Best Original Musicals of the Decade- Page 4

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 12:50pm

It's just such a shame CAROLINE got overlooked by a flying green witch and a batch of horny puppets. While those shows are good in their own right, they don't even come close to being shows that either featured the best actress (Idina Menzel still needs to Fed Ex her Tony to Tonya immediately with an apology letter) or deserved to win Best Musical. I know history shows us that some of the most well respected shows did poorly with regards to awards but this one still burns.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 12:57pm

In the Heights
Next to Normal
Caroline or Change
[tos]

In that order!

[jewishboy]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 1:00pm

I had to edit Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Grey Gardens, and Light in the Piazza, so I guess my two real favorites are Passing Strange and Caroline or Change.

Updated On: 7/6/09 at 01:00 PM

[fafolguy]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 1:09pm

Caroline, or Change
Urinetown
Next to Normal
[title of show]

I have to think that using the word "original" in the thread title indicates shows that are not based on anything else. If that's not what the OP meant, they should have said best NEW musicals of the decade.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 4:09pm

Next to Normail is based on Alice Ripley's life and therefore is not an original musical.

[Jersey Girl2]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 4:21pm

>>You rarely ever post about a musical that is NOT Rock of Ages.

Which doesn't mean I haven't seen any others.

You rarely say anything nice- doesn't mean you're not.
:)

[Opera Guy]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 5:56pm

Passing Strange.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 7:21pm

THE WILD PARTY by Michael John Lachiusa is UNDOUBTEDLY the greatest musical of the twentieth century so far, and along with FOLLIES, GYPSY and WEST SIDE STORY the greatest of American musicals in any century.

I believe that Michael John also holds the distinction of having written the last new musical to open on Broadway in the 20th century, MARIE CHRISTINE, and the first new musical, or one of the first, to open in the twenty-first century, TWP.

P

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 7:38pm

I don't really get the distinctions between original/adaptation made on here. Almost every work of art is based on something else, and most of the greatest musicals are adaptations of sorts. I mean even GYPSY is a sort of adaptation.

I disagree re LaChiusa's WILD PARTY, it's good, but I wouldn't call it the greatest musical of the twenty-first century, and I have issues with the word "undoubtedly" when it comes to personal taste. The Broadway WILD PARTY while pretty good, still has its problems and I find it unfulfilling at times, perhaps because I don't think the story is focused enough. And for purposes of this thread, I guess it doesn't count since it's of course based on the famous poem.
CAROLINE, OR CHANGE is such an important work. It is absurd that it lost the Tony (though predictable) and the Pulitzer shut-out is something I don't understand, but regardless of awards, I think people have realized what a great work of art it is. Especially given its regional life and successful post-Broadway mini-tour and London premiere. I wish the proposed HBO film of the stage show would have panned out, as if there is a musical that should have been recorded for posterity is this one. Oh well.

[zamedy]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 9:12pm

AVENUE Q!!! And please.. it IS AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL. It may have been "inspired" by Sesame Street. But if you say it's not original because it's "based" on Sesame Street well, then it sucks to be you. AVENUE Q is about as original as it comes.

[LoveIsMyLegs]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 9:37pm

I'm going with The Last 5 Years.... nobody has said it yet.

[On_Avenue_Payt]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 10:53pm

Thats my bad.. I thought the list was supposted to be original as in new. My bad.

[broadwaybabytn]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 6:30pm

hmmmm... this is a tricky one.

1.

Next To Normal

2.

In The Heights

3.

Avenue Q

4.

Merrily We Roll Along

5.

Billy Elliot The Musical

6.

The Last Five Years

7.

Wicked!

8.

Spring Awakening

9.

Hairspray

10.

The Producers
my broadway blog

[Radioactiveduck]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 6:47pm

I feel like this was the decade of adaptations, so all of our answers are basically the same.

Next to Normal
In the Heights
Avenue Q

PS - broadwaybaby - half of yours are adaptations, not originals.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 6:50pm

I'll go ahead and say it -- there was nothing even remotely original about that trite parade of coming of age cliches PASSING STRANGE.

CAROLINE OR CHANGE was certainly original in that it wasn't based on anything except Tony Kushner's childhood. Was I supposed to give a ****?

So, for me, the best Original Musicals of the Decade would have to be:

URINETOWN
AVENUE Q
SCOTTSBORO BOYS

The Best Musicals of the Decade, whether based on works from other media or not:

SPRING AWAKENING
URINETOWN
ADDING MACHINE
AVENUE Q
SCOTTSBORO BOYS

Only 5, I'd say, really deserve the distinction of being thought of as Best Of The Decade. I don't feel that mentioning trivia like GREY GARDENS and TOS in the same list as those above is fair to the admirable works on my list.

I'm sure I'll think of others as soon as I click POST MESSAGE.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 7:12pm

1. The Last 5 Years
2. Caroline, or Change
3. tick, tick...BOOM!
4. Contact
5. Next To Normal
6. Avenue Q
7. Urinetown
8. The Scottsboro Boys
9. A Class Act
10. Passing Strange
11. In the Heights
12. Yank!
13. (title of show)
14. The Drowsy Chaperone
15. Swing!
16. Curtains

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 8:11pm

Uhh guys, we're in a different decade now...The Scottsboro Boys doesn't count.

Also, broadwaybabytn, where the hell did you get Merrily We Roll Along from!?

[broadwaybabytn]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 8:26pm

merrily we roll along had it's west end premiere on december 11, 2000 at the donmar warehouse (where passion with elena roger just closed), and won the olivier award for best new musical in 2001. i know it's a technicality, but this was a weak decade and any opportunity for more sondheim is good.

also, sorry, i thought original just meant new. didn't realize adaptations don't count for anything anymore. (that was sarcasm, many of the great musicals were adaptations.)
my broadway blog

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 8:34pm

Thanks, I know what the Donmar is xD

This thread specifies New-York productions. Besides which, I don't think it's accurate to class a show which opened on Broadway in 1981 as a new show!

[broadwaybabytn]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 8:37pm

i wasnt implying that you don't know what the donmar is. i was just mentioning passion because that looked like a lovely production.

brava! you have beaten me at this game. but i didn't really have 10 top-notch musicals to put on my list, so i did some creative thinking.
my broadway blog

[Orangesaretuesdays]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 8:45pm

In No Particular Order:
The Drowsy Chaperone
Next To Normal
In The Heights
(TOS)
Avenue Q
Urinetown

[trentsketch]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 8:56pm

No particular order:

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Shockheaded Peter (the puppets, the music, everything was perfect)
Caligula: An Ancient Glam Rock Epic (where's that Broadway production that was announced?)
Coraline
Grey Gardens
Caroline, or Change
Amour (great score, great performances, unfortunate money-hemorrhaging tech problems)
Passing Strange
James Joyce's The Dead (fantastic score, if way too faithful to the short story to be accessible for a wide audience; as a Joyce fanatic, I approved)

And, even though it's technically not a stage show and only played five performances but totally should be just write out a script and release the rights already,
Evelyn Evelyn

Or, judging by the rules presented by some in this thread, Evelyn Evelyn is the best original musical of the decade. None of my others aren't in some way based in personal history, literature, or other plays. Sorry for the distress my list of unoriginal (though original in that they were written for the stage with new music, lyrics, books, and stagings) musicals might have caused.

Wait, no. Further technicality. There are officially no good original musicals written in the decade intended (00-09) as Evelyn, Evelyn had its stage premiere in '10. Updated On: 12/30/10 at 08:56 PM

[Sophie10]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 9:30pm

In the Heights
Next to Normal
Caroline or Change
[tos]

[HummingAlong]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 11:44pm

i think next to normal did some great things for the direction of musical theatre. it would have to be on top for me.

[nuckyblue]

Posted: 12/31/10 at 12:15am

Drowsy Chaperone
Next to Normal
[title of show]
In The Heights