Last week for my birthday, I got to do something I've always wanted to but never got the chance (be it for whatever reason: finances, time, interest, etc.!). I got to attend my first live Opera. Yes, I have seen Opera on Television or heard great Opera recordings. And I even have seen some Opera singers sing live at events or concerts. But this was my first Opera live and in person. And what a way to do it with the perfection of the San Francisco Opera at the gorgeous War Memorial Opera House (where I also saw my first ballet many a year ago!). The production was of Giuseppe Verdi's classic Rigoletto and it was truly amazing. No, I did not see any Opera "stars" like Bryn Terfel or Anna Netrebko. The people in this production were Opera singers from other parts of the world (our title character was an Italian baritone and our leading female was a Russian coloratura, just to give you an idea!) and they were just as brilliant as those who have made names for themselves performing at the Metropolitan in New York or Covent Garden in London or the all-too-famous La Scala Opera House in Milan. But now I've begun to think of the famed Opera singers of the past and how they inspired me to dream of one day seeing a live Opera. There have been so many names that have over the hundreds of years Opera has existed that have become synonymous with the Art. So, that is why I am devoting this week's 10 FAVORITES to:
VOICE #10 Dame Joan Sutherland
This Australian soprano was noted for her soaring high notes. Nicknamed "La Stupenda," she became noted for her phenomenal breakthrough in Franco Zeffirelli's 1959 Covent Garden production of Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor (recreated below for TV's Bell Television Hour).
VOICE #9 Jose Carerras
The third of "The Three Tenors" was considered one of the most desirable males in Opera. The Portuguese singer was a popular ticket especially when he played the swooning romantic leads like Alfredo in Verdi's La Traviata or Puccini's Rudolfo in La Boheme (below).
VOICE #8
Marilyn Horne
One of the most amazing mezzo-sopranos of the 20th Century, Marilyn Horne did it all and did it all quite well. She did great Operas (she performed Bellini's Norma with the likes of Joan Sutherland or Monterrat Caballe), she worked in Film (most notably as the singing voice for Dorothy Dandridge in Otto Preminger's Carmen Jones) and even Television (she did multiple PBS specials and appeared several times on Sesame Street!).
VOICE #7
Enrico Caruso
Before WWII, this Italian tenor was the very definition of Opera. His recordings were always big sellers making Opera popular with the masses. It became "chic" to love Caruso.
VOICE #6
Andrea Bocelli
Though he doesn't perform in Operas, this amazingly-voiced blind tenor has recorded some of the most famous Operas and those record sales have added to his classical pop recordings. He mixes his lush Operatic sounds with a popular sound that makes audiences swoon and soar.
VOICE #5 Leontyne Price
This groundbreaking soprano has more Grammy Awards than any other Opera star. With her gorgeous voice, she made people look beyond the color of her skin and defy some of the prejudices people have when it comes to Opera (bringing a whole new audience to the art!).
VOICE #4
Beverly Sills
Known in many circles as "Bubbles," this cherub-faced soprano showed the world you didn't have to be a temperamental diva to be a great Opera star. Her personable style and fantastic sense of humor made her a pleasure on many talk and variety shows throughout her career, most notably on The Muppet Show!
VOICE #3
Placido Domingo
This brilliant Spanish tenor is still active today (and is also the Creative Director of the Los Angeles Opera Company!). With his full voice, he has performed some of the most famous roles all over the world. To date, he has sung 140 different roles and intends to perform two more new ones come next year! With his voice, every day is a "pleasant Sunday."
VOICE #2 Maria Callas
She was known as "La Divina" and (too many of her critics) as "The Tigress." For many, she was more famous for her social interactions (multiple marriages, a long-standing affair with Aristotle Onassis, etc.). But it was her voice that I first heard (before I knew anything about her personal life!) and absolutely adored. I felt it was one of the most beautiful sounds I ever heard. Just listen to her perform the "Habanera" from Bizet's Carmen (below).
AND...
VOICE #1
Luciano Pavarotti
But more than Callas, this is the voice that brings me to tears (especially when he sings the "Nessun Dorma" from Verdi's Turandot!). Out of the Three Tenors, Luciano was by far my favorite (though it was amazing to watch those three perform on the same stage!). For me, Pavarotti is and always will be Opera.
The other day I told you that I would be sharing with you my favorite Broadway Musicals of All-Time. It's a question that has been asked of me for years and years. And because of that, I felt it appropriate to share with you the many musicals that I love that didn't make my Top 25. I needed you to see how hard this subject is for me. I have loved Musicals for years and there are just too many that I adore to narrow it down to a select few, but I did it. As hard as it was, I did it. I managed to pull together and rank my 25 favorite Musicals. And while you may not completely agree with my rankings or my opinions, each of these shows have very good reasons for making it onto this list.
THE 25 BEST MUSICALS OF ALL-TIME
25. Godspell
The mixture of Religion and Musical theatre was a popular theme in the 1970s (Jesus Christ Superstar opened in New York the same year as this Off-Broadway hit!). Stephen Schwartz' folk rock-inspired show was always a favorite in my household growing up. The songs are simple yet complex and they perfectly reflect the feeling of the period (which was about love, peace and understanding). Below is an appearance of the original Off-Broadway cast on the Today show (back when Barbara Walters was the co-host!).
24. Cabaret
Whether it is Harold Prince's groundbreaking original 1966 Broadway production or Bob Fosse's sleek and seductive 1972 film version, this Musical must be mentioned when you talk about Broadway greatness. The Kander and Ebb landmark show is still one of the most popular Musicals (especially in colleges!). Songs like the smashing opener "Wilkommen" (see the 1998 revival below) or the catchy title number (most famously performed by Liza Minnelli on film!) have made this show the innovation that it is.
23. Oklahoma!
It was the first show Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote together and it changed the face of Musical theatre. No show before it had combined memorable songs, fully-developed characters, a complete plot and masterful choreography. And because it is set against the backdrop of the Western territory in the early 20th Century, it is a true piece of Americana. Below, see Hugh Jackman in the London revival singing the powerful title song.
22. 1776
I love this show. It is always enjoyable to me (especially around the Fourth of July!). Who ever thought that a show about the creation of the Declaration of Independence would be a fantastic Tony-winning hit? Sherman Edwards' spritely songs and Peter Stone's smartly written libretto make each of these men (John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, etc.) relatable and still keep that iconic aura they have had in our eyes. Below, most of the original Broadway cast reprised their roles in the 1972 film version.
21. The Music Man
Meredith Wilson's masterpiece about a con man who manages to dupe a small Iowa town into funding a boys' band (that doesn't really exist!) is a classic in every way. Much like its leading man "Prof." Harold Hill, the Musical takes the audience on a ride that ultimately we are the better for taking that ride. Below, original star Robert Preston sings "Ya Got Trouble" at the 1973 Tony Awards as part of a celebration of the best award-winning Musicals.
20. Jersey Boys
I normally do not care for what are termed as "Jukebox" Musicals (Mamma Mia! really annoys me even if it has Meryl Streep!). But this 2005 Tony-winning show has been one of the most interesting recent hits. Its structure is definitely not a "traditional Broadway Musical," but it feels more like Musical in the same way the Oscar-winning biopics Coal Miner's Daughter or Ray are "Musicals." It is both extremely enjoyable (each time I've seen it, everyone is on their feet by the finale!) and fantastically innovative (thanks both to the brilliant direction of Des McAnuff and the sharp libretto co-written by Marshall Brickman who also helped Woody Allen write Annie Hall.).
19. The King and I
Rodgers and Hammerstein were the gods of Broadway in its Golden Age and this show was part of their creative peak. In adapting the true story of Anna Leonowens and her tenure as the tutor to the children of Siam's King Mongkut, they created a relationship that (although very sexually charged, especially in the "Shall We Dance" number below) was about two people from different sides of the world who came to respect each other as equals. That is the kind of good character development that makes great Musicals.
18. A Chorus Line
For most of my life, this show had the honor of being the Longest Running Broadway Musical. Michael Bennett's show about dancers who strive to nail that important audition was (in a way) Broadway's first "reality Musical." Even though the dancers on stage had character names, they were basically playing versions of themselves (to varying degrees). The fantastic choreography and the charming score (by the late Marvin Hamlisch) made this musical so popular that it was a phenomenon all its own (and ten times better "reality" than you would get on Jersey Shore or any of the Real Housewives shows!).
17. Guys and Dolls
This show comes right from the heart of Broadway (in particular Times Square!). Damon Runyon's stories about gamblers and their gals that run around Times Square were light-hearted and charming enough to entice producers into turning it into a lavish Broadway Musical. It is one of the most successful titles and one of the most revived shows in Broadway history. Below, Stubby Kaye reprised his Broadway role in the 1955 film version and sings one of my favorite songs in the show, "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat."
16. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
One of Stephen Sondheim's most popular and most enduring works is also one of his most intense. I mean who writes a musical about a guy who takes revenge on the society that wronged him by slicing their throats and having them baked into meat pies?!?! And yet with Sondheim's masterful score and under Harold Prince's innovative direction, Sweeney Todd has become one of the most important shows of the last 40 years. Below, original star Angela Lansbury alongside George Hearn play the leads and sing about the fun they'll have putting people into pies!
15. Oliver!
Just like Oklahoma! and The Music Man brought Americana to the rest of the world (through their hit London productions!), this show was basically London's response. And it became one of the biggest hits on both sides of the Atlantic in the early 1960s. Lionel Bart's clever score and the well-developed use of Dickens' characters (like Fagin, Nancy and The Artful Dodger) have made this Musical version of Oliver Twist one of the most lovable hits (especially among schools, thanks to the use of children in prominent roles!).
14. Chicago
Had it not been for this show's smash hit revival in 1996 (followed by an Oscar-winning film in 2002!), this one would have drifted right into obscurity. But the Kander-Ebb-Fosse collaboration is bold, brassy, sexy, confrontational (at times) and (most importantly) jazzy. It may have been too dark and sardonic for audiences who were enamored with A Chorus Line back in the late 1970s, but it provides a commentary on our culture and our media that has definitely become more prevalent over the last 30 years. Below, original stars Chita Rivera and the late Gwen Verdon perform the finale of the Musical with Fosse's original chic choreography.
13. Man of La Mancha
When it comes to Musicals, one theme is always dominant: Dreams. And in this show, the lead character is a man who follows his dreams. Sure, he's a crazy old coot who thinks he's a knight and mistakes windmills for dragons; but his faith in his dreams make him one of the most inspirational characters ever. Based on the literary classic Adventures of Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes, this Musical's structure is inspired both by its literary roots as well as the 1960s approach to theatre (which was mostly inspired by the Meisner method acting techniques). It uses a "play within a play" motif where the actor playing Quixote is actually Cervantes himself trying to showcase his work and defend his writings. The score (by Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion) has some of the most beautiful songs including "Dulcinea" or "I, Don Quixote" or the timeless "The Impossible Dream" (sung below by Brian Stokes Mitchell in a 2003 revival of the show).
12. Evita
The same year he directed Sweeney Todd to great acclaim, the hit Harold Prince had directed in London the year before opened on Broadway to a massive (at the time) advance in ticket sales. Evita was one of the most highly anticipated shows of the late 1970s. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's gargantuan rock opera about the wife of Argentinian dictator Juan Peron was (like Jesus Christ Superstar) first an extremely successful rock concept album that topped the charts with singles like "Don't Cry For Me Argentina." With Prince's guidance, it became a theatrical wonder and a box-office smash. I fell in love with this show at a very young age (my parents adored this Musical!) hearing the Original Broadway Cast album which featured the phenomenal Patti LuPone in the title role alongside the brilliant Mandy Patinkin as the Brecht-like narrator Che (see both of them below performing at the 1980 Tony Awards).
11. The Sound of Music
Thanks to the extremely successful 1965 film version, this Musical is one of the most popular shows in theatrical history. It also is one of the most poignant as it served as the last Musical that Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote together (due to Hammerstein's death from throat cancer in 1960 eight months after the show opened on Broadway). And as their last endeavor, it is one of their best scores. So many songs in this show are just brilliant ("My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and of course the iconic title song!). Below, the 1998 revival cast performs a medley of songs at the Tony Awards.
10. Gypsy
The same year The Sound of Music opened on Broadway, this show business gem was also running to sold-out crowds. The star power of Ethel Merman combined with an amazing score (by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim) made this Musical a very popular hit. It has been revived four separate times on Broadway, has had several notable regional and tour productions, two (somewhat) well-received film versions and has been named by several critics as the "greatest Broadway Musical." Interesting to note that each major revival has (in some way) incorporated the original choreography by the legendary director Jerome Robbins. It just goes to show the mark that man left on his shows (but more on that in a bit!). Below, watch clips of Patti LuPone in the most recent Broadway revival.
9. Sunday In the Park With George
This one is truly a personal favorite. I was first introduced to this show by my mother who showed me the PBS American Playhouse telecast that showcased the Original Broadway production. Stephen Sondheim's hauntingly beautiful and rich score was just marvelous to hear especially when sung by the likes of Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters. Whenever I hear a song from this show, I think about watching that telecast with my mother and how it was through her (and my father!) that I fell in love with Broadway Musicals.
8. The Producers
There are very few Musicals that have made me literally laugh out loud. And when I say "laugh," I mean an endless stream of gut-busting full-out laughter. And of course that kind of laughter has to come from someone like Mel Brooks. The Musical version of his amazing 1968 comedy is so hilariously brilliant and it is truly a pure "love letter" to Broadway and the traditional style Brooks must have loved growing up. Below, Nathan Lane leads the Broadway cast in a hilarious medley of the shows best songs.
7. The Lion King
When I talked about the stage version of Beauty and the Beast, I (slightly) compared it to a theatrical show at Disneyland and how it was primarily a version of the film on stage (with fantastic sets and costumes). But with The Lion King, director Julie Taymor found a way of innovating animated animals and planting them in front of a live audience. Using masks, puppetry and elaborate costumes, Taymor expands the imagination of everyone who comes to see the show. It also helps that the score from the film (Elton John and Tim Rice's songs and Hans Zimmer's instrumental score) are used to brilliant effect. The show is still one of the biggest box-office hits on Broadway after almost 15 years and shows no sign of stopping.
6. Fiddler On the Roof
Another show introduced to me by my parents (it's a particular favorite of my father's!). This landmark Musical based on Sholem Alecheim's Tevye stories is not just about a Jewish family in a Russian/Ukrainian village. It is about community and adaptation and (dare I say it!) "Traditions." The genius of Jerome Robbins' original staging and choreography is always honored in every production and utilized in some way (see below the 2004 revival). The show is synonymous with "traditional" Broadway.
5. Wicked
The rank of this one probably surprises a lot of you, but there is a reason. When I first heard about this show, I was about to graduate from college and could not afford to go see the out-of-town-tryout that was right here in San Francisco (even though I wanted to, I was just too busy!). But I did hear some good things about it and heard it would be opening on Broadway later in the year. However, that summer and early fall ended up making it one of the worst years in my life. First, in July my Grandmother died after years of battling the effects of a stroke; and then, in October my Mother passed away suddenly from medical complications. It was right before Halloween, which is when this show opened on Broadway. That Thanksgiving, I needed to get away and went to New York. I managed to get tickets to this show (with its Original Cast!) and I immediately fell in love with the Stephen Schwartz score and the brilliant staging by Joe Mantello. It was the show I needed at that time in my life. It made me realize everything was going to be alright. It was like my Mother and Grandmother wanted me to see this show which has since become one of the most "Popular" shows of the last decade.
3. The Phantom of the Opera Les Miz and this one are almost tied, but this one slightly wins out because I felt that Harold Prince's staging was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen in my life (even though I was only 13 at the time I saw it!). It is considered one of the most unabashedly romantic Musicals in Broadway history. Andrew Lloyd Webber's haunting and majestic score wins me over every time I hear it. And I've already mentioned how I felt about Mr. Prince's genius staging (I mean, he has helped make Opera accessible to the masses!). Below, watch as original stars Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman showcase one of the most memorable scenes in the show at the 1988 Tony Awards.
2. West Side Story
One of the biggest landmarks in Broadway history just had to be on this list no matter what. Jerome Robbins' powerful and enigmatic adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet set against the backdrop of 1950s street gangs is and will forever be a remarkable masterpiece. With a fantastic and almost symphonic score by Leonard Bernstein (with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, his first Broadway credit!) and a moving libretto by Arthur Laurents, the characters literally leap into your hearts (thanks to Robbins' brilliant choreography which he created with the help of his co-choreographer Peter Gennaro). It was bold and innovative and yet, at the same time, it was traditional and theatrical. There is truly nothing like it.
1. My Fair Lady This really cannot be that much of a surprise. I know this show backwards and forwards. I know every line, every song, every orchestration and even every shot of the film. Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's brilliant Musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion is beautiful in every way. It has two of the best leading characters in Broadway history and it features gorgeous sets and costumes (if the production is done right!). And the score is filled with amazing songs like "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "I Could Have Danced All Night," "On the Street Where You Live" and Higgins' final soliloquy "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face." Each in their own way are among my favorite Broadway songs (that's a list I can never do, by the way!).
So there, I have done it. I have given you my Top 25 Broadway Musicals. It was difficult and even painful at times, but I have answered the question most people have asked me for most of my life. Are any of these your favorites? I encourage you to tell me your favorite and what you love about it (even if it's not on this list!).
I have been a "Broadway Baby" for as long as I can remember. That's why I use the Stephen Sondheim song title as my nickname, my mantra and the title of my blog. But there is one question that many have asked me over the years that I have always hesitated to answer. What is my favorite Broadway Musical? And over the last few years, I've shared with you many different favorites from Movies to Television to Songs. But I've always avoided that one big question. And there is a very simple reason. There are so many Broadway Musicals that I love, it is too hard to narrow it down. This week, I've decided to do what I consider to be the impossible. But instead of doing a list of 100 or even 60, I have narrowed it down to a list of 25. And if you think 100 is difficult, 25 is no picnic! That being said, before I give you the 25 Musicals that are close to my heart, I thought I would share with you a few of the Musicals that I still like but just missed making it into the "upper echelon" (so to speak!). So I will first talk a bit about 10 shows I think people would be surprised to know are NOT in my top 25. After that, I want to quickly run through 5 more extremely popular Musicals that (on one level or another) bug me, yet I still love them (kind of a love-hate relationship going on there!). Later this week, my top 25 shall be revealed to you. All at once and not one at a time, like I have done in the past. Think of it as my special gift to all the people who have been frustrated when I never answered their original question (Who knows? They may find themselves more frustrated after this week!). But first, the 10 shows that won't be in my top 25 (in no particular order)!
42nd Street
I love the original film and the stage production is a lavish toe-tapping adaptation. The show opened the month before I was born and has one the most infamous opening nights in Broadway history. The show's famed director-choreographer Gower Champion died the day of the opening, but producer David Merrick refused to reveal the news until after the final curtain call.
In the Heights
One of the more recent and unique hits in Broadway history. It's use of hip-hop and latino pop certainly give it a flavor all its own. In a way, it is one of the most original American Musicals of the last decade.
The Pirates of Penzance
Gilbert and Sullivan were the Rodgers and Hammerstein of their day back in Victorian England. But for me, it was Joseph Papp's hilarious tongue-in-cheek 1980s hit production that makes this show such a treat.
Kiss Me, Kate
This show combines Shakespeare and Musical theatre to quite charming and hilarious effect. Only Cole Porter could give the Bard's great comedy (The Taming of the Shrew) a showman's touch. Plus "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" is one of the cleverest songs ever written!
Funny Girl
She says it herself: She's the Greatest Star! There is no one like Barbra as the legendary Fanny Brice. However, she's put such a mark on the role that no one has ever dared touch it in a major revival.
Rent
This Musical was meant for my generation. Every theatre geek in my high school (including myself!) loved the late Jonathan Larson's masterpiece. It has since closed on Broadway and spawned a mediocre film version, meaning I believe this show belonged to its time and we were the better for it.
Annie Get Your Gun
When I finally got to New York, this was the first Broadway show I saw (with the phenomenal Bernadette Peters in the lead!). Like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin let his songs speak for themselves. And in this Musical, there's no business like it!
Beauty and the Beast
This may shock many of you. I love the 1991 Disney film, you know I do! And I love the Broadway show. Yet (unlike some of Disney's later theatrical productions) while the costumes, sets and effects are gorgeous, the show feels very much like a straight adaptation of the film (with a few new songs added). Like the kind you would have found at Disneyland (Not that there's anything wrong with that for Disney's first theatrical venture!).
A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum
I've talked about how this show has one of the greatest opening numbers in Broadway history. And as Stephen Sondheim's first show as both composer and lyricist, it served as an appetizer for the career he would have. This one was hard to knock off the top 25, but not as painful as the one below.
How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
This was the most painful cut of all. My dad is still mad at me over this (He's still speaking to me, he's just a little miffed!). This Pulitzer Prize-winning satiric powerhouse was beloved in my house. Yet as some new shows have debuted in my lifetime (particularly in the last 10-15 years), shows fall by the wayside. So consider this brilliant piece of theatre Miss Congeniality! Plus watch Harry Potter dance up a storm in the most recent revival!
Now, these next 5 shows are enormously popular in different circles of theatre "geeks" (i.e. critics, fans, crazy people, etc.). Yet each of these shows while I love them for their accomplishments and even enjoy them from time to time, there is just some aspect of it that bothers me. And even though they might bother me, there's some strange part of me that can't resist liking (or even loving!) them. I can't help it, I love to hate them yet I hate that I love them. So from 5 to 1 (1 being the show that bugs me the most!):
5. Spring Awakening
I may be incurring the wrath of many a teenage fangirl with this placement, but I probably already incurred that wrath the first time I bad-mouthed Twilight! But the obsessive love that the teen crowd seems to have for this well-written youthful Musical is what turns me off it. The fact that it launched Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff's careers is a plus in its favor (despite what the Glee haters out there say!).
4. South Pacific
The Broadway gods will curse me for this one but Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1949 Pulitzer Prize-winner has a very un-entertaining plot. The score is absolutely brilliant (of course!), yet the fact that it is based on James Michener's Tales of the South Pacific stories just doesn't do it for me (even though Hammerstein's libretto explores and confronts prejudice in ways the theatre never did before). Despite that, the songs are amazing especially when performed by the likes of Mary Martin, Kelli O'Hara or Glenn Close.
3. Annie
You had to grow up in the 1980s to understand this. I mean, the song "Tomorrow" was everywhere. And if you were a kid interested in Musical, Annie was the predominant choice for children's theatre. Yet there is something about that precocious little redhead that audiences can't resist. The show is getting another major revival on Broadway and there are the talks about Willow Smith "whipping her hair" into the role in a film remake.
2. Cats
When it overtook A Chorus Line as the longest running Broadway show, it was an event (until Phantom surpassed it 8 years later!). And Andrew Lloyd Webber's score is complex and masterful (much like his other shows!). However, how the hell did this show become such a phenomenon?!?! As much as I appreciate the music and the athletic choreography, I occasionally find myself agreeing with the naysayers and wondering why this show worked (my uncle has asked me on 5 separate occasions and I still have no answer for him!).
1. Grease
This Musical qualifies as my guilty pleasure, meaning I'm to admit that I enjoy it (or at least some of it!). And I really shouldn't be, there are tons of theatre geeks like me who love this show and are not embarrassed one bit about it. However, this show annoys me. And I hate that I like the fact that it annoys me! Maybe that's what the creators of the original show meant to do, annoy the audiences into to loving them.
So maybe I have surprised a few of you Broadway fans out there. I maybe I'll surprise you even more later this week with what shows ARE in my top 25. And just FOR THE RECORD: I thought Damn Yankees was damn fun; I love Camelot and I even love Spamalot; I find the scores for Company, Carousel and Jesus Christ Superstar intricate, exciting and thrilling (respectively); I'm just crazy for Crazy For You; And there's nothing like the helicopter of Miss Saigon or the Fosse magic of Pippin; plus I just enjoy the hell out a good Rocky Horror Time Warp. Yet NONE of the shows I just mentioned are in my top 25. Come back later this week to know more!
San Diego is the second largest city in California and it is one of Southern California's most influential. It's proximity to the Mexican border and its diverse culture gives the city it's own personality that distinguishes it from the state's other major cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco or San Jose. And while the city is as well known for it's many marinas and beaches as it is for being the first sight of Father Junipero Serra's California Missions (Mission San Diego de Alcala), there is one major area of the city that is not as often given the kind of attention say that the Mission or Sea World or the world famous Zoo (which happens to border the area of which I am speaking!). I am speaking, of course, of San Diego's Balboa Park.
The Balboa Park section of San Diego is one of the most beautiful Parks in California. Named for Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Park was the site of two very important Expositions: The 1915 Panama-California Exposition and the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition. Each Expo had buildings created for them that have since become National Landmarks. The architecture of these buildings is nothing short of breathtaking. And within the Park are some of the most amazing Botanical Gardens, Museums and Tourist Attractions one could ever hope to enjoy. Among the nine Museums to take in include the quite popular San Diego Natural History Museum (which featured a limited exhibition of the famed Dead Sea Scrolls when I visited!) and the San Diego Museum of Art (which highlights some of the world's greatest Spanish Art). As I said before, adjacent to the park is the world famous San Diego Zoo, which doesn't need any explanation from me as to why it is so revered.
But the crown jewel of Balboa Park's many attractions (in my honest opinion), is the nationally renowned Old Globe Theatre. The Theatre is a replica of William Shakespeare's famed Globe Theatre in London and was built in 1935 as part of the Exposition (where it featured several 50-minute versions of some of Shakespeare's most famous plays). Almost 15 years later, the Globe launched its famous summer Shakespeare Festival, which still packs the house to this day. An arson in 1978 practically destroyed the Theatre (necessitating an outdoor theatre to be built!) and in 1981, the Old Globe was rebuilt and has since become one of most prominent regional theatres in the country. Some of the most influential plays and musicals got their start at the San Diego treasure (including Neil Simon's Rumors, Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods and August Wilson's The Piano Lesson). The Theatre is part of the Park's Old Globe complex which also features a smaller Theatre In the Round, an outdoor stage and the Starlight Bowl Amphitheatre. Plus, in the nearby Casa de Prado, the San Diego Junior Theatre (the oldest children's theatre in the nation) puts on free entertainment shows during the large Tourist season.
With the Theatre complex and the many Museums, Balboa Park has come to be one of the most culturally significant centers in California. It is a place I am proud exists within a very diverse city, which in turn is part of a very diverse state (which happens to be in the most diverse nation in the world!). It is a must for anyone's San Diego "To Do" List.
As the East Coast is still recovering from the damage that was caused by last weekend's Hurricane Irene, Broadway went back into business this week with a full blast. The revival of Chicago, which has been a solid hit since its opening back in 1996, danced its way passed A Chorus Line to become the 4th Longest Running Broadway Musical AND the Longest Running American Broadway Musical. That latter title is the one to note here. You see, the three musicals that are ahead of the Bob Fosse-style "Razzle Dazzler" are shows that were birthed across the Atlantic Ocean in London: Cats, Les Miserables (both of which are now closed) and The Phantom of the Opera (which is STILL running - since 1988 - with a count of 9,016 performances as of September 4, 2011). Cats and Phantom are two of the biggest hits in composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's career and Les Miserables is one of producer Cameron Mackintosh's worldwide hits (interestingly enough, Mackintosh also co-produced Cats and Phantom, meaning he has a stake in the top 3 Longest Running Broadway shows!). But how long is too long?
I remember when I was a kid and A Chorus Line's 6,137 performances seemed like an aberration, something unattainable that NO other show could EVER surpass. Then, when I was in High School, Andrew Lloyd Webber's bizarrely fascinating musical about felines did the seemingly impossible. In June of 1997, Cats famously passed A Chorus Line's record and remained on Broadway for another 4 years. A year after Cats closed, Les Miserables passed A Chorus Line (and promptly closed a year later!). And in the last 8 years, The Phantom of the Opera dropped the massive chandelier every night and in the process passed all three to become the Longest Running Broadway Musical. Now with over 9,000 performances, Phantom has become the unattainable. Even the show's legendary director, Harold Prince, is often surprised by the massive success that the show has enjoyed.
When Prince began as a producer (of The Pajama Game back in 1954), the Longest Running Broadway show was Oklahoma!, which had a total run of just over 2,000 performances. Since then, seven other landmark Broadway musicals have enjoyed the title of Longest Running show in history: My Fair Lady, Hello, Dolly!, Fiddler On the Roof, Grease, A Chorus Line, Cats and, now, Phantom. But Phantom's run pretty much equals the combined totals of Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, Dolly! and Fiddlertogether! So I ask again, how long is too long?
At this time, Phantom and Chicago are not the only current Broadway shows that have run for over a decade. Disney's Tony-winning hit The Lion King and the massive ABBA musical Mamma Mia! both have at least a decade under their "belts" and the 2003 Oz-ian mega-hit Wicked is not too far behind. This is an interesting question because with the economy the way it currently is and those economic realities having an affect on the state of several Broadway shows, it's refreshing to see shows that were once the hottest tickets in town remain open and still perform at 80-90% capacity! But do these respective shows' successes encourage what several notable Broadway-philes have called: A Creative Vacuum? More producers (meaning investors who want to be called producers!) are trying to grasp at the unattainable because with so many shows running so long, they believe the impossible is actually quite possible. That's why we are seeing an enormous amount of musicals based on recognizable titles (i.e. films, books or even comic books!). So I ask you readers, have these shows run too long? Are they making it harder for the future generation of playwrights or composers who are having trouble getting the proper funding from these pretentious investors? Or is commercial theatre (re: Broadway) in major trouble thanks to the constantly troubling economy? It seems to always come down to money no matter what you do! Below, are the posters of the 8 shows currently running on Broadway that have surpassed 1,000 performances (which means they have run at least 2 and a half years!). Are these 8 shows representative of what Broadway is all about today? And, if so, is that a good thing or a bad thing or just the way it is?
In prepping for this week's column (you know, gathering research and all!), I found that the ideas I had for this week's column just were not quite ready yet to be posted. So this week, IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS is taking a short break. But I wanted to take this opportunity to open up the "forum" to suggestions for any ideas for future columns/features. I am willing to take suggestions for topics for any of the three columns currently on this blog. I am also opening up for suggestions for new columns and new features that can be added to make this a more encompassing blog about Pop Culture, the Arts and Media in general. So readers, take to the comments and give your thoughts on what you would like to see in future columns!
Let me give you a rundown of the three columns and the criteria I use to make a topic worthy of being in that feature:
10 FAVORITES - Every other week I want to talk about some of our favorite things in Movies, Television, Theatre, Books or even anything else that is Media/Pop Culture-related. If you have an entertaining topic that you wish to see covered with a Top Ten list, don't hesitate to suggest!
GOLDEN PLACES - This newer column is about the great places to visit in the great Golden State of California. We all know about things like Disneyland and Yosemite (and they're both great!), but with this column I wish to focus on the lesser known places or the sites that don't get enough "foot traffic," so to speak. (NOTE: I may be willing to expand in the future to other Western states - i.e. Nevada, Oregon, Arizona, etc. - but, as of right now, it just focuses on California! I am the Broadway Baby of California, after all!)
IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS - This one is more about just what is going on in the Media (and the like!) and its primarily an editorial. It's just my opinions and thoughts I had about a specific topic that affects the current culture. I am willing to take ideas for topics to talk about, but the decision will come down to whether I can (or wish!) to talk about the topic (without sounding forced!).
And I believe I don't have to remind you all of the basic "Commenting rules." Any comments featuring gratuitous language, spam or are disrespectful to myself or other readers will be deleted. I don't mind a healthy debate, but don't go overboard. Keep it classy, folks!
It is Tony Awards time and the Great White Way is filled with excitement! Broadway's current musical hits The Book of Mormon and Sister Act will be vying for the top prize at Sunday night's ceremony (which will be televised on CBS and hosted by the indomitable Neil Patrick Harris). While most pundits predict that Mormon (the irreverent musical from the creators of South Park) should easily emerge as the victor on Sunday, the other nominees (which in addition to Sister Act include: the lively Catch Me If You Can and the now-closed The Scottsboro Boys) should not be discouraged and feel that a Tony loss will mean indefinite obscurity. There have been a plethora of Broadway musicals that have achieved a certain notoriety despite the fact they found themselves with no Best Musical trophy on Tony night. Some of these shows lost to musicals that are just as notable (or notable in their own way) and some of these shows lost in complete "what-were-they-thinking?!?" times. So, for this week's 10 FAVORITES, I thought we could explore some of these shows that have proven to the world that they didn't need a Tony win to make their mark in the musical theatre culture. Here are:
THE 10 MOST NOTABLE MUSICALS THAT DIDN'T WIN THE TONY
MUSICAL #10 Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Tony Year: 1994
Lost to: Passion
Remember I was referring to "What-were-they-thinking?!?" moments earlier, this is one of them. Now I know that Passion has the pedigree of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine behind it (you'll see in a bit how much I respect them), but when you pick the musical that audiences hated over a show that became adored by audiences, then you really have lost touch. If you want to stick it to the film company that revolutionized interest in musicals, you could have waited until they were producing stage duds like Tarzan and The Little Mermaid (which they did, but they could have honored this groundbreaking gem in the process!).
MUSICAL #9 Sunday in the Park With George
Tony Year: 1984
Lost to: La Cage Aux Folles This is Sondheim and Lapine's finest and most poignant musical. It features their best work and glorious performances by its two leads (the amazing Mandy Patinkin and the fantastic Bernadette Peters) and yet, it only walked away with two Tony Awards (for its set and lighting design). La Cage was a massive hit in the '80s and it was pretty much a given that it would receive the Best Musical award no matter what it was up against. But Sunday did get a few "last laughs," so to speak. One of them was that it became the sixth musical in history to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1985 (there have since been two others: Rent and Next to Normal).
MUSICAL #8 Miss Saigon
Tony Year: 1991
Lost to: The Will Rogers Follies
Cameron Mackintosh was the producer behind 3 of the biggest Tony-winning hits in the 1980s (Cats, Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera). But by 1991, the Tony love was beginning to fade. The Tommy Tune-directed nostalgic throwback musical The Will Rogers Follies was a modest hit (meaning it closed about a year and a half later!) but was still a critical dynamo. So even though the massive London hit Miss Saigon ended up running 10 years (that's over 4,000 performances with that giant helicopter!), Tony voters went with the critics and only gave Saigon the acting honors (for stars Jonathan Pryce, Lea Salonga and Hinton Battle).
MUSICAL #7 Oliver!
Tony Year: 1963
Lost to: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Before Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh, the British were "invading" Broadway with their big hits. Oliver! was one of them. But Forum was a big comic hit and was not going to be denied Tony glory. Oliver! did however become a phenomenal movie that would go on to win 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture. Below, original London star (and 1968 movie star) Ron Moody performs Fagin's "11 o'clock number" on a BBC special.
MUSICAL #6 Dreamgirls
Tony Year: 1982
Lost to: Nine
In this Tony year, both musical front-runners were hits with critics (one more than the other!) and with audiences (again, one more than the other!). Also, both musicals derived their source material from other mediums (Nine from the world of film, Dreamgirls from the world of pop music). In the end, Tony voters went with the critics and Tommy Tune's Nine was the victor. However, Michael Bennett's Dreamgirls ran for almost 5 more years, spawned three national tours and a revival later the same decade. Both musicals have also become movies in recent years, with the Dreamgirls film triumphing with critics and audiences more than the Nine film did.
MUSICAL #5 Hair
Tony Year: 1969
Lost to: 1776
This musical's presence on a list like this cannot be a surprise. The show was a revolution of sorts and there was no possible way (given "the standards" of the time) that the Tony Awards could recognize it over more traditional hits like 1776 or Promises, Promises. But the show is still one of the most recognizable Broadway titles from that season and the score is a massive hit (especially with college-age audiences!).
MUSICAL #4 Gypsy
Tony Year: 1960
Lost to: The Sound of MusicAND Fiorello!(tie)
This show is one of the most revived musicals in Broadway history (with four major revivals to its name and counting!) and yet it lost in one of the most understandable-yet-confusing races in Tony Awards history. It is no surprise that when one hears the word "tie" the year Gypsy and The Sound of Music were nominated that the latter musical was one of the award winners. What is a surprise is the little-known (yet Pulizer Prize-winning!) musical that joined Rodgers & Hammerstein's Sound of Music at the podium that year: Fiorello!, a musical (by George Abbott and Fiddler on the Roof's Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick) about the famed mayor of New York City Fiorello LaGuardia (you may have heard of his airport!). As I said before, Gypsy has been revived 4 times in 50 years and Fiorello! hasn't been revived once, what does that tell you?
MUSICAL #3 Wicked
Tony Year: 2004
Lost to: Avenue Q
Something interesting has been happening to Tony voters in recent years and it is their strive to be make musicals remembered. When Wicked notoriously lost to "the little musical that could" Avenue Q, many people blamed (or thanked) a massive-if-not-controversial Tony campaign the producers of Ave Q put on to be remembered come awards time. While that might (in part) be true, I'm gonna espouse a theory that has made its round in some theatre-fan circles in the last few years. Tony voters that year were looking at the nominees and trying to figure out which musical would "best" be served by a Tony victory. By "best" I mean, "Will it make more money on Broadway and on tour if it has a Best Musical trophy behind it?" In their esteemed opinion, Tony voters felt that the blockbuster musical Wicked (which has since made more money than God!) didn't need a Tony win to enjoy a fruitful Broadway run and Avenue Q did. It is fascinating to try to figure out what goes into the mind of the Tony Committee when they pick the winners.
MUSICAL #2 Chicago
Tony Year: 1976
Lost to: A Chorus Line
Let's just get this out of the way right now, Chorus Line was a phenomenon and a benchmark in the history of the Broadway musical. That being said, I and many of my family, friends and some theatre aficionados I have gotten to know like Chicago better. Bob Fosse's dark musical-comedy has thrilling choreography, a witty script and a toe-tapping Kander and Ebb score you just can't stop humming. It's loss to Chorus Line is understandable as its humor may have been too dark for some of the more traditional Tony voters. But thanks to a dynamic Broadway revival and an exciting Oscar-winning movie, Chicago will always be remembered.
AND... MUSICAL #1 West Side Story
Tony Year: 1958
Lost to: The Music Man
The most famous of all Tony losers, I don't think I need to discuss the impact this musical has had. It is a landmark in the history of Broadway musicals (much like A Chorus Line). But in 1958, critics and Tony voters just couldn't figure out what it was. Original co-producer Hal Prince has said that he has talked to people who walked out on West Side Story and have since denied doing so (apparently trying to sound like they had foresight about the musical's success). I think this amazing and groundbreaking musical just didn't sit well with certain members of the audience (namely the influential ones!) and so The Music Man (a perfectly good musical in its own right) was named 1958's Best Musical.
OTHER CONTENDERS FOR THIS LIST INCLUDE: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Camelot Follies Funny Girl Grease Into the Woods Mame Mamma Mia! Pippin Smokey Joe's Cafe Sweet Charity The Who's Tommy
So to the three musicals that will not be the winner on Sunday night (or two, cause since 1960, you never know!), look at the company you would be in. Whatever reason causes your loss this weekend (be it political, economical or Tony voters just "don't get" your musical), don't fret because a Tony loss does not mean a loss of notoriety (as all these shows have proven!). Happy Tony watching and Good Luck to all the Nominees! Next week, TV Dads invade 10 FAVORITES.
