BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)

Sweeney Todd doesn't tie with Forum. Sweeney is Sondheim's best score.

Forum I just thought was sooooo funny. and its so theatrical. idk, I loved performing that show more than any other show by him. just my opinion

The thing with the Forum score is that it often stops the book dead in its tracks. That was part of the intention of it - to not make the show just unrelenting comedy, but in some productions I've seen, it's all stop and start.

Thinking about Schwartz's work, I'd place The Baker's Wife higher than Pippin, even if the show has never hit Broadway.

As for Arlen and Harburg, separately, I'd say House of Flowers for Arlen and Finian's Rainbow for Harburg to salute their best Broadway output.

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I think one of Webber's best works was JCS. I liked it better than POTO.

Not to mention, Evita.

Hey, seeing MyFairLady's screen name...what about Lerner and Loewe? Their shows included What's Up, The Day Before Spring, Paint Your Wagon, Brigadoon, My Fair Lady, Camelot and the stage adaptation of Gigi. Of those, I'd still pick My Fair Lady as their finest score, but Camelot and Brigadoon are filled with outstanding songs.

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EVITA is actually on UPN 9 right now

Sondheim - Into the Woods or Sunday in the Park with George
Kander and Ebb - Chicago
Ahrens and Flaherty - Ragtime
Schwartz - Children of Eden
Wildhorn - Jekyll and Hyde
Styne - Funny Girl or Gypsy
Hamlisch - A Chorus Line
Yeston - Phantom
Webber - The Phantom of the Opera
Rodgers and Hammerstien - Cinderella
Arlen - The Wizard of Oz
Loesser - Guys and Dolls
Wilson - The Music Man
Coleman - Sweet Charity
Lerner and Lowe - My Fair Lady
Jason Robert Brown - Parade

it's funny some people put Styne down for "Gypsy" but didn't Sondheim also do "Gypsy"?

the list is a little confusing. are we talking composers and lyricists or just strictly composers?

if we're only listing the composers than it makes sense to list sondheim and styne seperately for "Gypsy" since Sondheim only wrote the lyrics for that show. if that's the case then only kander should be listed for "cabaret", since fred ebb only wrote the lyrics. ditto for rodgers and hammerstein and lerner and loewe.


just to be on the safe side i'll just do my list naming the composer and lyricist:


sondheim - sunday in the park with george

styne/sondheim - gypsy

bernstein/sondheim - west side story

lerner and loewe - my fair lady

rodgers and hammerstein - the king and i

rodgers - no strings

rodgers and hart - pal joey

loesser - guys and dolls

lloyd webber/rice - evita

eyens/kreiger - dreamgirls

kander/ebb - chicago

schwartz - pippin

herman - hello dolly

bacharach/david - promises, promises

coleman/fields - sweet charity

Updated On: 9/13/04 at 06:21 AM

Sondheim - Sweeney Todd
Styne - Gypsy
Rodgers - Oklahoma
Bernstein - West Side Story
Kander - Kiss of the Spider Woman
Yeston - Titanic
Hamlisch - A Chorus Line
MacDermot - Hair
Schwartz - Godspell
Weill - Lady in the Dark
Schmidt - 110 in the Shade
Wilson - The Music Man
Herman - Mack and Mabel
Brown - Parade
Larson - Rent
LaChiusa - The Wild Party
Shoenberg - Les Miserables
Strouse - Annie
Loesser - The Most Happy Fella
Coleman - On the Twentieth Century
Loewe - Brigadoon
Adler and Ross - Damn Yankees
Gershwin - Girl Crazy
Porter - Anything Goes
Berlin - Call Me Madam
Schwartz - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Bart - Oliver
Lloyd Webber - Aspects of Love
Kern - Show Boat
Tesori - Caroline, or Change
Bock - Fiddler on the Roof
Coward - Sail Away
Merrill - Take Me Along
Hague - Plain and Fancy
Flaherty - Ragtime
Arlen - St. Louis Woman
Wildhorn - Jekyll and Hyde
Bricusse - Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Forrest and Wright - Kean
Charlap - Whoop-Up
Menken - Little Shop of Horrors
Andersson - Chess
Duke - Cabin in the Sky
Rome - I Can Get it For You Wholesale
Lane - Finian's Rainbow
DePaul - Li'l Abner
Carnelia - Actor, Lawyer, Indian Chief
Shire - Baby
Blitzstein - The Cradle Will Rock

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Rodgers and Hammerstien: Cinderella; South Pacific
Arlen and/or Harburg: The Wizard of Oz
Sondheim: Sweeney Todd
Kander and Ebb: Cabaret
Shwartz: Hell no!
Jule Styne: Peter Pan
Loesser: H2$
Arehns and Flaherty: A Man of No Importance
Wildhorn: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Loewe: My Fair Lady
Adler and Ross: Damn Yankees
Gershwin: Crazy For You or Girl Crazy, whatever...
Berlin: Annie Get Your Gun
Bart: Oliver!
Menken: Beauty and the Beast
Webber: Evita

Updated On: 9/14/04 at 04:24 PM

Wbber: Evita
Rodgers: Carousel
Porter: Kiss Me Kate Anything Goes (tie)
Berlin: Annie get your gun
Styne: Gypsy
Bernstein: West Side Story
Sondheim>: Sweeney and Little night Music (tie. my opinion)
Kander: Cabaret
Lowe: My Fair Lady
Loesser: Guys and Dolls
Yeston: Nine
Schwartz: Pippin

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Eponine, while I agree that Boubil and Schonberg should not be left out (I would say Les Miz is their best work), I would not go as far as saying that they kick Mr. Sondheim's ass. Yes, they are good but IMO Sondheim just happens to be better.

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