What is the most obscure but brilliant musical you love?- Page 3

[Kad]

Posted: 4/16/10 at 10:09pm

Not really obscure, but I suspect most people here don't know the score: Jerry Springer the Opera.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 4/16/10 at 10:09pm

Rockabye Hamlet.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/16/10 at 11:44pm

I am humbled by the obscure knowledge of you all!!!!

[westycenterstagejack]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 12:51am

Grey Gardens is the most beautiful, short lived show of all time, IMO.

[romgitsean]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 1:02am

I second Gavin with Lolita, My Love- (well of course I would. He's my flop buddy along with myshikobit xD) then probably Prettybelle. But Lolita most certainly is the first prize winner. I pray we get a staged reading for Loli, or an Encores production- (if we're *really* lucky, a limited run Off-Broadway...) because it truly deserves to be staged. It is just so brilliant. It needs fixing, no doubt, but nothing that can't be fixed, truly.

A lot of these I've heard selections from but don't know in its entirety (Weird Romance) and I'd like to add that I think Smile will be revived eventually. Give it a little bit more time.

OP-It really what classifies as "obscure". I know you made a citation saying "impressing people by your theatre knowledge"- but what KINDS of people? Theatre/artsy-fartsy people or just regulars? I know it sounds like a dumb question; but while I don't think many theatre people would find Urinetown, LOTR: The Musical (US Theatre people, that is...) or Carrie: The Musical to be obscure, but you'd be surprised as to how oblivious people can be. ^^

[gcontini2]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 1:25am

Violet
No Strings
Stop the World, I Want to Get Off

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 10:56am

INNER CITY - loved the show, loved the score.

From the UK, two of my all-time favorites on stage, two of my most-played CDs:

WINDY CITY - musical adaptation of The Front Page

THE CARD - This is the show where I "discovered" several of my favorite musical theater performers: Jim Dale, Marti Webb, and Millicent Martin. Toss in Joan Hickson and Eleanor Bron, and you've got one of the strongest casts I've ever seen in a musical.

[gcontini2]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 11:01am

The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd

I've never seen it, but my parents used to play it among their hundred OBCR recordings when I was a kid ..which probably explains a lot, best gone into another time :)
Updated On: 4/17/10 at 11:01 AM

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 11:16am

Sondheim's Saturday Night!

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 11:20am

I second Mr. Matt's listing of GOLDILOCKS--1958. Elaine Stritch was at her bitchiest best in this musical with a lovely score.

THE ROAR OF THE GREASEPAINT, THE SMELL OF THE CROWD--1965. I thought this to be a very fine show with a great score and liked it infinitely more than its precursor, STOP THE WORLD, I WANT TO GET OFF, with the quirky Anthony Newley in both shows.

THE GIRL WHO CAME TO SUPPER--1963, co-starring a truly radiant Florence Henderson with a wonderful legit voice. Although it was far from great, it had its moments. For me the highlight was "The Coronation Chorale" in which Henderson, surrounded by Royals at the Coronation of an English monarch, contrasts her utter delight of being present with the droll boredom of the Royals. It was brilliantly staged by Joe Layton. Another highlight was Tessie O'Shea doing an English Music Hall medley. She brought the house down, at the end of Act One.

[mallardo]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 1:04pm

Would Ahrens and Flaherty's "A Man of No Importance" be classified as obscure? I didn't love it from the CD but I sure did after seeing it in London last year.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 1:52pm

To Twinbelters

I totally forgot about Rockabye Hamlet. I saw it & it was an absolute great experience. I would kill for a CD of the complete score. I do have a consilation prize & that is a sound recording taken during a live performance. Whenever my computer decides to cooperate, I have to transfer it to CD. I also have the 10 track LP

I had an interesting experience awhile back concerning Hamlet. During intermission at Song Of Singapore,I struck up a conversation with someone seated at the bar. Turns out he was a musician who was in the Hamlet orchestra. I told him I has the tape of it & he begged me for a copy. Since he was in the orchestra of Singapore, I dropped off a copy the following week. He sent me a nice postcard thanking me & summing up his feelings on Hamlet: "As General Patton said - A criminal waste of fine infantry".

[myshikobit]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 2:40pm

Ah "Rockabye" My class was reading the actual Hamlet... and so of course I just had to bring in Rockabye Hamlet. The looks on their faces...

My favorites are "Prettybelle", "Bernarda Alba", "Lolita, My Love", "Caligula" and "Thou Shalt Not" (I'm inexplicably attracted to the score! Really, everything by LaChuisa should be better known. He's the greatest composer of his generation of MT. Innovation is key, and he's one of the few modern MT composers who knows it.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 2:54pm

Johnny Guitar

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 3:06pm

The Gay Life, starring a still-young Barbara Cook. Somewhere I have her singing "Magic Moment"on video and it is a magic moment.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 3:06pm

Giant!!!!!!

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 3:09pm

Oh, and Kad, I LOVE Jerry Springer: The Opera!

[Paul Bland4]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 4:39pm

EATING RAOUL
TONYA AND NANCY: THE ROCK OPERA
THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM
LOLITA, MY LOVE
THE BAKER'S WIFE
BLONDEL
BY JEEVES

[Scott Briefer]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 5:15pm

Jerry Springer was dreadful, as was Marilyn. No accounting for people's tastes.

I'm waiting for someone to add: Got Tu Go Disco!

[lizliz]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 7:47pm

More of a guilty pleasure than "brilliant", I suspect, but I have a soft spot for STARMITES.

[Patash]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 8:08pm

Mine's so obscure I can never find any reference to it. It was a musical that I think was called "Gold Diggers of 1635" and was a Moliere based tap dancing musical in period costumes. I saw it at a dinner theatre about 35 years ago and it was very, very funny and fun.

Speaking of that, I've always loved The Amorous Flea, based on Moliere's School for Wives.

[dayao]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 8:36pm

THE STUDENT GYPSY (1963) Music & Lyrics by Rick Besoyan
with wonderful performances by Eileen Brennan, Allen Case, Shannon Bolin, Dom DeLuise & Mitzie Welch.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 8:58pm

"Jerry Springer was dreadful, as was Marilyn. No accounting for people's tastes."

I forgot this board was home to the arbiters of taste.

I will defend Jerry Springer till my dying day- and I know a lot of people will be on my side.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 9:06pm

Does 'Adding Machine' count?

[once a month]

Posted: 4/17/10 at 10:21pm

The Scottsboro Boys (as of today)