Good musicals of the past ten years?

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 8/29/14 at 11:40pm

Hello all,
So going through the winners of Tony® Awards and Drama Desk Awards past, I noticed that there were very few musicals since 2004 that I have enjoyed (a dozen), and fewer that I have actively loved. So my question to you is: What have been the best musicals of the past decade, and do they compare with the best musicals from before?
My list:
CAROLINE, OR CHANGE
SPAMALOT
THE 25th..SPELLING BEE
SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE
JERSEY BOYS
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
NEXT TO NORMAL
THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS
BRING IT ON
HERE LIES LOVE
GIANT
A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER

[gstrus2]

Posted: 8/29/14 at 11:50pm

I personally would add Book of Mormon, I loved that show!

[mamaleh]

Posted: 8/30/14 at 12:22am

I'm probably in the minority here, but I thought SPELLING BEE highly overrated. I would add FUN HOME to that list as well as WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY and largely for the soaring ebullience of Hugh Jackman's performance, THE BOY FROM OZ.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 8/30/14 at 3:14am

Grey Gardens.

[tazber]

Posted: 8/30/14 at 7:36am

Grey Gardens
Matilda
Spelling Bee
Caroline or Change
The Book of Mormon


ETA: The Light in the Piazza

Updated On: 9/2/14 at 07:36 AM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/30/14 at 8:34am

All 4 of the big ones that closed prematurely this year.

[luvcaroline]

Posted: 8/30/14 at 12:49pm

I know it was galvanizing on this board, but for me Passing Strange must be on this list.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 8/30/14 at 12:59pm

I would add The Light in the Piazza, Road Show, Death Takes a Holiday, A Minister's Wife, and Dessa Rose to everything previously mentioned, although I imagine most others won't agree with all of these.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/30/14 at 1:38pm

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned In the Heights yet at all! That's one of the best musicals of the millennium so far in my opinion

[JayG 2]

Posted: 8/30/14 at 1:47pm

This is the saddest crop of musicals imaginable. Pretty dismal stuff.

[Jon]

Posted: 8/30/14 at 1:52pm

I consider The Light in the Piazza to have the best musical score of the millennium so far.

[Gomez3]

Posted: 8/30/14 at 4:08pm

MEMPHIS

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/30/14 at 4:13pm

In The Heights
Scottsboro Boys
Memphis
Fun Home
Bridges of Madison County
If/Then (hahaahaha, just kidding that sh*t was terrible)

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/30/14 at 6:54pm

In agreement with most

Did not see Fun Home and disagree re If/Then.Scottsboro really got a raw deal but it was always a hard sell.

[LittleEdieFan]

Posted: 8/30/14 at 11:31pm

Grey Gardens
The Drowsy Chaperone

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 8/31/14 at 12:42am

The Light In The Piazza
Spring Awakening
Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
The Drowsy Chaperone
See What I Wanna See
Fun Home
Next to Normal
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Matilda
The Bridges of Madison County
Passion
Giant

I'm also a huge sucker for Mary Poppins and Legally Blonde.

[nyla123]

Posted: 8/31/14 at 2:50pm

I agree that the Light in the Piazza is, by a significant margin, the best Broadway score of the millennium so far. I wouldn't say its the best overall musical as the story is kind of weird and offputting and kind of dumb (although no worse than a lot of musicals and even more operas) Also, admittedly the score is not "classic" musical theatre music, but its just so crushingly beautiful and emotionally intense. Adam Guettel needs to get his new shows out soon.

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 8/31/14 at 3:08pm

Completely disagree. The score of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA is so boring and dreary and the entire score comes across as mush when listened to.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 8/31/14 at 5:05pm

Not a perfect show, but a great score that I would add is Dogfight.

[dented146]

Posted: 8/31/14 at 8:48pm

I suppose there have been worse ten year periods. Some of the musicals these past years have been very very good but, for me, it is not a magical decade.

[Wickedlover56]

Posted: 9/1/14 at 12:35am

For me:
Wicked
Next to Normal
Once
Fun Home
Caroline, or Change
Grey Gardens
The Light in the Piazza
The Drowsy Chaperone
The Book of Mormon
Spring Awakening
Xanadu
Bridges of Madison County
Spelling Bee
The Scottsboro Boys

And while it is far from perfect, I also love Legally Blonde and think it is a extremely enjoyable, fluffy night of entertainment.




Updated On: 9/1/14 at 12:35 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/1/14 at 12:49am

I am not often impressed with may new musicals, as I am normally more into revivals.
New musicals from the past ten years that really made an impression on me are:

The Light in the Piazza
Grey Gardens
Next to Normal
Women on the Verge
Bridges of Madison County
The Visit

Honorable mentions: Road Show, The Scottsboro Boys, and Once

Updated On: 9/1/14 at 12:49 AM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/1/14 at 2:17am

Next to normal
Grey Gardens
The Scottsboro Boys
Spring Awakening

I also had a huge soft spot for Legally Blonde. I would hardly call it a great musical, but it was a fun time, flaws and all.

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 9/1/14 at 2:29am

ljay, while I loved THE VISIT very much, I consider it a show that opened in 2001, so not in the past decade.

[binau]

Posted: 9/1/14 at 3:40am

I agree adamgreer RE: your assessment of Legally Blonde.