All-time best

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All-time best

Posted: 12/23/03 at 3:37pm

I thought it would be interesting if we did a poll on the all-time best in musical theatre. Here are the categories. Make your selections please:
• All-time best musical
• All-time best performance by a lead actor in a musical
• All-time best performance by a lead actress in a musical
• All-time best performance by a featureed actor in a musical
• All-time best performance by a featured actress in a musical
• All-time best score
• All-time best book

re: All-time best

Posted: 12/23/03 at 4:18pm

• All-time best musical>>Gypsy

• All-time best performance by a lead actor in a musical>>Zero Mostel in the original Production of Fiddler on the Roof and also Shuler Hensley in Oklahoma

• All-time best performance by a lead actress in a musical>>Bernadette Peters in Gypsy and Carol Channing in Hello, Dolly!

• All-time best performance by a featured actor in a musical>>I'm actually having a lot of trouble with this category. I really can't pick someone for the All-time best Featured actor.

Possibly Norbert Leo Butz

• All-time best performance by a featured actress in a musical>>Brooke Elliott in Taboo

• All-time best score>>Gypsy

• All-time best book>>Urinetown...it's one of the most clever anyway.

Why is it that nobody ever asks about Plays? It's always Musicals.

"It's the little things; the details, that distinguish the Barbra Streisands from the Rosalyn Kinds."~Gilmore Girls~

re: re: All-time best

Posted: 12/23/03 at 4:20pm

OK, TheatreBaby, give us your choice for plays, too. LOL.

re: re: re: All-time best

Posted: 12/23/03 at 4:35pm

Muwahaha

• All-time best PLAY>>The Women and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

• All-time best performance by a lead actor in a PLAY>>Robert Cuccioli in Temporary Help (Off Broadway)

• All-time best performance by a lead actress in a PLAY>> Stockard Channing in Six Degrees of Seperation

• All-time best performance by a featured actor in a PLAY>> Dennis O'Hare in Take me out

• All-time best performance by a featured actress in a PLAY>> Michele Pawk and Linda Lavin in Hollywood Arms

"It's the little things; the details, that distinguish the Barbra Streisands from the Rosalyn Kinds."~Gilmore Girls~

Updated On: 12/23/03 at 04:35 PM

re: re: re: All-time best

Posted: 12/23/03 at 4:46pm

Musical - Show Boat (based on book, score, social significance and its impact on musical theatre history)

Actor - John Raitt (Carousel) - achieved new heights in acting and vocal performace that set the bar for years to come

Actress - Ethel Merman/Mary Martin (tie for body of work) - These two women launched some of the most memorable female characters and performaces in musical theatre history and worked with virtually everyone who's anyone in the biz. Their performances cannot be compared. As far as I can say, you can't choose one without the other.

Featured Actor - Wilson Jermain Heredia in Rent (His Angel was both poignant and powerful. He managed to play a stereotype with such grace while grounding the show with an uplifting attitude)

Featured Actress - Idina Menzel in Rent (Simply the most memorable featured female performance I can think of)

Score and Book - Falsettos (completly original, heartfelt, intelligent, and emotional)

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

re: re: re: re: All-time best

Posted: 12/23/03 at 4:51pm

I guess I should vote in my own poll.

• All-time best musical: "Sweeney Todd"
• All-time best performance by a lead actor in a musical: Robert Preston in "The Music Man."
• All-time best performance by a lead actress in a musical: Angela Lansbury in "Sweeney Todd"
• All-time best performance by a featureed actor in a musical: Kevin Kline in "On the Twentieth Century." He took a small part and made in memorable.
• All-time best performance by a featured actress in a musical: Dorothy Loudon in "Annie." I know she won the Tony in the lead actress category, but it is a featured role.
• All-time best score: Stephen Sondheim for "Sweeney Todd"
• All-time best book: "1776" by Peter Stone

re: re: re: re: re: All-time best

Posted: 12/23/03 at 4:59pm

"Actress - Ethel Merman/Mary Martin. As far as I can say, you can't choose one without the other"

I don't necessarily agree with that.

I adore Mary Martin and yet I don't really enjoy Ethel Merman. Though it's true that both are icons and very much associated with Broadway, I much prefer one over the other.

"It's the little things; the details, that distinguish the Barbra Streisands from the Rosalyn Kinds."~Gilmore Girls~

re: re: re: re: re: re: All-time best

Posted: 12/23/03 at 5:09pm

It's hard to choose between Mary and Ethel. Both had such huge impacts on Broadway, yet completely opposite styles. Merman is bombastic and a powerhouse perfect for Call Me Madam, Anything Goes and Gypsy. Merman had the grace and coyness required for Leave it to Me, South Pacific and Peter Pan. But that's just the tip of the iceberg for both actresses. For what I don't like in one, I admire in the other. That is why I give them both the award.

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

re: re: re: re: re: re: All-time best

Posted: 12/23/03 at 5:12pm

All Time Favorite Musical: Les Miserables.
Leading Actor In A Musical: Hmm...I would say Brent Barrett in Kiss Me Kate
Leading Actress In A Musical: Sutton Foster in Millie
Featured Actor In A Musical: Shuler Hensley in Oklahoma
Featured Actress In A Musical: Coleen Sexton in Jekyll and Hyde
Best Book: Ragtime
Best Score: Ragtime

How about Best Choreography: West Side Story

Updated On: 12/24/03 at 05:12 PM

#10

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: All-time best

Posted: 12/23/03 at 5:25pm

You make a very good point MisterMatt. It is rather difficult to get all of it in one shot...which is why I think Bernadette Peters is a nice in-between of those two ladies.
Mary Martin could never have played Mamma Rose or Annie Oakley, and Ethel Merman would look rather silly trying to play Peter Pan or even Maria Von Trap; but Bernadette has the ability to be a coy powerhouse.
Very good choices though. I do agree that they were two of the greatest leading ladies ever.

"It's the little things; the details, that distinguish the Barbra Streisands from the Rosalyn Kinds."~Gilmore Girls~

#11

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: All-time best

Posted: 12/23/03 at 5:31pm

I like Bernadette ok, but a little of her goes a long way with me. She uses too much of the same work in various roles. How many times are we going to see her wrap both arms around her chest and through her head back at the end of a dramatic ballad? Or smooch out her lips and shake her head back and forth. I do fault this more on the side of direction (or lack of it), but I don't think she's as versatile as she is popular.

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

#12

re: All-time best

Posted: 12/23/03 at 5:35pm

It is rather difficult - if not impossible - to decide on "all time best" categories unless one is pretty ancient and has seen all the great musicals and performances of the last hundred years or so (and even I am not as old as that! LOL)

I can offer opinions about shows and performances I have seen - and four "all time best" performances by actresses stand out: Angela Lansbury in "Sweeney Todd", Susan Egan in "Cabaret", Bernadette Peters in "Gypsy" and Maria Friedman in "Passion" (West End).

Choosing an all time best score is a little "easier" in the sense that I have at least heard recordings of most show scores throughout the ages. There are many great ones but for me THE great score is Sondheim's score for "Follies". As for best book - I think that Joe Masteroff's book for "Cabaret" with all its subtle sub-text and depth of characterisation is the finest writing I have ever seen in musical theater.

All time best musical? Within the limited parameters I already mentioned, for my money it has to be "Follies".

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Updated On: 12/23/03 at 05:35 PM

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