LoC 70: Top 50 Musicals!

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Number 38 : Phantom of the Opera
(28 points on 3 of 12 lists. Top Vote #10 by Monty)

Synopsis:
A French opera house has been plagued by a series of misfortunes, which the performers blame on a mysterious phantom. One of the star performers, Carlotta,  quits in response to the accidents and the owners of the house reluctantly cast a chorus girl, Christine,  to replace the star. To everyone's surprise, she excels. Christine credits her success to an Angel of Music who has taught her to sing. But the Angel is secretly the Phantom, who guides her to his domain under the opera house.

Back at the opera house, Carlotta demands to be reinstated in the lead role, but the Phantom warns them via note of dire consequences should Christine lose the role. They ignore the request and the Phantom strikes, destroying Carlotta's voice and absconding with Christine, who is rescued by her old friend, Raoul, who declares his love for her. The Phantom hears this and flees, heartbroken.

Months later, the Phantom returns, having written a play, which he demands be produced immediately and to star Christine. To everyone's shock, it's a musical version of Twilight. Raoul plans to use the play as a trap to catch the Phantom. Christine visits the grave of her father, but the Phantom sets fire to the graveyard. Since apparently those can burn. Er, yeah.  The play is performed, and to Christine's shock , her  co-star has been murdered and replaced by the Phantom. He seizes her and flees to his hideout. Raoul pursues her, but is captured by the Phantom who tells Christine that he will slay Raoul unless she agrees to stay with him forever. She shows the Phantom kindness and he sets them both free. They leave as the mob searching for the Phantom arrives. But the Phantom has disappeared, leaving behind only his mask. But he later returns to battle Kiss while trying to take over a California amusement park....


Memorable Songs:
As one of the most performed musicals of all time, one or two of the songs might be familiar to most folks.  The title song, Phantom of the Opera, "All I Ask of You", "Think of Me" and one or two more  might be familiar to folks.

Awards:
Tonys, Olivier awards and a gazillion more.

Trivia Notes:
An estimated 130,000,000 people have seen Phantom performed. And it's been performed in 27 countries and in 145 cities. It is currently the highest grossing musical of all time, with receipts of $5.6 billion, although it is expected to be surpassed soon by Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.

Roger Waters believes that part of Phantom's title song was plagarized from his song, Echoes, but has never pursued legal action believing that "Life's too short to bother with suing Andrew Lloyd fucking Webber."

An actual sequel to Phantom, called "Love Never Dies" was released and performed in 2010, but has received rather mixed reviews. The most recent performances in Copenhagen closed last month.

Coming Soon:
Okay, do I pick the video with good sound but that's not in synch with the audio, the one that's in synch, but filmed via someone's cell or an AMV of this, which has nothing to do with the musical? Hmmm.....

Well, I pick a different song, which still has a lousy video.

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Number 37 : Avenue Q
(29 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #10 by Cole Stratton)

Synopsis:
A recent college graduate, Princeton,  moves to New York City to find himself and finds a cheap apartment on Avenue Q. Among the residents there are Kate, a kindergarten TA, Rod, a banker, Nicky, his roommate, Brian and Christmas, a couple, Trekkie Monster, a introvert who spends all day surfing the web and building superintendent Still Alive Gary Coleman.

Princeton receives some money from his parents, and blows it all on beer. Kate gets an offer to teach at her school. Tom, the gay, anarchist professor, gets mugged outside the building. Princeton gives her a mix tape, which she interprets as a come on. They head out on a date, get smashed, and then return back to the apartments to have some very loud decibel intercourse. Kate misses her teaching opportunity and quits. Christmas and Brian get married, and at the wedding Kate catches the bouquet, but Princeton gives her a "I want to be friends" speech and they break up. Oh, and Nicky suspects Rod is gay and gets tossed out of their apartment.

Princeton, after weeks of being holed up in his apartment, emerges and is seduced by Lucy, a dancer at Brian's club. Kate tries to reunite with Princeton, but her message is intercepted by Lucy who destroys it. She's later knocked unconscious after Kate throws a penny off the Empire State Building, which Morrisettily hits her. After a moment of charity, Princeton decides to dedicate his life to other and raises money to open Kate's dream of a Montessori school for furry types. Brian and Christmas move out, and  a new tenant moves in , prompting Princeton to realize that his life goal is to teach everything that he's learned via a Broadway musical! That doesn't end well. Everything, both good and bad, is temporary.

Memorable Songs:
Well, "Schadenfreude", a song celebrating the feeling of finding joy in the misfortune of others, comes to mind. And "The Internet is for Porn" is rather popular among web folks, for some reason.

Awards:
Several tony and Theater world awards.

Trivia Notes:
Just like Into the Woods, there is a version of the play, Avenue Q: School Edition, that is geared towards productions done by high schools. Several songs are deleted and a couple of characters are renamed.

In 2005, the cast presented Avenue Jew, which continued the story of Tevye and his daughters, who after moving to America, have moved to the street. Yes, it's a crossover musical.

Coming Soon:
Ducks!

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Number 36 : Xanadu
(29 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #7 by Routing Protocols)

Synopsis:
In 1980, the chalk "artist" creates a mural of the Greek Muses, but feels dissatisfied and decided to kill himself. But the Muses hear his pleas and the youngest, Clio, convinces the others to travel to Venice Beach to inspire him.  Clio, calling herself "Kira" and speaking in an Australian accent to disguise herself, inspires Sonny to create the height of art: A roller disco. But Clio's jealous older sisters curse Clio to fall in love with Sonny, which isn't allowed by Zeus.

Sonny finds the perfect location for his roller disco, a long abandoned theater called "Xanadu" which is owned by an elderly musician turned real estate mogul named Danny. Upon seeing Kira, Danny is reminded of a long ago encounter with his own muse, who looked suspiciously like Kira, and agrees to donate the building to Sonny.  But Sonny has to open the disco in one day. With the muses' help, he does so, but Kira, who is falling for Sonny, leaves him. In the meantime, Clio's sisters offer dumptrucks full of cash to Danny to turn the theater into condos and he agrees to do so. Kira  returns to Mount Olympus. Danny and Sonny discuss the matter and after being told by Danny to never let go of his muse, Sonny climbs Mount Olympus to find Kira. They confront Zeus, who is impressed by Sonny's spunk and he returns to pair to LA to find the true Xanadu, " True love and the ability to create and share art."

Memorable Songs:
"Magic" which was the third most popular song of 1980. "Evil Woman", which was a cover of an ELO song. "Have You Ever Been Mellow" which is a bit of a cheat as it was a number one song in 1975 so is a bit memorable.


Awards:

Trivia Notes:
The synopsis above is for the musical based on, well, the film, which was also a musical. (I would have used the Olivia Newton John clips, but they make no reference to the film. It's almost as if the film had bombed but the soundtrack didn't or something. Hmmm.) The main differences between the two are that Kira is a different muse, Terpischore, the muse of dancing and chorus. (Clio is the muse of history.)  The muses aren't jealous of their sister. Sonny doesn't reunite with Kira, but does meet her doppleganger and Gene Kelly isn't embarrassing himself in the musical version.

Kenny Ortega was one of the choreographers of the film. Rifftrax fans will note that he also was the choreographer for High School Musical.

The release of Xandu and its contemporary Can't Stop the Music was the impetus for the creation of the Golden Raspberry awards. It won that year for Worst Director.

Coming Soon:
Food. I need it.

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Whoops. Transposed #36 and #35. Most folks won't notice, but the folks reading this right now will be confused.

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Number 35 : Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
(29 points on 4 of 12 lists. Top Vote #8 by Cole Stratton)

Synopsis:
A barber (Todd) returns to London after having been exiled to Australia by a corrupt judge in order to seduce Todd's wife. She commits suicide soon after and the judge raises Todd's daughter as his ward. But a local pie shop owner remembers Todd and offers him a room over her shop so that he can resume his barbering. In the meantime, a sailor who saved Todd from drowning (Anthony) comes across Johanna, Todd's daughter, and falls in love with her. But he is violently shooed away from her by the Judge and his crony.

In the meantime, Todd challenges Adolfo, a renown Italian barber to a shave off, which Todd easily wins. He invites Adolfo to visit him for a complimentary shave. As Todd waits for Adolfo to arrive, Anthony appears, announces his love for Johanna and asks Todd for his permission to use the shop as a safe haven for Johanna. Adolfo arrives, and announces that he is a former assistant of Todd from before the exile and will spill the beans on Todd's true identity unless he is well paid. Plus he's one of them filthy Irish, not Italian. Todd then strangles and kills Adolfo.

In the meantime, the Judge announces that he wants to marry his ward, Johanna, and she and Anthony plan to elope to avoid the Judge. The Judge arrives at Todd's shop to make himself prettier for Johanna, but before Todd can give him a shave Anthony arrives and inadvertently reveals his plans to the Judge, who storms out. Todd then throws Anthony out and vows vengeance on humanity. He will punish the rich and corrupt and ease the suffering of the poor. By killing them. Oh, and the pie shop owner decides to dispose of the bodies by making them into pies.

The pie shop soon thrives, although a homeless woman seems to know its secret. In the meantime, the Judge commits Johann to an asylum and Anthony returns to Todd with a plan to rescue her. He instead alerts the Judge in an attempt to lure the Judge to his shop. Anthony frees Johanna and heads to Todd's shop to hide. The beggar woman enters the shop and is slain by the pie shop owner moments before the Judge arrives at the shop, gets a shave and Todd reveals his true identity to him before he dispatches him. But Johanna has heard it all and flees. Todd heads downstairs and sees the beggar woman, whom he recognizes as his wife, who did take poison but did not die. Todd kills the pie shop owner and cradles his wife in his arm before being killed by a character that I haven't mentioned before in this synopsis.  But he's been there too. And then the cast appears to warn that the capability for revenge is in all of us.

Memorable Songs:


Awards:
Tony for best musical. Multiple Olivier awards and others.

Trivia Notes:
Yes, there's a high school version of this play as well. Because, yeah, this is a great one for high schoolers to perform. They can have a double bill with the Heather musical.

One may make the argument that Little Shop of Horrors is just Sweeny Todd with the serial numbers filed off.

The legend of Sweeny Todd dates back to the 1840s, but no actual criminal can be found who committed these crimes.

Coming Soon:
I can just post the entire thing!

[Tripe]

The Mikado was performed by the D'Oyly Carte Opera company from 1885 to 1982.

My aunt was with the company in the last four years of its existence.

I had the Mikado down too though I love most of the other Savoy Operas it seemed the best representation for inclusion on the list.

Here's Saruman singing my favourite tune from the show:

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Number 35 : What's Opera Doc?[/b]
(31 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #8 by Johnny Unusual)

Synopsis:
The Viking Siegfried, played by Elmer Fudd, descends from Valhalla to hunt a rascally rabbit. (Bugs Bunny) .

Oh, just watch the damn thing.  It's six minutes long.

Memorable Songs:
Well, most of the songs are mere seconds long, but come from Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, Tannhauser, The Flying Dutchman and The Ring Saga. But if you sing "Kill Da Wabbit. Kill da wabbit" well, most people in the English speaking world probably know the tune.

Awards:
In 1992, this became the first cartoon short to be selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

In 1994, "What's Opera, Doc?" was voted to be the best cartoon of all time by 1,000 animators.

Trivia Notes:
This is one of three cartoons where Elmer defeats Bugs Bunny, and is the only one where he shows remorse for having done so.

Coming Soon:
So tempted to post the SCTV version here...



(One year later...) Seriously?  WB took it down? Fine. Here's it at archive.org: https://archive.org/details/WhatsOperaDoc


Jerks.

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Yeah, Sir Lee will be showing up again as a matter of fact. Very soon, actually.

[Tripe]

In 1994, "What's Opera, Doc?" was voted to be the best cartoon of all time by 1,000 animators.

It's also popular amongst those who perform in Opera; heard it referenced a bunch of times in the production of Aida I just finished for example.

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Number 33 : Evita
(31 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #5 by Cole Stratton)

Synopsis:
A young Eva Ibarguren, dreaming of acting glory and success, arrives in Buenos Aires and then sleeps her way up the social ladder until she meets young ambitious colonel Juan Peron. After Peron organizes a relief effort for an earthquake stricken San Juan, he meets Eva and has a secret rendezvous with her and with her help, begins his rise to the Argentinean Presidency.  As he become President, Eva realizes that her true calling is to be the spiritual  leader of her nation. She tries to woo foreign nations, but fails. As she begins to suffer from cancer, Peron's generals demand that she be forced from the political scene, but Peron refuses as it was she who helped get them into power and he truly loves her. She leaves the political scene as her health fails as she regrets her pursuit of fame rather than family as she passes into immortality.

Oh, and Che Guevera is the narrator.

Memorable Songs:
"Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" is the standout song in the musical.

Awards:
Drama desk, Tony and Olivier awards.

Trivia Notes:
In 1973, Juan Peron, who had been exiled from Argentina in 1955, returned to Argentina and became President again. Upon doing so, he exhumed Eva's body and displayed her embalmed corpse in his dining room. Later governments reburied her in a rather elaborate crypt. Almost as if they feared that she might come crawling out of it... Eva Peron, zombie?

Glee used "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" in an episode where they are preparing for Sectionals. Which doesn't narrow it down, does it, as they're always preparing for those damn things.

An operatic version of Evita was once recorded with Christopher Lee playing Juan Peron. Alas, it has never been commercially released.

And that commercial? It ran for months in 1980. I saw the damn thing in the Texas panhandle, where few people were ever likely to head to NYC to see it. They saw it in Canada too.

Coming Soon:
A picture that will haunt your very soul....

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Number 32 : Hairspray
(32 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #6 by Mrs. Dick Courier)

Synopsis:
In the 1960s, a plump Baltimore teenager (Tracy) dreams of dancing and fame. And everyday she rushes home to catch the local teenage dance show, The Corny Collins Show. After one of the dancers has to leave the show due to being pregnant, Tracy begs her mother to audition for the show, but her mom refuses the request as she fears that Tracy will be laughed at due to her weight. She auditions anyways, but is turned down due to her weight. Another dancer is then rejected due to her race.

Back at school, Tracy is sent to detention due to her beehive hairdo being above the maximum height allowed by the school. There she meets Seaweed, a black student who teaches her some dance moves. She then uses those moves to impress Corny, who then gives her a part of the show. Tracy then becomes the spokesgirl for a plus sized dress shop in the area. Skipping ahead, Tracy, along with Seaweed, his mother, head dancer Penny and Tracy's parents lead a rally at the local radio station to protest the lack of black artists on the radio. The police arrive and arrest them all. Most are freed, but Tracy is stuck in jail due to machinations from Corny's racist producer. After hunky Link Larkin rescues Tracy from prison, the teens concoct a plan to integrate the Corny Collins Show. They do so and they all have a happy ending. Except for Velma, who becomes the vice president of a beauty company or people of color. (Or fired in the movie version.)

Memorable Songs:
"Mamma, I'm a Big Girl Now", which was a well appreciated song from the play yet got dropped from the movie version.

Awards:
Several Tonys and Drama Desk awards.

Trivia Notes:
Edna, who in the non-musical version of Hairspray was portrayed by Divine, is traditionally played by a man in drag. These beauties have included Harvey Fierstein, George Wendt, Michael McKean, Bruce Vilanch and, in the movie. John Travolta. Look upon him and despair.



(shudder)

I'll spare you the shot of him and Walken cuddling.

In the movie version, the role of "Motormouth Maybelle" went to Queen Latifah, who had recently been in "Chicago." She beat out Aretha Franklin for the part. I'm pretty sure that was the wrong call there.

Coming Soon:
Yeah, they've been avoided so far, but you didn't think we'd have a list without something from them, did you?

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Number 31 : Beauty and the Beast
(33 points on 3 of 12 lists. Top Vote #10 by C Jones)

Synopsis:
A selfish prince is cursed to become a hideous beast. In order to lift the curse, he must love and be loved in return before all the petals on an enchanted rose fall off on his 21st birthday.

Years later, a bookwormish girl, Belle, is pursued by a boorish hunter, but she is uninterested in him. But her father becomes lost in the forest and stumbles upon the Beast's castle. Belle, having been lead back to the castle by her father's horse, offers to take her father's place. Time passes and Belle tries to flee the castle, but is attacked by shirtless wolves who impress upon young babies and is saved by the Beast. she nurses his wounds and he begins to fall for her.  But she misses her father, and discovers that he is lost in the forest looking for her, so the Beast allows her to leave, giving her his magic mirror to remember him by.

Gaston arrives, intending to commit Belle's father, but she intervenes, proving that the Beast does in fact exist. Gaston leads a mob to the Beast's castle to slay the creature. They fight, but the beast prevails, only to be stabbed in the back by Gaston after showing him mercy. As he dies, Belle professes her love for him and as the last petal falls, the spell is broken and the curse is lifted from the Beast and all the castle's inhabitants. And they all lived happily ever after. At least until she was kidnapped in Kingdom Hearts.

Memorable Songs:
Aside from the title song, "Be Our Guest" is the other standout song from the film.

Awards:
Oscar for best Original song and score. Several Golden Globes and Grammys too.  AFI's 7th best animated film

Trivia Notes:
The film spawned two sequels, set during the movie, and a live action series "Sing Me a Story with Belle." It also spawned a stage musical, which is Broadway's 8th longest running show in history. Number 7? It's Oh! Calcutta! Yes, I ignored the setup for another Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel joke.

The film was added to the National Film Registry in 2002.

Donny Osmond played the role of Gaston during some Broadway performances, which is oddly appropriate.

Coming Soon:
#30-21! Puppet shows! England! Indiana! Kittens! Folks who can't sing! And a visit to Utah! All this and more tomorrow!

[Johnny Unusual]

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Number 40 : The Mikado
(26 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #8 by C Jones)
The Mikado is one of the G&S musicals performed by the FBI Light Opera Society in the Simpsons episode Cape Feare.

Never listened to it all, but Simpsons and Animaniacs helped familiarize me with three little maids.  Though, in Japanese, Yum-Yum would be pronounced You-m You-m (as in, the word you)

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Number 39 : Hedwig and the Angry Inch
(27 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #3 by Cole Stratton)

I've never seen it, but I love the song Midnight Radio.  Usually in musicals it's the bouncier songs I love more, but Midnight Radio is THE rock anthem. Or Rock Thesis statement.  Or whatever.

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Number 38 : Phantom of the Opera
(28 points on 3 of 12 lists. Top Vote #10 by Monty)

I love the story, but I don't care for the musical.  This could be the only time I watched it was the Joel Schumacher version (much like the new Beauty and the Beast, the scar isn't exactly hideous), but the music sort of just keeps going and there's lots of talk-singing that sound like boring exposition but with a vein attempt to turn it into song.  It just sounded awkward.

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Roger Ebert included this, One Froggy Evening and Duck Amuck among his "Great movies".

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-chuck-jones-three-cartoons

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Number 32 : Hairspray
(32 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #6 by Mrs. Dick Courier)

Never saw the musical, but I love the original, which is pretty musical in it's own way.  Travolta is no Divine.

[MightyJack]

I'm not surprised to see Chicago on this list, given it's popularity, but I absolutely LOATHE that film! One of the only movies I've ever turned off in my life. Everything I hate about film noir (well, film noir usually doesn't have songs). Everyone is unlikeable at best, and actively selfish and hateable at worst. Particularly the main character that we are supposed to be following and care about. The only likeable character is the husband, and he is shown as a weakling for being a decent guy. It was right around the time they trotted out Queen Latifah's ugly fat ass in a corset and had her sing all supposedly sexy that I checked out.

Don't hold back, tell us what you really feel. 

So you only watch movies filled with people you like?

Myself I like the gray... and the unlikeable. It's more true to life and makes literature, film etc,  colorful. I love Noir for its exploration of mans darker sides. I like classic Russian lit because it takes in the full breadth of humanity, warts and all. It would be pretty sad for example, to deny myself Crimes and Punishment just because Raskolnikov is a dick.

[CJones]

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Number 40 : The Mikado
(26 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #8 by C Jones)


Memorable Songs:
It's Gilbert and Sullivan. They're all memorable songs.

This would be my pick for most memorable song from The Mikado:

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I've got one more G&S operetta on my list, ranked even higher.

Also, I just realized, I made a pretty egregious omission on my list. If that musical doesn't make it because I forgot to include it, there will be profanity.