Best Successful Musical (or Most Successful Great Musical)- Page 2

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 3/16/06 at 9:44pm

Of the top long running shows, LES MISERABLES, CHORUS LINE, MY FAIR LADY and OKLAHOMA! are deserving of their critical and financial rewards. CATS, GREASE, PHANTOM are not.

I would not consider any of the current crop of new musicals entirely successful articically or financially. In the last 10 years only one musical was as good as the critics said: RAGTIME - but it was not a financial success.

Only time will tell but I doubt in 50 years PHANTOM OF THE OPERA will be anything more than a footnote: it will be too expensive to produce with all the speactacle and pontless to produce without it.

Posted: 3/17/06 at 4:45pm

I believe Phantom is here to stay.

Posted: 3/17/06 at 5:13pm

I can't believe no one has mentioned Gypsy. That and Guys & Dolls I'd pick as the two most universally beloved hit shows.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 5:29pm

The problem with Gypsy is that it's never been a big hit. The original with Merman was a modest hit, running 700 performances, but none of the three revivals since -- with Lansbury, Daly and Peters -- managed to recoup. While it's a landmark in the artform, it's never had particularly widespread appeal.

[AlmostFamous]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 5:36pm

POTO, ACL and Les Miz

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 5:52pm

How is Phantom of the Opera an artistic success?
Ragtime actually opened to mixed reviews so I wouldn't say "it's as good as the critics said." It's a great show in my opinion but it wasn't necessarily praised by everyone.
A Chorus Line remains my top choice for the best successful musical.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 3/18/06 at 1:54am

GYPSY - My reference books say the 1974 revival (even though scheduled for a limited run of 120 perfs) was financially successful. The first run of the 1989 Tyne Daley revival also is listed as a financial hit, but there is no info on whether the return engagement made or lost money. That leaves just the Peters revival, and we know it was a money loser.

RAGTIME - The Toronto reviews were all raves. In New York Branley didn't like it but if I recall most of the other notices were positive. (Was Brantley miffed that it was so well-received in Toronto before he could give it his stamp of approval?)