady" and find yourself singing "I'm Getting Married In The Morning" in public, it's no big deal--but after leaving "Jerry Springer The Opera," you might find yourself on the Tube cheerfully singing "Momma, gimme smack in the asshole. Momma, gimme smack in the ass!" while the elderly lady sitting next to you quickly moves down the carriage. Despite that risk, it's well worth seeing.
  • You can like the musical without liking Jerry Springer. I like "The Producers" and I am only lukewarm on Hitler.
  • While I was in London, some friends took me to see it. The first part was sort of funny, but then it started to drag. It was well put together and the acting/singing was fine, but the plot/concept was sort of clich
  • I loved this opera/musical/whatever; I saw it at the National Theatre on the 4th of July and laughed my head off. I think this is what opera should be doing right now. jacobw is totally right about the music being gorgeous. It's in the gutter, but it's looking at the stars. Oh, and it's coming to Broadway....
  • it's coming to San Francisco first! i typically dislike/do not get opera, but i am awfully tempted. the free screensaver on the show site is amusing, too.
  • Speaking as someone who watches Jerry Springer in bed on sick days, I really want to see this.
  • I want to see this. I'm still upset I missed Batboy: The Musical!
  • I went to see it at the National last year, and it's great! Well, the first act is utter genius, then it starts getting all metaphysical and drags a bit towards the end... but it works as opera, as parody, and as satire.
  • Watched it on the BBC and thought it was fantastic. I've never even watched an episode of Jerry Springer.
  • I haven't seen Batboy either, but a friend of mine played in the pit for it when it ran in Miami and said it was fantastic.