Hey everybody! I'm doing a history project on The golden age of Broadway vs. today, and I was wondering if I could get some feedback from you.
Just have two questions:
What is your favorite musical of the golden Age?
What is your favorite musical of today?
I'm afraid that you will find it hard to get people on this board to tell you what their favorite musical of the golden age was since probably over 90% of the people who post on this board were most likely born after the 70s and a lot of them were born during the 90s. I suggest looking at "Broadway The American Musical" series as a source. Good luck with your project.
Favourite Musical of the Golden Age: Gypsy or West side Story
Favourite Musical of the Sondheim Age: Sweeney Todd or Sunday in the Park With George
Favourite Musical from the 90's: Assassins, Passion or Parade.
Favourite Musical of this Millenium: The Last Five Years or Avenue Q
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/9/04
What is your favorite musical of the golden Age?
West Side Story
What is your favorite musical of today?
City of Angels
or, if that isn't recent enough, Ragtime
Golden Age: My Fair Lady
Today: Les Miserables or Ragtime (depending on how for back you consider "today")
Featured Actor Joined: 2/8/05
Favorite Musical of the Golden Age-The Music Man
Favorite Musical from Today-Wicked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BTW pab, just because some of us were not alive in the 50s doesn't mean that we don't have a favorite musical from that era. Revivals help and so do movie musicals from that time. We have favorites and just because we weren't alive then doesn't prohibit us from knowing what we like. (I'm sorry if I sound annoying and mean but I hate it when people tell me that just because of my age, I can't know something.)
A revival and an original production are different in my opinion. If this is in fact a HISTORY project about the differences in productions then and now, a number of things would have to be taken into account like the fact that no mics were used in some of those original productions, for one, and there would be other elements to focus on as well.
Seeing that she did say it was a HISTORY project I assumed that she was asking people who had seen productions during that time when they originally played. If the question is just about all musical productions, sure, anyone can talk about a revivals because they are always taking place. It then seems to me less of a HISTORY project but that's just how I read the original post.
bwaybaby891, I think that your skin is just a little too thin. I am FULLY aware that because some of you were not alive in the 50s doesn't mean that you don't have a favorite musical from that era. DUH! You should maybe try to not over analyze everything at such a young age. After all it's only a HISTORY project.
Favourites from the "golden age": SHOW BOAT, PORGY & BESS, OKLAHOMA!, CAROUSEL, KISS ME KATE, THE KING AND I, GUYS & DOLLS, MY FAIR LADY, GYPSY, CABARET
Favourites 1970+: COMPANY, CHORUS LINE, CHICAGO, SWEENEY TODD, EVITA, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, LES MIZ, CITY OF ANGELS, GRAND HOTEL, RAGTIME
Age should certainly not be a factor in one's knowledge of musicals from before they were born. There are scripts, cast albums (for most musicals since OKLAHOMA!) and movie versions of varying fidelity. There are, however, some who do not know the older shows because they haven't had a chance to discover them as yet.
If you don't know any of the shows listed above, check your library for cast recordings and scripts. All of the above are well worth exploring.
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
Well, I'm only 13 so I never got to see any of the original productions of Golden Age musicals. However, I have seen student productions and revivals, so I'll give you the best answer I can.
FAVORITE MUSICAL OF THE GOLDEN AGE
Pal Joey, My Fair Lady, Cabaret, Kiss Me Kate
FAVORITE MUSICAL OF TODAY
Rent, Urinetown, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Into the Woods
GOLDEN AGE:
Pal Joey, Guys and Dolls, Hair (60s... i guess not really golden age but w/e)
LAST 5 YEARS:
Taboo, Amour, Caroline or Change, Parade
GOLDEN AGE: Of Thee I Sing, Show Boat, Gypsy
1970-99: EVERYTHING SONDHEIM WROTE IN THIS PERIOD, Falsettos, Parade, Side Show, A New Brain
2000-PRESENT: Caroline or Change, Amour, A Man of No Importance, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Updated On: 3/11/05 at 05:28 PM
"golden age" MY FAIR LADY
today A CHORUS LINE
Golden Age: GYPSY, THE MUSIC MAN, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, THE KING AND I, CAROUSEL, HAIR and BRIGADOON.
70's-90's: All Sondheim, RENT, PARADE.
2000's: CAROLINE OR CHANGE, TABOO, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS
i don't like to name favorites, but instructive for you paper might be...
GOLDEN AGE: Guys and Dolls
RECENT: The Producers
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/29/04
Featured Actor Joined: 1/9/05
Golden Age: Guys and Dolls
Recent: Les Miz and Rent
then: Kiss Me Kate, Show bOAT, tHE kING AND I
now: Into the Woods, Ms. Saigon, The Producers
Golden Age: West Side Story
Now: Rent or Urinetown
Golden Age: Cabaret (if that counts)
Now: Avenue Q and RENT
Golden Age: Carnival, West Side Story, Carousel, Anything Goes.
Now: Parade, Wicked, Avenue Q, Hairspray, Big River
In no particular order, of course.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/8/04
Golden: Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, The King and I, Thoroughly Modern Millie(original film, obviously...), Mary Poppins - anything with Julie in
Today: Wicked, Hairspray, The Boy From Oz, Disney films (they count as musicals, right?)
X
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/8/04
Not every Disney film...only 2 of them...
Golden Age: MY FAIR LADY with Julie Andrews
And presently: my absolute favorite is MISS SAIGON
RENThead, enLIGHist, Ozalot, Grobanite, Ringer, Pickwick LW, Wicked, Lost, American Dreams, West Wing
Lea S. Hugh J. Adam P. Idina M. Matt M. Taye D.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/29/04
Golden Age: Oklahoma!
Now: Parade and Urinetown
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