Best Big-Spectacular Shows

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 3:46pm

What is the big, spactacle show with the most substance in its book and score ever? On broadway now?

I think The Phantom of The Opera is very substancial despite the repetition in the score. Les Miserables is also of course a classic.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 3:53pm

Showboat
Porgy & Bess
Follies
Ragtime

[jv92]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:15pm

TOP 3-
1. Follies
2. The Original Production of Sweeney Todd
3. Ragtime

[Dr. Jaykll]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 11:03pm

I'd have to say Titanic and Miss Saigon. While you could question their books, you can't question the show stopping effects that were a signature for each of those shows

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 11:27pm

I have to agree with Miss Saigon.

1) Miss Saigon
2) Ragtime
3) Sweeney Todd (would it count as a "big-spectacular" though?)

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 1:13am

MKiss Saigon, phfattttt!!!!

Sweeny Todd, now that was spectacle. At the Uris (now the Gershwin, although he'd crap to find his name attached to such a giant barn) They went out and bought an old factory and salvaged huge chunks of it to build the enormous sets.

And while we're at it, in the same theatre, "Singing In The Rain." I took my mum to see it at The London Paladium in the 1983 (we also saw an amazing production of 42nd Street at Drury Lane. You haven't lived till you've heard a British chorus sing, in fake American accents "Cum un a-lung and list-en tuuu, The Lull-e-bye of Broad-waaaaay") with Tommy Steele and it was fabulous. We sat in the front row and I looked down into the pit and saw the orchestra pulling on raincoats and covering their instruments. Then the rain came and we got soaked. In order to make the liquid visable, the used MILK (a white liquid which reflects light but gets pretty sour after a few days and by the Sat. Night performance.....

Anyway, the show came to New York with a very talented guy I now know, but didn't then named Peter Slutsker (now Peter Marx) playing Cosmo - he was fabulous and here's the spectatcl:

The three leads wake up in Don Lockwood's living room and sing "Good Morning." They start walking through the house, sections of which keep rolling in from the ings, room after room; then they turn around and walk the other way and damned if the set doesn't start rolling in the OTHER direction, revealing room after room that was stored in the opposite wing! That set looked to be at least twice maybe three times the width of the stage. The audience just plain gasped. Amazing stagework.

Another spectacle was "On The 20th Century" I loved the train.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/31/06 at 7:49pm

And I forgot "Baker Street" which had the entire parade of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilll. And outside on the roof of the Broadway Theater, Alexander Cohen, the producer had a 50' high neon sign of Sherlock Holmes and Moriarity battling on top of Reichenbach Falls. Now that's showmanship.

[ALWrules]

Posted: 3/31/06 at 8:08pm

Les MIz
Phantom
Miss Saigon
Sunset Boulevard

[Sant]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 7:59am

RAGTIME

THE KING AND I

SUNSET BOULEVARD

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

[Bruce Memblagh!]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 8:10am

"You haven't lived till you've heard a British chorus sing, in fake American accents "Cum un a-lung and list-en tuuu, The Lull-e-bye of Broad-waaaaay"

Crikey - almost as horrific and at the same time hilarious, as americans trying to talk, let alone sing, in a British accent!

[allofmylife]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 12:52pm

"In America, they haven't used it in years." (written by a New Yorker and an Austrian).

[Katurian2]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 1:14pm

1. Ragtime

2. Titanic

3. Follies