Best New Musical and Best New Play of the DECADE (So Far?)

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 9:51am

As we approach half of the decade there many editorials making lists about the best books, tv shows, movies, albums and so on of this decade.

I thought maybe we could make some for theater?

I think the only rule is that the first production needed to be from 2020 onward.

Mind share some lists or single picks?

 

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 9:57am

Musical - A Strange Loop

Play - Stereophonic

Edit: Just remembered that A Strange Loop premiered in 2019. I still think it's better than anything this decade.

Updated On: 11/20/24 at 09:57 AM

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 10:11am

Musical: A Strange Loop & Operation Mincemeat

Play: Fat Ham & Stereophonic

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 10:20am

Musical: Standing at the Sky’s Edge

Play: Downstate or Stereophonic. I can’t decide. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 10:24am

I hope we get the next GREAT play soon. Like August Osage County.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 10:49am

Play:  The Lehman Trilogy.  Runner-up: The Hills of California 

Any Musical:  Sunset Blvd; Runner-up:  Merrily We Roll Along

New Musical:  The Outsiders; Runner-up:  Moulin Rouge

I include the 'Any Musical' category because the productions of SB and Merrily are so different from the original as to be almost new musicals; also, because no new musical in this decade comes close to those productions for me.

While I loved both The Outsiders and Moulin Rouge, the decade thus far has been pretty mediocre for musicals.  

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 10:55am

Yeah, this is really making me realize that the times of things like My Fair Lady, Candide, Most Happy Fella, Bells Are Ringing, Lil' Abner, all premiering the SAME year, are far from over. 

[The8re phan]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 11:01am

Best New Musical of this decade - HERE WE ARE

 

Best New Play - OH, MARY!

 

 

[Chaz Hands]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 3:56pm

Musical: Kimberly Akimbo

Play: Skeleton Crew

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 5:26pm

Chaz Hands said: "Musical: Kimberly Akimbo

Play: Skeleton Crew"

Skeleton Crew premiered in 2016.

[Chaz Hands]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 10:14pm

TheGingerBreadMan said: "Chaz Hands said: "Musical: Kimberly Akimbo

Play: Skeleton Crew"

Skeleton Crew premiered in 2016."

Oops! I was thinking of when I saw it, which was on Broadway in 2021. I forgot it premiered elsewhere.

[Markie27]

Posted: 11/21/24 at 12:51am

Best New Musical - Illinoise

Best New Play - Downstate

and I just want to add:

Performance of the Decade (so far)

Musical - Jonathan Groff (Merrily We Roll Along) and Sara Barreiles (Into The Woods)

Play - Jodie Comer (Prima Facie) and James McAvoy (Cyrano de Bergerac)

Revival of the Decade (so far)

Musical : Into The Woods 

Play : Appropriate 

of course this may change once I watch Gypsy next month.

[Dan6]

Posted: 11/21/24 at 2:23am

For musical, I'd go with Kimberly Akimbo or Suffs.  Play is a hard choice between Downstate, Stereophonic, and Leopoldstadt. 

[Dreamboy3]

Posted: 11/21/24 at 9:24am

Kimberly Akimbo and Leopoldstadt. 
 

There have been so many great musical revivals it’s hard to choose: Jellicle Ball, Parade, Merrily, Into the Woods (at City Center).

 

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 11/21/24 at 3:14pm

I think I'll say ''Kimberly Akimbo'' for Musical is like a non-brainer.

I don't think I have a say yet in plays, but maybe... ''Fat Ham''?

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 11/21/24 at 3:21pm

MAYBE HAPPY ENDING is the first new musical of the decade with the emotional wallop I felt from HADESTOWN five years ago. Easily surpasses every 2020's Best Musical Tonys winner for me so far. I think we're still waiting for this decade's Masterpiece.

STEREOPHONIC (at least with the original cast) tops the Best Play category for me. 

[willep]

Posted: 11/21/24 at 4:21pm

I’d argue that if you are qualifying it by which cast, then it probably isn’t the greatest play (and I say this as someone who did enjoy Stereophonic).

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 11/21/24 at 4:45pm

^ Fair point. I only saw the OBC although friends have seen the new cast and were still very moved. 

To pick a best play for me is to pick the best script AND staging AND cast AND design. Would I have been so moved by The Curious Incident of the Dog in Nighttime had I not seen that exact Bway cast and staging? It's all of a piece.

[Voter]

Posted: 11/21/24 at 5:15pm

 

Shocked several people are praising the revival of Into The Woods. To me it completely missed the point of the material, succeeding in comedy but completely failing in the heavier dramatic moments. So not interested in more of these half staged concert Encores transfer. Oh well, Ragtime here we come.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 11/21/24 at 5:40pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Yeah, this is really making me realize that the times of things like My Fair Lady, Candide, Most Happy Fella, Bells Are Ringing, Lil' Abner, all premiering the SAME year, are far from over."

Did you mean that or was it a typo?  If it is not a typo, I disagree with you.  It has been a long time since we have had multiple really good new musicals with original scores in a single year.  Off the top of my head, most of the great musical productions I have seen in the last decade were revivals of old musicals, e.g., Merrily, Oklahoma (the first time I actually liked it), Sunset Blvd, Company, Parade.  

How many new musicals belong with that list.   Hamilton immediately comes to mind, but I can't think of another..  (Note: I will admit that I really didn't like Hadestown at all, although I admired the direction immensely).

Updated On: 11/21/24 at 05:40 PM

[JoeW4]

Posted: 11/21/24 at 6:01pm

For my money: the best musical of the 2020s so far is "Oratorio For Living Things," by a wide margin. 

 

As for plays, that's a lot harder, but I'd like to throw "English" into the conversation!

[theatergoer3]

Posted: 11/24/24 at 8:10am

Play; The Lehman Trilogy or Stereophonic

RU: Leopoldstadt 

Musical:  Illinoise for new, Parade for revival

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 11/24/24 at 9:56am

Best Musical: Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Play: Stereophonic

[bandit964]

Posted: 11/24/24 at 4:36pm

Disclaimer: big Branden Jacobs-Jenkins fan here.

My favorite two plays have been The Comeuppance (Signature) and Purpose (Steppenwolf).

I'm really excited to see Purpose in New York.  

@TotallyEffed - I don't want to be presumptuous and assume you haven't seen it, but if you haven't, it's giving August Osage County vibes.  If you have, what did you think?

Oh, Mary! is also one of the best comedies written in quite some time.

For best musical, Strange Loop, or Here We Are.  Can't decide.

Updated On: 11/24/24 at 04:36 PM

[willep]

Posted: 11/24/24 at 4:59pm

I’ll help you decide: A Strange Loop premiered in 2019