Musicals That Have Changed Broadway/Musical Theatre Forever- Page 2

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 1:35pm

What was the first musical on Broadway? Whatever it was, it definitely changed Broadway forever.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 1:36pm

First musical on broadway? You'd have to go WAY back. BEFORE Show Boat, way way back.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 1:54pm

I'm not sure how "influential" RENT is -- there don't seem a whole lot of shows similar to it that have made it to Broadway. If it were so influential, wouldn't we be looking at a whole bunch of RENT "clones" on the Great White Way? There was nothing innovative about its staging or storyelling, there were many many rock musicals before it and since, gay characters have been in musicals at least since APPLAUSE in 1970 (LA CAGE, FALSETTOES etc). You can call RENT a good or great musical if you want, but it's not an influential one at this point.

CONTACT was hardly the first dance revue on Broadway with non-original music (Fosse had a huge hit with DANCIN back in the 70's). Frankly there wasn't anything about it that was any different from any evenng of dance you might see at The Joyce or City Center or BAM (Mark Morris, Ailey, Cunningham, Taylor, Tharp, Graham et al have been doing two hour programs with prerecorded music involving three separate pieces telling different stories for many decades -- the only difference is that they never had the nerve to charge $90 for it).

I guess COMPANY belongs on the list because it was the first sort of succesful "Concept musical" -- not the first, mind you (ALLEGRO & ME AND JULIET were 20 years before and both flopped, as did Sondheim's ANYONE CAN WHISTLE), but the first one to find an audience and run for a couple of years. It gave license to other composers to be more experimental in their work.

Updated On: 8/12/04 at 01:54 PM

[shlamdiddly]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 1:58pm

WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED

Updated On: 8/12/04 at 01:58 PM

[CapnHook]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:03pm

Um, no, not Wicked.

Arguably, PETER PAN (Mary Martin).

Performed LIVE twice in TV in 1955 and 1956, both in black and white, and then later in 1960 was filmed in COLOR for broadcast, and later released to VHS, and much later on DVD.

Without PETER PAN paved the way for future Video releases of musicals (not movie musicals, stage performed musicals).

[LittleFish8386]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:04pm

Urinetown def changed Broadway. It took a show with an un-marketable title to make it on Broadway in order for a lot of other shows to get here. I really doubt Avenue Q would have had the success it did this season if it hadn't been for good old Urinetown....


and not to mention it is my favorite show ever!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:07pm

How about Cats - am I wrong, or was that one of the first musicals (and the only?) to not have an acutal plot line? I have a feeling I'm wrong, so someone correct me.

[shlamdiddly]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:12pm

>>Um, no, not Wicked.

What?! You aren't completely and utterly obsessed with Wicked and You don't think its just the best musical EVER written?! What's wrong with you!?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:13pm

Caroline was a truly amazing and unforgettable production, but I dont think (sadly) it will have an impact down the line. Thats just me. I think more people need to understand that they MUST see this show. It is profound and truly ambitious.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:19pm

Ah...CATS gets another vote from me!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:20pm

Millie --

Aside from the hundreds of revues through the years that didn't have a plot line (JACQUES BREL, DANCIN, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN ..... all the way back to THE BLACKBYRDS OF 1928, the ZIEGFELD FOLLIES, FLORODORA and before), there were tons of "concept" musicals before CATS that didn't have a real traditional plot to speak of (COMPANY and FOLLIES for instance)

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:25pm

I thought RENT was the musical that changed the face of musical theater. It was so fresh and new. Before that, every musical was mostly big and flashy with huge annoyingly catchy ensemble numbers, and tap dances galore. RENT, I believe, was the most influential musical of our time. It paved the way for shows like Urinetown and Avenue Q, which have each garned critical acclaim and Tony awards.

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:55pm

but most of the musicals which have already been named paved the way for rent. rent hasn't changed the face of musical theater, nor did it pave the way for "urintown" or "avenue q". composers like sondheim were writting edgy and dark shows years before rent came about. while i am a rent fan, i do not believe that it is really responsible for anything except bringing a younger generation to see one particular show. most of the "rent heads" are called that because they refuse to see anything else (besides perhaps "aida" and "wicked" because they feature rent alums). i like it as a singular work of art, but i wouldn't say that it has influenced many pieces to follow, though i suppose there is still time.

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:59pm

And, in the end, URINETOWN is one of the most traditionally structured musicals of the last 10 years.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:00pm

>>>>Um, no, not Wicked.

>>What?! You aren't completely and utterly obsessed with Wicked and You don't think its just the best musical EVER written?! What's wrong with you!?

OMG lyk WICKED is totally not even lyk up to level of other shows! It's like omg beyond it! lyk omg it lyk the best sho' EVA! Lyk, they should rename the Tonys to lyk the Menzel because lyk it is lyk the lyk best lyk musical lyk EVA! lyk OMG! lyk lyk lyk lyk lyk OMG!

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:08pm

"OMG lyk WICKED is totally not even lyk up to level of other shows! It's like omg beyond it! lyk omg it lyk the best sho' EVA! Lyk, they should rename the Tonys to lyk the Menzel because lyk it is lyk the lyk best lyk musical lyk EVA! lyk OMG! lyk lyk lyk lyk lyk OMG!"

i think the original "wicked wicked wicked wicked" post was a joke, capn. so was the one which followed ("What?! You aren't completely and utterly obsessed with Wicked and You don't think its just the best musical EVER written?! What's wrong with you!?")

chiiiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllllllll.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:10pm

Um, cha! And so were mine.

chiiiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllllllll.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:10pm

Margo - I'm not so sure about South Pacific. Could you elaborate on that one? The others I can see, but not that one. Perhaps I'm forgetting something influential about that show.

I would definitely include La Cage aux Folles for being the first hit Broadway musical with a gay protagonist and Falsettos for being the first Broadway musical to explore the American AIDS crisis.

While Rent may not have introduced new themes to Broadway, I do believe it counts as being influential simply from its overnight success and its effect on the generation of the period. It also spawned the "Rent-heads", the first overnight sidewalk-sleeping groupies for a Broadway musical. As for being an influential style to other musicals, I think it is too soon to tell. Usually, that sort of thing occurs after the show has closed, but Bare may be getting to Broadway, so we will see...

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:12pm

"Um, cha! And so were mine"

if you say so.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:14pm

I say so.

And I also say Eat Mor Chikin!

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:15pm

"While Rent may not have introduced new themes to Broadway, I do believe it counts as being influential simply from its overnight success and its effect on the generation of the period. It also spawned the "Rent-heads", the first overnight sidewalk-sleeping groupies for a Broadway musical. As for being an influential style to other musicals, I think it is too soon to tell. Usually, that sort of thing occurs after the show has closed, but Bare may be getting to Broadway, so we will see... "

i agree, as i said, it is too soon to tell, but i dont think it is fair to say that rent really paved the way for anything we've seen thus far. and while its nice that my generation is going to theater, it would be nice is some of us would expand our horizons a bit (i suppose now im a traitor to that generation)

[shlamdiddly]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:50pm

yeah...lyk you totally lyk need to chill dude!

[shlamdiddly]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:51pm

I'm totally lyk a leading actor now, lyk whoa!