What show do YOU think changed Broadway forever? Let us know below, and check out our video of the Top 10 Opening Songs from Musicals That Give Us Chills - ruclips.net/video/5yGsdvrtpjA/видео.html
Rest in Peace, Jonathan Larson. It's a shame that he died so tragically young, and he never got to see how successful "Rent" would become, and the legacy it would create. 🕊️😇💔
How is A CHORUS LINE not on this list?? It changed the dynamic between the singing ensemble and the dancing ensemble, challenging the actors to showcase being triple threats
@@Jae-pe2xh pre-A CHORUS LINE the ensemble very often were not triple threats. you can look at musical cast lists in the 40's/50's/60's and the ensemble is often broken up between "singers" and "dancers". A performer like Gwen Vernon or Chita Rivera was very much an exception. But beyond that-A CHORUS LINE was the first time a concept-type musical became a mainstream hit. There had never been a show where the cast simply stood in front of the audience and talked about themselves and their lives. There are no fancy sets. there is a piece of white tape on the stage, a stool, and mirrors which are seen and also disappear at different times. but that is all we are given. each actor had their one casual outfit and then their finale costume. the entire show takes place in "real time" as it were. and there was no intermission in the production. this was radical really for a broadway show. Also-so much of A CHORUS LINE exists in the dancers minds and we are brought into their interior thoughts and monologues in a very stylized and at times almost-surreal way. The action easily flows between reality onstage and then into the mind of whatever character we are focused upon. Also A CHORUS LINE was the first show to be created through a workshop period instead of the traditional rehearsals. when A CHORUS LINE first began it was just an idea. and through the various workshops it found what it was and the script was written. and the songs were written, and the chroegraphy was created, etc. this was a totally new way to find and create a show. A CHORUS LINE was able to do this at the public theatre in New York, which was a not-for-profit theatre that had more flexibility around how they put a production together. today most shows start as workshops. but before A CHORUS LINE shows were written, cast, rehearsed and then they began trying out. so A CHORUS LINE was radical in how it was put together. A CHORUS LINE was radical in how it worked for an audience. A CHORUS LINE was radical in terms of content. musicals had never before been concerned with the personal stories of regular, everyday people. it had an element of psychology, of personal confession, of a group therapy type thing. no musical before had existed in such a world. so I am amazed it is not on this list. all of these things were wildly new for broadway at the time.
@@user-kv2tj4du8pThe omission is especially glaring given that they put a miniclip of _ACL_ early on in the video to draw us in, implying it was going to feature heavily in the list. Talk about bait and switch!
West Side Story. It was originally supposed to be about Catholic and Jewish gangs before changing to Puerto Rican and white gangs as a result of the racial tension in New York at the time.
I agree with Cabaret but they didn't even mention the true reason--- Bob Fosse. Before Sweet Charity and Cabaret, the dance and movement inherent in musicals was *mostly* ballet or tap inspired. Fosse brought jazz and modern dance, and the inherent sexuality and sensuality in those styles to the musical culture, where they have stayed since. Cabaret wasn't important because it was a show within a show.... others had done that already. It was groundbreaking because *Fosse*. Because *jazz hands*. (Fosse move)
Les Miserables should be in here. Not only did it give poor, unfed, and miserable people an anthem but it also gives outcasted people something to fight for, and a future to look forward to, it also gives wrongly convicted criminals a light at the end of the tunnel and that they can change, and that there is still hope for them. Les Miserables just shows us that we’re stronger together and united, fighting for a cause that we believe in, it even gave something that young college students where willing to give there lives for in a barricade.
"Beauty and the Beast" is my favourite Disney film, and I love that the stage show retained the spirit that made the story so beloved, while changing some elements to make it more feasible for the stage. It's simply a timeless tale. 💗
It's good that you mentioned Oklahoma as your #1. BUT you didn't give it enough space - you didn't mention the Agnes DeMille dancing that was amazing/min blowing.
"1776" is about the signing of the Declaration of Independence. "Miss Saigon" takes place during the end of the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon. "Parade" is about the true story of the lynching of a Jewish man in Atlanta. "The Civil War" is about the... American Civil War, taken from letters written by soldiers. "Come From Away" is about the planes grounded in Gander, Newfoundland after the 9-11 terrorist attacks. So many more- Ragtime, Bonnie & Clyde, The Scottsboro Boys, Assassins, Allegiance, Newsies...😁
Agreed! Only one I can think of at the moment is newsies, which was based on a paperboy strike around 1900 or so. I believe the characters were based on the real newspaper boys that led the strike
It would be nice for non-musical stageplays to get a little recognition sometime. Musicals are wonderful, but not the only thing Broadway has to offer.
What's incredible to me is to study the origins of theater. My heart gets overwhelmed learning about where we started to where we are now. Without shows like Show Boat and Oklahoma, we would never have gotten Hamilton. And that's just crazy to think about especially because Alexander Hamilton was going to be removed from the $10 bill because no one knew who he was. But thanks to the popularity of Hamilton, he stays on the dollar bill. And to think it wasn't Lin's attempt to save the $10 founding father.
You choose "EVITA" instead of "MY FAIR LADY." Based on a social satire by George Bernard Shaw, "MY FAIR LADY" transformed Broadway musicals into polished, sophisticated, sparkling and literate entertainment-- and, by the way, it ran for 2,717 performances (1956-1962). Once again, you are seriously off the mark with your lists and need to do serious Broadway homework.
I was thinking Oklahoma, but for a different reason. Prior to that, finale numbers were typically a reprise of a song from earlier in the show. Oklahoma was the first major musical to have a big show stopping new song as the finale song.
This list should change "shows" to "musicals"; no plays are mentioned. Hamilton is also notable for giving all of the actors a piece of the sales and a kind of residuals. Pajama Game-because Fosse, Phantom of the Opera, I would put instead of Evita because of the use of grand spectacle. A jukebox musical in here would have been good, too; love them or hate them, those and movie adaptations really changed musicals.
Where are Chorus Line and Jesus Christ Superstar? Chorus Line had unique acting, dancing and singing for each character and, at the time, no one thought of people in the chorus as people with their own message and story. It was a big deal especially when it came out. Jesus Christ Superstar was just as revolutionary as Hair at the time. And it was very controversial. Just take off Hamilton off the list. It’s only there because it’s one of the few newer musicals (and tried to do rap music). It got redundant after a while. Just seemed like everyone shouting and not singing. Nice idea but no variety to the tunes, costumes or set.
Seriously?!?!? Phantom of the Opera NOT being on this list is a HUGE crime. It lasted 35 years on broadway (world’s longest running broadway show), amazing music to listen over and over (title song and MOTN being the top two favorites), and the Chandelier. Best set piece to ever exist on the stage. Once the organ music starts, it transports us into the show and how the chandelier comes into play…
Obviously, The Lion King is the go-to recommendation of a SHOW to see on broadway. You have kids and want them to experience live theater? The Lion King, hands down. It's an absolute juggernaut. But totally agree that Beauty and the Beast had to succeed first in order for it to be possible, and honestly, it's such a brilliant adaptation (especially when you consider how the adaptation could've gone by comparing it to one of the more clumsy and clunky attempts like Mermaid). Come on. "If I Can't Love Her"??? Not to mention that the popularity of "Human Again" in the Broadway version resulted in the number being added to subsequent editions of the animated movie, PLUS the fact that Hercules would absolutely not be the same without Susan Egan (the original Belle) as Meg.
I’ve seen Broadway shows. My favorite has to be the lion King on Broadway. It’s the longest running show in the world. I hope that it will never end. I can’t wait for the new boop musical to come to Broadway I hope to see one of my favorite celebrities on tour doing the musical Broadway shows are pretty fun and they’re very entertaining
Kudos for Showboat, Oklahoma, WSS, and Company, all of them sea changers. Cabaret to a lesser degree and the returns are yet to come in for Hamilton. Though I must admit Jonathan Groff has rocked the world of this grumpy old 72 year-old. But...not Sweeney???
Cats, The Lion King musical, Aida, Sunset Boulevard, South Pacific, Funny Girl, The Phantom Of The Opera, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Camelot, Once Upon A Mattress, Bye Bye Birdy, Annie, A Chorus Line, Hello Dolly, DreamGirls, Wicked, The Fantasticks, Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables, Mame, My Fair Lady, On The Town, Little Shop Of Horrors, Grease, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Chicago, Into The Woods, Sweet Charity, The Rocky Horror Show, Godspell, Carousel, Throughly Modern Millie, Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy, Man Of La Mancha, Kinky Boots, Beautiful:The Carole King Musical, In The Heights, and other musicals should've been on the list. 🚅🚅🚅🚅🚍🚍🚍🚖🚖🚖🚖🚓🚓🚓🚓🎟️🎟️🎟️🎭🎭🎭🗽
What should have been here, for better or worse, I think is the Producers. It ignited the state of current musical theater where the majority of large productions are based off an existing IP, whether or not it was that musical to begin with. There’s been some successes from that field of musicals, but it does seem to crowd out the market for more original and creative efforts on the biggest stages.
The Producers is unique for having a reverse success. It was a movie first for which Mel Brooks won the Oscar for best original screenplay. The stage version came decades later.
I still think "Hamilton" is overrated; found it hard to follow and the score monotonous. A Chorus Line had a much bigger impact and really brought to light the notion of the "triple threat" performer who could sing, dance, and act well.
Totally agree with you. Hamilton IS overrated and just the same throughout. I tried to watch it (not on broadway) several times but couldn’t because it always seemed like the same tune with just words spoken over the music-not sung. Thinking I jusI tuned out too soon, I listened to the whole soundtrack and that was agonizing. And from the clips I’ve seen, not many set changes either. Chorus Line was the triple threat of dance, sing and act. Each character had their own story and it revolutionized theater where you realized a chorus line person was a real person. P.S. Still like to have seen Jesus Christ Superstar on the list.
When you live through history, you don't know it is history. The history is happening now. Open your eyes and appreciate what is going on. You lived through the history of the internet and smartphones. What are you living through today?
Hamilton at #3? I know there wasn't much higher to go but I would have placed it higher. And what about American Idiot? I'm sort of surprised that didn't make the cut.
I would have put Hamilton at #1. Aside from the unique score, It made history for portraying real historical figures as people of a different race, and made it believable. I also think it's interesting that you neglected to mention that the part of Hair that caused the most controversy was the nano-second nude scene.😂
Interesting, I would have omitted Hamilton completely. Don't get me wrong, I like the show and I think it did pave the way for some changes in Broadway. However, I think we're too close to the debut of the show to know how lasting those changes are. As of 2024, we just don't know if it "changed Broadway FOREVER".
You were doing a better-than-usual job of acknowledging shortcomings and controversies until you got all the way through your discussion of _West Side Story_ without talking about either the brownface involved in original and first-movie casting, nor the problematic nature of three non-Latinos writing music and book for Latino characters. It was especially egregious in the original version of the song "America," in which they're just crapping on Puerto Rico right and left while building up mainland USA as the bee's knees. Growing up on the film version, I had no idea for years just how bad the original lyrics were. Understand: it's a beloved musical for me also, but in my adult years I've become a great deal more aware of what a mixed bag it is culturally.
I don't think EVITA should be on this list: what should be is CATS. There are a lot of people who will tell you that EVITA is Andrew Lloyd Webber's best show, certainly - but everything this video claims it did was done bigger and more lastingly by CATS. CATS is the first Mega Musical: A big, lavish show from Europe based around spectacle, with a score that's highly influenced by modern pop music, and which runs seemingly forever. Without CATS, there is no PHANTOM or LES MIS or MISS SAIGON; without CATS, the musical does not become "international" in tone and technique in the same way; and without CATS, I would argue, you probably wouldn't have Disney's shows like BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and THE LION KING, because CATS proved that there was a hugely lucrative *family* audience to be found on Broadway.
CATS (and I know this is blasphemy) isn't a spectacle....and outside of Memory isn't memorable (oh the irony). Phantom has more staying power and cultural appeal.
@@mrmarkleybio6272 You may be right about PHANTOM's bigger appeal - but CATS was the show that changed things, and a show doesn't have to be great in order to do that.
Oh, PLEASE don’t pick The Black Crook, the very first Broadway musical, that’d mean MsMojo would be doing their job properly for once. I could do a far better job than whoever made this list. BMus qualified person here, specialising in Music Theatre.😮
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What show do YOU think changed Broadway forever? Let us know below, and check out our video of the Top 10 Opening Songs from Musicals That Give Us Chills - ruclips.net/video/5yGsdvrtpjA/видео.html
Rest in Peace, Jonathan Larson. It's a shame that he died so tragically young, and he never got to see how successful "Rent" would become, and the legacy it would create. 🕊️😇💔
Andrew Garfield did a wonderful job of keeping his memory alive. I had no idea who he was until the movie came out.
To honor a legendary quote, “Thank you, Jonathan Larson!”
May he rest in peace amen 🙏
How is A CHORUS LINE not on this list?? It changed the dynamic between the singing ensemble and the dancing ensemble, challenging the actors to showcase being triple threats
THIS!!
Not really. If you are in the ensemble of a musical, it's known that you are a triple threat.
ACL just showcased the audition process
exactly! and south pacific (racial tensions)
@@Jae-pe2xh pre-A CHORUS LINE the ensemble very often were not triple threats. you can look at musical cast lists in the 40's/50's/60's and the ensemble is often broken up between "singers" and "dancers". A performer like Gwen Vernon or Chita Rivera was very much an exception. But beyond that-A CHORUS LINE was the first time a concept-type musical became a mainstream hit. There had never been a show where the cast simply stood in front of the audience and talked about themselves and their lives.
There are no fancy sets. there is a piece of white tape on the stage, a stool, and mirrors which are seen and also disappear at different times. but that is all we are given. each actor had their one casual outfit and then their finale costume. the entire show takes place in "real time" as it were. and there was no intermission in the production. this was radical really for a broadway show.
Also-so much of A CHORUS LINE exists in the dancers minds and we are brought into their interior thoughts and monologues in a very stylized and at times almost-surreal way. The action easily flows between reality onstage and then into the mind of whatever character we are focused upon.
Also A CHORUS LINE was the first show to be created through a workshop period instead of the traditional rehearsals. when A CHORUS LINE first began it was just an idea. and through the various workshops it found what it was and the script was written. and the songs were written, and the chroegraphy was created, etc. this was a totally new way to find and create a show. A CHORUS LINE was able to do this at the public theatre in New York, which was a not-for-profit theatre that had more flexibility around how they put a production together. today most shows start as workshops. but before A CHORUS LINE shows were written, cast, rehearsed and then they began trying out.
so A CHORUS LINE was radical in how it was put together. A CHORUS LINE was radical in how it worked for an audience. A CHORUS LINE was radical in terms of content. musicals had never before been concerned with the personal stories of regular, everyday people. it had an element of psychology, of personal confession, of a group therapy type thing. no musical before had existed in such a world. so I am amazed it is not on this list. all of these things were wildly new for broadway at the time.
@@user-kv2tj4du8pThe omission is especially glaring given that they put a miniclip of _ACL_ early on in the video to draw us in, implying it was going to feature heavily in the list. Talk about bait and switch!
West Side Story. It was originally supposed to be about Catholic and Jewish gangs before changing to Puerto Rican and white gangs as a result of the racial tension in New York at the time.
Heard that
The Jets were Italians, which were not considered "white" by the prevalent and in power White Anglo Saxon Protestants, a.k.a. WASPs.
@@babsbybend Polacks and Mics actually. So Polish and Irish. Plus A-Rab.
Also Jewish Catholic was considered as a repeat of abirs Irish rose
@@lindakahler4799 Except the different ending.
I agree with Cabaret but they didn't even mention the true reason--- Bob Fosse. Before Sweet Charity and Cabaret, the dance and movement inherent in musicals was *mostly* ballet or tap inspired. Fosse brought jazz and modern dance, and the inherent sexuality and sensuality in those styles to the musical culture, where they have stayed since. Cabaret wasn't important because it was a show within a show.... others had done that already. It was groundbreaking because *Fosse*. Because *jazz hands*. (Fosse move)
Fosse was not involved in the play only the movie version
Les Miserables should be in here. Not only did it give poor, unfed, and miserable people an anthem but it also gives outcasted people something to fight for, and a future to look forward to, it also gives wrongly convicted criminals a light at the end of the tunnel and that they can change, and that there is still hope for them. Les Miserables just shows us that we’re stronger together and united, fighting for a cause that we believe in, it even gave something that young college students where willing to give there lives for in a barricade.
It was performed in London's West End first, in it's English version. It was originally a French musical.
It also isn’t British, despite how it gets lumped with Phantom here.
I truly believe that bringing "Beauty and the Beast" to the Broadway stage, brought children and families back to the theater. Big time!
"Beauty and the Beast" is my favourite Disney film, and I love that the stage show retained the spirit that made the story so beloved, while changing some elements to make it more feasible for the stage. It's simply a timeless tale. 💗
I literally watched Oklahoma! last night for the first time. And now I’m obsessed.
Which version?
I don't know which version you watched (assuming it was the movie). I'd like to recommend the 1998 London revival with Hugh Jackman.
@@ser132 it was the 1955, but I’ll look for that 98!
@@hopedavis285 I love the 1955 version, as well.
It's good that you mentioned Oklahoma as your #1. BUT you didn't give it enough space - you didn't mention the Agnes DeMille dancing that was amazing/min blowing.
Agnes DeMille herself talks about her choreography for OKLAHOMA! at !2:52.
We need more awesome history musicals like Hamilton (and Six). Anyone know any?
"1776" is about the signing of the Declaration of Independence. "Miss Saigon" takes place during the end of the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon. "Parade" is about the true story of the lynching of a Jewish man in Atlanta. "The Civil War" is about the... American Civil War, taken from letters written by soldiers. "Come From Away" is about the planes grounded in Gander, Newfoundland after the 9-11 terrorist attacks. So many more- Ragtime, Bonnie & Clyde, The Scottsboro Boys, Assassins, Allegiance, Newsies...😁
Agreed! Only one I can think of at the moment is newsies, which was based on a paperboy strike around 1900 or so. I believe the characters were based on the real newspaper boys that led the strike
Assassins
Come From Away--"You are here at the start of a moment". I was in an audience that included a group with a big Newfoundland flag.
1776
It would be nice for non-musical stageplays to get a little recognition sometime. Musicals are wonderful, but not the only thing Broadway has to offer.
To me, it was Hamilton. Happy sunday afternoon, Emily, take care and God bless you. Greetings from Colombia to you as well
What's incredible to me is to study the origins of theater. My heart gets overwhelmed learning about where we started to where we are now. Without shows like Show Boat and Oklahoma, we would never have gotten Hamilton. And that's just crazy to think about especially because Alexander Hamilton was going to be removed from the $10 bill because no one knew who he was. But thanks to the popularity of Hamilton, he stays on the dollar bill. And to think it wasn't Lin's attempt to save the $10 founding father.
You choose "EVITA" instead of "MY FAIR LADY." Based on a social satire by George Bernard Shaw, "MY FAIR LADY" transformed Broadway musicals into polished, sophisticated, sparkling and literate entertainment-- and, by the way, it ran for 2,717 performances (1956-1962). Once again, you are seriously off the mark with your lists and need to do serious Broadway homework.
I wouldn't choose Evita as a game changer, but I wouldn't pick My Fair Lady either. Both are good. Neither changed anything in my opinion.
I was lucky enough to see "The Little Mermaid" on Broadway with the brilliant Sierra Boggess.
I got to see it in the Denver tryout. She was perfectly cast for sure
Phantom of the Opera is my favorite
It’s one of my favorites as well.
I agree
I love both the musical and the book. If you never read the book, you really should. There is so much in the book that isn't in the musical.
@@heatherduncan5101 I will ty.
The book of Mormon is my all time favorite Broadway show its so underrated in my opinion
I so hate this part "Before we continue..." ...
I feel like Chicago could have been on here somewhere.
Saw Evita 5 times with Patti LuPone..❤
Oklahoma (the movie with Gordon McCray and Shirley Jones) introduced me to musical theatre as a kid💝
I was thinking Oklahoma, but for a different reason. Prior to that, finale numbers were typically a reprise of a song from earlier in the show. Oklahoma was the first major musical to have a big show stopping new song as the finale song.
Right on point.
Hard to limit to 10...not even 20...so many great songs and great musicals
This list should change "shows" to "musicals"; no plays are mentioned. Hamilton is also notable for giving all of the actors a piece of the sales and a kind of residuals. Pajama Game-because Fosse, Phantom of the Opera, I would put instead of Evita because of the use of grand spectacle. A jukebox musical in here would have been good, too; love them or hate them, those and movie adaptations really changed musicals.
to your point - Jersey Boys (while not the first jukebox musical) is incredible.
Where are Chorus Line and Jesus Christ Superstar?
Chorus Line had unique acting, dancing and singing for each character and, at the time, no one thought of people in the chorus as people with their own message and story. It was a big deal especially when it came out.
Jesus Christ Superstar was just as revolutionary as Hair at the time. And it was very controversial.
Just take off Hamilton off the list. It’s only there because it’s one of the few newer musicals (and tried to do rap music). It got redundant after a while. Just seemed like everyone shouting and not singing. Nice idea but no variety to the tunes, costumes or set.
Seriously?!?!? Phantom of the Opera NOT being on this list is a HUGE crime. It lasted 35 years on broadway (world’s longest running broadway show), amazing music to listen over and over (title song and MOTN being the top two favorites), and the Chandelier. Best set piece to ever exist on the stage. Once the organ music starts, it transports us into the show and how the chandelier comes into play…
I love musicals! :)
Obviously, The Lion King is the go-to recommendation of a SHOW to see on broadway. You have kids and want them to experience live theater? The Lion King, hands down. It's an absolute juggernaut. But totally agree that Beauty and the Beast had to succeed first in order for it to be possible, and honestly, it's such a brilliant adaptation (especially when you consider how the adaptation could've gone by comparing it to one of the more clumsy and clunky attempts like Mermaid). Come on. "If I Can't Love Her"??? Not to mention that the popularity of "Human Again" in the Broadway version resulted in the number being added to subsequent editions of the animated movie, PLUS the fact that Hercules would absolutely not be the same without Susan Egan (the original Belle) as Meg.
Wicked should be on this list as well as Chicago
What, no "Fiddler on the Roof"?!?
Love it
Nope. Just nope.
I’ve seen Broadway shows. My favorite has to be the lion King on Broadway. It’s the longest running show in the world. I hope that it will never end. I can’t wait for the new boop musical to come to Broadway I hope to see one of my favorite celebrities on tour doing the musical Broadway shows are pretty fun and they’re very entertaining
No Cats?
Saw it three times
South Pacific, My Fair Lady so many excellent shows.
Kudos for Showboat, Oklahoma, WSS, and Company, all of them sea changers. Cabaret to a lesser degree and the returns are yet to come in for Hamilton. Though I must admit Jonathan Groff has rocked the world of this grumpy old 72 year-old. But...not Sweeney???
love some of these Broadway shows ❤
Please do top 10 best tom kenny voice roles
SpongeBob, Spyro and the Ice King
I think Les Mis should’ve been on this list. Also Spring Awakening and A Chorus Line
I would be replacing Rent and Hamilton with two other musicals.
which are?
"Kiss Me, Kate" popularized the show-within-a-show format.
love the fact Hamilton is #3
The Lion King all the way
Cats, The Lion King musical, Aida, Sunset Boulevard, South Pacific, Funny Girl, The Phantom Of The Opera, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Camelot, Once Upon A Mattress, Bye Bye Birdy, Annie, A Chorus Line, Hello Dolly, DreamGirls, Wicked, The Fantasticks, Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables, Mame, My Fair Lady, On The Town, Little Shop Of Horrors, Grease, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Chicago, Into The Woods, Sweet Charity, The Rocky Horror Show, Godspell, Carousel, Throughly Modern Millie, Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy, Man Of La Mancha, Kinky Boots, Beautiful:The Carole King Musical, In The Heights, and other musicals should've been on the list. 🚅🚅🚅🚅🚍🚍🚍🚖🚖🚖🚖🚓🚓🚓🚓🎟️🎟️🎟️🎭🎭🎭🗽
A Chorus Line????
What should have been here, for better or worse, I think is the Producers.
It ignited the state of current musical theater where the majority of large productions are based off an existing IP, whether or not it was that musical to begin with. There’s been some successes from that field of musicals, but it does seem to crowd out the market for more original and creative efforts on the biggest stages.
The Producers is unique for having a reverse success. It was a movie first for which Mel Brooks won the Oscar for best original screenplay.
The stage version came decades later.
I still think "Hamilton" is overrated; found it hard to follow and the score monotonous. A Chorus Line had a much bigger impact and really brought to light the notion of the "triple threat" performer who could sing, dance, and act well.
Totally agree with you. Hamilton IS overrated and just the same throughout. I tried to watch it (not on broadway) several times but couldn’t because it always seemed like the same tune with just words spoken over the music-not sung.
Thinking I jusI tuned out too soon, I listened to the whole soundtrack and that was agonizing. And from the clips I’ve seen, not many set changes either.
Chorus Line was the triple threat of dance, sing and act. Each character had their own story and it revolutionized theater where you realized a chorus line person was a real person.
P.S. Still like to have seen Jesus Christ Superstar on the list.
My parents said that when Hair was a new musical, that they thought the actor who played a cop could have been a real cop.
Please watch the Broadway: The American Musical mini series.
When you live through history, you don't know it is history. The history is happening now. Open your eyes and appreciate what is going on. You lived through the history of the internet and smartphones. What are you living through today?
Hamilton at #3?
I know there wasn't much higher to go but I would have placed it higher.
And what about American Idiot? I'm sort of surprised that didn't make the cut.
I have never heard of Company or a recent revival.
Your loss.
Oh gad that patti lupone just a dynamo
Hair. By far
Is Sally Bowels supposed to be a good singer?
I would have put Hamilton at #1. Aside from the unique score, It made history for portraying real historical figures as people of a different race, and made it believable. I also think it's interesting that you neglected to mention that the part of Hair that caused the most controversy was the nano-second nude scene.😂
Interesting, I would have omitted Hamilton completely. Don't get me wrong, I like the show and I think it did pave the way for some changes in Broadway. However, I think we're too close to the debut of the show to know how lasting those changes are. As of 2024, we just don't know if it "changed Broadway FOREVER".
Where was Les Miserables?
An honorable mention should have been Jimmy Buffet’s Escape to Margaritaville. I was in it and I had fun doing it.
You were doing a better-than-usual job of acknowledging shortcomings and controversies until you got all the way through your discussion of _West Side Story_ without talking about either the brownface involved in original and first-movie casting, nor the problematic nature of three non-Latinos writing music and book for Latino characters. It was especially egregious in the original version of the song "America," in which they're just crapping on Puerto Rico right and left while building up mainland USA as the bee's knees. Growing up on the film version, I had no idea for years just how bad the original lyrics were. Understand: it's a beloved musical for me also, but in my adult years I've become a great deal more aware of what a mixed bag it is culturally.
La Cage????????
I don't think EVITA should be on this list: what should be is CATS.
There are a lot of people who will tell you that EVITA is Andrew Lloyd Webber's best show, certainly - but everything this video claims it did was done bigger and more lastingly by CATS. CATS is the first Mega Musical: A big, lavish show from Europe based around spectacle, with a score that's highly influenced by modern pop music, and which runs seemingly forever. Without CATS, there is no PHANTOM or LES MIS or MISS SAIGON; without CATS, the musical does not become "international" in tone and technique in the same way; and without CATS, I would argue, you probably wouldn't have Disney's shows like BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and THE LION KING, because CATS proved that there was a hugely lucrative *family* audience to be found on Broadway.
CATS (and I know this is blasphemy) isn't a spectacle....and outside of Memory isn't memorable (oh the irony). Phantom has more staying power and cultural appeal.
@@mrmarkleybio6272 You may be right about PHANTOM's bigger appeal - but CATS was the show that changed things, and a show doesn't have to be great in order to do that.
Oh, PLEASE don’t pick The Black Crook, the very first Broadway musical, that’d mean MsMojo would be doing their job properly for once. I could do a far better job than whoever made this list. BMus qualified person here, specialising in Music Theatre.😮
Where's Wicked?? If I am reincarnated, I would absolutely LOVE to play Elphaba!
Theater is dead!
No - that's actually the name of a theater production in Germany..
"An Enemy of the People" (1883)
Dear Evan Hansen???