Most underrated "Best Musical" of the last 15 years?

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 10:18am

Going from 2003-2018, which musical would you say is the most underrated/under appreciated, maybe not so much on here but by the general public.

I'd say for me it's a tie between Memphis and Fun Home. Not under appreciated around here but when I saw the shows on tour the crowds didn't seem as into it, and these are 2 of my favorite musicals ever. Anyways, what would yours be?

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 10:21am

The Band’s Visit. Despite winning ten Tonys, I feel like my non-theatre friends are always “on the fence” about seeing it.

[bekk99]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 10:28am

I would say In the Heights.

[goodlead]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 10:34am

I think the question should be "What is the most overrated (i.e., least deserving) Best Musical of the last 15 years?"

Anyone for "Thoroughly Modern Millie"?

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 10:37am

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

[VotePeron]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 10:54am

I'd say it's a toss up of Gentleman's Guide and Band's Visit. But Gentleman's Guide can be performed in community theaters for ages, as it's simple enough to do, and appeals to an older audience.

On the other hand, I can't see many regional or community theaters clamoring to put on The Band's Visit. I think lots of the general public will just find it boring. Hell, I see 100+ shows every year and I think it's boring.

In terms of overrated, DEH has that in the bag. 

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 11:17am

I think In The Heights is one of the finest musicals ever written but it often gets overshadowed by Hamilton Mania. It has so much heart and is just a solidly built passion project.

[C4b2a3b]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 11:21am

Caroline, or Change. A show too early for its time perhaps. Soaring melodies/lyrics with a tragic yet hopeful book. Revived in the today's political environment, perhaps it would resonate with theatregoers. 

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 11:36am

To look at it numerically:

Excluding the current shows, Fun Home is the shortest-running Best Musical of the past 18 years (583 perfs), followed by Spring Awakening (859) and Gentleman's Guide (905). In terms of recoupment, Millie Broadway only returned ~80% to investors (though licensing/tour likely made it profitable), and Memphis broke even the week before it closed.

When all is said and done, Band's Visit will probably be in the 800-1000 range. But nobody would say Spring Awakening is underrated: the economic crash contributed to its closing, but it still has a rabid fanbase and was revived.

Updated On: 11/29/18 at 11:36 AM

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 11:55am

To look at it a different way... Since 2000, six Best Musical winners were NOT the longest-running musical of the year in which they premiered: Fun Home, Gent's Guide, Billy Elliott, Spring Awakening, Avenue Q, Millie.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 12:15pm

The answer to this would be easy if we went back 20 years: Contact, a dance musical that will probably never be revived.

Of the ones that can be licensed, Billy Elliott is the hardest to produce because of the need for so many talented young dancers who can sing. Spring Awakening is a close second there just because of the language and mature content. Once will be the hardest winner to produce once the rights are no longer restricted because of the actor/instrumentalist conceit. 

More serious winners like Fun Home, Billy Elliott, Memphis, and The Band's Visit rarely take off as much as the funnier or more upbeat shows (like Avenue Q or The Book of Mormon). 

Within the 15 year restriction, I'm going to go with Billy Elliott. Memphis might get discussed less, but I think Billy Elliott is a far better show that is also rarely brought up anymore.

[Kitsune]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 12:28pm

Bekk992 said: "I would sayIn the Heights."

It's possible In the Heights was underrated while it was on Broadway. These days, I feel like *every* local theater company in the Bay Area is doing it. (And frankly, I can't complain - it's a good show that spotlights diverse voices and actors)

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 12:51pm

Still kicking myself for not seeing A Gentlemen's Guide.

Edited my post as I realized it was for Best Musicals.

Updated On: 11/29/18 at 12:51 PM

[MauraLovesMusicals]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 12:58pm

uncageg said: "For me:

Caro!ine or Change

Heathers

Bright Star

Desperate Measures

It had its problems but I would throw American Psycho in. Also, Leap of Faith.

Still kicking myself for not seeing A Gentlemen's Guide.

JMO"

heathers never even went on broadway so they weren’t even able to be nominated, and is overrated as it is

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 1:01pm

Between Avenue Q, because it's a very good show which but is often dismissed, particularly by the followers of Wicked and or Caroline., and The Band's Visit, because it's a wonderful show which a great many people just don't get.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 1:23pm

SomethingPeculiar said: "To look at it a different way...Since 2000,six Best Musical winners wereNOTthe longest-running musical of the year in which they premiered:Fun Home, Gent's Guide, Billy Elliott, Spring Awakening, Avenue Q, Millie."

Billy Elliot was the second longest. It probably would have been first had Rock of Ages not been able to transfer to the significantly smaller Helen Hayes Theatre. And Avenue Q had a very healthy run, and is still running off-Broadway, Yet no one would call Billy Elliot or Avenue Q underrated.

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 1:33pm

MauraLovesMusicals said: "uncageg said: "For me:

Caro!ine or Change

Heathers

Bright Star

Desperate Measures

It had its problems but I would throw American Psycho in. Also, Leap of Faith.

Still kicking myself for not seeing A Gentlemen's Guide.

JMO"

heathers never even went on broadway so they weren’t even able to be nominated,and is overrated as it is"

This thread is specifically about Tony winners for Best Musical, but yeah I agree that Desperate Measures is underrated; I love that musical too. 

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 1:36pm

Gentleman's Guide

[aj88]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 2:26pm

FUN HOME deserved a longer run and that's why it gets my vote. I also think Gentleman's Guide and The Band's Visit qualify, especially the latter since it does have a passionate fan base but it also has many people who find it dull (I actually only know one other person who actually loved it, everyone else thought it was fine at best). The fact it won 10 Tony Awards will probably make some people look back on it and say it is overrated but frankly...all you have to do is see what it was up against.

[CaseyBrent41]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 2:38pm

Women on the Verge. Brilliant score. Brilliant lyrics (better than Band's visit). Terrible production. Bart Sher was the WRONG director for a farcical fast paced musical comedy. 

[BwayLB]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 3:02pm

I’ll have to go with Memphis. I think of it as Dreamgirls West Side Story And Hairspray tolled into one. Only without tragic consequences

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 3:13pm

Fosse76 said: "Billy Elliot was the second longest. It probably would have been first had Rock of Ages not been able to transfer to the significantly smaller Helen Hayes Theatre. And Avenue Q had a very healthy run, and is still running off-Broadway, Yet no one would call Billy Elliot or Avenue Q underrated."

Agree 100%. It was more of a side note that I realized when I was looking at the runs of other shows. Though I do think some people had pegged BILLY ELLIOT to be the next Les Mis or Miss Saigon, and in that regard it underperformed on Broadway -- 3 years here, compared to 11 in the West End.

Updated On: 11/29/18 at 03:13 PM

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 5:34pm

I feel like most of ya'll really don't understand the question. To clarify, this is about the most underrated musical to win Best Musical at the Tonys, correct?

If so, The Band's Visit. I constantly hear people dismiss this show and I really can't understand why, considering how great it is.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 11/29/18 at 5:45pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "The Band’s Visit. Despite winning ten Tonys, I feel like my non-theatre friends are always “on the fence” about seeing it."

I wonder how much price plays into that. Broadway tickets still are a luxury for a lot of people and if they are going to shell out money, they probably don't want to spend it on an "intimate" show. I know people like that. Some people don't want to see it because they think the subject matter doesn't sound compelling enough.

[bear88]

Posted: 11/30/18 at 3:05am

Kitsune said: "Bekk992 said: "I would sayIn the Heights."

It's possible In the Heights was underrated while it was on Broadway. These days, I feel like *every* local theater company in the Bay Area is doing it. (And frankly, I can't complain - it's a good show that spotlights diverse voices and actors)"

I remember seeing it the summer after seeing Hamilton a couple of years ago, because I wanted to see Lin-Manuel Miranda's other musical and liked the music, and we saw it in a community theater midway between LA and San Francisco on the way back from a trip. But now, it's everywhere. As Kitsune says, if I wanted to see In the Heights almost all year round in the San Francisco Bay Area, I could.