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

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

Musical: Standing at the Sky’s Edge

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

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.  

Best New Musical of this decade - HERE WE ARE

 

Best New Play - OH, MARY!

 

 

Chaz Hands said: "Musical: Kimberly Akimbo

Play: Skeleton Crew"

Skeleton Crew premiered in 2016.

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.

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).

 

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. 

^ 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.

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

Play; The Lehman Trilogy or Stereophonic

RU: Leopoldstadt 

Musical:  Illinoise for new, Parade for revival

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