Has their ever been a good sequel to a musical?

[bdn223]

When Disney truly adapts High School Musical for the stage and not just a quick cash grab touring production, I would presume they might adapt the trilogy in rotation. HSM3 is significantly better than HSM 2 and is very much the most traditional/staged of the 3 in the series. I don't know if I like it as much as the HSM, but HSM3 is a good sequel.

[MyLife]

Now I am interested in the names of future musical sequels (for fun):

 

The Book of Arnold

The 26th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Mortgage

 

[JustAnotherNewYorker]

carolinaguy said: "All the musicals people have ever attempted to “sequelize”, to coin a term, were complete, satisfying stories in themselves. The characters wanted something, they went through a series of experiences, and the situation was resolved. There was no further story necessary, so no reason for the sequels to exist. ANNIE 2 especially suffered from lack of any reason to be. Movies with good sequels (say, THE GODFATHER), had more story to tell.."

I suppose this implies that ALW and Tim Rice would have good material for a sequel to Jesus Christ Superstar, but only after the second coming...

(I'll let myself out now)

[AEA AGMA SM]

Mister Matt said: "Yes, I saw the tour. The new staging wasn't quite as hideous as the original, but the song itself is just as bad as before, really. Adding the Phantom bits just made the parallel structure of the two shows even more on-the-nose. The melody of the tune is clunky, the orchestrations are overbearing, and the book becomes too ridiculous at that point. It couldn't be fixed with a few tweaks. It needed to be burned in a dumpster and the entire scene should have been completely rethought and rewritten."

I didn't see the tour, so I can't speak to how the staging is different from what's on the filmed version, but I just listened to the "2018 studio cast" recording and I think that the rewrites on that song that are on that recorded version are a step, or several, back from what was on the concept recording and the filmed Australian production.

I agree with you, Mister Matt, that it should have been scrapped completely. That song was unsalvageable.

[GavestonPS]

DoTheDood said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Though I suppose you could argue "Falsettoland" is a good sequel, wven though now it's just Act 2."

Wouldn't March of the Falsettos be the sequel, and Falsettoland be the third in the trilogy, counting In Trousers as the first? There is an argument there at the sequel is even better than the original as a lot more people know March of the Falsettos than In Trousers.

Also I may be in the minority but Shock Treatment is not that bad. Definitely not as iconic as Rocky Horror but nothing really can compete with the original movie. Shock Treatment is at least still fun and a trip to watch."

IN TROUSERS is wonderful in its own right and actually ran for over a year in Los Angeles! Although Marvin is the central character in all three Marvin plays, the structure of the first play makes it hard to track with the other two. It's not a coincidence that Chip Zien (who created the role of "Marvin" was moved to Mendel for MARCH.

The true sequels, as mentioned above, are MARCH OF THE FALSETTOS and then FALSETTOLAND. I don't think a sequel has ever been done as well and may never be done as well again. The fact that the two one-acts can be performed together with minimal changes shows just how closely they are linked.

[henrikegerman]

Anyone know Lett "Em Eat Cake, the sequel to Of Thee I Sing?

I don't but am curious about it.  And the plot - a fascist movement to take over the U.S. - though challenging as musical comedy material couldn't be more au courant.

[Plannietink08]

ANNIE WARBUCKS was pretty successful wasn’t it?

[CATSNYrevival]

henrikegerman said: "Anyone know Lett "Em Eat Cake, the sequel to Of Thee I Sing?

I don't but am curious about it. And the plot - a fascist movement to take over the U.S. - though challenging as musical comedy material couldn't be more au courant."

I’m also very curious about Let ‘Em Eat Cake now. It would have probably been great for Encores! in 2020.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

CATSNYrevival said: "I’m also very curious about Let ‘Em Eat Cake now. It would have probably beengreat for Encores! in 2020."

MasterVoices is actually doing it at Carnegie Hall in November, conducted by Ted Sperling and featuring a bunch of Broadway people! In true sequel fashion, Bryce Pinkham returns to play the president after playing the same role in their 2017 production of Of Thee I Sing (a show, like Call Me Madam, that just feels too corny today).

[David10086]

Though not as great as "Funny Girl", the sequel "Funny Lady" is a 'good sequel' to the original. By no means 'great' nor 'fantastic', but 'good' - Streisand is very entertaining and the Kander & Ebb score is wonderful. 

[CATSNYrevival]

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "MasterVoices is actually doing it at Carnegie Hall in November, conducted by Ted Sperling and featuring a bunch of Broadway people!"

That works for me!

[Dollypop]

I'm working on a sequel to HELLO, DOLLY!, tentatively titled BACK TO YONKERS. It's gonna be dynamite!

[David10086]

Will Dolly return to Yonkers as a widow again, and start all over ? 

[yfs]

Umm...FALSETTOLAND. Full stop. End of story. 

 

[Dollypop]

David10086 said: "Will Dolly return to Yonkers as a widow again, and start all over ?"

 

Dolly marries Horace but he dies after tasting the chowder she made for him.

I just finished the ballad that Cornelius sings in the 2nd act,: "It Only Takes a Minute,:

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

yfs said: "Umm...FALSETTOLAND. Full stop. End of story."

As others have pointed out, Falsettoland is actually the third in a trilogy, since March of the Falsettos is the sequel to In Trousers.

[Fan123]

Interesting to hear about the MasterVoices Let 'Em Eat Cake concert, I hadn't known about that. (Can they do Strike Up The Band next year please?)