Sunday, 10 January 2010

Let there be music!

I love musicals.

I grew up with a family that loves music. We had a karaoke machine when we were younger with a boxful of VHS tapes of English, Chinese and Malay songs. Family gathering warrant digging out the karaoke machine and everyone having a go at singing. And I remember a time when we had to karaoke for ang pows during one Chinese New Year. My parents also sent all of us for piano lessons when we were younger - one that I gave up at Grade 3 because I decided I wasn't at all musical. My theory was great, my oral was great, I have no problems playing scales, but getting my two hands to play together in time was the most difficult thing ever.

So that was that. But that didn't change how I grew up listening to popular music of the 70s and 80s, and some classical music thrown in on top. And our TV was made of stuff like the Sound of Music (which I remember trying to record, but the VHS tape didn't last long enough and cut off halfway, and I watched it with Brother #3) and King & I (which I watched one evening with Dad). Both of which I still have good memories till now. Oh, and of course we have the singing and dancing of Disney features.

I wonder if watching musicals is my way of escaping adulthood and going back to the childhood filled with song, laughter, happiness. All that sappy stuff, and you have to admit that musicals tend to be more memorable than your usual film. But regardless of why I do it, I finally started on my DVD collection of the musicals I want with a copy of the Sound of Music and Oliver! which I bought to watch over the 2 weeks that Boy is going to be at his parents' because I'll be bored and lonely. Also because he doesn't like musicals - too cheesy or something. I don't understand how he can not like musicals - they're generally so happy. :) Still, I wonder if I can con him into taking me to a West End musical at least once if we ever end up in London for more than a day.

Watching the Sound of Music right now - such blatantly American accents for a film that supposedly has Austrian characters. :P I would've mistaken the accents for those in Gone with the Wind!

And I just realised - I'm only on day 2 of Boy being away and I'm already out of movies to watch. :( In need of a social life, me!
Edit Entry Edit Tags Add to Memories Tell a Friend Track This

2 comments:

phonakins said...

Given they'd be speaking Austrian German anyway I don't think their English accents being American really matters?

pei said...

I think it would've been preferable if they had some sort of European accent rather than a distinctly American one, but that's just my opinion. It puts me off a bit when the characters sounded like they should've been in another movie, like they don't belong in that setting. After all, if you want to see a historical feature on say, English royals, you'd want at least the accent and setting to be fairly appropriate and complement each other.