Musicals

Marriage is a creation of a distinct culture.  Every family has one, and while it could be characterized as an example of say, "Midwest conservative Christian culture", any given family and their practices and customs will differ from any other one.  Something that I (Arthur) like to think about is culture, how it's formed, benefits and drawbacks to individual cultures, and what that means about how we should live our lives and what we should allow to influence us.  As a result, it's fun for me to sit back and reflect about this little culture currently forming between Alex and myself.

One surprising aspect of our culture, at least to me, has been the use of musicals as entertainment.  I came from a family where I would say action and comedy movies were probably more the order of the day (though I had a grandpa who got a lot of enjoyment out of Laurence Welk song and dance numbers.)  Therefore, it has really been surprising to me how much I've enjoyed the musicals Alex and I have watched together.

It could be argued that our first date together was going to a musical.  A fraternity brother was in our university's production of "Guys and Dolls," and Alex's brother Arnold and I decided we would take our sisters to the performance.  Alex, of course, was oblivious to this, but I was more or less scouting her out as a girl I would like to get to know.  Anyhow, it was great, my favorite song being the Tin Horn Fugue (truth be told, I'm just a sucker for a good fugue.)  A fugue is comprised of independent melodies combined together by a common theme that's introduced at the beginning of the piece.  Johann Sebastian Bach, perhaps the greatest composer to ever draw breath, was the only major composer to do fugues; Beethoven and Mozart left them completely alone.  Some guy went and did it with lyrics.  That might be the pinnacle of musicianship.

The first musical we watched while actually dating was "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," and to be completely honest that was much more a selection for Alex's sake than any personal enthusiasm about the movie.  Despite that fact, it was really good, and there's a scene in there where the brothers in question sing a song while swinging around axes.  I may be wrong, but that movie was made about 50 years ago and I don't think those were fake axes, so I got to give a ton of respect to those guys.  Consequently, this movie was deemed manly enough that it might be enjoyed on its merits instead of just as an appeasement to my lovely bride to be.  Note from Alex:  It also contains some of the best dance scenes and portrays male dancers as pretty athletic.

Since that time, we have seen "The Musicman," "The Fantastiks!," "The Fiddler on the Roof," "Les Miserables," and "Hello, Dolly."  I guess computers have given us some cool things, but they sure haven't made us more creative.  We've already given a critique of the latest Superman movie that was 75% special effects and fight scenes, and it is sad to think that we rely on that sort of thing to produce a movie instead of music, screenwriting, and choreography.

Anyway, all this to say that musicals are a part of Alex and I's developing family culture.  It is not one that I would have thought about or expected, but it is yet another way that our marriage has broadened my horizons. Omnia vincit amor!