What is the greatest 'Jerry Mitchell' Musical

[nyclover2]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 6:56pm

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 7:01pm

Hairspray.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 7:25pm

Yup.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 8:19pm

I agree with the others who’ve already said Hairspray. I find his choreography tends to suffer a bit when he’s pulling double-duty as director/choreographer, and I don’t think I’ve seen a show that he’s directed where I thought it was anything above servicable.

[jkstheatrescene]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 8:29pm

I'm going to have to go with The Will Rogers Follies... did you see him in that loin cloth dancing on that drum???

But seriously... Hairspray was his best choreography. And I know it gets a bad rap here but I really enjoyed Legally Blonde.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 8:56pm

The ones he does on Fire Island in his pool with all the dancers! SUCH fun!

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 9:03pm

LEGALLY BLONDE seems to be aging like a fine wine. With each passing year, the memories grow fonder. I think his work really pulled that show together and didn't get enough credit back in 2007.

It does seem that with every show he has directed, he's trying to recreate the energy and heart that HAIRSPRAY had -- which is not a bad goal. And I think he came very close to it with Kinky Boots.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 9:19pm

I’d say Legally Blonde. I find it athletic and thrilling. I agree that the show didn’t get its due. He did great work on that show. Elle is a hard role to pull off.

I found Hairspray pretty full and typical.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 9:23pm

I still think Legally Blonde got as much due as it deserved at the time, maybe more than it deserved.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 9:34pm

for me, his best, most  character specific,  show fitting work is The Full Monty....that dance was essential to the plot and darn fun to watch. He's never gotten better than that for me. and even its clear he knows musical theater well, I still don't believe he is a full time director. If he stayed focused on the movement and dancing he would have more more quality work to show from it.

[markypoo]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 9:41pm

The Full Monty.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 9:53pm

"Whipped Into Shape" deserves to be singled-out. It's an ideal 2nd act curtain-raiser in the tradition of "Shipoopi" and "Take Back Your Mink" and "Side By Side" –– it gets the audience comfortable and excited, it's low on plot, but it still helps move the act forward. And his choreography was thrilling. 
(NOT saying it's of equal quality to Sondheim and Loesser and Wilson's work but it serves a similar purpose!!)

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 11:53pm

Hairspray, closely followed by the London production of Legally Blonde (greatly improved from the Broadway production).

[Ravenclaw]

Posted: 7/23/18 at 3:37am

To echo what others have said, Hairspray was definitely his best choreography. 

As for shows he's directed, I think the original Broadway production of Legally Blonde was weighed down by having too much scenically--every location did not need to be so fully realized. The set kind of dwarfed the story. The London production was a more reasonable size (though, still, by no means modest) and allowed room for the characters to breathe. Plus, the edits to the book were small changes that made big impacts. So, by the time it got to London, I'll say Legally Blonde was his best directorial work, but Kinky Boots is definitely very skillfully done.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/23/18 at 6:16am

Choreography would be Hairspray, direction would be Legally Blonde, which I always felt was under appreciated.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/23/18 at 8:14am

Just as choreographer.

1. Hairspray

2. Kinky Boots

3. The Full Monty

4. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

5. Legally Blonde

6. Gypsy '03

7. Catch Me If You Can

8. On Your Feet

9. La Cage aux Folles '05

10. Rocky Horror