BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)

[Derek2]

BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#0

Posted: 9/12/04 at 9:34pm

Name the songwriter(s) best score

Rodgers and Hammerstien: Carousel
Arlen and/or Harburg: The Wizard of Oz
Sondheim: A Funny Thing Happened; Sweeney Todd (tie)
Kander and Ebb: Cabaret
Shwartz: Pippin
Jule Styne: Gypsy; Funny Girl (tie)
Loesser: Guys and Dolls
Wilson: The Music Man
Arehns and Flaherty: Ragtime; Once on This Island (tie)
Coleman: Sweet Charity
Webber: Phantom of the Opera

any others? any other opinions?

[GovernorSlaton]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#1

Posted: 9/12/04 at 9:37pm

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

[magruder]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#2

Posted: 9/12/04 at 9:40pm

Yeah, I think I'd put in any of Sondheim's other 70s shows to tie Sweeney before I'd put in Forum, much as it's a fine score and all...

"Gif me the cobra jool!"

[Derek2]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#3

Posted: 9/12/04 at 9:41pm

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

[StickToPriest]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#4

Posted: 9/12/04 at 9:45pm

FORUM is great, but there are much better Sondheim scores.

And SWEENEY is supreme.

"One no longer loves one's insight enough once one communicates it."

The opposite of creation isn't war, it's stagnation.

[magruder]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#5

Posted: 9/12/04 at 9:48pm

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.

"Gif me the cobra jool!"

[StickToPriest]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#6

Posted: 9/12/04 at 9:49pm

i'd say many of Webber's work goes before POTO.

"One no longer loves one's insight enough once one communicates it."

The opposite of creation isn't war, it's stagnation.

[My Fair Lady]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#7

Posted: 9/12/04 at 9:51pm

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

[Mattio98]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#8

Posted: 9/12/04 at 9:54pm

Sondheim - Sweeney Todd
Kander and Ebb - Cabaret
Ahrens and Flaherty - Ragtime
Schwartz - Children of Eden or Pippin
Weill - Threepenny Opera
Herman - Mack and Mabel
Wildhorn - Jekyll and Hyde
Styne - Gypsy
Hamlisch - A Chorus Line
Yeston - Nine
Webber - Evita Updated On: 9/12/04 at 09:54 PM

[magruder]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#9

Posted: 9/12/04 at 9:57pm

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.

"Gif me the cobra jool!"

[Derek2]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#10

Posted: 9/12/04 at 9:59pm

Yeah Id say My Fair Lady, its just so perfect

[Derek2]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#11

Posted: 9/12/04 at 10:00pm

EVITA is actually on UPN 9 right now

[spiderdj82]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#12

Posted: 9/12/04 at 10:05pm

Webber: POTO/JCS (they are tied for me)
Larson: RENT and TICK TICK BOOM (Both are Awesome)
Kander and Ebb: Cabaret
Sondheim: INTO THE WOODS/SWEENEY TODD
Rodgers and Hammerstein: OKLAHOMA/FLOWER DRUM SONG
Wildhorn: JEKYLL AND HYDE
Shwartz: GODSPELL
Menken: LITTLE SHOP/NEWSIES (lol)
Arehns and Flaherty: RAGTIME
Jason Robert Brown: PARADE

"They're eating her and then they're going to eat me. OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!" -Troll 2

Updated On: 9/12/04 at 10:05 PM

[directorkid]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#13

Posted: 9/12/04 at 10:06pm

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

[musicgal04]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#14

Posted: 9/12/04 at 11:48pm

I have a soft spot for Maltby and Shire's Closer Than Ever because of the awesome horn part. I'm so weird, that is all ever seem to listen to when I hear a show, the horn part. Crazy rant finished.

[Marquise]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#15

Posted: 9/13/04 at 6:21am

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

[broadway86]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#16

Posted: 9/14/04 at 2:39pm

IMHO, "Ragtime" has the best score (and is the best musical) ever written.

[Mister Matt]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#17

Posted: 9/14/04 at 3:49pm

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

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

[BroadwayDiva]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#18

Posted: 9/14/04 at 3:54pm

Rodgers and Hammerstien: The King and I
Sondheim: Into the Woods
Kander and Ebb: Cabaret
Shwartz: TIE!! Pippin and Godspell
Jule Styne: Gypsy
Loesser: Guys and Dolls
Wilson: The Music Man
Arehns and Flaherty: Ragtime
Webber/Rice: JCS
Wildhorn- Scarlet Pimpernel
Larson- RENT
Menken- LSOH

I have my books and my poetry to protect me...

[CATSNYrevival]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#19

Posted: 9/14/04 at 4:24pm

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

[Unknown User]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#20

Posted: 9/15/04 at 10:08pm

Coleman- Sweet Charity? Oy... City of Angels and The Life had such more brassy, bold, more lively scores. though they are less well none

[wickedfan]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#21

Posted: 9/15/04 at 11:21pm

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

"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.

[EponineThenardier]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#22

Posted: 9/16/04 at 12:39am

Has anyone noticed how Boubil and Schonberg get so undercredited. Les Miz and Miss Saigon are two of the biggest shows ever to hit Broadway and yet we always hear about Webber, and Sondhiem (I think anything by B&S kick Sondheims ass!)

[pab]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#23

Posted: 9/16/04 at 2:29am

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.

"Smart! And into all those exotic mystiques -- The Kama Sutra and Chinese techniques. I hear she knows more than seventy-five. Call me tomorrow if you're still alive!"

[lvpblues]

re: BEST OF THE BEST (SCORE)#24

Posted: 9/18/04 at 3:47am

Rodgers and Hammerstien: Carousel, South Pacific (tie)
Arlen: House of Flowers
Sondheim: Sweeney Todd
Kander and Ebb: Cabaret, Kiss of the Spider Woman (tie)
Shwartz: The Baker's Wife
Jule Styne: Gypsy
Loesser: The Most Happy Fella
Willson: The Music Man
Arehns and Flaherty: Ragtime
Coleman: On the Twentieth Century
Webber: Sunset Boulevard
Herman: Mame
Lerner & Loewe: My Fair Lady
Yeston: Nine
Schmidt: 110 in the Shade
Bernstein: West Side Story
Merrill: Carnival
Berlin: Annie Get Your Gun
Bock: She Loves Me
Wright & Forrest: Kismet
Porter: Kiss Me Kate
Weill: Street Scene, Lady in the Dark (tie)