Really Dark Musicals- Page 2

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 7:56pm

Into the Woods
Sweeney Todd
Reefer Madness
Cabaret

and to tell you the truth Seussical can be very very dark if done correctly.

[Lizzya9]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 7:58pm

Sweeney Todd

[WaitingForKathy]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 7:59pm

I think Miss Sigaon is pretty dark.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:00pm

How can Seussical be dark? The music doesn't lend itself to that.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:01pm

Jekyll and Hyde is legit?

If you want legit, look into Street Scene and Regina.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:03pm

It can be dark done a different way.

The Cat in the Hat was originally supposed to be a dark figure and if you get a good actor who can creep people out with lots of make up popping up everywhere you got half of it right there!

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:03pm

While there's a lot of fluffy and light stuff in Sunset Blvd. the last 15 minutes are about as dark as it gets.

"I'm ready for my closeup"

[ashbash1990]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:03pm

I'd say pick a your favorite musical and put a dark twist on it... thats what I would do, anyway... or... take something classic and fluffy, dress the cast in black, and have the actors make all their portrayals sketchy...

Updated On: 12/5/06 at 08:03 PM

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:10pm

Chicago and Assassins

[So what...I sing]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:15pm

Oh Sunset Boulevard would be amazing. Are rights out for that?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:52pm

I still don't Seussical as being dark. I think it's hard to take something that wasn't intended to be dark and make it dark, just for the sake of making it dark. Dr. Seuss can be creepy, but the show was intended to be a kid's show. Or at least that's what it ended up being.

Do you have a damn good actress? Sunset Blvd would be hard to pull off in a college setting, but if you have the talent...If you don't, it will just come across as cheesy.

Why not try something smaller, like Violet?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:55pm

Sweet Smell of Success?

[Broadwayboy2631]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:56pm

The second act of Into the Woods is dark

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:58pm

Forgot about Sweet Smell of Success. That's great!

Seussical was originally intended to be VERY dark but for some reason the scraped the idea.

[Broadwayboy2631]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 9:01pm

Bat Boy and Little Shop of Horrors are both dark in a campy off- Broadway way

[So what...I sing]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 10:39pm

Tell me more about Sweet Smell being dark.

[Julian2]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 10:46pm

As far as rights go, See What I Wanna See is already availible via Dramatisists (spl?) Play Publishing Service, but I don't this Sunset Boulevard is. The place to check would be R&H Theatricals.

[gumbo2]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 10:56pm

Secret Garden

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 11:02pm

Sweet Smell of Success is probably your best bet. It's a very very dark show set in the 20s if I'm correct. You can purchase the cast album on Amazon.com. it's a wonderful show!

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 11:13pm

not legit singing but bright lights big city would work


definately sweet smell of success though

[ByMySide25]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 11:19pm

Depending upon the interpretation: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.

[Chrismas42]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 11:29pm

I would agree with Sweet Smell. Dirt itself is a great number that pretty much sums up the show.. lol

As for rights... if you're just doing a scene from it AND you are not charging admission for that performance, then you DON'T need the rights.
However, once you charge admission then you have to pay.
Another common concept is to take a Shakespeare play and add contemporary music/newly composed music to it. If the director is really smart about it, most of the time it turns out REALLY well.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 11:31pm

Secret Garden and Fiddler on the Roof? Jekyl and Hyde is dark only because it stinks to high Heaven.

Dark!?!?!?

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned EVITA.

First of all, what do you mean by "Dark Musical"? One with a serious theme? Without a happy ending? One with no comedy numbers? One that leaves the audience wrung out?

WEST SIDE STORY is pretty dark, when you think about it.

THRILL ME, about the Leopold and Loeb murders is rather dark.

[mallardo]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 2:23am

No show is ultimately darker than CHESS - no redemption, no hope.

[So what...I sing]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 2:27am

West Side is brilliant! Sans dancing...I'm no choreographer. I dont care if the show is happy at the end or if there are no jokes, I just want something that makes you cringe a little....with some grit to it. Best examples I can give you would be JC Superstar, and Sweeney Todd.