Musicals Are Ok With Me Now

After watching Hairspray for the 8th time on my computer, it is pretty obvious that I have developed a new-found affinity for song-oriented movies. For the record, I never did like any musicals before this. It's just that the very idea of a person breaking into song and dance at whim and expecting everyone in his/her vicinity to suddenly turn into professional dancers is rather.. absurd:

(Scene: 7AM. Ben walks out of the front gate.)

Ben: (Sings) Oh it's such a beautiful morning~

Adrian: (Sings) Unlike yesterday's mourning~

Ben: (Sings) And it's such a great chance for the neighbours to come out and daaaaaaance!~

Neighbour: OI, ORANG MAU TIDUR AH! DIAM LA!

I guess I blame Bollywood for instilling this intense hatred for musicals in me. Every weekend afternoons since I could remember, my mom would tune into some Hindi or Tamil movie which we all know, consists of a lot of singing, a lot of dancing and a lot of bad acting. The storyline is also painfully predictable:

1. Poor boy meets rich girl. Singing follows.

2. Rich girl falls in love with poor boy. Singing follows.

3. Rich girl's parents disapprove of their love. Parents lock the rich girl up. Singing follows.

4. Rich parents sends their 'henchmen' to fight off the poor boy and the girl is moved around India. Singing follows.

5. Ben marches away from the TV set in protest but comes back an hour later, curious of how the 3 hour movie ended.

6. Rich girl and poor boy reunites. Singing follows.

7. Ben should have known.

Though Hairspray was no different in terms of the repetitive singing and dancing, at least the storyline was feasible PLUS they sing and dance in the same backdrop. Unlike Bollywood films where the hero and heroine AND the entire ensemble of 100 dancers are seen teleporting from their small town in India to the Himalayas and then to the Alps and then to Hawaii. Oh and the Hairspray casts also do not switch their wardrobes 5 times in one song session.

I know it sounds cheesy but Hairspray has definitely cured me of my phobia towards musicals.

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Sidenote: It's a week before the finals and I can totally relate to this post.
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