Best Musicals?

[Alice Catherine]

So I decided to post this after listening to 3 hours worth of various Show Tunes.

I must say the list on this website (where I got the poll from) is a travesty, but I want to know everyone else's opinion first.

And no Footloose. Shame. Or Wicked.

I got the options on the poll from the top 6 of the site, Footloose (which really should be on there even though I don't like it very much), Phantom of the Opera (my second favorite musical, Les Miserables (WHICH SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST BEEN IN THE TOP 10, even though it deserves to be in the top 5), and Other. And Phantom should have at least scored higher than an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer...

[Leader Desslock]

None of the above would even make my top five, but hey - it's an internet list. I didn't expect to find truth in it.

[kiyomi]

I have to say "other" as it is not listed..Bye Bye Birdie.

I guess that one will always be my fave since I cross dressed for the role of Randolph MacAfee for our high school play. ( I was the only one who was short enough and could sing.) Yes, I have photos of that kodak moment.

[Alice Catherine]

I have to say "other" as it is not listed..Bye Bye Birdie.

I guess that one will always be my fave since I cross dressed for the role of Randolph MacAfee for our high school play. ( I was the only one who was short enough and could sing.) Yes, I have photos of that kodak moment.

Could I see those? I've got myself signed up for drama club and what I'd really like to do is take a look at costumes and makeup. This is of course if you don't mind.

[Solid_Snake]

Footloose. Simply because the film addaption was partly filmed in my Hometown.

[Daishikaze]

No "Meet Me in St. Louis" or "Gigi"?

[Alice Catherine]

No "Meet Me in St. Louis" or "Gigi"?

They were on the net list, which can be found here (http://www.channel4.com/film/newsfeatures/microsites/M/musicals/index.html)

[kenshinbebop]

Phail for lack of "Hair".

That gets my vote.

[Alice Catherine]

I told you the list phailed. I probably would have put Hair up there if it were in my top 3.

[seba_boi]

Shoot me if you will, but The Sound Of Music is my all-time favourite musical... Frankly, it's the only one I own on DVD (for a live-action--I own a few Disney Renaissance flicks)... I might get The Little Shop Of Horrors or The Wizard Of Oz one day though...


EDIT: I just sifted through that site's top 100s and they're some of the worst things I've ever seen... Cameron Diaz and Will Smith does NOT deserve to be in the top 100... Maybe in 50 years when we see something critically artistic from them that had withstood time, then I'm gonna take the list seriously, but now, what a load of '90s bull... I can think of dozens of actors that deserve to be in that list...

[Solid_Snake]

I actually agree with the top three. They are very good.

[Alice Catherine]

EDIT: I just sifted through that site's top 100s and they're some of the worst things I've ever seen... Cameron Diaz and Will Smith does NOT deserve to be in the top 100... Maybe in 50 years when we see something critically artistic from them that had withstood time, then I'm gonna take the list seriously, but now, what a load of '90s bull... I can think of dozens of actors that deserve to be in that list...

8 Mile is ranked higher than Guys and Dolls. Eminem is ranked higher than one of the longest-running musicals in history.

[The Million Dollar Prons]

Grease wins, get out.

[seba_boi]

8 Mile is ranked higher than Guys and Dolls. Eminem is ranked higher than one of the longest-running musicals in history.

I didn't even notice that... That list is too post-modern... :P I mean Chicago and Moulin Rouge on the top ten?!... You gotta be kiddin'!...


And BTW, I was referring to their top 100 actors/actresses... Pretty much everybody from #50 below is from the '90s/Y2K decades... BOO!!!!!!...

[Magami No ER]

None of the above would even make my top five,

I'm curious as to what does/would?
Cheesy at it could be at times, Xanadu has special place in my heart.
I also have fond memories of Footloose, thanks to the HS play...
In the past, I've mostly watch local theater plays(many in MA), so even though Broadway's not that far away from my location, I don't take up many bigger productions. Wicked would be a good place to start, I suppose...

Edit: Though if we're simply going by adaptations (I guess so, duh...>.<), I enjoy all of the above.

[Alice Catherine]

I also have fond memories of Footloose, thanks to the HS play...


You know I should like Footloose a lot more because:

-I did half of all the damn costume designs.
-I was Vi and that was cool to have a lead.
-I was my best friend's wife
-I had something to do after school.

But I really wish we would have done something like Phantom or Les Miz.

[Onigiri]

My favourites would have to be The King and I, The Producers, and Thumbelina (even though it was an animated musical).

[superplough]

Grease wins, get out.

QFT filler

[Alice Catherine]

QFT filler

Grease is completely and totally over-rated. It's a good musical but it does get the praise that other musicals deserve. That's what happens when you get a movie. That's what happened with Phantom. About a bajillion Phans only just hopped on the bandwagon after the 2004 movie was made. Even though, you know, half the lines in the movie were clearly looped.

And whoever said that High School Musical was the new Grease needs to be shot in the face. I mean, Grease isn't the #1 musical...but it deserves better than that.

[superplough]

While I personally detest High School Musical, it is REALLY well done. You have to give credit where credit is due.

[GreatNekoKoneko]

...no love for the Furries? damn you! CATS should be in it.

and Jesus Christ Superstar.

[Ikari Warrior]

Les Mis ftw! Cats ft#2!

[superplough]

Jesus Christ Superstar.

Hot damn I forgot about that, that's even better than Grease

[Leader Desslock]

I'm curious as to what does/would?
I don't have a "top anything" list, but I can tell you what I'd be looking for.

For me, a musical is first and foremost a story. The music should be there to augment the story being told. Musically, the score should enhance the lyrics. Though musical lyrics seldom sound natural in English, the lyrics should serve the same purpose in the production as spoken dialogue/monologue.

That sounds like common sense, but so few musicals actually adhere to these rules that it's not funny. Most musicals I've seen use dialogue as the segway between musical numbers, which are flimsily held together with a convenient plot.

When I talk about "a good musical", I'm not just talking about "my favorites"; I'm actually talking about musicals that have the above qualities. Some of the better musicals I've seen would be:

Camelot - If I had to pick the best musical I've seen/heard, this would be it. The writing is superb, and the music makes it better. The overture for this musical is death for clarinet players, some of whom have fewer than 4 measures rest (when you add up all the 1/8th rests here and there) for the entire 4 pages. Felt like my chops were gonna bust.

My Fair Lady - Okay, maybe this one's just more of a favorite, but the writing's quite solid on all the points I've mentioned above.

The King And I - Again, it's hard to tell whether I'm choosing it as a favorite, or whether it's a favorite because it's that well done. I'm going to assume the latter.

Beauty And The Beast - It was hard to pick one of the Big Three, but I'd say this was the best collaboration between Ashman and Menken, though they're all top-notch. I was a bit torn between the Big Three and some of the other Disney feature animations (notably Hunchback), but I think this was the most consistently well-written of the bunch.

...and okay, I'm gonna throw out one honorable mention for the heck of it, because it won't win any other awards:

South Park: The Movie - This musical was the equivalent (in both talent and execution) to a Mel Brooks film. It was an absolutely brilliant parody/homage to classic Disney animated features, it was still topical satire, and above all, it was bloody hilarious.

I could name a dozen more musicals that I like quite a lot, but I don't think they're in the same league. Do I like The Sound Of Music? You betcha. But structurally, it's more along the lines of a "string of musical numbers with story segways" type of musical. That doesn't make it less enjoyable at all, but it'd be nowhere near the same level of challenge to write.

I think White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye is outstanding, but again, it's less of a narrative and more of an excuse to sing and dance. (with talent like that, who can blame them - it's awesome) Heck, I like Danny Kaye in practically anything, from The Court Jester to Hans Christian Anderson. The man's a genius.


Cheesy at it could be at times, Xanadu has special place in my heart.
Oh, you child of the 80's... ;) I swear, if any Olivia Newton-John songs get stuck in my head tonight, I will hunt you down with great vengeance.

No, I've never been mellow.

[Bernard_Monsha]

Sings in cockney


I 'ates you Leader Desslock.

Man From La Mancha is also an excellent, and I am not just saying that because I was in a production.

[Daishikaze]

I prefer the big Arthur Freed musicals, so Singin' in the Rain wins the poll for me.

[Alice Catherine]

While I personally detest High School Musical, it is REALLY well done. You have to give credit where credit is due.

No.
Absolutely not.


First off, the characters were COMPLETELY two-dimensional. We have 5 minutes of back story on each character. We also (if not very thinly) get the plot within 5 minutes. It goes like:
Smart Girl: Mom, can I finish reading my book?
Mom: No, go socialize. (Which kind of already infuriated me from the start)

Then it goes:
Pretty boy with basketball: One more shot, dad?
Pretty boy's dad: No. Go study.


And then that's about all we get for back story.
Some characters don't even HAVE much of a story. Main characters, too. Like of COURSE there's the obligatory black kid with the huge hair. But no back story. Of COURSE there's the spoiled brat who comes to the hero's side at the end. Those are just characters needed for the plot to work. But no development.

Even if the development were good, half of the main characters seem to be reading off a script at all times. And with their cookie cutter characters, it is obligatory that we have a cookie cutter romance. What also doesn't make sense is that EVERY main character just HAD to be paired with another one at the end. Randomly. OK, maybe some of them had ONE scene together, not counting the ones where the whole school sings. It made no sense.

Also, at the end Sharpay is all nice-nice to everyone, but in the sequel she's a conniving *****, again? Another instance of lack of back story.

I also blame this musical for the fact that my sister is absolutely terrified of even going into Junior High. High School was so overly exaggerated in the movie that it made me want to throw up. TOO MANY STEREOTYPES. Does ANYONE know of a school that had a balloon of their basketball team? No? I didn't think so. Pep rallies NEVER have that much pep (this could just be my school because our football team seriously sucks). EVERY clique is SO heavily outlined. And there are no Hybrid kids, like myself. God forbid a jock get good grades, or god forbid a goth play sports, huh?

But what REALLY REALLY bothered me was the complete randomness of the singing. I mean, I've come to expect in musicals like Guys and Dolls, Phantom of the Opera, and Les Miz, that they sing with the situation. That's normal.
But in HSM, they break out into song and dance with EVERY little thing that happened. Staying on topic of the singing...it was horrible. The chorus and the backups were absolute crap. And whoever put Vanessa Hudgens into a musical needs to be shot in the face. She sings out of her nasal cavity. Plus, she was dancing and prancing around EVEN though her character is a shy geek stereotype. Zac Effron was a complete disappointment. I don't understand what all the hype is about with him either. This was an even bigger disappointment after seeing Hairspray. Because I saw him do waaaaaaaay better.


There is so much hype for this musical...I hate it.

[Scandiadream]

It was between "Les Miserables" and "The Sound of Music".

I am one of the few people in this planet who did NOT like "Grease".

[Alice Catherine]

I am one of the few people in this planet who did NOT like "Grease".

I like Grease and all but, like High School Musical, it doesn't deserve the hype that it gets.

[Daishikaze]

I am one of the few people in this planet who did NOT like "Grease".

You aren't alone here, I hate it too. But then after a certain point in time, I can't stand any musical.

[Illusions-chan]

Sound of Music. I'm sorry, as nice as some of the others are, Sound of Music was the best. But then again, that could be my dad's love for Olivia-Newton John movies... -_-;

[superplough]

...and okay, I'm gonna throw out one honorable mention for the heck of it, because it won't win any other awards:

South Park: The Movie - This musical was the equivalent (in both talent and execution) to a Mel Brooks film. It was an absolutely brilliant parody/homage to classic Disney animated features, it was still topical satire, and above all, it was bloody hilarious.

QFT, I forgot about that one too. I know the whole score to that movie. It's excellent.

[eyes_still_see]

Not a fan of musicals. Let's say Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny.

[Delta-Pheonix]

No Rocky Horror show?!
This thread shames me.

[tenshi_a]

1. Tanz Der Vampire
2. Rocky Horror

[seba_boi]

Sound of Music. I'm sorry, as nice as some of the others are, Sound of Music was the best. But then again, that could be my dad's love for Olivia-Newton John movies... -_-;

Are you talking about The Sound Of Music or Xanadu?... Olivia wasn't in The Sound Of Music...

[Raistlin-sama]

Spamalot. ;)

[GreatNekoKoneko]

Spamalot. ;)

...forgot about that. and South Park the Movie - which in my opinion, was very well made.

but still. you guys should at least watch Jesus Christ Superstar at least once in your lifetime. the music and the dancing - fantastic.

oh, and f*ck Hair and Hairspray.

[Samurai Drifter]

Les Miserables.

It's tied with an unlisted one for my favorite- "Chess," which is pretty obscure and is almost never in theaters but is great nonetheless.

Spamalot. ;)
I saw that in the theater a couple of weeks ago and it rocked.

[drgenestarwind]

I am a very big fan of Grease, and I was part of the crew for a production of The Sound of Music, i also like West Side Story and Hair

[Anamin]

Spamalot will always have a special place in my heart now. The fact that it really got passed over at the BAFTAs was a crying shame.

[Anamin]

Sings in cockney


I 'ates you Leader Desslock.

Man From La Mancha is also an excellent, and I am not just saying that because I was in a production.

LOL!! :lol: :lol:

[Alice Catherine]

I like Man of La Mancha, too. 'Tis a bit funny.

[goddessofanime]

Dreamgirls!

I also like Phantom but Grease is the best.

[Alice Catherine]

Dreamgirls!



*pfft* Dreamgirls. So overrated.

[Bernard_Monsha]

I am glad no one has mentioned that R musical

[GreatNekoKoneko]

...or the Cthulu Musical. but you gotta admit, that was pure badass.

[seba_boi]

I am glad no one has mentioned that R musical

?...

I can't think of a musical that starts with an R... Rease?...

[Alice Catherine]

I am glad no one has mentioned that R musical

Rent was absolute garbage. My sister adores it, however.

[max payne]

So I decided to post this after listening to 3 hours worth of various Show Tunes.

I must say the list on this website (where I got the poll from) is a travesty, but I want to know everyone else's opinion first.

And no Footloose. Shame. Or Wicked.

I got the options on the poll from the top 6 of the site, Footloose (which really should be on there even though I don't like it very much), Phantom of the Opera (my second favorite musical, Les Miserables (WHICH SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST BEEN IN THE TOP 10, even though it deserves to be in the top 5), and Other. And Phantom should have at least scored higher than an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer...

How did I guess that you would be the creator of this thread :lol:

Yeah musicals. Like country music, it makes me want to rip out my own eyes to stuff something into my ears and throw the person who created and/or acted in it through several layers of double glazed windows. Apart from that Jerry Springer one, that was alright.

[Alice Catherine]

Yeah musicals. Like country music, it makes me want to rip out my own eyes to stuff something into my ears and throw the person who created and/or acted in it through several layers of double glazed windows. Apart from that Jerry Springer one, that was alright.

:'( :crybaby: