Furture Completely Original Musicals

[CERULEAN19]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:28pm

Okay, Okay, lately we have been getting alot of adaptation musicals - - Lestat, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Spamalot,Tarzan, Mary Poppins, Little Women, etc.

While there are original musicals on Broadway, they have to compete with many of these adaptations. Does any one know of future completely orignal musicals coming to Broadway???
Updated On: 2/6/07 at 10:28 PM

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:32pm

I don't think "Curtains" any defined source material.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:32pm

I hate to tell you. But almost every musical has been adapted from something. Whether it be a book, movie, or play. Even the most famous classic musicals were based off of something.

Most of them. Not all.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:33pm

FOAnatic, you took the words out of my mouth, but I didn't feel like starting THAT argument again.

[CERULEAN19]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:36pm

Point taken...but even you had to admit "most . not all"

Re-phrased question - - Anyone have examples of a truly original musical?

Updated On: 2/6/07 at 10:36 PM

[dfwtheatreguy]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:43pm

Urinetown

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:44pm

A Chorus Line, Urinetown and Avenue Q are all original musicals

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:45pm

Don't tell the origial cast of "Chorus Line" it was an original show. Those were their stories word for word, in some cases.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:46pm

It was original in that it was not based on any other previous work of art

[zepka102]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:46pm

Drowsy Chaperone...?

[erikaamato]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:46pm

What about Spelling Bee? Or Drowsy Chaperone?

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:47pm

It wasn't the original cast's stories. But those characters were based off of real life people.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:47pm

The Last 5 Years

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:50pm

Unless my sources are very wrong, it was the original casts stories recorded over a few weekends. Right before the revival opened, there was a big story in the New York Times about some of the dancer's regrets about it.

Here's a link: http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70812F63C540C728CDDA90994DE404482

Unfortunately, I can't get the full text.

[gumbo2]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:50pm

Kwamina (I only know that because of [title of show], another original musical).

[dfwtheatreguy]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:51pm

"Avenue Q" is totally a spoof of "Sesame Street"

What about "Caroline or Change", "The Drowsy Chaperone", "Follies", "Hedwig", "Lady in the Dark", "Last 5 Years", "On the Town", "The Rink", "Side Show"?

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 10:52pm

Would Sunday in the Park with George count as an 'original' ?

[Julian2]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 11:00pm

I would think so, its inspired by the creation of a real painting, but its not like Evita or 1776 where its formed around historical events. As to the originality of those two, I'm not touching that.

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 11:02pm

It's an original...was.

[geekgirl06]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 11:02pm

[title of show]

And 25th Annual is not original, it was based on a play C-R-E-P-I-S-C-U-L-E (I think that's how you spell it, but I'm not a speller!)

And Side Show was based on the lives of real twins

Updated On: 2/6/07 at 11:02 PM

[ahmelie]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 11:04pm

RENT!

I kid.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 11:19pm

I'm fully aware that A Chorus Line was based on the stories of Michael Bennett and his friends and colleagues, but you can't argue that the show wasn't original just because of the fact they were based on actual personal events.

Jason Robert Brown based The Last Five Years on his marriage with his first wife, no one has argued that that show isn't original, but by your logic of it being based on the previous experiences of the writer, does that make it unoriginal as well?

[Danielm]

Posted: 2/7/07 at 3:18pm

There is definitely confusion here as to what makes an adaption and what makes an original. I believe the original intent was that an original musical is not based on a previous work of art i.e. movie, play, book. Chorus Line, Side Show, Last 5 Years, Evita, 1776 while based around people who did live were not adapted from a previous work of art, which, I believe would make them original. Curtains is not based on another work of art.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 2/7/07 at 3:55pm

To me, "Original" means you make it up completely on your own

"Adaption" means that you "adapt" another person's work or their lives

[gumbo2]

Posted: 2/7/07 at 3:57pm

So that would mean 1776 isn't original but Last 5 Years is? Having not seen 1776 I can't comment on it, but The Last 5 Years is just based on personal experience. Almost everyone writes about personal experience, so I wouldn't count it as being based on something, though I suppose some might.