to give some focus to Hugo's anger..." "I approach the material as if doing a play by Chekhov or Shakespeare," says Nunn, "Nothing is allowed through as a simple matter." Of the writing process, Boublil says, "It was a real, total collaboration. Not only on the writing but also on the casting process. We really made a new team of writers, and we made a new show." This is reminiscent of West Side Story, the first collaborative show. Each successful musical since then has been a collaborative effort and has grown in success each time. Musicals are now more eager to tackle subjects that were formerly only touched by straight plays, off-Broadway, and fringe productions. The mass audience is ready to be entertained and intellectually challenged in conjunction. Commercial musicals are encouraging the majority of ‘non-theatre goers’, the children of computer games, the internet and television, to experience a once bourgeois form of entertainment. Nothing can replace the immediacy of the theatre and the sense of occasion at every performance. The musical is a most powerful conveyer of emotion. Les Miserables being such a conveyer.The Rocky Horror ShowThe Rocky Horror Show was created to take the Mickey out of Horror movies, American high school movies, musicals and the weird and wonderful.Some people forget (or just don't know) that The Rocky Horror Picture Show started off as a small-scale stage production in London. Within the space of 18 months, Rocky time-warped its way to motion picture land and international fame. Now, 25 years later (minus the word "picture" from the film title) is on Broadway at Circle in the Square and the West End.There is now a cult following for the stage musical. Costumes are worn by the audience and their participation is highly encouraged. They have lines to shout and dances to do. Audience participation can even extend to bringingspecial 'props' to a show. Rubber Gloves, to be snapped in time with ...
