Good Musicals with Bad Books

[MadViolist]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 12:48pm

Can you reccomend me some famous/standard works of musical theatre that are based on bad books? Just curious because I feel like some of them has really great music and lyrics, but the books sucks (Jekyll And Hyde for example).

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 1:16pm

Little Women

Motown

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 1:34pm

Beautiful

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 1:40pm

^I actually think Douglas McGrath's book is much better than what most people give him credit for.

Updated On: 3/5/16 at 01:40 PM

[Fantod]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 2:13pm

Not possible. A show lives and dies by its book.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 2:25pm

The book for Beautiful is pretty damn bad.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 2:41pm

^It apparently earned some award nominations for no reason.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 2:46pm

Most of the shows Encores did in its early years had bad books- that was part of their original mission (long since abandoned). 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 3:32pm

.

Updated On: 3/5/16 at 03:32 PM

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 3:48pm

I wanna play this game too, but I'm confused by the OP's question-- I think he's talking about bad literary books on which musicals are BASED, even though most of the responses are about which shows have bad libretti written by the shows' bookwriters. Two totally different animals.

 

Bad literary book resulting in a great musical: Isherwood's Berlin Stories that became CABARET.

Bad libretto for a great musical: Goldman's work on FOLLIES.

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 4:04pm

Award nominations are not the definitive way to measure the strength of a show's book.

 

I think the OP did mean shows with crappy books, not shows based off of crappy books.

 

I agree with the sentiment that if the book is bad, the show is therefore bad.

[NotTheComfyChair]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 4:06pm

I'm going with bad book as in libretto.

I propose The Last Ship.  Everything worked for me except the book. I thought the music and lyrics, directing, technical, performances were all excellent. The book let it down.

[TerrenceIsTheMann]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 4:25pm

Children of Eden, Godspell, most of Stephen Schwartz's shows actually.

[¿Macavity?]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 4:44pm

I really think that the Broadway version of Cinderella was very well reworked with all the other R&H's songs that were cut from other works and woven into it, but the book definitely has some issues. A lot of the humor is really cheesy. Also, some characters are made more interesting, (Gabrielle) and others are made...umm...(Prince Topher). 

[Hellob]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 4:47pm

In the heights 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 5:29pm

MadViolist said: "Can you reccomend me some famous/standard works of musical theatre that are based on bad books? Just curious because I feel like some of them has really great music and lyrics, but the books sucks (Jekyll And Hyde for example)."

 

OP clearly is asking for musicals that are based on books. "based on bad books"

[bwayrose7]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 5:54pm

I feel like The Bridges of Madison County works for either interpretation of the OP's question, actually. The novel is definitely not good, and the book of the musical has quite a few issues too, but the score carries the show above and beyond to actually be a decent show overall, IMO.

Also seconding Berlin Stories--> Cabaret.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 6:25pm

Wicked the book is not a good book. While wicked the musical doesn't have a good book. Lol

[theatredk]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 6:29pm

In The Heights, Mack and Mabel, Rags and Dear World

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 6:33pm

Mack and Mabel

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 6:34pm

Fantod said: "Not possible. A show lives and dies by its book.

 

"

Exactly. You can have a good musical with a mediocre score, but not a good musical with a bad book.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 6:37pm

Yeah, I agree. Saying a musical is good except for its book is essentially saying, "it's good except for its structure and everything the characters say and do when they are not singing." 

This is really just asking for good scores that are coupled with lackluster books. 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 6:37pm

Call_me_jorge said: "Wicked the book is not a good book. While wicked the musical doesn't have a good book. Lol

 

"

WICKED, Maguire's book, is a near-classic. One of the great books of our time. What did you read?

 

*****

 

I can't know with 100% certainty what the OP intended, but the thread title now reads "Good Musicals WITH Bad Books" (emphasis added), not "Good Musicals FROM Bad Books".

 

FUNNY GIRL comes close. The book is creaky and the lyrics only make sense about half the time. Yet it became a classic because of Jule Styne's music and one bravura role for a diva performer.

 

I'd add that all of ALW's musicals post-Rice have mediocre to bad books and lyrics. I don't think it's an accident. His Lordship wants to make sure he is the center of attention.

Updated On: 3/5/16 at 06:37 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 6:54pm

What's with the lack of love for Isherwood?  *baffled*

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 6:57pm

^^^ Yeah, that surprised me, too.