History Main / NoSeriousBusinessInShowBusiness

* ''Theatre/{{Parade}}'' It's been jokingly referred to as "everybody's favorite lynching musical" written by "nebbish Jewish guys about a nebbish Jewish guy".

A {{Theatre}} trope, but could be applied to other media.

* ''Theatre/LesMiserables'': If [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the name didn't give it away]]: [[PluckyComicRelief Thenadiers aside]], this is probably the number one aversion. The professional reviews of its debut bashed it for being far too gloomy, claiming ItWillNeverCatchOn. Word of mouth from the ''rest'' of the audience, however...
* ''Theatre/{{Parade}}''
* ''Theatre/{{Elisabeth}}'': Even the sweet, innocent songs at the beginning ("Wie Du", for example) have horribly dark reprises later. To think of it that way, there are no happy or lighthearted songs in the entire musical — the happiest moment is when the title character ''dies''.

->"People want laughter when they see a show.
->"The last thing they're after's litany of woe."

* ''Dance a Little Closer'', Alan Jay Lerner's final musical, was a SettingUpdate of the popular 1936 play ''Idiot's Delight''...meaning it was a musical {{Dramedy}} set on the eve of ''WorldWarIII'' (or, as the script described it, "the avoidable future") rather than the then-brewing World War II. As the Cold War was getting rather hot in 1983, the premise was a massive turnoff to audiences and it only lasted one official performance.

* ''Dance a Little Closer'', Alan Jay Lerner's final musical, was a SettingUpdate of the popular 1936 play ''Idiot's Delight''...meaning it was a musical {{Dramedy}} set on the eve of ''WorldWarIII'' (or, as the script described it, "the avoidable future") rather than the then-brewing World War II. As UsefulNotes/TheColdWar was getting rather hot in 1983, the premise was a massive turnoff to audiences and it only lasted one official performance.

* ''Dance a Little Closer''

* ''Theatre/NextToNormal'': Drugs are an integral part of the show, the protagonist has spent years suffering from a mental illness, and the only member of her family who isn't affected by this [[spoiler:is the hallucinatory version of someone who's been dead for years]].

* ''Theatre/NextToNormal''.

* ''{{Elisabeth}}'': Even the sweet, innocent songs at the beginning ("Wie Du", for example) have horribly dark reprises later. To think of it that way, there are no happy or lighthearted songs in the entire musical — the happiest moment is when the title character ''dies''.

* Inverted in-universe in ''FindingNeverland'': James' producer thinks theater-goers will pay to see only serious works, and thinks the idea of a fanciful play about children is ridiculous. The aversion is somewhat justified, in that James has to bring orphans to the play to laugh at it in order to get the adults to be receptive.

* ''NextToNormal''.

* ''Theatre/JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat'': Even though it was originally a school play, it did give AndrewLloydWebber and TimRice a springboard that they used when writing ''JesusChristSuperstar''. That success lay in rejuvenating old material, although ''JCS'' was arguably more ''accessible'' than ''funny'', as ''Joseph'' was.

* ''Theatre/LesMiserables'': [[PluckyComicRelief Thenadiers aside]], this is probably the number one aversion. The professional reviews of its debut bashed it for being far too gloomy, claiming ItWillNeverCatchOn. Word of mouth from the ''rest'' of the audience, however...

* ''{{Parade}}''

* ''JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat'': Even though it was originally a school play, it did give AndrewLloydWebber and TimRice a springboard that they used when writing ''JesusChristSuperstar''. That success lay in rejuvenating old material, although ''JCS'' was arguably more ''accessible'' than ''funny'', as ''Joseph'' was.

Compare WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids, when material for children is criticised for being too dark.

Contrast TrueArtIsAngsty, which reigns supreme in most other media (including non-musical theatre).

-> "Keep it Gay" - Film/TheProducers

[[WMG: Shows that have flopped as a result of this trope]].

-> "Keep it Gay" - TheProducers

* ''Theatre/LesMiserables'': [[PluckyComicRelief Thenadiers aside]], this is probably the number one aversion. The professional reviews of its debut bashed it for being far too gloomy, claiming ItWillNeverCatchOn. Word of mouth from the ''rest'' of the audience, however...

* ''Theatre/LesMiserables'': [[PluckyComicRelief Thenadiers aside]], this is probably the number one aversion.

* ''[[Theatre/{{ptitlenjisnv3p}} Les Misérables]]'': [[PluckyComicRelief Thenadiers aside]], this is probably the number one aversion.

* JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat: Even though it was originally a school play, it did give AndrewLloydWebber and TimRice a springboard that they used when writing JesusChristSuperstar - that success lay in rejuvenating old material, although [[JesusChristSuperstar JCS]] was arguably more ''accessible'' than ''funny'' like [[JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat Joseph]] was.

* ''[[{{Theatre/ptitlenjisnv3p}} Les Misérables]]'': [[PluckyComicRelief Thenadiers aside,]] this is probably the number one aversion.
* {{Parade}}
* {{Elisabeth}}: Even the sweet innocent songs at the beginning ("Wie Du", for example) have horribly dark reprises later on. Thinking of it that way, there are no happy or lighthearted songs in the entire musical - the happiest moment is when the title character ''dies''.
* Inverted in-universe in FindingNeverland: James' producer thinks theater-goers will only pay to see serious works, and thinks the idea of a fanciful play about children is ridiculous. The aversion is somewhat justified, in that James has to bring orphans to the play to laugh at it in order to get the adults to be receptive.

>"People want laughter when they see a show.

--->"People want laughter when they see a show.
--->"The last thing they're after's litany of woe."

---> "Keep it Gay" - TheProducers

* LesMiserables: [[PluckyComicRelief Thenadiers aside,]] this is probably the number one aversion.

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