We need some original musicals

[wicked1492]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 5:04pm

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say many of us are sick and tired of all the screen to stage transfers. I mean come on. My Favorite Year, Footloose, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Big, Saturday Night Fever, the Wedding Singer, the Full Monty, the Producers… (inhales) Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, Billy Elliot, Spamalot. Are we serious. We need some originality on Broadway!

Let's throw out some suggestions for NEW musicals, which are sadly becoming a rarity.

My input is a musical about the Underground Railroad. Could be great with the properly assembled team.

We need new ideas!!! God save us if we get From Justin to Kelly: LIVE on Stage... I would disown Broadway.

Updated On: 3/9/09 at 05:04 PM

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 5:09pm

Please see last week's thread about the same topic:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=992082&boardid=0

[philly03]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 5:10pm

I don't necessarily dislike screen to stage adaptions (Thoroughly enjoyed "Beauty and the Beast" (on the animated side) and ALW's "SUNSET BLVD."), but I tend to like the ones that come from novels, especially the "classics"; unfortunately those have NOT worked entirely well lately either in the past decade (The Scarlet Pimpernel, Jane Eyre, Woman in White, A Tale of Two Cities...etc. etc. etc.)

Not all "original" musicals have worked this season etiher - [tos], 13, Story of My Life ..... etc.

While I can't say I'm awaiting Spider Man, I'm sure there are some others in the works that I may enjoy!

And I've always thought it'd be interesting to do something on an explorer!

[dg22894]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 5:14pm

WE NEED A FULL TILT BOGGY ORIGINAL MUSICAL

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 5:21pm

I have a very silly idea but am goin to share it anyway. Its about beverly hills and a family of goths move in a destory the whole bright colourful neighbourhood. (excuse my spelling)

[wicked1492]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 5:22pm

"WE NEED A FULL TILT BOOGY ORIGINAL MUSICAL!"

Amen!!

Wait- I can't decide if you're trying to be Ben Vereen or Randy Newman...?

Updated On: 3/9/09 at 05:22 PM

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 5:24pm

Please remember that of the nine Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musicals, I believe that only two ("Allegro" and "Me and Juliet") were original. Hardly the best of the lot.

The others were based on plays and books, some of which had been made into movies before the stage versions were written.

I think you perceive the number of film to stage adaptations as being high these days, whereas I think that the number of play and book adaptations has dropped. The number of original musicals may actually be higher than it used to be.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 5:29pm

I'd settle for a few original threads.

[dented146]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 5:55pm

Memphis will begin previews in Sept for a November opening. It is completely original and I thought it was very good with the potential to be extremely good, maybe even great. The San Diego and Seattle reviews were both fair and accurate.

I know dozens of people who saw the show in San Diego. What I find interesting is that virtually everyone liked the musical very much yet there was almost complete agreement where there were problems.

[TimeSquare3]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 5:56pm

Lets look at history. The majority of musicals all came from source material. Wether the source be history, book, play, or an opera. There is RARELY a TRULY original musical..... ever. Movies are just the latest form of media to be thrown into the mix.

Updated On: 3/9/09 at 05:56 PM

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 6:54pm

I think producers and creators are starting to realize that completely original musicals just don't sell as well anymore. A lot more tourists will choose let's say Legally Blonde over [tos] because it's a name they are familiar with. Nobody wants to risk spending a lot and not liking the show.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 7:32pm

And yet, CS, BOTH shows you mentioned were flops...and financially I'm guessing the LB was the bigger flop. (That it was further from re-couping since it's costs were MUCH higher in every aspect.)

While I would PREFER original or at least NOT movies into musicals....I am much more concerned with QUALITY...no matter the source material.

[esparza 333]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 7:33pm

This was also talked about in our more originality thread but like it was said before almost all musicals have source material. While they are entertaining and some of them are done beautifully it is true we have been getting many more movie to broadway adaptions.

I am fine as long as they are done well and if it helps broadway get more tourism I am all for it. I think that is also the reason for the surplus of movie adaptations. With our economy producers are more likely to make money with a show like Shrek than a show like Story of My Life. This is also a sad thing considering how beautiful and wonderful the original works are including the one I just mentioned.

My only worry is that the playwright job is becoming much easier and less credible. True almost all musicals were adaptions but earlier they were from plays and books which provided writers with material to develop and and the opportunity to create characters and right original dialogue. They really made their adaptations very different and distinct from their source material. These days playwrights might add dialogue and maybe change a few things but for the most part the characters and all of the important dialogue is already done for them.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 9:33pm

Fine. You want original? There is no musical about me.

Okay...go!

[ifuweregay93]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 9:35pm

We need more original musicals like Legally Blonde and Shrek!

[KingKong]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 9:49pm

I like how the person who started this thread bitching about a lack of original musicals has a screen name based on Wicked and an avatar from Gypsy, neither of which are original by his own definition.

[wicked1492]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 5:26pm

Well someone's done their research...

I was in no way "bitching." And don't have anything against screen to stage shows, I was just saying there seems to be more than usual. Some are quality shows. I was simply quoting [title of show], an ORIGINAL musical.

I was just putting out some suggestions out there. Simmer down. It's frickin broadwayworld.com. Everybody's always at eachother's throats about who knows more about Broadway or who's got the better idea. Calm down people.

[hpeabody930]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 5:30pm

Well look at the recnt "successes" of the new musical lately. 13, title of show, story of my life etc. not one has recouped or made any money. ken davenport wrote about it on his blog a few weeks ago, in the current economic climate, "new musicals" simply don't make money.

[wicked1492]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 5:34pm

Wow. I was just talking about ideas for new musicals. Not an econ lesson. I'm well aware of what's going on in the country. I'm not George Bush. This thread was for creative purposes and just to throw ideas around, but I guess since we don't already hear enough about how our economy sucks, we drag it into broadwayworld.

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 5:34pm

I like your underground railroad idea, actually, It has a starting point that audiences would immediately be familiar with, has the opportunity for different kinds of music, plus a racially diverse cast, American theme, could be a love story set against a historical backdrop, etc.

[wicked1492]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 5:35pm

THANK YOU! NEW BEST FRIEND!

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 5:37pm

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 5:40pm

Superman when it opens next year will be original.

[TimeSquare3]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 5:40pm

May I suggest "Confederate States of America: The Musical"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH58-UN_ANM

[wicked1492]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 5:46pm

Wow. That was a bit racist. Haha.