BEST MUSICAL 2020

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 10:11pm

10 musicals competing this season for Best Musical.  Which one will take the prize?

Diana

Flying Over Sunset

Girl from the North Country

Jagged Little Pill

Moulin Rouge!

Mrs. Doubtfire

Sing Street

Six

The Lightning Thief

Tina

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 10:18pm

Since none of us know “Flying Over Sunset” I’d say it’s between Doubtfire and Six with Six taking the lead.

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 10:28pm

Jagged Little Pill or Six.

[HenryTDobson]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 10:53pm

Should be Six, probably will be Moulin Rouge.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 10:56pm

This is going to be an incredibly messy and crazy race, very much like 2017. There's a nice mix of blockbusters/adaptations mixed with smaller new shows and a British import. Taking a look at the past decade of winners, the smaller, original, off-broadway/indie-styled musical is most likely to win, and I don't see that changing here.

2019: Hadestown

2018: The Band's Visit

2017: Dear Evan Hansen

2016: Hamilton

2015: Fun Home

2014: Gentleman's Guide

2013: Kinky Boots

2012: Once

2011: The Book of Mormon

2010: Memphis

 

Nominees:

Girl From the North Country

Jagged Little Pill

Moulin Rouge!

Sing Street

Six

 

Winner: 

Girl From... or Sing Street 

 

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 11:01pm

From people's reactions on other threads, it seems it could be between Girl From the North Country or Six

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 11:01pm

Ohhh I forgot about Girl From.. such a chilling show. I still think it’ll go to Six, tho.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 11:55pm

Sight unseen? SIX.

We cannot count out MOULIN ROUGE. Especially considering that it will probably win Director, all 4 design awards, possibly Supporting Actor or Orchestrations...if voters are checking it off in 6 or 7 other categories, that could be the consensus choice for Best Musical. And on top of that it has a rave from the NYT, it's a hit at the box office, and it will play like gangbusters on the road.

[Ledaero]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 12:15am

Obviously nobody knows anything about the production yet, but my money is on FLYING OVER SUNSET right now. The creative team and cast are killer, and the plot sounds wild in a potentially amazing way. And I have faith in James Lapine.

All of the off-broadway transfers have had very mixed reception. Obviously SING STREET flopped with the critics and maybe it’ll clean up significantly before the Broadway opening, but I wouldn’t put it as a front runner. Critics loved NORTH COUNTRY, but so many audience members didn’t care for it with its bleak and plotless structure. So I also wouldn’t give that a head start.

The big commercial successes like MOULIN ROUGE and JAGGED LITTLE PILL are good enough, but their script/scores are lacking.

I haven’t heard or seen SIX yet, so I guess I’d say that’s the other front runner? Frankly I think it’s quite a weak year for new musicals, particularly original scores. Get ready for more plays than musicals to get best score nominations.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 12:29am

Only Six isn't really a musical and nor is Girl.

Six is more a pop concert with dialogue scenes and Girl is a play with a few old Bob Dylan songs in it.

JLP and MR (even tho it was a film) are pretty much jukebox musicals as is TINA which also could be in the running surely?

Does Sing St feature new songs are is it the same music the band played in the film?

Six will at least get score Id have thought and it certainly deserves BM, but I don’t know if it’s concert leanings will affect its chances.

Fingers crossed but I don’t know.

[JPeterman]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 3:02am

This is a really weak group .... no wonder Sing Street was so determined to get in this year. I’m going to go with Flying Over Sunset due to its talented team and because nothing else on this list deserves to win.

Updated On: 1/13/20 at 03:02 AM

[CoercedBull]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 10:58am

JPeterman said: "This is a really weak group .... no wonder Sing Street was so determined to get in this year. I’m going to go with Flying Over Sunset due to its talented team andbecause nothing else on this list deserves to win."

My sentiments exactly. For a million reasons I want Flying Over Sunset to be great, not least of which being that I'm uninspired by pretty much every other Tony contender this season.

And I'm glad to see other people calling out Six for not REALLY being a musical. Because it sort of isn't!!

 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 11:06am

Why don't you let the shows open before judging them like this?

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 11:30am

I'm going to pencil in Flying Over Sunset just based on the creative team and three leads. My five nominees:

 

1. Flying Over Sunset

2. Jagged Little Pill

3. Girl From The North Country

4. Moulin Rouge

5. Six

[bdn223]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 12:17pm

2020 might be the first season since 2011-2012 that the high brow Off Broadway Transfer will crowned best musical over the traditionally commercial musical/adaptation. 

I know Kinky Boots and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder won in 2013 and 2014 respectively, but neither year had an Off Broadway transfer in the race. 2014 did have After Midnight, but it is a revue and also was completely reworked to the point of having a different title when it was presented at Encores as Cotton Club Parade.   

Jagged Little Pill and Moulin Rouge opened to mixed to positive reviews, the later of which's production was nearly universally praised. This could lead to a Lion King vs Ragtime scenario, where voters will reward the best production, instead of the best musical on paper. Sing Street opened to truly mixed reviews, and The Girl from the North Country opened to overall positive reviews. The issue The Girl from the North Country will face is twofold. First is its a true downer, with little joy, which is can be a tough sell with voters if there is a feel good show that is just as well received. Second and more importantly is nearly every review points out that the show is a play with music and not a musical. It will clearly be placed in the musical category, based on the previous productions, but voters might not want to reward a play with music as best musical. 

[ElphabaGoodman]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 12:22pm

bdn223 said: "2020 might be the first season since 2011-2012 that the high brow Off Broadway Transfer will crowned best musical over the traditionally commercial musical/adaptation.

I know Kinky BootsandA Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murderwon in 2013 and 2014 respectively, but neither year had an Off Broadway transfer in the race. 2014 did have After Midnight, but it is a revue and also was completely reworked to the point of having a different title when it was presented at Encores asCotton Club Parade.

Jagged Little Pilland Moulin Rouge opened to mixed to positive reviews, the later of which's production was nearly universally praised. This could lead to a Lion King vs Ragtimescenario, where voters will reward the best production, instead of the bestmusical on paper.Sing Street opened to truly mixed reviews, andThe Girl from the North Countryopened to overall positive reviews. The issue The Girl from the North Countrywill face is twofold. First is its a true downer, with little joy, which is can be a tough sell with voters if there is a feel good show that is just as well received. Second and more importantly is nearly every review points out that the show is a play with music and not a musical. It will clearly be placed in the musical category, based on the previous productions, but voters might not want to reward a play with music as best musical."

Are Fun Home, The Band’s Visit and Hadestown not high-brow off-Broadway transfers? Since Fun Home, the Tony-winning Best Musicals have all been transfers from off-Broadway.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 12:41pm

CoercedBull said: "JPeterman said: "This is a really weak group .... no wonder Sing Street was so determined to get in this year. I’m going to go with Flying Over Sunset due to its talented team andbecause nothing else on this list deserves to win."

My sentiments exactly. For a million reasons I want Flying Over Sunset to be great, not least of which being that I'm uninspired by pretty much every other Tony contender this season.

And I'm glad to see other people calling out Six for not REALLY being a musical. Because it sort of isn't!!

"

Six is a definitely a musical, it is just performed in the context of a pop concert. It is still telling the story of both the show itself and its characters through narrative dialogue and song, which to me definitely makes it a musical. Much more so than a play with a few old songs strewn throughout it. But I don't know if voters will see it that way.

Personally I don't think jukebox musicals should be in the running as none of the music is original.

Girl (weirdly) is technically a jukebox musical...all be it a hipster one.

[JPeterman]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 12:50pm

Updated On: 1/13/20 at 12:50 PM

[JPeterman]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 12:51pm

Dollypop said: "Why don't you let the shows open before judging them like this?"

Because I have seen all of them except Flying Over Sunset and Diana, and reviews of Diana have been poor.

Updated On: 1/13/20 at 12:51 PM

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 1:13pm

It's too early to say without seeing how Girl From the North Country and Six are received and without knowing anything about Flying Over Sunset aside from who is on the creative team. True, knowing nothing I don't think Diana or Mrs. Doubtfire will really be in contention for best musical. But I've been wrong before about shows like that (Come From Away, Memphis, etc.). 

I'll be interested to see which musical gets championed as the "popular" vote. It could be Moulin Rouge! or Six in my opinion.

Girl from the North Country and Sing Street have that Once energy. 

Jagged Little Pill feels like the show teens will decide was snubbed. But you never know... it could have a shot if everyone else doesn't stick the landing. 

And if it's good, Flying Over Sunset feels like the more traditional artistic choice. 

[bdn223]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 1:22pm

I just have a weird feeling that Mrs. Doubtfire could pull off a Kinky Books level upset if they play their cards right and opens to positive reviews. We haven’t had a feel good musical win since, and last years comedies seemed to cancel each other out. Do I think this is likely? No, but I do see a scenario where Doubtfire opens to mostly positive reviews and goes out of its way to kiss enough butts, and point out that its competitors don’t need the win to sell tickets.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 1:23pm

I didn't see Girl from the North Country, but I am kind of surprised that this "IT'S NOT A MUSICAL" argument. is clinging to it. Its London cast album has just as much music as any other musical cast album- it certainly doesn't seem like recent plays with music like One Man, Two Guv'nors or Peter and the Starcatcher that had a handful of songs but were largely without music. Since when are we so narrowly defining what constitutes "musical theatre"? 

 

[Impossible2]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 1:41pm

Kad said: "I didn't see Girl from the North Country, but I am kind of surprised that this "IT'S NOT A MUSICAL" argument. is clinging to it. Its London cast album has just as much music as any other musical cast album- it certainly doesn't seem like recent plays with music likeOne Man, Two Guv'nors or Peter and the Starcatcher that had a handful of songsbut were largely without music. Since when are we so narrowly defining what constitutes "musical theatre"?

"

No one was criticising it or screaming in caps (really Boo?) we were 'discussing' the fact that a lot of people (even a lot of reviews) have called it a play with music and how that might affect its chances with voters. No one is saying it doesn't deserve to be nominated or even win, we were just wondering if that will affect its chances.

[bdn223]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 1:42pm

Kad said: "I didn't see Girl from the North Country, but I am kind of surprised that this "IT'S NOT A MUSICAL" argument. is clinging to it. Its London cast album has just as much music as any other musical cast album- it certainly doesn't seem like recent plays with music likeOne Man, Two Guv'nors or Peter and the Starcatcher that had a handful of songsbut were largely without music. Since when are we so narrowly defining what constitutes "musical theatre"?

"

I think the reason is that many reviews went out of their way to point out that McPherson’s “book” or as critics called it “drama” would make a great play without the inclusion of the Dylan songbook. I haven’t seem the show myself, but so I can’t argue one way or the other. I only called it out as it was a through line within several of the reviews, which when I looked back at the preview thread it seemed to be something people didn’t like repeating over and over of you go in expecting a musical you will be disappointed. It also doesn’t help that McPherson himself in press before it started at the public called it a “play with music” when asked about his creative vision for the piece.  
There is little doubt in my mind that producers will petition and be approved to compete in the best musical categories. My only question is how will the voting body respond especially since it isn’t the clear by several lengths front runner, with stiff competition. Once’s only competition was Newsies. This allowed the argument to be made that Once needs the Best Musical win to be commercially viable both on Broadway and for touring, as opposed to Newsies which was already thought to be a Broadway hit and was an easy sell on the road with the Disney branding. The Band’s Visit didn’t face this dilemma as its win was a reaction to the rest of its competition being considered purely capitalistic commercial cash grabs. Thus unless The Girl from the North Country opens to reviews head and shoulders above the rest of its competition,aka Hamilton and Book of Mormon level reviews, the argument will/shall likely be made.

Updated On: 1/13/20 at 01:42 PM

[raddersons]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 1:47pm

You know, back when "Special Theatrical Event" was a category, I could see an argument for Six there, and I could see it winning. Now that it no longer exists, it's a musical. It's definitely more of a musical than Contact is, at least.