Entertainment Weekly's 50 Best Plays (and 10 Greatest Musicals) Over the Past 100 Years — Page 2

I think this list was based on musicals in terms of their writing as well as their originality. If that's the case, I can understand why Hello Dolly and My Fair Lady were left off. They're brilliant, enjoyable shows, but they basically just copy the scripts (for the MOST part) of the plays they are based on. If originality is a huge factor, like I think it is, I can also understand why Book of Mormon is there. And count me satisfied with Guys and Dolls being number 1. The show is flawless.

Most of Book of Mormon's songs are just knock offs of other musicals.Sal tlay Ka city= Part of your world...etc...etc. Its an original show in a SENSE. Yes you can say LOTS of songs sound like other songs but I'm pretty sure Trey and Matt did this on purpose.

Updated On: 6/27/13 at 10:55 PM

"Guys and Dolls is my favorite show. When done well, it can be hilarious, emotional, and so lively. Find yourselves a copy of the 90s version with Nathan Lane and Faith Prince. Perfection."

How I wish I could find myself a copy of that 90s version. That production always tops the list of shows I would kill to go back in time to see (granted, it's not that far back).

"Guys and Dolls is my favorite show. When done well, it can be hilarious, emotional, and so lively. Find yourselves a copy of the 90s version with Nathan Lane and Faith Prince. Perfection."

Exactly. Even a regional production I saw 5 years ago with Burke Moses and Michele Ragusa was positively electrifying.

There's no right or wrong here. It's just people's opinions. Knowing this board a bit however, I predict this thread will get 400 comments...and Broadway Guy will have written half of them.

IMO Sweeney tops WSS and My Fair Lady

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Everybody' should write a strongly worded letter to the editor!

I think it's silly to include something as recent as Book of Mormon on the list. They do that just to make it current, but something that opened such a short time ago can't be called "all time" anything yet. It hasn't stood the test of any time at all. So many musicals have come and gone as "big sensations" when they first opened. Some stay for decades in people's minds and hearts, and others are forgotten by the following season.

I'm sure if this article had been written the year The Producers came out, that show would be on this "all time" list, too.

I'm not saying Book of Mormon isn't worthy of future consideration, only that it's way too soon to give it that "legendary" honor.

I thought about my Top 10. And I'll give you my criteria. They have to be great in (obviously) their Broadway productions, but also outside in regional, stock, amateur and even academic productions:

1. Oklahoma!
2. Gypsy
3. Guys and Dolls
4. Sweeney Todd
5. A Chorus Line
6. West Side Story
7. The Music Man
8. Hello, Dolly!
9. Fiddler On the Roof
10. My Fair Lady


1. Our Town
2. Death of a Salesman
3. Angels In America
4. Long Day’s Journey Into Night
5. Cat On a Hot Tin Roof
6. Picnic
7. Raisin in the Sun
8. Fences
9. You Can’t Take It With You
10. The Children’s Hour

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I suppose I do, too, and it's probably not fair that certain musicals aren't as easy to cast.

1776 is a masterpiece of a show. I played Rutledge in it ages ago, one of my favorite roles ever. But it isn't mounted as often because it's "all guys" and two women. You don't see as many productions of it, for that reason alone. It's a shame, too. The few productions I've seen have been great, even when Ben Franklin is played by a 20-year-old. The material still works, and the show is still wonderful.

That says a lot about how solid it really is.

I would add that's it's probably not fair that I haven't included any African-American musicals (or should I say, musicals that feature African American casts). It's for the same reason ... they just aren't produced as much because they are often difficult to cast outside of major metropolitan areas or professional productions.

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Yes, I think the comparison between The Producers and Book of Mormon is natural in terms of the sensation created by each. But The Producers was not, from the beginning, a great show. Nathan Lane is what made the show fun.

And, pardon me, but it seems that posters here don't recognize that BOM is actually a wonderful and even profound show. It makes very serious points about religion and humanity in incredibly hilarious ways. sure there are easy religion jokes but there is much more below the surface. And, to create a show about making fun of mental featherweights then to carefully tweak the plot and dialog so that the audience actually cares about them takes incredible skill.

We find out that Elder Price is being "the best ...ever" because he only wants to go back to Orlando and ultimately has nothing to do with his devotion to God. But when a man is actually shot who is next to him, Price is forced to recognize that the world is a horrible place and not anything that is suggested by "Orlando". There are no jokes in the show about the killing, only serious reflection by Price while his clean white shirt is spattered with human blood.

The music, lyrics are wonderful; memorable, catchy, clever. and, i feel like I want to apologize for this next point, but Sal Tlay Ka Siti is one of the best (and sweetest) show tunes of all time. Sure, the BOM songs are intentionally reminiscent of other shows. It's funny.
BOM does what good art is supposed to do; help the viewer to see things in ways as never before.

You may be right, that it is too soon to make "all-time" conclusions. But for me, at this time, BOM belongs on that list.

Updated On: 6/28/13 at 11:06 AM

Clyde - That was the best use of Big Ang EVER.

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It's really not a terrible list. I would find it difficult to boil down my favorite musicals into a "Top 10". I probably have a solid list of 10-15 that would be good contenders, but within that set of shows, I wouldn't have an incredibly strong ordinal preference of one over another.

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"How long before we can stop having the creative superiority of Book of Mormon trotted out with regularity? It's a mediocre spoof at best."

Perhaps until the creative superiority is generally recognized. Many posters here remarked on how shocked they were to see BOM on the list. It was perfectly acceptable to present another viewpoint. sorry for trotting but...


The show is brilliant.