Broadway's Tragedies

#1

Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 12:26pm

Hey everyone! I was wondering what you would consider some of Broadway's greatest and most recent tragedies would be. Being a musical person, myself the only one I can really think of is Rent possibly (pathetic I know ) Any help is greatly appreciated!

#2

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 12:29pm

Tracy Miller leaving hairspray that was a tragedy

#3

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 12:36pm

ASU closing was a tragedy.

#4

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 12:38pm

lol no no I mean shows that are tragedies, not tragedies in broadway

#5

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 12:40pm

Les Miz

#6

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 1:06pm

Parade

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"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." --Harold Hill from The Music Man

#7

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 1:07pm

I guess Ragtime could also be considered tragic

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"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." --Harold Hill from The Music Man

#8

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 1:08pm

"ASU closing was a tragedy."

ASU being produced was the real tragedy.

#9

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 1:10pm

i cannot for the life of me figure out what ASU is...i know its probably so obvious

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I was lost 'til I heard the drums, then I found my way

#10

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 1:10pm

I always sort of thought "tragedy" inferred a tragic ending - I can't really think of many musicals that fit that bill - except for things like MARIE CHRISTINE and WEST SIDE STORY which are based on earlier tragedies of classical literature.

I wouldn't consider RAGTIME or LES MIZ to be tragedies because both end with main characters redeamed.

Hal Prince saw SWEENEY TODD as a tragedy - Sweeney being a victim of British society and class, though I'm not completely sure Sondheim would agree with that interpretation.

Ironically, Terry Hands who directed the legendary flop CARRIE said he saw the musical as a greek tragedy.

Updated On: 2/9/06 at 01:10 PM

#11

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 1:15pm

In my post I meant that Ragtime had tragic elements in it, not necessarily the components of Classic Greek Tragedies (classic tragic Hero, tragic flaw, reversal, downfall, etc), but several sympathetic characters are killed.

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"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." --Harold Hill from The Music Man

Updated On: 2/9/06 at 01:15 PM

#12

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 1:16pm

It could be argued that Molina in Kiss of the Spiderwoman is a tragic hero in the classic sense.

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"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." --Harold Hill from The Music Man

#13

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 1:18pm

Bounce was rather tragic

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"You're every gay man's wet dream!" ~ MA

If in Heaven you don't excel, you can always party down in hell...

#14

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 1:26pm

In My Life

#15

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 1:28pm

Titanic

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"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." --Harold Hill from The Music Man

#16

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 1:30pm

What about Miss Saigon? (It's been a while since I've seen it, so my memory is a bit spotty)

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"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

#17

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 1:49pm

What is ASU? eta: nevermind, it's "Al Shook Up" doi! :p

I'd say Miss Saigon definitely has tragic elements, though I don't think it falls into the greek definition for "tragedy".

Updated On: 2/9/06 at 01:49 PM

#18

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 2:32pm

Absolutely,
Kiss of the Spiderwoman!

#19

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 2:36pm

ASU is All Shook Up.

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"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

#20

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 2:37pm

Ashley, I swear I edited my message before I read your reply. lol But thanks for the response to my dumb question!

#21

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 3:22pm

Well, Aida has tragic elements to it, as does Jekyll & Hyde.

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"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli

#22

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 3:30pm

Not yet a broadway production, but Sweden's Kristina Fran Duvemala is an incredible tragedy. Brilliant work!

#23

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 3:31pm

"Ironically, Terry Hands who directed the legendary flop CARRIE said he saw the musical as a greek tragedy."

Too bad he didn't communicate that to Debbie Allen.

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If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

#24

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 3:34pm

MARIE CHRISTINE.

Gotham - it's also a shame that when the Americans said they wanted "GREASE" they British heard "GREECE."

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The smallest stream is a valent river. It will drown me if it can.

#25

re: Broadway's Tragedies

Posted: 2/9/06 at 4:28pm

Edward Albee's "The Goat"