Best Book Ever Written

I searched and could not find anything!!! So I figured that it was my duty to make this thread.

Cabaret:
(MY favorite musical) Although it has many flaws in things such as characters, score fitting the book, ect... the scenes of dialogue between the characters are written without flaws.

Company:
Again, it has other flaws.... but it's a musical that really feels like it's going from play-to-musical back and fourth (which I love)

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Updated On: 4/13/09 at 10:22 AM

1776

Actually, I always thought some of the dialogue in Sweeney Todd dragged the musical down to some extent... the book was good, but not as good as the lyrics. Better than the opposite, though!

I've always thought "Fiddler on the Roof" had the best book out there for any musical. I love "Guys and Dolls," too.

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Gypsy
Chicago
Little Shop of Horrors
Ragtime
Sweeney Todd
Into The Woods

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Updated On: 4/13/09 at 12:05 PM

I do like Chicago's book a lot, but the scenes were sometimes a little to quarky and silly; That's the thing, Cabaret just flat out says things and shows things as they are. Chicago fluffs it up for the stage, and that isn't a bad thing... but I prefer the scenes in Cabaret. Now the thing with Chicago is that EVERY song fits, no awkward moments... so in that aspect, Chicago's book is stronger; but overall, Cabaret has a stronger book.

Silly me for forgetting Sweeney Todd!!! I personally like the dialogue, even though there's not much of it. The book does has its flaws though, I feel like Anthony is underdeveloped and Tobias does not 'talk' with Mrs. Lovett enough before "Not While I'm Around" for us to know that he loves her so much. The movie didn't fix the Anthony problem, but it did fix the Tobias problem. Other than that, it's one of the best book in Broadway history.

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Updated On: 4/13/09 at 01:49 PM

A Chorus Line.

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While many of the suggestions so far are terrific, I would have to go with 1776.

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I think Into The Woods has a amazing book. Everyone's stories tie together, despite if their characters are major or minor, and I think the dialogue between the characters, both comical and dramatic, is fantastic. I think it actually may be the best musical overall. (with it's music/lyrics, books, and even choreography though there isn't too much of it)

I also enjoy Guys and Doll's book and The Sound of Music.

None of these shows are slouches, to be sure. We are nitpicking a little--it's a honor to be nominated. And certainly many other shows (Dolly, Avenue Q, Secret Garden, Oliver, Grand Hotel) have wonderful books.

But a few further thoughts:

"1776" has too much book--what's there overwhelms the score, to me. That's true with "Cabaret," but to a lesser degree--the songs are stronger.

"ACL" is richly detailed, but a tad contrived.

And I agree that Anthony in "Sweeney" is something of an unnecessary enigma.

"Gypsy" has always bugged me because it is so episodic in the first act. It's a vaudeville travelogue. On top of that, the newboys are neither choristers nor characters. And is would be nice if June reappeared briefly in the second act--there, I said it!

Lindsay and Crouse did a very nice job with SOM, I agree. Neil Simon's "Promises, Promises" book is no slouch, either.

Who was it that pleaded, "I need more time!!!"

Gypsy, My Fair Lady, 1776, Carousel, Guys and Dolls, Little Me, A Chorus Line, A Little Night Music, and Kiss Me Kate are, IMO, the best librettos in musical theatre.

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Gypsy.

Runner-ups: West Side Story, Company, Into the Woods, My Fair Lady, Guys and Dolls. Yeah, pretty much everything that's already been said.

I don't like Little Shop that much. I haven't seen the stage version of Chicago, but the movie is pretty damn perfect to me.