Major Shows of Broadway History NOT Mentioned in Broadway: The American Musical Documentary — Page 2

Jon,

I don't believe that FALSETTOS can be called the first successful transfer from off-Broadway to Broadway, even ignoring that fact that you mentioned.

Of course, it depends on how one defines success. I would argue that THE GOLDEN APPLE was one of, if not the, first successful transfers, albeit it didin't run very long.

In sheer musical invention, and critical success, I'd side with GOLDEN APPLE. (My disliking anything of Finn's does not color my opinion. )

Updated On: 10/31/04 at 11:09 AM

I said this a million times already, but I guess I can do it one more time.

1) WAY too much on Sondheim. I mean, I understand Company, Sweeney Todd, and Sunday in the Park wtih George, but they spent a long time on him with just his flops.

2) WAY too much time on Wicked. Did we really have to see the party after the first show? Also, on the dvd they have a pretty decent sized segment on WICKED, so why did they have to put most of it on the actual broadcast?

3) WAY too much about Disney. I understand they needed to be mentioned but not as long as they did.

What I liked about the first 4 episodes versus the last 2, were that they spent enough time on musicals and composers but only long enough for you to understand what was going on, and then they moved to something else. The last two episodes they just kind of stayed on one subject FOREVER and rushed through everything else until they got to the next subject which they stayed on FOREVER.

All in all, I love my DVD that I bought and have watched it many times, but I like the GOLDEN AGE movie better (can't wait till that comes out)

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True. But, what I am getting at is that they could have not shown that clip or mentioned A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, etc. and just shown another triumphant broadway show that they looked over.

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um.....

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I think they could have at least mentioned Urinetown, for being the legenday and landmark piece of theatre that it was.

It paved the way for shows like Avenue Q, and it never gets enough respect.

I agree with a lot of posts. I think both Avenue Q and Urinetown should have been mentioned. They are very unconventional, and are part of the modern broadway motif. I thought Parade should have been mentioned as well. Also, I think they should have acknoledged revivals. Like Chicago...and other long-lasting ones.

Yes. for a long period of time, they did a whole thing on the commericalization of broadway and Cameron Makintosh

Okay...I missed it. Thanks.

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No, I don't think so. When they have made the comparable contribution of people like Merman and Martin then they can be added to a documentary. They are a part of our present.

History - the discipline that records and interprets past events involving human beings.

I know that people feel that because they've done a few shows, in the recent past, that they are on equal footing with the "legends" but they are not. Their time will come.

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