Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
davp
Chorus Member Joined: 1/27/13
#1Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 9:01am
I recently saw the fantastic revival of Miss Saigon in London, and got a kick out of the very subtle tribute that was made during the show to The Book of Mormon (I won't reveal what it is, but anyone that's seen it should understand what I'm referring to).
And The Book of Mormon itself offers a subtle nod during the show to The Lion King.
Are there many musicals where subtle tributes of this type to other shows are made?
Updated On: 11/3/14 at 09:01 AM
#2Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 9:12amThere are tons. In particular, Book of Mormon, Urinetown and Shrek the Musical are full of references and nods to other musicals.
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#2Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 9:12am
There is NOTHING subtle in any way about BOM.
Urinetown is full of nods. Every single song.
#3Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 9:14am
Shrek
Urinetown
Wicked
Next to Normal
The Book of Mormon actually offers several nods to other musicals like: Bye Bye Birdie, Wicked, West Side Story, The Pajama game and a few others.
TheBoyFromNC
Chorus Member Joined: 9/4/14
#4Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 9:40am
Merrily We Roll Along has a quick reference to South Pacific in the song Opening Doors.
Heathers references Grease in the song Big Fun.
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#5Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 10:05amWicked gives a nod to Evita
broadwayguy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/03
#6Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 10:45amHairspray has numerous references... The script and score, in particularly, references gypsy more than once and the original production design references everything from Bye Bye Birdie to Do Re Mi to Chicago to Dreamgirls.
#7Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 10:51amWhat's the nod to Evita in Wicked?
#8Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 10:51am
double post
Updated On: 11/3/14 at 10:51 AM
dreaming
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/24/09
#9Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 10:53am
In Wicked, during "Thank Goodness," Glinda holds her arms in the position of Evita during "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina". (Up with palms in.)
There are other references in Wicked, I think.
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#10Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 11:01am
Yes, dreaming has it correct. But not just the arms. If you look at the staging of Thank Goodness (on Broadway) it's very close to the staging of "On the Casa Rosada/Don't Cry For Me Argentina"
Link
Fantod
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/3/14
#11Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 1:52pm
This might help
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1050174&PageSpeed=noscript
#12Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 2:11pmMerrily also references MY FAIR LADY..."I sort of enjoyed it..."
#13Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/3/14 at 2:12pm...and SPAMALOT makes some not so subtle references to ALW.
#14Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/4/14 at 1:46amAladdin references West Side Story, comes to mind off the top of my head
#15Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/4/14 at 1:54amI think subtle is the wrong word to use. Most of these examples are blatently obvious and over the top references in musical comedies that most of the audience gets and goes wild for.
Lovinbroadway2
Stand-by Joined: 11/1/14
#16Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/4/14 at 3:46amShrek, Urinetown, Spamalot, and The Producers have many nods.
#17Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/4/14 at 6:14am
I think AVENUE Q must be the winner of this particular contest: its album credits specifically cite WEST SIDE STORY because Q quotes it so often "with permission".
In addition, "The More Your Ruv Someone" is practically a musical paraphrase of "A Boy Like That".
WSS isn't the only show referenced; and, of course, there are all the Sesame Street references as well.
#18Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/4/14 at 6:53am
In the movie version of CALL ME MADAM, Vera-Ellen is browsing in a department store as she hears "It's A Lovely Day Today" being played in the music department. Mistaking Donald O'Connor for a salesman, she asks if it is an American song. "Yes", he replies, "It's a hit from a show that ran a couple of years on Broadway", referring of course to...CALL ME MADAM.
I always laugh at that line
It's A Lovely Day Today
MusicAndPassion
Broadway Star Joined: 9/14/05
#19Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/4/14 at 6:57amShrek's nod to Gypsy had me in stitches.
chewy5000
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/1/09
#20Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/4/14 at 6:57amThe Producers has some very obvious references, but there are also plenty of subtler tributes, as you say, like the "I have a dream" motif right after "I'm the German Ethel Merman"
TheGingerBreadMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/7/12
#21Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/4/14 at 7:44am[Title of Show] has several nods to other shows, including Rent, Merrily We Roll Along, and others.
#22Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/4/14 at 9:34amIn the song The Sound of Money in I CAN GET IT WHOLESALE .... there is a brief orchestral reference when you hear the music for "doe, a deer, a female deer" .
I'm a starkid
Chorus Member Joined: 6/29/14
#23Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/4/14 at 10:25amShrek's nod to Wicked's Defying gravity that Lord Farquad does at the end of Thing are looking up here in Duloc is great! I encourage anyone who hasn't seen it to look it up on youtube.
#24Musicals that Make Subtle Tributes to Other Musicals
Posted: 11/4/14 at 11:24am
At the very end of "A Weekend in the Country" the orchestra quotes a few bars from Der Rosenkavalier, an opera by Richard Strauss. It was Tunick's idea.
During "Happy Hunting Horn" in Pal Joey, the trumpet plays "Siegried's Horn Call," one of the better known leitmotifs from Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen.
The middle section of "The Worst Pies in London" -- "Is that just disgusting? You have to concede it! It's nothing but crusting! Here, drink this, you'll need it!" -- is musically identical to "Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya, Tomorrow!" Sondheim said he did it as a joke in response to the then constant accusations that he doesn't write memorable melodies. He decided to insert the biggest Broadway hit song of the past 25 years from the previous year's big hit musical into Sweeney to see if anybody would notice. Almost no one did.
In the final scene of Mozart's Don Giovanni, the Don sits down to a big meal serenaded by a small onstage orchestra. In response to one piece they play, the Don's servant comments that he knows the piece too well, implying that it's worn out its welcome. The piece is "Non Più Andrai," then an enormous popular hit from Mozart's own earlier opera, The Marriage of Figaro.
In Gilbert and Sullivan's late work Utopia, Limited, the Princess Zara returns home after being educated in England. She brings with her six "Flowers of Progress," six distinguished British gentlemen meant to serve as role models in her own country. Among the six is Captain Corcoran from H.M.S. Pinafore, who sings a brief snippet of "I Am the Captain of the Pinafore" when he is presented at the royal court.
Updated On: 11/4/14 at 11:24 AM
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