Top Ten Musicals Any Actor Should Know ?- Page 2

[jv92]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 12:35am

Gypsy
Follies
Grey Gardens
Sweeney Todd
She Loves Me
Sunday in the Park with George
Carousel
Show Boat
Cabaret

[zooxanthellae]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 12:40am

DrewBill - You are 100% correct Evita is by far the best of the British sung-through musicals (it's not perfect: it's no "gypsy" afterall).... however Evita has hardly been the cultural behemoth that are phantom and les mis. If importance is measured in cultural and global impact (as according to rewritemystory) then surely we'd have to add all frivolous but successful musicals... Mamma Mia! for example. - I'm not saying that s/he is wrong, I'm merely sharing my opinion.

I still don't think "Evita" should be on the list, although it's ALW's best work it represents a genre that no longer has a future on broadway and is hardly iconic of musical theatre.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 12:56am

Annie
A Chorus Line
West Side Story
Gypsy
Wicked
Spring Awakening
The Sound of Music
Guys and Dolls
My Fair Lady
Sweeney Todd

[DrewBill]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 12:57am

zooxanthellae: I see your point, but I still kind of think that "Evita" is the most significant artifact of its time and place. And if you're looking at modern theater history, it can't be overlooked. Yes, the British sung-through musical was just a passing fad, but I think "Evita," and the other shows like it, set the stage for today's "commercial" musicals.

Not to start an argument, but if I were editing your list, I would probably replace "The King and I" with "Evita," and "Follies" with "Company." (I can't believe I just typed that!)

[bwaybabe2]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 1:04am

My Fair Lady
Show Boat
Oklahoma
South Pacific
Guys and Dolls
The Sound of Music
West Side Story
Carousel
Phantom of The Opera
Les Miserables

My pics of classic MT must know :)


Updated On: 6/28/08 at 01:04 AM

[jv92]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 1:16am

Anybody studying to be a dramatist in any capacity (i.e. playwright, bookwriter- though they're the same thing, composer, lyricist) should read, devour and worship Gypsy.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 1:25am

Oklahoma
Gypsy
Guys and Dolls
HAIR
Porgy and Bess
Falsettoland(the underdog here)
Sweeney Todd
Evita
Showboat
A Chorus Line

Updated On: 6/28/08 at 01:25 AM

[fanadu1996]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 1:41am

whats with all the spring awakenings....great musical, however, if it wasnt for RENT, or HAIR for that fact, there would be no spring awakening.

[goober1632]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 1:47am

Oklahoma
West Side Story
Guys and Dolls
Fiddler on the Roof
Chorus Line
Sweeney Todd
Dreamgirls
Phantom of the Opera
Les Miserables
RENT

Runner Ups
Gypsy
Evita
Hair
Jesus Christ Superstar
Wicked (it's so popular, you'd be hiding in a cave if you're into theatre and never heard this)

[bwaybabe2]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 1:58am

As an 11th one, Camelot...
Updated On: 6/28/08 at 01:58 AM

[Weez]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 4:33am

Hmmm. I think it depends on the context of this list. If you're wondering what shows you should know as a performer with regards to shows you may well find yourself in, you should most certainly know 'Mamma Mia!', 'Phantom Of The Opera', 'Les Miserables', 'Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat', 'Blood Brothers' (this is a UK kinda list ); anything that's been running for a while and will doubtless run a while longer, or anything that's prone to revivals or tours.

But I think the context of this thread is what shows should an actor know in a historical context. If you go to drama school or a producer and don't know about these shows, you'll look like uneducated scum who's just in it for the 'Spring Awakening'. I do think 'Phantom' and 'Les Mis' should count though, because they're so outrageously popular that you'd be an idiot to ignore them.

[[tos]tralia2]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 5:18am

What about if the ten breaks down into categories and there's a top one for each: (just a suggested list here, I thought the composer break down was a good idea, and this another, plus shows listed aren't my definitive list but examples. I'm not sure of my list)

Culturally Significant: So something like Oklahoma, RENT, Miss Saigon, South Pacific etc...maybe for me Boy From Oz- Australian Musical on Broadway, culturally significant to me :)
Broadway Blockbuster: WICKED, Phantom Of The Opera, Les Mis
Underdog/Original Musical/Long Road To B'way: Avenue Q, In The Heights, maybe even [title of show] in the future
Off-Broadway: The Fantasticks (that one I would say as definitive)
Classic: Gotta be one of the toughest to choose from
Sung through: Les Mes, Miss Saigon, Phantom, list goes on...
Jukebox: Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia another list goes on...
Movie Adaptation: The Lion King (and the others tooooo many to list), But don't forget classics too
West End Success: Your Evita's etc
Tony Award Winner: The Producers for amount won...etc

What other breakdowns could there be?

Sean

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 9:49am

Show Boat
Oklahoma!
Guys & Dolls
West Side Story
Gypsy
Hair
Company
A Chorus Line
Sweeney Todd

...and of course, Oh, Calcutta!

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 10:12am

Wow, I'm starting to feel like a real non-fan for never having seen Guys and Dolls.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 10:41am

A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
Gypsy
Rent
Company
West Side Story
Les Miserables
Fiddler
Phantom
My Fair Lady
The Sound of Music

Updated On: 6/28/08 at 10:41 AM

[zooxanthellae]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 10:41am

Anybody studying to be a dramatist in any capacity (i.e. playwright, bookwriter- though they're the same thing, composer, lyricist) should read, devour and worship Gypsy.


Agreed!

[SweetSoprano]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 11:03am

Gypsy
A Chorus Line
West Side Story
South Pacific
My Fair Lady
Company
Carousel
Les Miserables
The Fantasticks
Evita

[myshikobit]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 3:42pm

Okay, i'm looking over all of these, and seeing my flaws- Les Mis and Phantom are two of the same. They're inevitably always going to be a part of Musical Theatre due to thier ridiculous longevity. They are not that influential in any other way though, so there definitely isn't room for both on the top ten.

Mamma Mia!, as much as I hate to say it, is a milestone of Musical Theatre. The jukebox musical is now a huge part of Musical Theatre, love it or hate it, which means it should be on the influential list.

On my Sondheims, everything should be on the influential list. Company was the first concept musical, thus deserving a spot on the list. Sweeney Todd was the first horror musical, which are becoming increasingly popular. It's yet to be seen how durable of a genre the horror musical will be, so its acceptance is really pending (I'm sure if they brought Rebecca to Broadway it would totally inhance the genre- I have mad love for Rebecca). Sondheim is just God, and everyone should bow to and worship any show he has ever made.

Gypsy is flawless, but it isn't groundbreaking, which makes it hard for me to put on the list. I agree it should be worshiped and adored, but not quite groundbreaking enough to be on the list. Someone prove me wrong, because I loooove Gypsy, but being fair, I don't think it belongs.

TBC

[fanpires]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 3:47pm

the sound of music
fiddler on the roof
annie
west side story
wicked (i know, i know)
phantom of the opera
les miserables
grease
guys and dolls
oklahoma!

[myshikobit]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 4:17pm

So, i'll be the first confess that the choices that I didn't explain were mostly wrong and poorly thought out. I was getting tired of thinking- i'm human. Here's my amended list:
Oklahoma!
Guys and Dolls
West Side Story
Hair
Company
A Chorus Line
Sweeney Todd
Les Mis
Rent
Mamma Mia

Now on the flawless show list, Gypsy holds the top spot, but it doesn't seem influential enough for this list. If you can prove me wrong, please do.

[oohshizz146]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 4:37pm

Les Mis
Gypsy
West Side Story
A Chorus Line
Rent
Phantom
Annie
Sound of Music
Hair
Oklahoma!

Not saying those are my favorites...everyone should just know them!

[jimmy_oh_jimmy]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 4:59pm

les miserables
evita
south pacific
miss saigon
sound of music
gypsy
oklahoma
guys and dolls
a chorus line
west side story

[DrewBill]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 5:43pm

myshikobit: I understand what you're saying about "Mamma Mia!" being influential, but I don't think anything deserves to be on the list that isn't justifiably great (or at least near-great).

While "Mamma Mia!" did usher in the era of the jukebox musical -- and in it's own way change the business of Broadway -- it didn't add anything to the "art" of Broadway. And I know many would say that the jukebox musical has in fact hurt Broadway. In the end, there hasn't yet been a jukebox musical that deserves to be in the "cannon" of great shows.

(Yes, I know "Jersey Boys" won the Tony and is insanely popular, but 50 years from now is anyone going to remember that show as a classic? I don't think so.)

[myshikobit]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 5:47pm

It has subtracted from Broadway as an artform. I think you're right. It's like the Black Crook- you should know it, but not study it. Not on the list- there is room for Gypsy =).

[Sondheim_Geek]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 5:58pm

A Chorus Line
Anything Goes
Cabaret
Evita
Gypsy
Les Miserables
Phantom of the Opera
South Pacific
Sunday in the Park with George
West Side Story