Hip Hop Broadway Musicals

[Dave13]

Posted: 11/9/15 at 8:19pm

Ok I got into a debate about how many Hip Hop Musicals been produced. I could only think of three. The three that come to my mind are:

1. Hamilton (obviously)
2. In the Heights
3. Bring it On.

All of which Lin-Manuel Miranda was a part of. Am I missing any others? I am really struggling coming up with other names. 

[TerrenceIsTheMann]

Posted: 11/9/15 at 8:24pm

You lost that debate. Holler if ya hear me.

Updated On: 11/9/15 at 08:24 PM

[Dave13]

Posted: 11/9/15 at 8:31pm

TerrenceIsTheMann said: "You lost that debate. Holler if ya hear me.

 

"

You got me on that one. Seriously, are there any others?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/9/15 at 8:34pm

Bring in The Noise and Also Please Bring in What the Kids Today Call The Funk.

 

Updated On: 11/9/15 at 08:34 PM

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 11/9/15 at 11:37pm

Well the witch rapped in INTO THE WOODS...

[ggersten]

Posted: 11/10/15 at 12:02am

The Music Man ?

 

[MrSweetNAwful]

Posted: 11/10/15 at 4:09am

Would the off-Broadway Venice count?

[trentsketch]

Posted: 11/10/15 at 6:07am

A few other musicals have included rap or hip/hop numbers, but not as the driving force of the score. "Enterprise" from Runaways comes to mind. I think it might just be those four for hip hop musicals. 

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/10/15 at 8:17am

I know Fela Kuti didn't label his music as hip-hop, and I don't think it technically is, but it obviously influenced some of hip-hop. I think you can argue that Fela! could play as a possible origins story for the genre. 

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 11/10/15 at 11:35am

So by that count, we've got about 9 shows involving hip-hop and/or current or gestational elements thereof.

[Dave13]

Posted: 11/10/15 at 1:38pm

g.d.e.l.g.i. said: "So by that count, we've got about 9 shows involving hip-hop and/or current or gestational elements thereof.

 

"

 

Seems like it. I suspect Hamilton has opened the door to many more. It is astonishing how big it is becoming. I am interested in seeing if hip hop will bring a younger generation to Broadway, or will it remain as the older crowd, since they can only afford it. 

 

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/10/15 at 1:50pm

To boil the success of Hamilton down to people wanting to see hip hop seems to be pretty reductive as a thesis as well as a lack of insight into what all is happening onstage at the Richard Rodgers Theater.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 11/10/15 at 1:59pm

^ Agree there. Also, past shows with the same genre of music failed, so I wouldn't put too much on the music of Hamilton to draw a younger audience. 

[newintown]

Posted: 11/10/15 at 2:17pm

The idea that these styles rather arbitrarily lumped into the labels "rap" and "hip hop," both of which have roots going back to the 1920's (if not earlier), are somehow inherently "young" and will bring "young" audiences to Broadway, is - well, I'm too worn out now to continue the thought.

[ggersten]

Posted: 11/10/15 at 2:22pm

Of course, there are hip-hop musicals out there which have not been produced on Broadway.

The Q Brothers out of Chicago have done hip-hop/rap versions of Shakespeare plays including

The Bombitty of Errors

Funk it up about Nothing

Othello-the Remix  (a truly amazing work)

Two Gents

As well as A Q Brothers' Christmas Carol

[mistermanifesto]

Posted: 11/10/15 at 3:40pm

This doesn't necessarily qualify as  a "hip-hop musical" but GHOST has a rap part with the Subway Ghost and Sam. At least it shows I guess the short-term influence of how rap can be used effectively in a show; it's very fitting. Legally Blonde also had a small rap section in 'Positive.'