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Furture Completely Original Musicals

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#1

Furture Completely Original Musicals

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

#3

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

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.
"I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about." - Oscar Wilde
#4

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

FOAnatic, you took the words out of my mouth, but I didn't feel like starting THAT argument again.
Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.
#5

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

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

#6

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

Urinetown
"The theatre is so endlessly fascinating because it's so accidental. It's so much like life." - Arthur Miller
#8

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

Don't tell the origial cast of "Chorus Line" it was an original show. Those were their stories word for word, in some cases.
Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.
#12

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

It wasn't the original cast's stories. But those characters were based off of real life people.
"I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about." - Oscar Wilde
#14

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

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.
Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.
#16

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

"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"?
"The theatre is so endlessly fascinating because it's so accidental. It's so much like life." - Arthur Miller
#17

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

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


"Hey, you! You're the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber!" -Family Guy
#18

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

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.
I have several names, one is Julian2. I am also The Opps Girl. But cross me, and I become Bitch Dooku!
#20

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

[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

Dancing through life... For the next ten minutes

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

#22

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

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?
#23

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

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.
Yes, we do need a third vampire musical.--Little Sally, Gypsy of the Year 2005.
#24

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

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

"Adaption" means that you "adapt" another person's work or their lives
"They're eating her and then they're going to eat me. OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!" -Troll 2
#25

re: Furture Completely Original Musicals

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.

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