to your knowledge, What is the best year for Best Musical?

[On_Avenue_Payt]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 1:51am

Out of the (usually) four nominated musicals? You don't nessessarily have to have seen the musical, but maybe you've heard all the music.. or you know how all four shows were recieved. Or maybe you have seen all four nominated shows from a particular year that you think are all outstanding!

So, in that sense, what do you think?

For me personally, I think 1960 [Sound of Music, Gypsy, Once Upon A Mattress], 1982 [Nine, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Dreamgirls], & 2007 [Spring Awakening, Grey Gardens, & Curtains] are all good choices. But of course there are plenty more.. but thats why I'm asking you people.

Here's a link provided to all the years and the winners and nominees: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Award_for_Best_Musical

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 1:53am

It's not knowledge. It's opinion.

[On_Avenue_Payt]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 1:56am

I'm well aware of the difference between fact and opinion. All I meant was, based on the knowledge you have about musicals, what do you think? I didn't need a snippy comment, If you didn't like my wording, or you wern't going to answer, why even take the time to reply?

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 2:10am

I definitely agree about 1982. I think the best year from the last two decades was definitely 2005. Monty Python's Spamalot, The Light in the Piazza, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

All 4 were hits, all 4 won major Tonys, and all 4 featured outstanding performances. Now, that's what I call a fierce musical season.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 2:16am

oh, Avenue --- You haven't been around BWW very long. Snippiness is (proudly) our middle name. For many it's a first name!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 2:22am

Danger is my middle name.

[Felm_heart]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 2:48am

I came in to say 1982, but I definitely agree with 1960.

[spell7107]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 5:16am

I definitely agree with 2005! I also think that 2004 had 4 very deserving candidates, although not as tight as 2005.

[jagfkb]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 5:59am

1991: Winner: The Will Rogers Follies
Once on this Island
Miss Saigon
The Secret Garden

[fgreene1938]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 6:33am

There were 4 years I can think of:

1957: Bells Are Ringing, Candide, The Most Happy Fella, My Fair Lady (My Fair Lady won and all have had BW revivals)

1960: Fiorello!, Gypsy, Once Upon a Mattress, The Sound of Music, Take Me Along (Fiorello! and Sound of Music tied that year...Gypsy won nothing!!)

1976: Bubbling Brown Sugar, Chicago, A Chorus Line, Pacific Overtures (Chorus Line won everything that year)

2005: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Light in the Piazza, Spamalot, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (all four won major awards that year)

[Smaxie]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 6:45am

1969 is also quite good: Hair, Promises, Promises, 1776 and Zorba!, with 1776 winning Best Musical. Hair or Promises, Promises would have been appropriate winners as well, and the less successful Zorba! is even better than some Best Musical winners.

[D2]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 7:09am

1964 also had a good year: Hello, Dolly!, Funny Girl, High Spirits and She Loves Me.

[jv92]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 10:25am

1975-1976 (Chorus Line, Bubbling Brown Sugar, Pacific Overtures and Chicago) and 1959-1960 (Fiorello!, Sound of Music, Gypsy, Take Me Along), but I think the 2004-2005 and 2006-2007 seasons are the best recent candidates.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 10:37am

1998-- The Lion King, Ragtime, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Side Show are all among my favorite shows.

Updated On: 6/19/09 at 10:37 AM

[singtopher]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 10:59am

I remember Lion King and Ragtime being a tight year. Especially with the Cabaret revival.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 11:04am

1984: LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, BABY & THE TAP DANCE KID plus THE RING (not nominated for Best Musical but in several other categories.)

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 11:15am

Going to agree with everyone who said 2005.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 12:45pm

I'd probably go with 1960, but there were a couple of other strong years not mentioned:

1966 - Man of La Mancha, Mame, Skyscraper, Sweet Charity

1993 - Kiss of the Spider Woman, Tommy, Blood Brothers, The Goodbye Girl

[StephenSondheimWHOO]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 12:58pm

1972 was all pretty great: Two Gentlemen of Verona, Follies, and Grease.

[philly03]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 1:03pm

I'm agreeing with Schmerg: 1997-1998 Season.

You had the over-budgeted show (The Lion King), a cult-y favourite (The Scarlet Pimpernel), an intimate show (SideShow) and then of course Ragtime. All good shows!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 1:15pm

I'd call Side Show the cult-y favorite as musical theatre fans absolutely GUSH over the show (myself excluded). But like Jane Eyre, I felt The Scarlet Pimpernel was grossly underrated. I would just love to see the the first (and best) version come back in a revival.

[little_sally]

Posted: 6/19/09 at 1:38pm

I thought that in 2005, any of the four musicals could have won.