Play with Music VS Musical

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 12/26/13 at 4:41pm

Has there ever been a show on Broadway whose 'category placement' in the Tonys or Drama Desks, etc., was questioned... i.e. a 'play with music' being placed in the 'musical' category?

[JoseLee_]

Posted: 12/26/13 at 4:49pm

I'm not sure, but I did see "End of the Rainbow" which was a "play with music".

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 12/26/13 at 5:01pm

I wonder would that have belonged in the musical category... I remember that being a question at the time.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 12/26/13 at 5:40pm

Contact was controversial when it won best musical at the Tonys since the performers didn't sing, they created a new category due to it.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 12/26/13 at 6:21pm

It's hard to describe if you did't see it, but END OF THE RAINBOW was clearly a play with a half-dozen "musical interruptions". (FWIW, the songs were much better done than I had expected.)

But the songs didn't advance the plot OR comment on the action. With one exception, they really did stand alone outside the play. I would object to any attempt to call it a "musical".

And since it wasn't billed as a musical, I doubt the Tony Committee spent much time arguing about it.
Updated On: 12/26/13 at 06:21 PM

[kade.ivy]

Posted: 12/26/13 at 7:45pm

I wondered about END OF THE RAINBOW as well. I didn't see it but have seen Jersey Boys. How does Rainbow's style compare to JB? I think JB could be argued as a play with music, although the music is quite prominent and necessary to the narrative...

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 12/26/13 at 8:50pm

Where does one draw the line?