Everything is "based" on something, but the question asked what musicals were not based on a book, a play, a movie, etc. Company started with Furth's unproduced plays, so I would argue that it is original. Sunday is a completely original story, as is Into the Woods. I would also classify musicals based on real-life events as original (Dreamgirls, Chorus Line, Caroline or Change).
Correct me if I'm wrong but Spelling Bee started off as an off-off-off Broadway play called C-R-E-P-E-S-C-U-L-E and what we have today is the expansion of that play. Again, I could be wrong.
I would think so. Although I wouldn't be suprised if it had a few direct founding father quotes. But I would consider it original.
Correct me if I'm wrong but Spelling Bee started off as an off-off-off Broadway play called C-R-E-P-E-S-C-U-L-E and what we have today is the expansion of that play. Again, I could be wrong.
As far as I know, that's correct.
Someone said Anything Goes, but that's a jukebox musical. _____________________________________________________________ ANYTHING GOES is certainly not a jukebox Musical!
Indeed. If it is a jukebox musical, than so is Crazy for You. But the fact is, neither are.
I have several names, one is Julian2. I am also The Opps Girl. But cross me, and I become Bitch Dooku!
I thought that a jukebox musical was another term for a compilation musical, that is, a musical based around songs already composed by a composer or musical group. Indeed, the songs in all versions of Anything Goes were written before the musical was written. Please correct me if I am misunderstanding what a jukebox musical is as I could very well be wrong.
I would say that Company and 1776 are both originals. The former really just used parts of two and a half ot the Furth plays as a starting point. The plays had never been produced. There was no Robert, though there was a couple and an observer in all the plays.
Anyway, if a play has never been produced and the play's author writes the book of a musical version of the play, even if the musical is more or less a straightforward adaptation of the play (not the case here), I think the musical counts as original.
1776 does feature quotations from the participants, but that doesn't keep it from being an original in my book.
I'd definitely say that ACL is original.
Brigadoon, no. You can't be sure, but Lerner was not always so honest about things. I wouldn't be surprised if he had read or at least heard about Germelshausen. Not that Brigadoon doesn't depart from it in many respects, so it's a thin line.
Some originals (sorry if I'm repeating some mentioned already):
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever On the Town (though inspired by the ballet Fancy Free) Allegro Paint Your Wagon Love Life Lady in the Dark Plain and Fancy Sweet Adeline Music in the Air The Cat and the Fiddle Of Thee I Sing Let 'Em Eat Cake Irma la Douce Girl Crazy Annie Get Your Gun Coco Pacific Overtures Bells Are Ringing Johnny Johnson Fade Out—Fade In Hallelujah, Baby! Celebration They're Playing Our Song Anyone Can Whistle Me and Juliet Billion Dollar Baby Bloomer Girl Finian's Rainbow Follies Falsettos
At some point, years ago, I compiled a list. I will see if I can dig it up. It had about 350 musicals on it, only 50 or so of which would be considered to be completely original. On this list, I considered musicals based on historical events to be "unoriginal." Evita falls into this category as does 1776.
Caroline, or Change is original I think. The Last Five Years
"Don't worry, it should never be seen. It's comparable to Britney's hoo-ha." - being.jeremiah in response to the High School Musical 2 logo
"You look fantastic, all you need are high heels, cake and a dream." - Amneris
