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.
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.
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.
White, a blank page or canvas. His favorite - so many possibilities.
F--- you, Ms. Johnson. Word.
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.
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.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
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.
Thats my bad.. I thought the list was supposted to be original as in new. My bad.
"I'm afraid this offer comes off the table... at midnight tonight."
"...maybe the worst bluff I've ever seen."
"Even the members of GOBIAS could agree on that one."
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.
"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." Thomas Pynchon, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick
My blog: http://www.roscoewrites.blogspot.com/
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
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."-Charlie Manson
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
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
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