Drowsy recoups! — Page 2

Smaxie, AVENUE Q was based off "Sesame Street" and SPELLING BEE was based off the documentary "Spellbound". But yes, CAROLINE and IN MY LIFE were original (but both flopped). This is the first successful original musical since URINETOWN.

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SPELLING BEE started life as play called C-R-E-P-U-S-C-L-E, that book writer Rebecca Feldman wrote and starred in with her downtown theatre company, The Farm. It WAS staged, but William Finn was then added to the project to write a score. Since the same project ultimately took form as a musical, it seems fair to classify it as an original musical. The show is not based on Spellbound, which coincidentally Disney was developing for the stage at the same time, until SPELLING BEE came along.

And while AVENUE Q's characters are twisted versions of Sesame Street's characters, I'd be hard pressed to not call it an original musical.

CAROLINE is based on Tony Kushner's life, but has no source material. IN MY LIFE is based on Joe Brooks' insane mind, but nothing else. And URINETOWN, while it echoes the look and sound of the Kurt Weill-Bertolt Brecht musicals, is otherwise an original.

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Updated On: 12/9/06 at 01:42 AM

StageManager2, I said based OFF of, not based ON.

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