What Broadway shows are based on or inspired from true stories?

[bundy5000]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 11:39pm

While surfing BWW the Catch Me If you can ads peeked my interest with "Based on a true story". On the top of my head I can just think of Gypsy. I know some plays are based on actual events via

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Plays_based_on_actual_events

Can anyone elaborate on more musicals?

[dragonlp86]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 11:43pm

Scottsboro Boys, I think.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 11:50pm

Parade (?)

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 11:51pm

The Sound of Music
The King and I
Grey Gardens
1776

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 11:52pm

Yes to Scottsboro.
Titanic
Cabaret, to a degree (it's based on Christopher Isherwood's The Berlin Stories)
BBAJ
Inherit The Wind (not a musical, but weird that it's not on the Wikipedia list?)

There are tons, that's just off to the top of my head.

Updated On: 2/5/11 at 11:52 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 11:52pm

Evita

The Sound of Music

Coco

A Chorus Line

Call Me Madam

Boy From Oz

Fiorello

Assassins

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 11:54pm

I would probably count South Pacific, too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_the_South_Pacific

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 11:54pm

Funny Girl
Barnum

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 11:56pm

Mack and Mabel
Minnie's Boys
Jersey Boys
The Unsinkable Molly Brown
The Boy From Oz
Will Rogers Follies
Marilyn: An American Fable
Sunday in the Park With George (to some degree inspired by his life)

Updated On: 2/6/11 at 11:56 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 12:03am

Side Show

Dreamgirls

Master Class

[chewy5000]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 12:07am

[title of show]

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 12:08am

Jelly's Last Jam
Legs Diamond

Updated On: 2/6/11 at 12:08 AM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 12:14am

1776

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 12:17am

Pacific Overtures
Chicago (yes, it's based on a 1920s play that was based on a true story)

Updated On: 2/6/11 at 12:17 AM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 12:23am

Angels in America (and the opera that came after) - the Roy Cohn and Ethel Rosenberg characters

[Q]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 12:23am

Ooops - missed the 'musical' part of the question! Updated On: 2/6/11 at 12:23 AM

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 12:25am

I think the OP wants musicals.

And there are real-life characters mingling in other fictitious musicals like Ragtime and Annie.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 12:32am

You could even go out on a limb and say "Jesus Christ Superstar."

... based on the true events surrounding the last days of Jesus' life.

[Q]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 12:41am

Annie Get Your Gun - highly fictionalized, but qualifies as 'inspired by' the life of Annie Oakley.

Caroline, or Change - I believe Mr. Kushner based his libretto on his own childhood in Atlanta. Updated On: 2/6/11 at 12:41 AM

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 1:00am

Lombardi
Rent (Some minor tidbits)

[singalongsong2]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 1:23am

Million Dollar Quartet

[singalongsong2]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 1:32am

Taboo
Memphis and Bye Bye Birdie are also inspired by actual people/events.


Updated On: 2/6/11 at 01:32 AM

[Boq101]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 2:54am

Best12Bars you could only count Jesus Christ Superstar if you decided Jesus actually lived, and even then it is a retelling of his final days set down in writing LONG after he had presumably died.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 5:38am

Exactly, which is why I said it was going out on a limb.

Also, whether or not you believe Jesus was the true son of God, most non-religious historians agree there was a man named Jesus who lived on this earth who was crucified, etc. That's why I think it fits the definition of a musical being "inspired by" or based on a true story.

EDIT: There are people who would add that disclaimer to many of the chapters in the Bible, saying "inspired by" true events. There were factual events (like a guy named Jesus who lived and died, scientific evidence of a "great flood," etc.). How much you think is the truth is where the religions aspects enter into the picture. Is it true or is it just fiction "based on" true events?

Still ... I think JCS, as a musical, fits the category.

Updated On: 2/6/11 at 05:38 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/6/11 at 5:44am