Random header image... Refresh for more!

#MicroblogMondays 164: Theater

Not sure what #MicroblogMondays is? Read the inaugural post which explains the idea and how you can participate too.

*******

If I really love a show, I’ll go and see it multiple times.  I know there are people who love theater because of its fleeting nature, but I am someone who likes to re-read books and re-watch movies.  The idea that something exists only for a short period of time and then disappears forever makes me anxious.

I combat that feeling by seeing the same play multiple times.  I recently did that with a play I liked — Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights — and I meant to see a third time before it was gone forever.  (Yes, I know they’re making it into a film, and there may be other productions in the future, but this particular one will be gone forever.)  But it’s totally sold out, and I have a busy week.  So no extra show for me.  It makes me really sad to think that once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Do you like fleeting things like theater or do you prefer more permanent mediums like movies?

*******

Are you also doing #MicroblogMondays? Add your link below. The list will be open until Tuesday morning. Link to the post itself, not your blog URL. (Don’t know what that means? Please read the three rules on this post to understand the difference between a permalink to a post and a blog’s main URL.) Only personal blogs can be added to the list. I will remove any posts that are connected to businesses or are sponsored post.

1. Cathy at Still Waters 8. Empty Arms, Broken Heart 15. Stephanie (Travelcraft Journal)
2. Parul Thakur 9. Thoughts thru Lens 16. Virg� nia
3. Laughing IS Conceivable 10. Journeywoman 17. Chandra Lynn (Pics and Posts)
4. Raven 11. Isabelle 18. Jess
5. Cristy 12. Loribeth (The Road Less Travelled)
6. Lori Lavender Luz 13. Mali (A Separate Life)
7. Turia 14. Mali (No Kidding)

13 comments

1 Cathy { 10.16.17 at 5:59 am }

Live theatre is quite expensive here so for me it’s a case of go and enjoy the experience because I’ll probably not be seeing that performance again.
Film/movies don’t have the same pull as live theatre. But then it’s a different medium. A ‘musical’ may have the same storyline but the dance steps are almost perfect – you can’t hear the sound of tapping feet on a wooden stage.
It may be a one off experience for me but it’s a preferred one. I also prefer ‘the book’ to ‘the film’ ~ Cathy

2 Parul Thakur { 10.16.17 at 7:29 am }

Like you, I re-read book and watch movies again and again. I haven’t thought much why but reading your post and now thinking about myself, I like getting absorbed in a story or concept which doesn’t happen in just one-time. I haven’t watched a lot of plays but yes, they are also something I would like to record.

3 Cristy { 10.16.17 at 8:27 am }

I’m the opposite of you and usually only read, see or watch things once. A book, movie or play has to be well done in order for me to reabsorb it. For me, there’s a thrill with the newness and the unknown. Going through and being part of the journey to discover the end of a journey.

It’s actually something I’m forcing myself to revisit, this sitting with the hard and uncertainty. Going through and analyzing details.

4 Lori Shandle-Fox { 10.16.17 at 8:30 am }

I love both a theater experience and a movie experience because each is so unique and different from the other. For that reason, I don’t love seeing movies at home whether rented or on TV. It’s not about just seeing the movie for me, it’s the movie theater experience. I had friends in college who were film students. We would go to the movies and when the film was over they’d say: “That was good. Let’s sit through it again.” I was like: “Have a good time. Bye.” I’d just seen a story from beginning to end. Even if it was great, the idea of reliving it ten minutes later sounded exhausting.

5 Valery { 10.16.17 at 9:23 am }

did you see this?
http://www.scotsman.com/news/hogwarts-express-rescues-stranded-family-who-lost-canoe-in-remote-scotland-1-4586913
made me smile, click over and most of all it made me think of you Mel!
VV

6 Raven { 10.16.17 at 9:40 am }

I love to watch and rewatch, and read and reread. It’s where I draw most of my comfort from…so I am totally with you on this.

7 chris { 10.16.17 at 12:03 pm }

I don’t care for crowds because of my nerve disease- it is a prime spot for me to get bumped or poked and end up in a lot of extra pain. So, for that reason alone I very rarely go to live events that are going to be filled with people- I have to REALLY, REALLY want to see/hear something. But, were I to go to the theater I’d be like you, wanting to see again. Because I’m someone who will watch and rewatch favorite tv shoes 100’s of times. In fact, my husband likes tv for white noise to sleep. But the changing volumes of late night tv would wake me so we agreed that it would be DVD (and now things he’s put on our cloud server from DVD’s) and I’m certain it drives him crazy that I truly do watch about the same 20 shows over and over and over. But, I too, like the comfort and familiarity, not something “new and exciting” especially when I’m trying to relax. I also find that in these troubling times in our world I’m less likely to want to watch anything new- I want that safety net of knowing where the scary/emotional/traumatic moments of a show are and being able to navigate them. I’m better about reading new books, but I think that’s because my reading time is so limited because I still love to go back to old standbys! LOL

8 Turia { 10.16.17 at 1:27 pm }

I am like you in that I love to reread books (only particular favourites, not all books) and I do have ‘comfort’ movies too. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a live production more than once, even though I love theatre and musicals especially.

For me I think the two critical sticking points are lack of money and lack of time. To organize a babysitter for us to go out for an evening is a major challenge, but even in our childless days, although we did go to the theatre, symphony, etc., we never went more than once. I think it would be really hard for me to rationalize spending that money on something I’d already seen.

I absolutely have huge envy about productions in places I don’t get to see- like any time Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen team up. Or the Harry Potter play in London (which I’ve read, but meh. I bet it is amazing on stage). I’d almost be more inclined to jet off somewhere to see that one special thing rather than keep watching something at home I’ve already seen (in a hypothetical world where I could do both since right now I cannot do either).

9 Journeywoman { 10.16.17 at 3:20 pm }

I’ve seen Phantom of the Opera 18 times. Rent 6 times. Wicked 3.

I get what you’re saying,

10 Lori Lavender Luz { 10.16.17 at 7:43 pm }

I like both. There are some theater shows I’ve seen dozens of times (or even been involved in bringing to the stage). In fact, I’m seeing Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat again next month for the umpteenth time.

On the flip side, movies can be low-key. As is watch in your jammies low-key.

11 Jess { 10.16.17 at 10:13 pm }

I like things I can revisit, too. I can barely get the time to go see a movie, so theater is really something special and very rare for us. I used to go to Broadway shows a lot, but the last show I saw in person was probably an orchestra concert where they played the music live to a screening of “Singing in the Rain.” Which was pretty awesome. I missed “In the Heights,” which did have a run here. I guess theater is so fleeting I often miss it!

12 Stephanie (Travelcraft Journal) { 10.17.17 at 12:21 am }

I can relate to that kind of anxiety. I don’t think I’ve seen a play multiple times in one run, but that would be cool!

13 Mali { 10.17.17 at 12:51 am }

I will reread books, and rewatch favourite movies – I like Turia’s description of them as “comfort movies.” But I’ve never gone to see a play or show more than once. I’m a bit worried about reliving experiences, as they never quite live up to that very special first time.

(c) 2006 Melissa S. Ford
The contents of this website are protected by applicable copyright laws. All rights are reserved by the author