The best structured musicals

Two perhaps controversial opinions,

I do love Gypsy but I don't think it's structurally as great of a book musical as people say it is. It feels very episodic to me and the book scenes feel like play scenes, not well paced musical theatre scenes.

Also, Light in the Piazza would work better as a one act. I don't think the second act has enough propelling us to the end climactically. It's a chamber piece and I would love to see it paired down a bit to be like the novella it is.

Rentaholic2 said: "shows that are so ironclad in their composition that they almost always work, and if you revived them today, you'd hardly need to change a word - just do the show, and it'll take care of itself."

The Most Happy Fella fits this bill to a tee, in my opinion. It's a period piece with a few songs that were probably a little retro in 1956, but it still seems very modern to me in the way that it addresses themes of loneliness, betrayal, and mutual forgiveness. The plot does center around an older man who persuades a young woman to marry him through deception, but I don't think even that would be a problem for contemporary audiences, because the entire show is about the consequences of that deception.

imeldasturn said: "She Loves Me"

There's a LOT of padding.

Even though it's been tinkered with a few times, I find Cabaret to be pretty perfect no matter when I see it.

Also, A Chorus Line is sheer perfection to me

Any time I see CHICAGO I’m always pleasantly surprised at what a tight piece of writing it is.

In terms of functionality, THE PRODUCERS is a classic setup/payoff structure with a clear throughline & stakes.

I'd add Fiddler on the Roof to the list.

The Bittersweets said: "I’d throw in Putnam and Bridges of Madison County. Though Bridges might be hard to do at the community level from a vocal standpoint, (when Kate Baldwin isn’t around to spoil us, that is) it’s a show that consistently has blown me away. And Putnam is perfect at the community level, the audience interaction still feels novel and the characters are so lovable/odd that it’s easy to forgive a production if the voices aren't all there."

Putnam yes.

Bridges no.

This may be a lesser-known example, but I saw a production of The Spitfire Grill at the University of Minnesota-Duluth last night and was really impressed by how quickly it moved. There was barely any fat on the production at all, and it only slowed down at the moments when the tone shifted during the second act.

For how old the show is, I am so impressed with how tight and well structured Guys and Dolls is. I think that show and Fiddler are the two golden age musicals that hold up best overall for modern audiences even if other ones have better individual elements.

As far as newer shows, I agree with The Drowsy Chaperone and I would also add Come From Away.

I also want to give a shout-out to how tight and well structured Seussical JR is compared to the full length show.

FosseTharp said: "This thread immediately reminded me of the NY Mag article from 2011 with Jesse Green, Nora Ephron, Frank Rich, George C Wolfe and Jonathan Tunick where they discussed and came up with the definitive best musical ever written (On Paper).


I just found the link but as it’s been over a decade since I read the article I could be wrong but I believe the consensus became GUYS AND DOLLS as the best written on paper. I believe FIDDLER was #2, IIRC.


The Greatest Musical: “I Can’t Live With ‘West Side Story’ Not Being Among the Finalists”"



Nevermind, Fiddler was one of the 13 eliminated off the bat… which is shocking to me but now I remember that being the case when reading it initially which I thought was shocking.

Rentaholic2 said: "I'd like to know what people think are the best in terms of structure - shows that are so ironclad in their composition that they almost always work, and if you revived them today, you'd hardly need to change a word - just do the show, and it'll take care of itself."

I know this isn't really what you meant by not needing to change a word, but just a general comment that revisiting some older shows and stories through a modern lens has made me appreciate their structure more. This is because - unfortunately - it would be challenging to remove the outdated or problematic elements without disrupting that tight structure. For example, introducing that female character by having the male lead rescue her, might come across as cliched and sexist today; but without that moment, the story loses that important first inkling that this irritating man has a compassionate side, and the economy of introducing the female lead in the same moment. Or, the portrayal of those characters is racist, but if they didn't come across as sufficiently "dangerous" in a particular scene, there would be no stakes to the scene. When thinking about ideas for changing these stories' structure, I realise how ironclad the existing structure really is. (But don't get me wrong; I still think that conversations about considering revisions to older shows and stories should be had.)

Anyway, some shows that I find well-structured:

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM

1776

HAMILTON

Updated On: 10/12/23 at 04:38 PM

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "I so agree that Night Music has to be cast with people who are hysterically funny.

Every character has to be funny AND sound gorgeous."

I actually disagree somewhat with your second sentence: funny and act well, yes. But it's a rare show where the 2 principal female roles (Desiree and Madame A) can have extremely limited vocal ranges. Mme A could talk the entire thing. Frederick and Charlotte are not tough sings either, and Petra could be a passable singer if she can deliver a dynamite acting performance.

MY FAIR LADY is similar in that Higgins, Pickering, Mrs. H, and Dolittle could all be cast with non-singers and it would work perfectly well.

MFL is another perfectly-structured musical, but that's thanks to Shaw (and to an extent Lerner knowing when to borrow from Shaw and when to get out of the way).