The most seamless book/score for a musical ever

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:17pm

What do you think is the most seamless and perfect book and score for a Broadway musical? Updated On: 8/12/04 at 02:17 PM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:18pm

Urinetown!

[timote316]

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

Fiddler seems to work for me! Also, wouldn't most any opera (i.e. ALW pieces, BARE, Caroline, etc) be the most seamless, as the book and score are the same things?

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:22pm

Agreed about the operas being extremely seemless, you never run into that whole "say a line, turn to the audience, and break out into song" thing.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:28pm

I'd say Gypsy. The book and score worked perfectly hand in hand. Also, West Side Story has a pretty seamless and powerful book/script. Updated On: 8/12/04 at 02:28 PM

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:34pm

caroline is perfection , les miz too, but they are pop-operas (if you want to use that term), so id have to say that as for musicals with books... avenue q all fits together very well, though it's far from the "most seemless". gypsy is great, though i sometimes get annoyed with how often rose breaks into a rant/song, though it is supposed to be that way to suit the character.

[Craig]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:36pm

Sweeney Todd

[Zola Q. LaPlaya]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:43pm

Craig's right -- Sweeney Todd.

But I think Ragtime is close.

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:47pm

I think these are all marvelous selections...and I would add THE MUSIC MAN.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:54pm

Guys and Dolls, and most of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classics.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:54pm

GYPSY

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 2:56pm

Most perfect and seamless? That's a toughie, but I would have to agree with The Music Man. A perfect marriage of book and score that stays well-defined within its period and setting. It's one of the rare flawless musicals.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:20pm

What about RENT?

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:25pm

Matt,

I have to say how intrigued I am by how much we can disagree with each other in one thread, and then totally agree in another.

We should have a talkshow.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:25pm

I'd say Guys and Dolls and Hairspray are a perfect blend of score and book. The tones and jokes from all the songs are very much in the same vein as the book. I think has to do with close collaberative efforts and the lyriscists being involved in the book a lot.

Akiva

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:27pm

Urinetown was a very clever book that fit perfectly with the music.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:28pm

Definitely 1776. Both the book and the score are incredibly clever and intelligent.

[Qfan]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:39pm

Sweeney Todd,Assassins, and ave q (3 of my favorites)

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:42pm

robbiej - I would LOVE that!!! The Siskel and Ebert (or Men on Film) of musical theatre. Would could have those friendly heated arguments seated in plush theatre seats while sipping mint juleps (or the like) and bring in celebrity guests who could offer their opinions on shows they have seen, but are not connected with. I would love to hear what Ellen DeGeneres or Margaret Cho would have to say about Bombay Dreams.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:47pm

No debate... SWEENEY TOOD.

[MusicalDirector109]

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

"FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" - not a wasted word or song
"GYPSY" -ditto
"THE MUSIC MAN"
"WEST SIDE STORY"
"GUYS AND DOLLS"
"SWEENEY TODD"

[krisjoseph]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 3:54pm

I'd like to add a vote for Sweeney, and add a sympathy plea for Parade... which reminded me of Sweeney quite a bit in the way the score reflected the tone of the story.

It seems that there are two definitions of "seamless" in this context: (1) an effortless-looking integration of book and score, so that text and music flow between one another, and (2) a book and score that do not "morph" into one another, but that reflect each other's tone so magnificently so as to appear to have been written by one person [which, by definition, should discount shows written alone]

I would cite Music Man as a fine example of (1) and Gypsy as a "template" example of (2)

...or maybe those really aren't two terribly different things, after all. Sitting on the fence feels so good.

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 4:08pm

Matt,

Call public access, get a camera, I'll pour us some Cosmos and we gots a hit!

I would love to have Tonya Pinkins on to recreate the drama of each of her children's births (if you don't know what I'm talking about, go to her website, click on photos and then click on birth. WARNING...prepare yourself!)

And KRISJOSEPH!

Where the hell have you been, Mr.???

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 4:11pm

Into the Woods for me! Sweeney Todd runs a very close second!

[thibodeaux]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 4:14pm

* CAROLINE, or CHANGE
* RAGTIME
* RENT
* VIOLET
* INTO THE WOODS
* SWEENEY TODD
* DREAMGIRLS

Oh, I'll just stop.