#26
Posted: 7/28/03 at 12:53am
Either Parade or WICKED I Love almost any JRB or SS
Broadway's Top Score is? — Page 2
#27
Posted: 7/28/03 at 3:37am
Okay, just listening to RAGTIME again..at the risk of pissing SS off...maybe RAGTIME..oh, how wonderful...no...sweeney...sweeney...sweeney...sweeney...SWEENEY!
I hate the temptors.
I hate the temptors.
PEACE.
#28
Posted: 7/28/03 at 3:50am
This really is too hard, however for now I would say My Fair Lady. I'm sure when I go away and think about it I'll be back with others but for now I would say this best represents true musical theatre or as they used to say 'musical comedy'.
I would never say Les Misera-blah as this really wasn't written for Broadway and I don't think this best represents the idiom. Am I being too picky?
I would never say Les Misera-blah as this really wasn't written for Broadway and I don't think this best represents the idiom. Am I being too picky?
#30
Posted: 7/28/03 at 9:36am
Undoubtedly...
SWEENEY TODD
Did some people actually pick PHANTOM??? They must have been born after 1980. Three songs repeated over and over again, during an (endless) three hour musical do not constitute a great score.
IMHO...
SWEENEY TODD
Did some people actually pick PHANTOM??? They must have been born after 1980. Three songs repeated over and over again, during an (endless) three hour musical do not constitute a great score.
IMHO...
Itty Bitty Geisha?
Toyland?
Gypsy Pasadoble?
Just a few popular favorites...
Updated On: 7/28/03 at 09:36 AM
#31
Posted: 7/28/03 at 9:42am
God no! Phantom is FAR from my favorite score, but it IS one of the better WEBBER scores along with Superstar and Evita.
#32
Posted: 7/28/03 at 9:55am
Modern-Hairspray
Classic-Gypsy
Classic-Gypsy
#33
Posted: 7/28/03 at 4:24pm
Actually, POTO is only a two and a half hour musical, just like most of the other musicals running on Broadway. Yes, I don't care what anyone says, to me POTO is my favorite Broadway score, and whether or not some of you will agree, making fun of me or POTO isn't going to make me or anyone else love the show any less! Thank you for being so positive broadwayguy2, I agree that POTO is probably one of ALW's best scores!
Bye!
Michael (Phantom05)
Bye!
Michael (Phantom05)
------- "We Drink Your Blood And Then We Eat Your Soul, Nothings Gonna Stop Us Let The Bad Times Roll"
-------"Past The Point Of No Return, No Backward Glances, Abandon Thought And Let The Dream Begin"
#34
Posted: 7/28/03 at 4:35pm
Some people can at least differentiate between 'their favorite' and 'the best' though. I love lots of shows that I wouldn't consider the 'best shows ever written.' I just like them, warts and all. But, if the attempt is to actually discuss what's the 'best' (even though that will always be debatable and, frankly, something most people really don't have the knowledge base to discuss) it would be nice if people would look beyond their favorites and try and look at the craft and construction of a piece when answering.
Why are people putting '42nd Street' and not, say 'Footloose?' Both are hodge-podge scores taken from random popular songs of the era shoved into a plot from an existing film. (For the record, neither of them should ever be mentioned when discussing the greatest scores in theater history. Ever.)
Why are people putting '42nd Street' and not, say 'Footloose?' Both are hodge-podge scores taken from random popular songs of the era shoved into a plot from an existing film. (For the record, neither of them should ever be mentioned when discussing the greatest scores in theater history. Ever.)
#35
Posted: 7/28/03 at 4:56pm
I would say, without question, Sweeney Todd. With a second choice of Sunday in the Park with George.
#36
Posted: 7/28/03 at 4:58pm
OK, so PHANTOM is two and a half hours long. It just FEELS like three.
And, dearest Phantom05, I certainly wasn't "making fun" of you by predicting that you were born after 1980. However, I was indeed making fun of PHANTOM. No apologies there.
As for it being one of ALW's best... pickings are pretty slim in that arena. Of course some may consider it one of his best when you consider the likes of ASPECTS OF LOVE, BY JEEVES, CATS, JOSEPH, STARLIGHT EXPRESS, SUNSET BLVD., etc.
And, JohnPopa had it dead-on when he was mentioning "favorite" versus "best". I love HAIRSPRAY and other pop shows as much as the next guy, but these young-uns today should take a good ol' History of the Musical Theater class at their local college. There's a whole world of well-written shows out there beyond the likes of DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES.
And, dearest Phantom05, I certainly wasn't "making fun" of you by predicting that you were born after 1980. However, I was indeed making fun of PHANTOM. No apologies there.
As for it being one of ALW's best... pickings are pretty slim in that arena. Of course some may consider it one of his best when you consider the likes of ASPECTS OF LOVE, BY JEEVES, CATS, JOSEPH, STARLIGHT EXPRESS, SUNSET BLVD., etc.
And, JohnPopa had it dead-on when he was mentioning "favorite" versus "best". I love HAIRSPRAY and other pop shows as much as the next guy, but these young-uns today should take a good ol' History of the Musical Theater class at their local college. There's a whole world of well-written shows out there beyond the likes of DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES.
Itty Bitty Geisha?
Toyland?
Gypsy Pasadoble?
Just a few popular favorites...
#37
Posted: 7/28/03 at 4:59pm
I would say Les Miserables hands down
In my opinion the best storyline EVER for a musical. Not to mention some of the greatest characters, music and melodies.
In my opinion the best storyline EVER for a musical. Not to mention some of the greatest characters, music and melodies.
#38
Posted: 7/28/03 at 5:06pm
You have all forgotten the granddaddy of them all -- SHOWBOAT - If it wasn't for this score, musical theater as now it today would never be.
#39
Posted: 7/28/03 at 6:12pm
well tommyboy, I guess you could say the same for Oklahoma. I mean wasn't it the first musical to actually have music that pushed along the storyline??
#40
Posted: 7/28/03 at 6:28pm
If you ignore the 200-300 years or opera and operetta that preceeded it (in many cases with book scenes as well as songs,) yes 'Oklahoma!' was the first show where the music moved along the plot.
#41
Posted: 7/28/03 at 8:12pm
classic- Gypsy or CHICAGO
modern-Les Mis or Ragtime
Modern, but just plain fun- MAMMA MIA!
modern-Les Mis or Ragtime
Modern, but just plain fun- MAMMA MIA!
#42
Posted: 7/28/03 at 8:37pm
West SIde Story with South Pacific a close second.
#43
Posted: 7/28/03 at 8:38pm
West Side Story is also an amazing score as well. All of the songs are so memorable. I was actually just in that show. That is definitely one of the top Broadway scores, I think.
#44
Posted: 7/28/03 at 8:51pm
I'd like to encourage members who haven't responded to share their opinion of the best musical score. The top Broadway score. Which one is it?
As a colleague posted earler, it's not about favorites. It's about which ONE SCORE you consider to be the BEST. I don't want to discourage colleagues from sharing their thoughts but being indecisive or feeling the need to submit lists of critical and audience favorite musicals is missing the point.
It's your one, and only one, choice. If you found yourself a castaway, it's the one score you would absolutely must have in your possession in order to perserve the art form.
This thread has had 401 hits but only 43 respondents (10%) and several of those are repeats. If you haven't responded, let's hear from you.
Yours for a better Broadway!
As a colleague posted earler, it's not about favorites. It's about which ONE SCORE you consider to be the BEST. I don't want to discourage colleagues from sharing their thoughts but being indecisive or feeling the need to submit lists of critical and audience favorite musicals is missing the point.
It's your one, and only one, choice. If you found yourself a castaway, it's the one score you would absolutely must have in your possession in order to perserve the art form.
This thread has had 401 hits but only 43 respondents (10%) and several of those are repeats. If you haven't responded, let's hear from you.
Yours for a better Broadway!
Updated On: 7/28/03 at 08:51 PM
#45
Posted: 7/28/03 at 8:51pm
Yeah Scooter38432, I knew that you weren't making fun of me directly, but it is a little presumptuous to imply that just because we may be young, that we don't have an advanced knowledge of musical theater. Yes, The Phantom of the Opera does happen to be my favorite show, and yes I do believe that it is one of the best (Notice that I didn't say that it is the best, just one of the best!!!!). As far as Dance of the Vampires goes, I saw the show, I liked it, and no I didn't think it was one of the best musicals ever written, but yes it was good! Anyways, we all have a musical that we think is the best, mine just happens to be POTO!
See Ya!
Michael (Phantom05)
See Ya!
Michael (Phantom05)
------- "We Drink Your Blood And Then We Eat Your Soul, Nothings Gonna Stop Us Let The Bad Times Roll"
-------"Past The Point Of No Return, No Backward Glances, Abandon Thought And Let The Dream Begin"
#46
Posted: 7/28/03 at 9:07pm
Wow...this is ridiculously hard....I may have to go with Ragtime....the music is enchanting. I get chills whenever I listen to the act 1 finale....jeez- now I'm gonna turn off Aida and put on Ragtime...hahah
#47
Posted: 7/29/03 at 10:40am
Itty Bitty Geisha?
Toyland?
Gypsy Pasadoble?
Just a few popular favorites...
Updated On: 7/30/03 at 10:40 AM
#48
Posted: 7/29/03 at 10:44am
If I were to judge a score by breadth of expression, feeling, depth and comedy, I would vote for the 1937 BABES IN ARMS, still the best score in my opinion, and I was there when those songs were first heard.
Miriam
Miriam
Every movement has a meaning--but what the hell does it mean!
#49
Posted: 7/29/03 at 10:54am
I believe Miriam gave us a wonderful checklist to go by when evaluating a score. I have narrowed it down to two: Carousel and The Most Happy Fella. Both are majestic in scope, heartbreaking in terms of their portrayls of men and women who are damaged but struggling to make their lives better, they both contain wonderfully light moments, and their endings provide hope without sugarcoating the harshness of reality. But I know I must pick one...which one?
After thinking about this A LOT, I think they are pretty darn even. So I must go with what my gut tells me:
Carousel.
A stunning achievement that never fails to move me to tears.
After thinking about this A LOT, I think they are pretty darn even. So I must go with what my gut tells me:
Carousel.
A stunning achievement that never fails to move me to tears.
"I'm so looking forward to a time when all the Reagan Democrats are dead."
#50
Posted: 7/29/03 at 10:59am
My pick is VIOLET. It's decidely modern but still very detailed in its craft, the songs actually illuminate the moment and the characters, it's not predictable in its song choices and it all comes together as a more cohesive whole, rather than a collection of likeable songs.
To me, it is everything theater craft should be: focused, detailed, it gains on familiarity and appeals to both the traditional audience as well as being something a newbie might enjoy.
To me, it is everything theater craft should be: focused, detailed, it gains on familiarity and appeals to both the traditional audience as well as being something a newbie might enjoy.
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