It's that time of year again! We are approaching the weekend at the beginning of the summer where the Broadway community gets together to celebrate the year in Theatre. The Tony Awards!!! And this year seemed to be the year that Broadway finally molded itself into the groove that has been set by the recent downturns in the economy. You see, in recent years, Broadway producers have been hedging their bets and streamlining the kind of material that makes its way to the Great White Way. They've been limiting their funds to shows that can generate an immediate revenue (i.e. Celebrity-led Plays, Movie-based Musicals, "Known" composers and authors, etc.). It has made it really hard for what many Broadway insiders call "the Next Generation" of creatives to make a name for themselves in the Theatre (meaning if you're looking for the next Stephen Sondheim, you might not find them on Broadway!). However, this year had a huge melting pot of all these elements that people have been lamenting and (in one way or another) they all seemed to be an example of Broadway getting "back on its feet," as it were. One thing we have learned in the last few years and especially this year is that the Limited Run show is here to stay. For years, the Roundabout Theatre Company, the Manhattan Theatre Club and the Lincoln Center Theatre have been masters as Broadway's repertory houses. And all three of those companies had shows this year that both wowed the critics and excited audiences. Roundabout produced revivals of Harvey (starring The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons) and Rupert Holmes' Tony-winning audience-solved Musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood (featuring Chita Rivera and Stephanie J. Block). The latter, which closed after two extensions to its initial limited engagement, has now been nominated for 5 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical. Meanwhile, the Manhattan Theatre Club, which has recently become the pioneer of great plays both Off-Broadway, produced two well-received plays (The Other Place starring Tony nominee Laurie Metcalf and The Assembled Parties which is nominated for Best Play). And Lincoln Center, which was enjoying the success of 2011's Best Play War Horse until its closing in January, has had other success with a much-hailed revival of Clifford Odets' Golden Boy which featured Monk's Tony Shalhoub, Chuck's Yvonne Strahoski and Broadway Musical star Danny Burstein (the limited run production which closed in early 2013 is nominated for 8 Tonys including Best Revival of a Play). They also produced Two and a Half Men star Holland Taylor's tour-de-force one-woman show Ann, where she plays former Texas governor Ann Richards (for which she is nominated for Best Actress this Sunday!). Limited runs have been the thing to beat this year when it comes to a hit Broadway show. And it wasn't only these three companies getting into the Limited Run action. Producers have always enjoyed investing in a production that has a big star over the marquee. And what makes a big star sign on for such a challenge as 8 times a week? The answer is a Limited Engagement! This year we have seen big name stars like Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johannson, Alec Baldwin, Bette Midler, Alan Cumming, Cicely Tyson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Sigourney Weaver and Jane Lynch all take time out of their busy Movie-TV star schedules to take on a role in Play, Musical or even a Revival. And each of the productions these stars are (or were) a part of has made some kind of impression either critically, financially or both. But of course with all this sweet star-led revenue, there comes the bitter side of the double-edged sword that Celebrity can bring (cough cough Shia LeBouf cough cough). And many a Broadway die-hard will still lament that the Great White Way has become a "summer camp" of sorts for Film stars who just want to "Hollywood-ize" their day-to-day stomping grounds. Despite all that, it seems that Broadway really has tried to welcome the Celebrities who want to challenge themselves and try their hand at 8 performances a week (and whether they meet that challenge or not is a subject for another blog!). But the biggest thing that Broadway seems to be accepting now (to a certain degree) is the mass amount of Musicals based on previously produced projects (basically, Movies!). And nothing is a stronger testament to that than the four nominees for Best Musical: Kinky Boots, Matilda The Musical and the limited engagements of A Christmas Story: The Musical and Bring It On: The Musical (I guess it's safe to say that if it had the words "The Musical" after it, it probably was well-liked this year!). All four of the nominees are based on Movies (granted Matilda is more based on the novel by Roald Dahl, but the 1996 film version starring Mara Wilson is quite popular with some audiences!). This trend was actually started by the Walt Disney Company in the 1990s (with their hit staged versions of their films Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King!) and was perfected by the likes of Mel Brooks (The Producers), Marc Shaiman (Hairspray), Elton John (Billy Elliot) and even Monty Python (Spamalot) throughout the next decade. It seems that now Broadway has finally figured out a way to accept this trend. In addition, they've managed to encourage newer composers and authors to make their Broadway mark (or even debut!) with this trend. Three of the Best Musical nominees (Kinky Boots, Matilda and A Christmas Story) are also nominated for the Best Score Tony Award and all three of those shows are by composers who are making their Broadway debut (Kinky Boots is by '80s icon Cyndi Lauper, Matilda is by Aussie rock musician Tim Minchin and A Christmas Story is by the brand new pair of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul). So maybe someday we will find the next Rodgers and Hammerstein...as they are making the "long-awaited" Musical version of Argo! No matter what, Broadway is always going to be an ever-changing animal that depends on audiences to be a success (either creatively or financially!), which is what live Theatre is all about. And I will still be a fan of that animal (as always!) so I will be watching CBS at 8PM on Sunday night as the Broadway community gathers with host Neil Patrick Harris to celebrate the year in Theatre! Happy Tony watching!
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!
It is the first week of June and that means that Broadway's annual Tony Awards are just a few days away (airing this Sunday, June 10 on CBS at 8PM hosted by the incredibly talented Neil Patrick Harris). As my nickname claims, I love this time of year. Not only do I catch up on the many musicals and plays that have charmed audiences and critics alike on the Great White Way over the season, but I also think back on the many shows I have loved throughout my lifetime and the landmarks that have made a cultural impact (think hits like My Fair Lady or A Streetcar Named Desire). And, of course, it is always the musicals that tend to get the most attention from everyone at this time (myself included!). There is one extremely important element to musicals that have made most of them the successes they have been: The Opening Number. A lot of shows get defined by how they begin. If an Opening Number is spectacular enough, you could read the phone book afterwards and audiences would still think it was worth the price of admission. So for this week's 10 FAVORITES, I am going to countdown some of the greatest Broadway Opening Numbers in some of the most popular Tony Award-winning musicals. And just to give you all a clue as to how difficult this list was to devise, here are some of the famed musicals that didn't quite make the list: West Side Story, The Music Man, The Phantom of the Opera and even Wicked! Now, let's see which ones did make the list...
THE 10 MOST MEMORABLE
OPENING NUMBERS
IN BROADWAY HISTORY
HONORABLE MENTION
"The Sound of Music," The Sound of Music
Music by Richard Rodgers and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Some may be surprised that this is just an "Honorable Mention," but there is a reason. Though original star Mary Martin sang this opening song beautifully on Broadway in 1959, the song's (and the musical's) popularity truly stems from the treatment it got in the mega-successful 1965 film starring the luminous Julie Andrews (and her mountain-spinning ways!).
OPENING #10
"Another Openin', Another Show," Kiss Me, Kate
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Cole Porter's backstage musicalization of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew was the first musical to win the Tony Award for Best Musical back in 1949. With this Opening Number, the title itself became a standard phrase within the Broadway lexicon.
OPENING #9
"Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'," Oklahoma!
Music by Richard Rodgers and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Out of all the Opening Numbers on this list, this is the oldest and the most understated. When Rodgers and Hammerstein's first collaboration opened back in 1943, the Opening scene threw most people for a loop. The style was very different from any other musical before and its brilliance lies in its simplicity.
OPENING #8
"I Hope I Get It," A Chorus Line
Music by Marvin Hamlisch and Lyrics by Edward Kleban
My Fair Lady opened with a sumptuous Overture. West Side Story opened with dancing, but no dialogue or singing. But in A Chorus Line, Director-Choreographer Michael Bennett got straight to the point of the show: Dancers auditioning (and praying!) for a spot in a musical.
OPENING #7
"Aquarius," Hair
Music by Galt McDermott and Lyrics by Gerome Ragni & James Rado
Hair was a landmark musical back in 1968 in many different ways. Its Opening Number, which became a huge pop hit for The 5th Dimension, set the tone of love, peace and community shared by all the characters on the stage.
OPENING #6
"Magic to Do," Pippin
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Several Broadway Directors could be called innovative and Bob Fosse is certainly one of them. In Stephen Schwartz' Pippin, Fosse used lighting tricks, dancers' bodies and the smooth tones of Tony-winner Ben Vereen to lure the audience into the "Magic" that was about to unfold before them.
OPENING #5
"Circle of Life," The Lion King
Music by Elton John and Lyrics by Tim Rice
How do you live up to one of the most popular Opening scenes in Disney Animation? Director Julie Taymor wowed audiences and critics alike with the answer to that question. Using a mix of puppetry, masks and colorful costumes, the Disney hit has become one of the biggest moneymakers in Broadway history and has proven its stamina over and over thanks in large part to its thrilling Opening Number.
OPENING #4
"All That Jazz," Chicago
Music by John Kander and Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Who knew murder could look so good? Kander and Ebb's delightful killer-diller musical has become synonymous with a "Razzle Dazzle" Broadway show. From its opening line of "Come On Babe" to its high-strutting final notes, the number wows everyone (whether its sung by the likes of Chita Rivera, Bebe Neuwirth or even Oscar-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones!).
OPENING #3
"Tradition," Fiddler On the Roof
Music by Jerry Bock and Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
When it comes to defining what a musical's story is about, this is one of the few Opening Numbers that lays it all out there for you. And it is a combination of all facets of musical creation: direction, choreography, libretto and score. Director Jerome Robbins stylized a perfect Opening for Tevye and his fellow villagers from Anatevka where they basically tell the audience what their lives are like and what is important to them: Tradition!
OPENING #2
"Wilkommen," Cabaret
Music by John Kander and Lyrics by Fred Ebb
The title is German for "Welcome" and when you think about it, an Opening Number is basically a kind of a "Welcome." And what a "Welcome" audiences get when they see this show (or even the Oscar-winning 1972 film version). Mix in scantily clad women, a rousing "Oom-Pah-Pah" styled song and a dynamic performance from the actor cast as the Master of Ceremonies (The role won both a Tony and an Oscar for Joel Grey!) and you have one of the most in-your-face Opening Numbers in Broadway history.
AND...
OPENING #1
"Comedy Tonight," A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
But when it comes to in-your-face or laying it all on the line, Fiddler and Cabaret were just following in the footsteps of Forum (which is not surprising as they were all originally produced by the legendary Harold Prince!). This Opening Number doesn't only delight in its performance, but it surprises many to know that it almost never existed! When Forum was first in out-of-town tryouts, it was getting hammered by the critics and walked out on by audiences. Enter Jerome Robbins to serve as "show doctor" (basically, a production supervisor). He told George Abbott (director), Harold Prince (producer) and Stephen Sondheim (composer-lyricist) that the Opening Number they had in place was killing the show (it was an unheard-of Sondheim song called "Love Is In the Air"). He asked Sondheim to write a new song that basically said "baggy-pants farce" and also told him "Don't worry about writing jokes! I'll handle the jokes." What Robbins came up with the second Sondheim wrote "Comedy Tonight" has gone down in Broadway lore as the most hilarious and most entertaining ten minutes ever to be put on a stage. I think that serves as qualification enough to top this list.
Let's face it, some characters are just strange! When I think of the many performances that have won Oscars, Emmys and Tonys over the years, I see that there is a wide array of characters from the very rich (Colin Firth in The King's Speech or Gwynneth Paltrow in Shakespeare In Love) to the working class (the casts of All In the Family or Cheers) to the struggling to survive (Nikki James in The Book of Mormon or Frances Ruffelle in Les Miserables). But there have been several characters that have won these awards that would fall under the category of "strange." Now when I say "strange," I am not referring to the circumstances surrounding the actor or actress' win (like when Marisa Tomei won for My Cousin Vinny!). I am also not referring to characters who have a disability or are diagnosed as mentally ill/psychotic (sorry Hannibal Lecter!). I am referring to characters whose eccentricities are a part of who they are and make the character that much more memorable. So this week's 10 FAVORITES is devoted to...
THE 10 STRANGEST AWARD-WINNING CHARACTERS
CHARACTER #10
Guido Orefice, Life Is Beautiful
Roberto Benigni - Oscar for Best Actor, 1999
This is partly because the actor who won the award came off to the public as very very very strange. He wrote and directed himself to an Oscar as a poor Italian man who woos a wealthy woman (whom he calls "Principesa") and goes on to have a son with her. His clowning antics come in handy when he tries to shield his beloved son from the dangers and horrors of a Nazi Concentration Camp.
CHARACTER #9
Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins
Julie Andrews - Oscar for Best Actress, 1965
Who says a strange character can't be one of the most beloved from my childhood? Yes, we delight in her "practically perfect" eccentricity. But on face value, two kids brought up in strict Edwardian ways see a woman literally fly to their doorway and slide up the banister to greet them...I think eccentric is the "nice" way to put it.
CHARACTER #8
John (or Jean), Eugene Ionesco's Rhinoceros
Zero Mostel - Tony for Best Actor in a Play, 1961
Comic actor Zero Mostel played a man turning into a Rhinoceros in one of Ionesco's most unusual plays ('Nuff Said!). He repeated that Tony-winning performance 13 years later in a film alongside his Producers co-star Gene Wilder.
CHARACTER #7
Truman Capote, Tru and Capote
Robert Morse - Tony for Best Actor in a Play, 1990 and Emmy for Best Actor in a TV Movie, 1993
and
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Oscar for Best Actor, 2006
As a writer myself, I have to admit that we all are a little bit eccentric. But genius author Truman Capote took eccentricity to a whole new level. Just his very personality put some people ill-at-ease. Robert Morse won both a Tony and an Emmy for Jay Presson Allen's play about the legendary writer (Tru) and almost 15 years later Phillip Seymour Hoffman wowed critics with his performance in Capote (the dark film about Capote's research for his infamous novel In Cold Blood).
CHARACTER #6
Dr. Dick Solomon, 3rd Rock From the Sun
John Lithgow - Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, 1996, 1997 & 1999
One of the best dramatic character actors (Terms of Endearment, Footloose) channeled his friend John Cleese when he took the part of an Alien assuming human form and studying our life habits. John Lithgow won 3 Emmys for his stellar work as quite frankly one of the strangest college professors anyone has ever met (and judging by the average college professor, that is saying something!).
CHARACTER #5
Howard Beale, Network
Peter Finch - Oscar for Best Actor, 1977
We all know the catchphrase: He's "mad as hell, and he's not going to take it anymore!" With that phrase Peter Finch's dynamic and all-over-the-map performance of a news anchor who goes from beleagured to god-like won almost every award of the season. Finch, unfortunately, passed away before he could obtain that elusive Oscar.
CHARACTER #4
Cosmo Kramer, Seinfeld
Michael Richards - Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, 1993, 1994 & 1997
When it comes to strange characters, Kramer has to make the list. It helps in this case that Michael Richards won 3 Emmys for his work during Seinfeld's 9 year run.
CHARACTER #3
Dr. Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory
Jim Parsons - Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, 2010 & 2011
Bazinga! With his back-to-back Emmy wins, Jim Parsons' performance as Sheldon Cooper is one of the reasons for this list (he was one of the first ones I thought of when I devised the category!). His anal-retentive nature and his constant need to be right all the time makes it very hard for his friends to be around him and also makes him one of the funniest characters on Television today. Just remember, don't sit in his spot!
CHARACTER(S) #2
Edith Bouvier Beale & Little Edie Beale, Grey Gardens
Christine Ebersole - Tony for Best Actress in a Musical, 2007
Mary Louise Wilson - Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, 2007
and
Jessica Lange - Emmy for Best Actress in a TV Movie, 2009 The documentary about the mother and daughter (related to Jackie Kennedy!) and their dilapidated East Hampton home has been beloved by many fans of underground cinema. Their fascinating life story has been turned into a critically-acclaimed musical (which won Tonys for its leading ladies!) and a critically-acclaimed HBO TV Movie (which won Jessica Lange an Emmy and co-star/producer Drew Barrymore a Golden Globe!).
AND... CHARACTER #1
The Master of Ceremonies, Cabaret
Joel Grey - Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, 1967 & Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, 1973
Alan Cumming - Tony for Best Actor in a Musical, 1998
When it comes to strange, I don't believe anyone can touch the oddity that is the Emcee from John Kander and Fred Ebb's most enduring musical. Joel Grey enlivened this character to full effect (both on Broadway and on film) and the metaphor for Hitler and the Nazi party is quite prominent. At times the character can be very over-the-top with his excessive garishness, but that's how he's supposed to be (just ask Alan Cumming, who winningly played him in the darker and more disturbing revival in the late 1990s).
