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Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

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#1

Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:16pm

Some great scores have won the Tony for 'Best Original Score' this decade, and some were robbed. How would you rank the ones that won?

2000- Aida (Elton John & Tim Rice)
2001- The Producers (Mel Brooks)
2002- Urinetown (Mark Hollmann & Greg Kotis)
2003- Hairspray (Marc Shaiman and Scot Wittman)
2004- Avenue Q (Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx)
2005- The Light In The Piazza (Adam Guettel)
2006- The Drowsy Chaperone (Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison)
2007- Spring Awakening (Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater)

My ranking (in order)

1. The Light In The Piazza
2. Urinetown
3. Avenue Q
4. Hairspray
5. The Drowsy Chaperone
6. The Producers
7. Spring Awakening
8. Aida

How would you rank them?

Updated On: 2/3/08 at 11:16 PM

#2

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:20pm

1. Hairspray
2. Urinetown
3. The Drowsy Chaperone
4. Avenue Q
5. The Producers
6. Spring Awakening
7. The Light In The Piazza (haven't heard it)
8. Aida
"I mean, sitting side by side with another man watching Patti LuPone play Rose in GYPSY on Broadway is essentially the equivalent of having hardcore sex." -Wanna Be A Foster. "Say 'Goody.' Say 'Bubbi.'" ... "That's it. Exactly as if it were 'Goody.' Now I know you're gonna sing 'Goody' this time, but nevertheless..."
#3

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:21pm

1. The Light in the Piazza
2. Avenue Q
3. Urinetown
4. Hairspray
5. Spring Awakening
6. The Producers
7. Aida
8. The Drowsy Chaperone

I think "Grey Gardens" had a better score than "Spring Awakening," personally.
Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.
#4

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:22pm

Of the ones I have heard,

1.The Light In The Piazza
2.Hairspray
3.Spring Awakening
4.The Drowsy Chaperone
5.The Producers
6.Aida
PLEASE! Do not post anything negative or dramatic! DidYouReallyHearMe has LOST the ability to ignore such posts and he will comment! Please, help him.


With Clay Aiken in Spamalot, all of Broadway is singing a collective "There! Right! There!" -Me-

"Not Barker, Todd is the only person I've ever known who could imitate Katherine Hepburn...in print." -nmartin-
#5

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:22pm

1.The Light In The Piazza
2.Urinetown
3.Spring Awakening
4.The Drowsy Chaperone
5.Avenue Q
6.Hairspray
7.The Producers
8.Aida
My blog- http://okayentertainment.blogspot.com/
#6

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:23pm

1. The Light In The Piazza
2. Spring Awakening
3. Avenue Q
4. Urinetown
5. Hairspray
6. Aida
7. The Producers
8. The Drowsy Chaperone

Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE

Updated On: 2/3/08 at 11:23 PM

#7

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:23pm

1. The Light in the Piazza
2. Hairspray
3. Spring Awakening
4. The Drowsy Chaperone
5. Urinetown
6. Aida
7. The Producers
8. Avenue Q

That was hard. I give "Piazza" number one, just because how beautiful and in my mind, groundbreaking it was; while I feel Hairspray really is the best score of the group. It would be fun to do this for each decade.
"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards

Updated On: 2/3/08 at 11:23 PM

#8

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:27pm

are you kidding? I wouldn't put aida last, even though its not beautiful all over, there are some GREAT high points of some of elton john's best! Sad to say, i do not think urinetown's score even deserved the tony, though i love the show. the score itself is cute and good but not great. Producers too, there are cute songs, and the show is good, but its not a great score. its fine.

here's mine

1 - Light in the Piazza (one of the best musical theatre scores ever, in my oppppinniiioonnnnn)
2 - Hairspray
3 - Avenue Q
4 - Spring Awakening
5 - Aida
6 - Drowsy
7 - Producers
8 - Urinetown
people on broadwayworld.com can be rude and scary
#10

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:30pm

In general, I like "Aida" very much, but it ends up last in comparison.

What do you think will be nominated this year? We know we're dealing with:
"Young Frankenstein"
"Cry Baby"
"Catered Affair"
"In the Heights"
"Passing Strange"
and, I'm not sure if "Little Mermaid" or "Xanadu" are eligible.

EDIT: And, in comparison to "The Wild Party", "Aida" looks like chump change.
Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.

Updated On: 2/3/08 at 11:30 PM

#11

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:32pm

1. The Light in the Piazza
2. Urinetown
3. Hairspray
4. Avenue Q
5. Spring Awakening
6. The Producers
7. The Drowsy Chaperone
8. Aida
"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.
#12

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:34pm

I'm almost positive Xanadu isn't eligible. Doesn't the show need to have at least 8 new songs?

This year's nominations (I think):

In The Heights
Passing Strange
A Catered Affair
Cry-Baby
"I mean, sitting side by side with another man watching Patti LuPone play Rose in GYPSY on Broadway is essentially the equivalent of having hardcore sex." -Wanna Be A Foster. "Say 'Goody.' Say 'Bubbi.'" ... "That's it. Exactly as if it were 'Goody.' Now I know you're gonna sing 'Goody' this time, but nevertheless..."
#14

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:36pm

The Little Mermaid should be eligible, it has 10 new songs.

But lets not turn this into another tony prediction thread. Back to the rankings.
"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards
#15

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:38pm

Aida is certainly not as good as I think it is, I'll give that much, but I'm not sure I could in good conscience put it below something like Drowsy. I listen to Aida all the time. I've probably listened to Drowsy twice, ever, and I've had it since it was released.

Anyway. Oooh. This is kind of hard, because for a lot of them, the quality of the music and the lyrics is so imbalanced. Like, for example, I think the music in Spring Awakening far outshines the lyrics, but the lyrics just kind of bring the whole thing down for me.

1. The Light in the Piazza
2. Hairspray
3. Aida
4. Avenue Q
5. Spring Awakening
6. Urinetown
7. The Drowsy Chaperone
8. The Producers
A work of art is an invitation to love.
#16

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:40pm

Hehe, you're right. I was just wondering.

And, ljay, "A Cttered Affair"? I haven't heard about that one. Is it a new PETA musical?
Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.
#17

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:43pm

I have to agree with you luvtheEmcee on the Aida thing.

I listen to it all the time, and try to tell myself it is better than it really is.

"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards

Updated On: 2/3/08 at 11:43 PM

#18

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:49pm

Well, it's also not exactly awful. Some parts are better than others. The bad stuff is truly laughable, but the good stuff is beautiful. I have a lot of love for that show, even though I've realized it wasn't quite the masterpiece I thought it was at the time.
A work of art is an invitation to love.

Updated On: 2/3/08 at 11:49 PM

#19

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:50pm

1. Spring Awakening
2. Hairspray
3. Avenue Q
4. Urinetown
5. Aida
6. The Light in the Piazza
7. The Producers
8. The Drowsy Chaperone

I was tempted to juggle more, but to be honest, 5 on down haven't hit my playlist in over a year
#20

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:52pm


The Light in the Piazza (Beautiful)
Avenue Q (I love it. Fun tunes, funny lyrics)
Hairspray (energetic)
The Drowsy Chaperone (fun)
The Producers (mediocre)
Urinetown (not my favorite)
Aida (decent)
Spring Awakening (f*ck this)
"Hey, you! You're the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber!" -Family Guy
#21

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/4/08 at 11:24am

Avenue Q (Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx)
The Light In The Piazza (Adam Guettel)
Hairspray (Marc Shaiman and Scot Wittman)
The Drowsy Chaperone (Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison)
Urinetown (Mark Hollmann & Greg Kotis)
The Producers (Mel Brooks)
Aida (Elton John & Tim Rice)
Spring Awakening (Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater)

In The Heights- it better win!
#22

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/4/08 at 12:03pm

Purely based on the scores only:
1. Spring Awakening
2. The Light In The Piazza
3. Hairspray
4. Aida
5. Avenue Q
6. Urinetown
7. The Drowsy Chaperone
8. The Producers

(My rankings would be different if the whole show was considered)


8.
#24

re: Rank the 'Best Scores' of this decade so far...

Posted: 2/4/08 at 12:24pm

Only really have a top 3:

1) Light in the Piazza
2) Spring Awakening
3) Avenue Q

And I really wish The Woman in White would've won in '06. I really enjoyed that score, but I have not heard Drowsey so who knows.

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