Dear Nick and Matt



Musical Theatre – twenty shows to researchA list with links prepared for Lizzie Crarer 160907Long List of 80+ – supplied by friendsMy thanks to Prof George Rodosthenous, directors Kate Golledge & Tom Littler, theatre CEO John-Jackson Almond, actors Chris Storer, Rachel Creeger, Lucy Trodd and Nigel Richards, producer Denise Koch, writers David Cottis & Dave Francis, composer Prof Matthew Scott, bookwriters Thomas Ryalls, Jennifer Toksvig & German Munoz and the author of a definitive encyclopaedia of musical theatre Kurt G?nzl, for this listAmerican in Paris, Anchors Aweigh, Anything Goes, Assassins, Avenue Q Bat Boy,Bend It Like BeckhamBilly * Billy Elliot, Blood Brothers Bombay Dreams Book of MormonBrigadoon Bullets over Broadway, Cabaret, Calamity janeCarmen JonesCarousel?ChessChicagoChorus Line *City of AngelsCloser Than Ever *CompanyDancer in the Dark Dessa RoseEvitaFalsettoland, Fantasticks, The *Fiddler on the RoofFloyd Collins? FolliesFun Home, Goblin Market *Guys and DollsGypsyHair?HairsprayHamilton?Hedwig & the Angry Inch (gig musical)Honk ! *In The Heights In to the WoodsJesus Christ SuperstarKiss Me KateLady in the DarkLast Five YearsLes MiserablesLight on the PiazzaLion KingLittle Night Music, ALondon Road Love Life by Alan Jay Lerner and Kurt Weill.Mahagonny Marie Christine *Mamma MiaMartin Guerre, MatildaMerrily We Roll Along, Miss Saigon *My Fair LadyNext to Normal?Nine?Oklahoma!, Oliver !Once Upon A MattressParade Porgy and Bess Producers, TheRagtimeRent?Rocky Horror ShowSalad Days *Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, ShowboatSingin' in the Rain, Sound of MusicSouth Pacific Spring Awakening?Sunday In The Park With GeorgeSweeney Todd Sweet CharityThreepenny Opera, Titanic *ValmouthWest Side StoryWicked?Windy City *My Suggested Top Twenty-Fivechosen because they mark shifts in style/period, scale or impact, plus examples of book, music or lyrics I enjoy. Cabaret, Carousel?Chorus Line *CompanyFloyd Collins? Guys and DollsGypsyHamilton?Jesus Christ SuperstarLondon Road Marie Christine *Miss Saigon *My Fair LadyNext to Normal?Nine?Oklahoma!, Oliver !Porgy and Bess, RagtimeRent?ShowboatSweeney Todd Titanic *West Side StoryWicked?Wow that was hard to do !!!Now to explore each of them in order of being written, as best I can….Showboat (1927) – Jerome Kern (M) Oscar Hammerstein II (B & L)Current revival site: 1936 – and there’s a clip on the above site.Porgy and Bess (1934) – George Gershwim (M) Du Bose Heyward & Ira Gershwim (L) Songlist & History: 1959 starring Sidney Poitier available on Amazon etcOklahoma! (1943) - Richard Rodgers (M) Oscar Hammerstein II (B&L) first musical, a triumph, and I love the stories by Helene Hanff (84 Charing Cross Road) of working as a secretary in the office when the phone call came through from a tour date telling her they had decided to add the ! to the title of the show. She had already printed x,000 press releases. Every mention of the show had to be changed by hand !!! here is Hugh Jackman full show at National Theatre(1998) (not Broadway as billed). ?(1945) – Richard Rodgers (M) Oscar Hammerstein II (B&L)The R&H site is a vast array of stuff appears to be a site with scripts (behind the ads) Side Story (1957) - Leonard Bernstein (M) Stephen Sondheim (L) Arthur Laurents (B) HYPERLINK "" keep coming across websites which may be useful (1959) - Julie Styne (M) Stephen Sondheim (L) Arthur Laurents (B)Current production at the Savoy 1962 friend of mine owns this organisation which makes study guides and here is the link for Gypsy and Dolls (1950) – Frank Loesser (M&L), Abe Burrows (B)Although cited as the only major musical written by one man, Abe Burrows was also involved. link appears to allow you to watch the 1955 movie version for free Fair Lady (1956) – Frederick Loewe (M) Alan Jay Lerner (B & L)Julie Andrews is directing a new production in Australia at the moment 1964 film is available to enjoy ! (1960) – Lionel Bart (B M L)Possibly the most successful British written musical ever, maybe., made into a movie with the original star, Ron Moody, as Fagin in 1968 interesting to see how the script of stage and screen originals vary – the stage show is darker from memory.Cabaret (1966) – John Kander (M) and Fred Ebb (L) Worth exploring this amazing double act of writers through all their works Here’s another reference site ’s the 1972 movie version ’s a complete works site Line (1975) – Marvin Hamlisch (M) Edward Kleban (L) James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dane (B)This was gathered as a show from the real stories of the original cast and many artists on Broadway. It is a little out of date now, but has fab stories and music. was a very strange movie version by Richard Attenborough, but it may be cleaner to watch a stage version – even if a bit ropy quality. (1970) – Stephen Sondheim (M&L) George Furth (B)About as different from JCS rock musical as you can get so close to each other here is Adrian Lester in the Donmar Production of 1996 Christ Superstar (1970) – Andrew Lloyd Webber (M) Tim Rice (L)It is often talked about as the last musical to be written using contemporary music styles. [In The Heights and Hamilton more recently change that old belief]. They opened it on Broadway in 1971 before UK in 1973, after the album launch in 1970 Open Air Regents Park production is slated to return Todd (1979) – Stephen Sondheim (M & L) Hugh Wheeler (B)If I could only see one musical again, it would be this. I have never explored the original play by Christopher Bond. Here is more info here is a chance to watch the original show ?(1982) – Maury Yeston (M & L) Arthur Kopit (B) I include this because it is drawn from the Fellini movie 81/2 and is a wonderful balance of 1M and 22F roles (plus 4 boys). Not particularly well known’s a quick clip from the revival [worth checking out the new Maury Yeston premiere opening at Charing Cross Theatre end of this year] Not seen the 2009 movie – must try to.Miss Saigon (1989) - Claude Michel Schonberg (M) Richard Maltby Jr (L) from Alain Boublil original French lyrics. One of the global big 4 – Cats, Phantom, Les Mis, Saigon produced by Cameron Mackintosh and arguably the best scoreThere is a live cinema showing in October of this global phenomenon (1996) – Stephen Flaherty (M), Lynn Ahrens (L), Terrence McNally (B)Another incredibly intricate reading of stories, based on the Doctorrow novel found in a junk shop by Stephen Flaherty. production opening at Charing Cross Theatre this month. Here is a complete recording of a production Collins?(1996) - Adam Guettel (M & L), Tina Landau (B and additional L)This is a smaller off-broadway piece written by one of a gang of composers who have brought the MT world closer to the world of drama in New York. see there is a revival at Wiltons until 15th Oct which I would love to try and see original London production was in 1999 the amazing Nigel Richards who specialises in new work (1997) – Maury Yeston (M & L) Peter Stone (B)Included here for the mastery of the book and the opening 25 minutes in terms of multiple character introduction found this clip of the opening 16 minutes (with original stars looking a tad older in 2014) Bloody hell we don’t make MT voices like this in the UK !!! and a treat from the rehearsals show never reached the West End (like Ragtime it was marred in the US producer and fraud)Marie Christine (1999) Michael John LaChuisa This work has, to my knowledge, never come to the UK. I saw it at Lincoln Centre and it knocked me out (even with the understaudy on). The Medea myth, and the final Broadway musical of the 20th century ?(2005) – Jonathan Larsen (BML)Inspired by La Boheme, this contemporary AIDS New York musical became famous because the author died after its Public Theatre opening and just before the transfer to Broadway. There were two previous works “Superbia” and “Tick Tick Boom” which were written, and were part of our 1990 Quest for a New Musical in Buxton. Sadly I never met him.Here is the Broadway production to Normal?(2009) -Tom Kitt (M) Brian Yorkey (L)Not a piece I know, but I will also explore. here is a complete filming of the production Road (2011) - Adam Cook (M) Alecky Blythe (B & L)Thought of by many as a new form of musical theatre, taking speech patterns and developing them into song – no lyrics/arias as such, but augmented speech rhythms. Not sure whether you can watch the movie here is the play ?(2015) -?Lin-Manuel Miranda (B M L)The phenonomen which is this rap musical inspired by the American founding fathers by the author of “In The Heights”. On its way to the West End on a wave of raves.(musical)I guess it is fitting that this list ends with an introduction to the American musical theatre from the President of the United States Showboat in 1927 to Hamilton in London in 2017 – 90 years of an artform that dares to challenge privileged theatregoers to think differently.Thank you Lizzie for asking the question “which musicals should I know about to understand the form better”. Here is my answer, supported by the suggestions of the great and the good out there in facebook land. EndChris Grady8th Sept 2016 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download