Favorite Broadway Musical

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June 17th, 2012 at 2:55:25 PM permalink

C'mon people, this is a gambling site. Guys and Dolls, naturally.

odiousgambit

odiousgambit

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June 17th, 2012 at 3:27:42 PM permalink

Quote: GameBoy
C'mon people, this is a gambling site. Guys and Dolls, naturally.

yeah, that's big with me too

the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: �Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!� She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder

EvenBob

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June 17th, 2012 at 4:17:50 PM permalink

Guys and Dolls is the perfect 40's style musical. The musical
opened on Broadway in 1950 but was written in the late 40's.
The dialog is pure 40's gangsterese. Except for Brando, the
movie was very good. Gene Kelly should have had Brando's
part, it would have been fantastic.

"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."

Tiltpoul

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June 17th, 2012 at 4:36:05 PM permalink

Quote: s2dbaker
I think my all-time favorite Broadway musical was a little show called The Drowsy Chaperon. It was well written, funny, self-deprecating and had a happy ending. What's your favorite Broadway musical?

What kind of musical thread would this be if I didn't chime in? In case you weren't aware, we had a bit of a musical theater trivia challenge going on at WoVCon and if there's interest, I have an Outburst type game with some pretty awesome categories worked up.

Now to comment...

The Drowsy Chaperone is a GREAT show. The original was a great starring vehicle for Sutton Foster and Georgia Engel had a charming role as well. It's just a bit too simple to be in my top 5, but I still give it a high recommendation.

Quote: cestanl
Spring Awakening. It's incredible.

UGH! Sorry, IMO, this show is awful. For those who don't know, Johnathon Groff and Lea Michele got their big breaks in this show, as well as about half the Glee cast at some point. The music (if you can call it that) is tough to get into, and while it seemed like it would break new ground, it really didn't do anything Rent or other musicals had done...

Quote: odiousgambit
"The Music Man" I think.

Interestingly enough, The Music Man is one of the few truly original musicals, with an original concept by Meredith Wilson, as he wrote the book, the score and the music. He was from Iowa and wrote the University of Iowa Fight Song. My father has music directed or acted in this show over 10 times.

Quote: aceofspades
42nd Street

Another good show. David Merrick created this show to feature costumes and dancing. In fact, the original story has more plot to it, but he cut scenes out because they slowed down the pace of the show. If you've seen 42nd Street, tell me what the plot of the musical "Pretty Lady" is about... you can't because it's never fleshed out...

Quote: Wizard
Book of Mormon.

Ahh Wiz! Thanks for taking my advice and going to see that show. Musically, it's one of the smartest written shows in the last decade. Although it seems simple, it's very complex and well-crafted. This is also why is pretty much swept the Tony Awards. This show, musically, is up in my Top 5.

Quote: dlevinelaw
Sweeney todd and book of mormon

WOO HOO! You hit my #1 musical of all-time. Sweeney Todd is Sondheim's best work. The movie is okay, probably about as good as they could do, but the stage musical is frightening. It's haunting score and story... it's amazing. My favorite musical scene of all time is the musical climax of the show... points to anybody who can tell me when it happens.

Quote: EvenBob
Guys and Dolls is the perfect 40's style musical. The musical opened on Broadway in 1950 but was written in the late 40's.

This is probably my favorite musical pre-1970. It enjoyed many successful revivals and although it's set back in a time where cell phones and computers didn't exist, the gambling instinct in all of us rings true whenever. If done well on stage, the sequence starting with Luck Be A Lady all the way to Sit Down Your Rockin the Boat is a marvelous time.

"One out of every four people are [morons]"- Kyle, South Park

CrapsForever

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June 17th, 2012 at 4:36:10 PM permalink

Les Miserables

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EvenBob

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June 17th, 2012 at 5:02:37 PM permalink

Guys and Dolls

Stubby Kaye was in the original Broadway run and in the movie.
On Broadway, the Nathan Detroit part was played by Robert Alda,
Alan Alda's father.

"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."

GameBoy

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June 17th, 2012 at 5:52:12 PM permalink

Quote: EvenBob
Except for Brando, the movie was very good. Gene Kelly should have had Brando's
part, it would have been fantastic.

That's actually one of my favorite Brando performances. While Gene Kelly was a great song and dance man, I don't think he had the presence or personality that Brando had to pull off a proper Sky Masterson, arguably one of the coolest characters of stage or screen.

Everybody wanted that role. Even Sinatra wanted to play Sky Masterson, but he ended up being perfect as Nathan Detroit.

s2dbaker

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June 17th, 2012 at 6:12:19 PM permalink

Quote: Tiltpoul
The Drowsy Chaperone is a GREAT show. The original was a great starring vehicle for Sutton Foster and Georgia Engel had a charming role as well. It's just a bit too simple to be in my top 5, but I still give it a high recommendation.

Too simple? I still have trouble wrapping my head around the layers in this show. It's a show whose book is written by a guy named Robert Martin who happens to me married, in real life to a Janet Van de Graaff. The Man in the Chair part was played by Robert Martin. The Man in the Chair plays a record (yes a record) for the audience of his favorite Broadway musical which is named "The Drowsy Chaperone" in which a couple get married. The bride in the show is named Janet Van de Graaff who is going to give up a being a Broadway starlet and marry the groom character, Robert Martin.

Summary, Robert Martin (who is married to Janet Van de Graaff) is a Man in a Chair telling us about a show where a guy named Robert Martin gets married to a girl named Janet Van de Graaff.

Never mind the bi-plane that is thrown onto the stage, the blackout, the skipping record, the rewriting of Chinese history and the hotel where the Morosco theatre used to be, The Meta is complicated enough!

Quote: Wikipedia
Bob Martin's musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone makes mention of the Morosco Theatre. The title is a reference to a fictional show which, according to the narrative, opened at the Morosco in 1928. The narrator goes on to say that the Morosco was demolished in 1982, and a hotel was built in its place. That hotel, of course, is the Marriott Marquis, which houses the Marquis Theatre, where The Drowsy Chaperone opened in 2006.

Oh, this was not a simple story. This was a complex and intricately woven work of art made to look simple.

Someday, joor goin' to see the name of Googie Gomez in lights and joor goin' to say to joorself, "Was that her?" and then joor goin' to answer to joorself, "That was her!" But you know somethin' mister? I was always her yuss nobody knows it! - Googie Gomez

Nareed

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June 17th, 2012 at 6:13:05 PM permalink

I saw two musicals while in NYC many years ago. I don't recall why :)

I've no great love for the genre, but there are some movies I do like:

The Sound of Music
Beauty and the Beast
Aladdin
The Little Mermaid
The Producers

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EvenBob

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June 17th, 2012 at 6:22:09 PM permalink

Quote: GameBoy
That's actually one of my favorite Brando performances.

Brando can't sing. His rendition of Luck Be a Lady is one
of the worst ever recorded. He had no business being
in a musical. Sinatra hated Brando, he thought he was
talentless. Brando couldn't remember his lines and they
were written all over the set so he could read them.
Sinatra was a one take actor, he came prepared and usually
got it right in the first take. He was always pissed at Brando
because he was never prepared and often insisted on
take after take, he was such a prima donna. Sinatra also
called Brando 'mumbles' because he often bumbled his
lines so badly the scene was ruined.

"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."

Tiltpoul

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June 17th, 2012 at 6:26:42 PM permalink

Quote: s2dbaker
Too simple? I still have trouble wrapping my head around the layers in this show....

Oh, this was not a simple story. This was a complex and intricately woven work of art made to look simple.

The story is smart and it is a lot of fun, but musically, the show is very simple. That's part of the point; it's supposed to be about a musical that was written in the "Golden Age of Musicals" about Prohibition. From that angle, it's a very well-written work, and as I said, I highly recommend it.

That being said, there aren't a lot of musicals pre-Company that were very musically challenging to the audience. Most audiences needed a simple show with simple melodies that were easily hummable. Some of the best known jazz standards are taken from Broadway musicals of this era (i.e. My Funny Valentine). There's nothing wrong with the fact that it is simple; for me, a show has to have challenging harmonies that each time I listen to it I hear something different. Drowsy Chaperone doesn't do that, and that's ok. I still like what it does, but it's not in my Top 5 I listen to on my iPod.

In fact, my top 5 (to listen to):
Sweeney Todd
Children of Eden
Henry, Sweet Henry
Merrily We Roll Along
Book of Mormon

5 Favorites Shows where I've seen a production of the show:
Sweeney Todd
Children of Eden
[title of show]
Hairspray
Avenue Q

5 Favorite Shows I've seen, production qualities accounted for:
Secret Garden, Omaha
Sunday in the Park with George, Council Bluffs, IA
Hairspray, Oakbrook
Avenue Q, touring group
Children of Eden, Lincoln

"One out of every four people are [morons]"- Kyle, South Park

GameBoy

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June 17th, 2012 at 6:33:39 PM permalink

Quote: EvenBob
Brando can't sing. His rendition of Luck Be a Lady is one
of the worst ever recorded. He had no business being
in a musical. Sinatra hated Brando, he thought he was
talentless. Brando couldn't remember his lines and they
were written all over the set so he could read them.
Sinatra was a one take actor, he came prepared and usually
got it right in the first take. He was always pissed at Brando
because he was never prepared and often insisted on
take after take, he was such a prima donna. Sinatra also
called Brando 'mumbles' because he often bumbled his
lines so badly the scene was ruined.

And he was still brilliant. Besides, he never memorized his lines in any film; always had them written on cards. Sometimes he even wore an earpiece and had an assistant read them to him during takes. Sinatra was mostly a one-note actor. He didn't have a fraction of Brando's talent. In fact, his role as Nathan Detroit, which was quite good to be sure, was the only role that stood apart from anything else he did.

EvenBob

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June 17th, 2012 at 6:55:37 PM permalink

Quote: GameBoy
Sinatra was mostly a one-note actor.

Sinatra hated making movies, he did it for the money
and thought they were beneath him and his talent. He
was right. He rarely tried to do his best, like he did in
the recording studio. The only two movies where he
gave it his all were From Here to Eternity, which he
won an Academy Award for, and Man With the Golden Arm,
which he almost won for.

He screwed majorly with the songs in Guys because he
was pissed he didn't get the role he wanted. Sinatra
always did things his way and woe be it to anybody
who tried to tell him differently. He sang some of the
songs in the movie in an entirely different way than
they were intended by the playwright. He just didn't
care. With all that, he stands out in every scene
he's in. Even though in most of his movies he did every
scene in one take, never rehearsed, and was a real
pisser to work with, all his movies made money. He
was Sinatra.

"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."

AZDuffman

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June 17th, 2012 at 7:11:40 PM permalink

Never been to one, if I do end up going I think it will be the most expensive nap I can take.

I could see going to a play, but the only musical of any kind I ever liked was "The Blues Brothers."

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cestanl

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June 17th, 2012 at 8:15:15 PM permalink

Quote: Tiltpoul

5 Favorites Shows where I've seen a production of the show:
Sweeney Todd
Children of Eden
[title of show]
Hairspray
Avenue Q

I really wish i could have seen [title of show]. Also, two more i forgot to mention earlier that I really like are In The Heights and Next to Normal

ddloml

ddloml

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June 17th, 2012 at 8:16:30 PM permalink

There's only one musical where I took the time and effort to go to Broadway to see. That was "Spamalot". I saw it at the Wynn in LV a few years later, and that version was even better.

EvenBob

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June 17th, 2012 at 8:46:03 PM permalink

West Side Story was a huge hit when I was a kid and
I never cared for it. I still can't watch it, very boring.

"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."

pacomartin

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June 17th, 2012 at 9:25:14 PM permalink

The Producers (hysterical)
Rent
Spamalot
Man of La Mancha
Candide
Shenandoah
Nine
Evita
Les Misérables
The Lion King

Tiltpoul

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June 18th, 2012 at 6:35:40 AM permalink

Quote: pacomartin
Evita

And for those who are curious, Argentine Melody is not the opening number of that show...

I would like to see this show on stage sometime. I've seen the movie and listened to the OBC.

Shenandoah... this is one that's not as well known, but has some great music in it. For that kind of musical, I'll take Big River any day (Southern charm, period piece).

Candide is one my mother's favorite musicals. If you are a Kristin Chenoweth lover or hater, you should download the Forbidden Broadway Song, "Glitter and be Glib." The girl who impersonates Chenoweth is pretty amazing.

Nine is the first musical that has been posted that I'm not familiar with. It is Maury Yeston (who has a pretty good track record; four musicals, two Tonys) and I know a few of the songs. I know it's basically the movie 8 1/2. I'm sure the Rob Marshall movie didn't really capture the original show at all, just as Chicago was a different interpretation.

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s2dbaker

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June 18th, 2012 at 7:12:31 AM permalink

Another one of my favorites was Side Show.

Someday, joor goin' to see the name of Googie Gomez in lights and joor goin' to say to joorself, "Was that her?" and then joor goin' to answer to joorself, "That was her!" But you know somethin' mister? I was always her yuss nobody knows it! - Googie Gomez

teliot

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June 18th, 2012 at 7:12:35 AM permalink

Quote: Tiltpoul
My favorite musical scene of all time is the musical climax of the show... points to anybody who can tell me when it happens.

Sweeney Todd is my #1 as well. Sweeney's Epihany, right before intermission. I've got tickets to Book of Mormon, at the Pantages in September. How come no one has Les Mis as their #1?

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GameBoy

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June 18th, 2012 at 7:31:02 AM permalink

In terms of recent productions, I have found most to be somewhat disappointing. In fact, in recent years, the only one I truly enjoyed from start to finish was Jersey Boys.

Oh, and Memphis wasn't bad either.

pacomartin

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June 18th, 2012 at 8:03:32 AM permalink

Quote: Tiltpoul
Nine is the first musical that has been posted that I'm not familiar with. It is Maury Yeston (who has a pretty good track record; four musicals, two Tonys) and I know a few of the songs. I know it's basically the movie 8 1/2. I'm sure the Rob Marshall movie didn't really capture the original show at all, just as Chicago was a different interpretation.

When Nine opened 30 years ago it was still possible to open a major broadway show where none of the principals were well known from movie or TV work. Raul Julia would become famous for "Kiss of a Spider Woman" and "Addams Family" afterwards.

If I am not mistaken it was one of the first broadway shows based on a movie, rather than the vica versa. However, in this case the movie was not widely seen. The movie named "8 1/2" was based on Fellini's productions to that date. In the play they changed it to the age at which the lead character had ceased his emotional development.

The cast at the time, Karen Akers and Anita Morris were some of the most talented stage ladies of all time.

Although I have seen it done since then, it was one of the first plays I remember where the first Act just pushed the character to greater heights of glory and then spend most of the second Act tearing him down.

Quote: Musicals based on movies

"Nine" was not the first musical based on a film
(1) 42nd Street (1938) - 42nd Street (1938)
(2) All About Eve (1950) - Applause (1970)
(3) The Apartment (1960) - Promises, Promises (1968)

But "Nine" was at the forefront of the change in Broadway which would bring all the following movies to the stage
Singin� in the Rain (1952)
Aladdin (1992)
The Producers (1968)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Mary Poppins (1964)
Young Frankenstein (1974)
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Sunset Boulevard (1950).
Xanadu (1980)
The Lion King (1994)
Hairspray (1988)
Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Wedding Singer (1998)

DJTeddyBear

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June 18th, 2012 at 8:29:42 AM permalink

I think I've seen about 20 musicals total. I've also seen a variety of plays. Don't ask me to name them all. Heck, don't ask me to name half of them.

My favorites happen to be the only two I've seen twice.

Phantom Of The Opera. This was the first broadway show of any kind that I had seen, and the first time I saw it was in London. The second time was on Broadway, loved it just the same.

Tommy. A truly fantastic show. Not so much the music or singing (which were both great), but the staging and multi-media aspect which not only made it great and unique, also causes it to never become a show that will appear in regional theater (at least not anything close to the original production).

I also liked Miss Saigon. It's a great story, although I was confused at first until I realized that the story is not about the title character. Had I known that going in, I might have enjoyed it more.

I absolutely hated Les Miserables. Don't ask me why, but I just hated it.

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pacomartin

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June 18th, 2012 at 8:35:59 AM permalink

Quote: DJTeddyBear
I absolutely hated Les Miserables. Don't ask me why, but I just hated it.

They are finally coming out with the movie. They are making it now.

Anne Hathaway ... Fantine
Sacha Baron Cohen ... Thénardier
Amanda Seyfried ... Cosette
Hugh Jackman ... Jean Valjean
Russell Crowe ... Javert
Helena Bonham Carter ... Madame Thénardier
Colm Wilkinson ... Bishop of Digne

Samantha Barks (new) ... Éponine

DJTeddyBear

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June 18th, 2012 at 8:40:15 AM permalink

Quote: AZDuffman
... but the only musical of any kind I ever liked was "The Blues Brothers."

I thought we were talking about BROADWAY musicals.

But, for the record, I can watch The Blues Brothers any day of the week. I've always loved how much singing was in that movie, and yet, there was only one scene where it seemed odd that the characters spontantously broke our in song. I refer to Aretha singing "Think".

I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ �� Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁

slyther

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June 18th, 2012 at 8:44:01 AM permalink

Springtime for Hitler

s2dbaker

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June 18th, 2012 at 9:16:14 AM permalink

Quote: slyther
Springtime for Hitler

I'm in pain! And I'm wet! And I'm still hysterical!

Someday, joor goin' to see the name of Googie Gomez in lights and joor goin' to say to joorself, "Was that her?" and then joor goin' to answer to joorself, "That was her!" But you know somethin' mister? I was always her yuss nobody knows it! - Googie Gomez

Doc

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June 18th, 2012 at 9:24:18 AM permalink

I'm not certain that I've ever seen a Broadway musical. I've seen a number of off-Broadway plays, at least one of which was a musical, and I guess I still have some difficulty in remembering the definition of "Broadway" vs. "off-Broadway", since it's not just the theater address -- was "The Producers" considered "Broadway" at the St. James theater, 44th St. west of Broadway? Of course, I have seen a number of touring companies' productions of what had been "Broadway" shows, as well as the resident shows in Las Vegas.

Nareed

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June 18th, 2012 at 9:25:49 AM permalink

Quote: Tiltpoul
Nine is the first musical that has been posted that I'm not familiar with.

My dad used to travel to NYC twice a year for decades. He did understand english, but not very well. For some reason he developed a taste for Broadway musicals, and would see one or two every trip along with my mom. I think "Nine" was one of his favorites, though as far as I know he dind't care for Fellini. His otehr big favorite was "A Chorus Line."

BTW Would you call "Cabaret" a musical, or just a play with songs in it?

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DJTeddyBear

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June 18th, 2012 at 10:17:25 AM permalink

Quote: Doc
...was "The Producers" considered "Broadway" at the St. James theater, 44th St. west of Broadway?

Yes.

It's got nothing to do with the production, and everything to do with the address.

Although not actually on the street named "Broadway", the St. James is within the Times Square / Broadway Theatre District. For the recrod, there are (or were) theatres with an address on the street, but outside of the district, that are considered "off-Broadway."

FYI: I've seen several shows at the St. James, including Tommy.

I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ �� Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁

Doc

Doc

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June 18th, 2012 at 10:40:16 AM permalink

Quote: DJTeddyBear
It's got nothing to do with the production, and everything to do with the address.

I was thinking I had heard that it had something to do with the theater's seating capacity -- small theaters directly on Broadway might have their shows considered "off-Broadway" while larger theaters on other streets were "On Broadway".

DJTeddyBear

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June 18th, 2012 at 11:20:03 AM permalink

Hmmm... Our favorite authority, Wikipedia confirms your 500 seat claim as well as my physical location claim.

Of course, the dual claims are no mere coincedence.

Off-Broadway shows tend to draw smaller crowds, and have cheaper ticket prices, simply because they don't have the clout of being ON Broadway. As such, they can't afford to pay the higher rent of a Broadway district address.

And, further down in that Wikipedia article, it again states the 500 seat size and Broadway district location as a qualification for Tony nomination.

I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ �� Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁

pacomartin

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June 18th, 2012 at 11:31:33 AM permalink

Quote: Doc
I was thinking I had heard that it had something to do with the theater's seating capacity -- small theaters directly on Broadway might have their shows considered "off-Broadway" while larger theaters on other streets were "On Broadway".

Right now "Broadway" is the 40 theaters in the "Broadway League" which does include the theater at the Met. Most, were built in the 1920's. New Amsterdam at 109 years is the oldest.

George Gershwin is 40 years old
Minsikoff is 39 years old

Al Hirschfeld Theatre
Ambassador Theatre
American Airlines Theatre
August Wilson Theatre
Belasco Theatre
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
Booth Theatre
Broadhurst Theatre
Broadway Theatre
Brooks Atkinson Theatre
Circle in the Square Theatre
Cort Theatre
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
Eugene O'Neill Theatre
Foxwoods Theatre
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
George Gershwin Theatre
Helen Hayes Theatre
Imperial Theatre
John Golden Theatre
Longacre Theatre
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Lyceum Theatre
Majestic Theatre
Marquis Theatre
Minskoff Theatre
Music Box Theatre
Nederlander Theatre
Neil Simon Theatre
New Amsterdam Theatre
Palace Theatre
Richard Rodgers Theatre
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
Shubert Theatre
Stephen Sondheim Theatre
St. James Theatre
Studio 54
Vivian Beaumont Theatre
Walter Kerr Theatre
Winter Garden Theatre

Broadway shows total attendances reached 12,334,312 last fiscal year. A total of 40 new shows that opened during the 2011-2012 season: 14 musicals, 23 plays, and 3 specials. All new and continuing productions ran a total of 1522 playing weeks.

Broadway attendance for a year equals ticket sales for a moderately successful movie. Last year, Gnomeo and Juliet animated film sold 12.7 million theater tickets. Tickets for that movie cost $100 million, while for broadway tickets cost $1.14 billion (a little over 11 times as much).

EvenBob

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June 18th, 2012 at 11:47:34 AM permalink

Quote: DJTeddyBear

I absolutely hated Les Miserables. Don't ask me why, but I just hated it.

I hated Phantom. Maybe it was because it was built
up so much by people I knew, but I couldn't stay awake.
The music was over the top boring. Give me Music Man
or Grease any day. Or Lil Abner.

"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."

s2dbaker

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June 18th, 2012 at 11:59:35 AM permalink

"Broadway Theater"=500 seats or more and in the Times Square area or The Beaumont at Lincoln Center.

Someday, joor goin' to see the name of Googie Gomez in lights and joor goin' to say to joorself, "Was that her?" and then joor goin' to answer to joorself, "That was her!" But you know somethin' mister? I was always her yuss nobody knows it! - Googie Gomez

Tiltpoul

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June 18th, 2012 at 2:42:01 PM permalink

By the way, I've never been to Broadway, but I felt the spirit of the question was to ask which stage musicals were favorites, as opposed to musical movies, musical tv shows, etc. Just needed to clarify that...

Quote: s2dbaker
Another one of my favorites was Side Show.

I saw a very interesting production of this in Washington D.C. It was done in the original way; rather it was done more intimately, with the possible notion that the Siamese Twins were not actually twins, but rather two desperate women in the Depression who put on an act. It's hard to explain but it was really well done. I'm not usually a fan of big liberties with shows, but this might be one of the few exceptions I would give.

Quote: teliot
Quote: Tiltpoul
My favorite musical scene of all time is the musical climax of the show... points to anybody who can tell me when it happens.
Sweeney Todd is my #1 as well. Sweeney's Epihany, right before intermission.

Nice guess, but that's not the actual musical climax of the show... it's a very big number and certainly important, but he was planning on killing the judge anyways, now he just adds a few more to the list... no, the scene I'm thinking of has much greater implications for the ending. For the record, the movie version did not make it the musical climax, which is really a shame.

Quote: pacomartin
If I am not mistaken it was one of the first broadway shows based on a movie, rather than the vica versa. However, in this case the movie was not widely seen. The movie named "8 1/2" was based on Fellini's productions to that date. In the play they changed it to the age at which the lead character had ceased his emotional development.

You corrected yourself mid-post, but Nine was not actually the first FELLINI movie made into a musical. It's a loose adaptation, but name the musical...

Quote: Nareed
BTW Would you call "Cabaret" a musical, or just a play with songs in it?

You might call the movie a play with songs in it, but Cabaret is a full-blown musical. There are only a few "plays with songs" that I can think of, the main one being Assassins, which is a Sondheim work. Most of the jukebox shows out there are concerts with a story (i.e. Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia)

"One out of every four people are [morons]"- Kyle, South Park

dlevinelaw

dlevinelaw

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June 18th, 2012 at 2:55:29 PM permalink

What do you mean by musical climax?

My response would be toward the very end where he kills his last victim... And then has a greater epiphany.

Tiltpoul

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June 18th, 2012 at 3:02:53 PM permalink

Quote: dlevinelaw
My response would be toward the very end where he kills his last victim... And then has a greater epiphany.

Close but not quite.

"One out of every four people are [morons]"- Kyle, South Park

Nareed

Nareed

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June 18th, 2012 at 3:09:46 PM permalink

Quote: Tiltpoul
You might call the movie a play with songs in it, but Cabaret is a full-blown musical.

Once, on a long, long trip from mexico to monterrey (Monterrey in nuevo Leon in Mexico, not in California) and eventually back, I think my parents played the movie soundtrack about 10 times all told. But I've never seen the movie nor the play. Anyway, given the theme, I'd give it a shot.

As to movies, well, that's my main source. Besides, the only time it makes sense, to me, for people to burst into song and dance, it's either in comedies or cartoons. That's because neither actually needs to make logical sense to begin with. Take as an extreme example a comedy like "Airplane!" or "The Naked Gun," which seem to take place in a parallel universe with a different set of rules for logic.

For all that, I did love "The Sound of Music " (the movie). I think because of the theme, but also largely die to the personality of Maria, and the overall benevolent outlook of the setting (yes, even in the daw of Nazism). And the ending is very powerful emotionally.

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pacomartin

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June 18th, 2012 at 4:56:00 PM permalink

On a gambling site we should mention the "Foxwoods Theater" named after the casino. Only 9 shows have been on that stage.

14-Jun-11 Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark
8-Nov-07 Young Frankenstein
5-Apr-07 The Pirate Queen
8-Nov-06 Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
30-Apr-06 Hot Feet
28-Apr-05 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
2-May-01 42nd Street
16-Apr-00 Jesus Christ Superstar
18-Jan-98 Ragtime

pacomartin