Musical Theatre – twenty shows to research
A list with links prepared for Lizzie Crarer 160907
Long List of 80+ – supplied by friends
My thanks to Prof George Rodosthenous, directors Kate Golledge & Tom Littler, theatre CEO John-Jackson Almond, actors Chris Storer, Rachel Creeger, Lucy Trodd and Nigel Richards, producer Denise Koch, writers David Cottis & Dave Francis, composer Prof Matthew Scott, bookwriters Thomas Ryalls, Jennifer Toksvig & German Munoz and the author of a definitive encyclopaedia of musical theatre Kurt Gänzl, for this list
American in Paris,
Anchors Aweigh,
Anything Goes,
Assassins,
Avenue Q
Bat Boy,
Bend It Like Beckham
Billy *
Billy Elliot,
Blood Brothers Bombay Dreams
Book of Mormon
Brigadoon
Bullets over Broadway,
Cabaret,
Calamity jane
Carmen Jones
Carousel
Chess
Chicago
Chorus Line *
City of Angels
Closer Than Ever *
Company
Dancer in the Dark
Dessa Rose
Evita
Falsettoland,
Fantasticks, The *
Fiddler on the Roof
Floyd Collins
Follies
Fun Home,
Goblin Market *
Guys and Dolls
Gypsy
Hair
Hairspray
Hamilton
Hedwig & the Angry Inch (gig musical)
Honk ! *
In The Heights
In to the Woods
Jesus Christ Superstar
Kiss Me Kate
Lady in the Dark
Last Five Years
Les Miserables
Light on the Piazza
Lion King
Little Night Music, A
London Road
Love Life by Alan Jay Lerner and Kurt Weill.
Mahagonny
Marie Christine *
Mamma Mia
Martin Guerre,
Matilda
Merrily We Roll Along,
Miss Saigon *
My Fair Lady
Next to Normal
Nine
Oklahoma!,
Oliver !
Once Upon A Mattress
Parade
Porgy and Bess
Producers, The
Ragtime
Rent
Rocky Horror Show
Salad Days *
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,
Showboat
Singin' in the Rain,
Sound of Music
South Pacific
Spring Awakening
Sunday In The Park With George
Sweeney Todd
Sweet Charity
Threepenny Opera,
Titanic *
Valmouth
West Side Story
Wicked
Windy City *
My Suggested Top Twenty-Five
chosen because they mark shifts in style/period, scale or impact, plus examples of book, music or lyrics I enjoy.
Cabaret,
Carousel
Chorus Line *
Company
Floyd Collins
Guys and Dolls
Gypsy
Hamilton
Jesus Christ Superstar
London Road
Marie Christine *
Miss Saigon *
My Fair Lady
Next to Normal
Nine
Oklahoma!,
Oliver !
Porgy and Bess,
Ragtime
Rent
Showboat
Sweeney Todd
Titanic *
West Side Story
Wicked
Wow that was hard to do !!!
Now to explore each of them in order of being written, as best I can….
Showboat (1927) – Jerome Kern (M) Oscar Hammerstein II (B & L)
Current revival site: http://showboatmusical.co.uk/timeline/#lg=1&slide=0
Movie 1936 – and there’s a clip on the above site.
Porgy and Bess (1934) – George Gershwim (M) Du Bose Heyward & Ira Gershwim (L) Songlist & History: http://gershwin.com/publications/porgy-and-bess/
Movie 1959 starring Sidney Poitier available on Amazon etc
Oklahoma! (1943) - Richard Rodgers (M) Oscar Hammerstein II (B&L)
http://www.rnh.com/show/78/Oklahoma!
Their first musical, a triumph, and I love the stories by Helene Hanff (84 Charing Cross Road) of working as a secretary in the office when the phone call came through from a tour date telling her they had decided to add the ! to the title of the show. She had already printed x,000 press releases. Every mention of the show had to be changed by hand !!! https://thingsthatmadeanimpression.wordpress.com/2013/06/16/excerpt-from-underfoot-in-show-business-by-helene-hanff-away-we-go/
And here is Hugh Jackman full show at National Theatre(1998)
(not Broadway as billed). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5DXLJgotrY
Carousel(1945) – Richard Rodgers (M) Oscar Hammerstein II (B&L)
The R&H site is a vast array of stuff http://www.rnh.com/show/20/Carousel
This appears to be a site with scripts (behind the ads) http://musicalplace.tripod.com/id365.htm
West Side Story (1957) - Leonard Bernstein (M) Stephen Sondheim (L) Arthur Laurents (B) http://www.westsidestory.com/
I keep coming across websites which may be useful http://www.filmsite.org/wests.html
Gypsy (1959) - Julie Styne (M) Stephen Sondheim (L) Arthur Laurents (B)
Current production at the Savoy http://www.gypsythemusical.com/synopsis-and-songs/
Movie 1962 http://www.gypsythemusical.com/films/
A friend of mine owns this organisation which makes study guides and here is the link for Gypsy http://www.campbroadway.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Gypsy-6-16-08.pdf
Guys and Dolls (1950) – Frank Loesser (M&L), Abe Burrows (B)
Although cited as the only major musical written by one man, Abe Burrows was also involved. http://broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/guysdolls.htm
This link appears to allow you to watch the 1955 movie version for free http://m4ufree.info/guys-and-dolls-1955-full-movie-fy67w.html
My Fair Lady (1956) – Frederick Loewe (M) Alan Jay Lerner (B & L)
Julie Andrews is directing a new production in Australia at the moment http://myfairladymusical.com.au/
The 1964 film is available to enjoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGWfhn35m7g
Oliver ! (1960) – Lionel Bart (B M L)
Possibly the most successful British written musical ever, maybe., made into a movie with the original star, Ron Moody, as Fagin in 1968
http://stageagent.com/shows/musical/1431/oliver
Be interesting to see how the script of stage and screen originals vary – the stage show is darker from memory.
Cabaret (1966) – John Kander (M) and Fred Ebb (L)
Worth exploring this amazing double act of writers through all their works
Here’s another reference site http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_c/cabaret.htm
Here’s the 1972 movie version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSIdGAqz4D4
Here’s a complete works site http://kander-and-ebb.blogspot.fr/
Chorus Line (1975) – Marvin Hamlisch (M) Edward Kleban (L) James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dane (B)
This was gathered as a show from the real stories of the original cast and many artists on Broadway. It is a little out of date now, but has fab stories and music.
http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_c/chorus_line.htm
There was a very strange movie version by Richard Attenborough, but it may be cleaner to watch a stage version – even if a bit ropy quality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egWrbcPffE0
Company (1970) – Stephen Sondheim (M&L) George Furth (B)
About as different from JCS rock musical as you can get so close to each other
http://www.mtishows.com/company
and here is Adrian Lester in the Donmar Production of 1996 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iamM_Qe7nbw
Jesus Christ Superstar (1970) – Andrew Lloyd Webber (M) Tim Rice (L)
It is often talked about as the last musical to be written using contemporary music styles. [In The Heights and Hamilton more recently change that old belief]. They opened it on Broadway in 1971 before UK in 1973, after the album launch in 1970
http://www.jesuschristsuperstar.com/
The Open Air Regents Park production is slated to return https://openairtheatre.com/production/jesus-christ-superstar
Sweeney Todd (1979) – Stephen Sondheim (M & L) Hugh Wheeler (B)
If I could only see one musical again, it would be this. I have never explored the original play by Christopher Bond. Here is more info http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_s/sweeney_todd.htm
And here is a chance to watch the original show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISp5sjaSnl0
Nine(1982) – Maury Yeston (M & L) Arthur Kopit (B)
I include this because it is drawn from the Fellini movie 81/2 and is a wonderful balance of 1M and 22F roles (plus 4 boys). Not particularly well known
http://www.samuelfrench.com/p/2754/nine
Here’s a quick clip from the revival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hor-I5iLj-8
[worth checking out the new Maury Yeston premiere opening at Charing Cross Theatre end of this year] Not seen the 2009 movie – must try to.
Miss Saigon (1989) - Claude Michel Schonberg (M) Richard Maltby Jr (L) from Alain Boublil original French lyrics. One of the global big 4 – Cats, Phantom, Les Mis, Saigon produced by Cameron Mackintosh and arguably the best score
There is a live cinema showing in October of this global phenomenon http://www.miss-saigon.com/
Ragtime (1996) – Stephen Flaherty (M), Lynn Ahrens (L), Terrence McNally (B)
Another incredibly intricate reading of stories, based on the Doctorrow novel found in a junk shop by Stephen Flaherty. http://stageagent.com/shows/musical/1418/ragtime
New production opening at Charing Cross Theatre this month.
Here is a complete recording of a production https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8Ud6_u-1hE
Floyd Collins(1996) - Adam Guettel (M & L), Tina Landau (B and additional L)
This is a smaller off-broadway piece written by one of a gang of composers who have brought the MT world closer to the world of drama in New York. http://www.rnh.com/show/35
I see there is a revival at Wiltons until 15th Oct which I would love to try and see https://wiltons.org.uk/whatson/202-floyd-collinsthe-musical
The original London production was in 1999 http://www.ovrtur.com/production/2883006
Starring the amazing Nigel Richards who specialises in new work http://nigelrichards.org/listen/s/an_shed_have_blue_eyes
Titanic (1997) – Maury Yeston (M & L) Peter Stone (B)
Included here for the mastery of the book and the opening 25 minutes in terms of multiple character introduction http://broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/titanic.htm
Just found this clip of the opening 16 minutes (with original stars looking a tad older in 2014) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwarWwp11ck Bloody hell we don’t make MT voices like this in the UK !!! and a treat from the rehearsals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzpRYtVk9Vk#t=12.063422
The show never reached the West End (like Ragtime it was marred in the US producer and fraud)
Marie Christine (1999) Michael John LaChuisa
This work has, to my knowledge, never come to the UK. I saw it at Lincoln Centre and it knocked me out (even with the understaudy on). The Medea myth, and the final Broadway musical of the 20th century http://www.rnh.com/show/67
Rent(2005) – Jonathan Larsen (BML)
Inspired by La Boheme, this contemporary AIDS New York musical became famous because the author died after its Public Theatre opening and just before the transfer to Broadway. There were two previous works “Superbia” and “Tick Tick Boom” which were written, and were part of our 1990 Quest for a New Musical in Buxton.
http://www.mtishows.com/rent Sadly I never met him.
Here is the Broadway production https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo8CmwIKiDw
Next to Normal(2009) -Tom Kitt (M) Brian Yorkey (L)
Not a piece I know, but I will also explore. http://www.mtishows.com/next-to-normal
And here is a complete filming of the production https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-0ldE2Ubcs
London Road (2011) - Adam Cook (M) Alecky Blythe (B & L)
Thought of by many as a new form of musical theatre, taking speech patterns and developing them into song – no lyrics/arias as such, but augmented speech rhythms. Not sure whether you can watch the movie here http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-london-road-2014/
Here is the play http://www.dramaonlinelibrary.com/plays/london-road-iid-154335
Hamilton(2015) -Lin-Manuel Miranda (B M L)
The phenonomen which is this rap musical inspired by the American founding fathers by the author of “In The Heights”. On its way to the West End on a wave of raves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_(musical)
I guess it is fitting that this list ends with an introduction to the American musical theatre from the President of the United States https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y5KuohVJMQ
From Showboat in 1927 to Hamilton in London in 2017 – 90 years of an artform that dares to challenge privileged theatregoers to think differently.
Thank you Lizzie for asking the question “which musicals should I know about to understand the form better”. Here is my answer, supported by the suggestions of the great and the good out there in facebook land.
End
Chris Grady
8th Sept 2016