What Makes a Musical Work? Or Not Work?

Often we authors and readers wonder what makes a book "work," or not "work." This weekend my husband and I were in New York City. We saw two musicals on Broadway, The Addams Family and Memphis. That generated a lot of discussion between David and me as we wondered why one “worked” and one didn’t.

Sad to say, The Addams Family stunk. The opening with the fabulous Addams Family theme--"They're creepy and they're kookie/Mysterious and spooky"--was actually the highpoint of the play as the we all sang along and snapped our fingers. Nathan Lane is a superb actor, an incredibly talented man with wonderful comic timing.

Why did The Addams Family stink? Here's what David and I came up with:

1. There was no internal logic to the show. In one scene Morticia and Gomez wanted their daughter to be happy. But the Addams find “happiness” in misery. So which was it? Would they be happy if Wednesday was miserable? So, the "universe" that we were viewing was confusing!

2. The characters were inconsistent from their iconic selves. On the TV show, Morticia and Gomez loved each other so much that the world could fall apart around them and they wouldn't notice, which made for all sorts of complications. Not so in the play. When you are dealing with icons, it's best to stick to the originals or have a darn good reason for making changes!

3. There was nothing at stake and nothing significant changed. As a result, there was no real conflict. Here’s the plot: Wednesday Addams has fallen in love and wants to bring her boyfriend home to meet her parents. She wants Morticia and Gomez’s blessing…except that early on, she’s willing to run away without their blessing.

It gets worse. The boyfriend’s father connects with his inner macho-man through an encounter with a giant squid.

You read that right.

Not with Thing. Or Cousin Fester. Or Itt. But a Squid.

I can only imagine the desperation it must have taken to conjure up a giant squid to save a faltering plot. On second thought, I'd rather NOT think of the desperation it took.

By contrast, Memphis is the story of a white guy (Huey Calhoun) who falls in love with a young black singer, Felicia, who is singing at a bar owned by her brother. Huey wants to make Felicia a star, so he takes up the challenge of introducing black music (rock and roll) to the (white) world. But Felicia is convinced that Memphis will never accept him or be a big enough venue for her dreams.

Can you see all the inherent conflict? And the huge stakes? Trust me, it's a fabulous musical, one I'd love to see again! Of course, the music in Memphis was also just flat-out incredible.

I'm curious...if you have seen The Addams Family, what did you think of it? If you haven't, would might you expect? Did you enjoy the TV program? Have any of you seen Memphis? Doesn't the plot sound delicious?

America Is Great, Because...

“America is great, because it is good.”

Alexander de Tocqueville

I love this country. I was reminded of some of the reasons why just last week. My husband David and I drove down to Memphis for a business meeting he had to attend. The Gibson bus (a rolling "green room" that Gibson guitar provides for rock stars) took us to the highlight of our first evening in town was a trip down the Mississippi on a paddle-wheeled riverboat. I hung over the railing on the top deck to watch the paddle blades revolve over and over, churning muddy water. As a band played rock’n’rock, blues, and tributes to the greats, the able crew guided us up and down the waterway. After we docked, we climbed back aboard the bus and David played a little guitar, something he's very good at.

The next day, David went to his meetings, and I visited booksellers and scrapbook stores. I stopped in at Burke’s Book Store, established in 1875. Each time Memphis native son John Grisham brings out a new book, he holds his first signings at Burke’s.

From there I drove to Davis-Kidd Booksellers. I ate lunch in their restaurant, Bronte’s Café, which promised and delivered a novel experience. The food was terrific!

Next I visited Eclectica Scrapbooks and Stamps. This is a WOW of a scrapbook store, and I had to indulge in buying paper. Sigh. The selection was too yummy to pass up.

Back to the Madison to pack up. Stacey, the concierge, had put together a little gift pack for me of Molton Brown toiletries. Have you tried them? They are wonderful.

David finished his meetings, and we started the drive back to St. Louis. Along the way, we decided to eat at Lambert’s in Sikeston, a place famous for “throwed rolls.” The restaurant is huge, seating more than 130 patrons in a big area festooned with license plates from across the nation. After placing our order, we caught a few of the yeasty rolls tossed our way, and said, “Yes,” to helpings of fried okra, potatoes and onions, macaroni and tomatoes, and pinto beans. (They bring a big bowl to your table and offer you these as part of the meal.) Along with my chicken breast—which was seriously bigger than a dinner plate—I had cucumbers and onions in vinegar with sugar the way my grandmother used to make it.

Now you’re probably wondering…what does this have to do with your theme, Joanna? About loving this country? Well, seated across the aisle from us was a table full of soldiers in camouflage gear. David and I were enjoying our meal when the soldiers finished, stood and started walking to the cashier.

Lambert’s erupted in applause. Spontaneously, everyone was paying tribute to these men who are serving our country.

And that, my friends, is one reason I love America. The appreciation, the spontaneity, the heartfelt support that crowd gave the servicemen. De Tocqueville said, “It is good,” but what he meant, I believe, is that WE are good. Americans from all walks of life are the best advertisement our country has! From that the crew on the riverboat, to the band that sings Elvis numbers. From the bookstores which support new authors, to the entrepreneur who sells scrapbooking supplies. From the concierge who indulges a traveler with her favorites, to the folks who stop long enough to thank our troops. All of us make this the special place our country is, the beacon of hope still, despite the troubles we face.

So, please, honor our country. Be an informed citizen and plan to exercise your right to vote!