LoC 70: Top 50 Musicals!

[Compound]

It's time to hit the music. It's time to light the lights. It's time to get things started, well, right here.

We asked the forum participants to rank their 25 most favorite musicals, and their responses were ranked, numbered and tabulated to give us a list of folks' most appreciated musicals.

Now normally we deduct points for lists shorter than 25 entries, but it's my list so I ignored that. Nyah.

Anyway, here we go for a list filled with music! Dancing! And, sigh. Ponies. Lots and lots of ponies. No. Not a musical version of Equus. You'll see.

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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/43aLbo-Y_W0?version=3&amp;" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/43aLbo-Y_W0?version=3&amp;</a>

Number 49: Across the Universe

(23 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #10 by George Harrison)

Synopsis:
In the turbulent 60s, a worker (Jude) from Liverpool heads to the United States to find his long-lost father, who works at Princeton as a janitor.

No, it's not Matt Damon.

While there, Jude befriends a student (Max) and meets Max's sister, Lucy, whom he immediately falls for.  Max and Jude drop out and head to New York to become part of the Bohemian community. Lucy soon follows and the trio become embroiled in most events that occur in the late 60s, with the possible exception of the moon landing. The lovers are torn apart by events, but manage to come together, right now, at the end of the film. Oh, and an ersatz Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix are in there too.

Memorable Songs:
Oh, just pick a random Beatles song. It's probably in there. The Janis Joplin-esque cover of "Helter Skelter" is probably the highlight, although "Happiness is a Warm Gun" and "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite" are memorable as well for their visuals, although not particularly for the singing.

Awards:
Across the Universe appeared in several list of the best films of 2007. 1 Oscar and Golden Globe nomination.

Trivia Notes:
Most of the character names in the film are names used in Beatles lyrics or are related to the Beatles in some way.

Oh, how I wanted to use Bono butchering "I Am the Walrus" in the video, but I resisted.


Coming Soon:
Okay, the only other time I've seen this plot was in Orgasmo.

[Zombie Monty]

I liked Across The Universe but didn't have it on my list.  From what I remember "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was the highlight for me.

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[Johnny Unusual]

I haven't seen it, but I have mixed feelings about Taymor.  I loved Titus and Frida, but Turn Off the Dark and The Tempest look completely unappealing to me.

[Tripe]

I really don't like Jukebox musicals. Pop songs have a meaning of their own, they don't need to be shoehorned into a narrative to work.

[Johnny Unusual]

I think they can work, but they really need a deft touch.  Personally, I like recontextualizing songs, but I usually find that works best as single scenes and usually playing over a scene rather than being sung.

[Tripe]

I think they can work, but they really need a deft touch. 

I've yet to see anyone have that is my point.

Mostly they simply seem lazy.

[Zombie Monty]

I really don't like Jukebox musicals. Pop songs have a meaning of their own, they don't need to be shoehorned into a narrative to work.

I agree with this mostly, but loved a certain ABBA musical that shoe-horned in as many songs as possible.

[Johnny Unusual]

I really don't like Jukebox musicals. Pop songs have a meaning of their own, they don't need to be shoehorned into a narrative to work.

I agree with this mostly, but loved a certain ABBA musical that shoe-horned in as many songs as possible.

That Sid & Nancy musical was weird.

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Number 48 : Swing Time
(24 points on 1 of 12 lists. Top Vote #2 by George Harrison)

Synopsis:
A gambler, "Lucky", set to marry his fiance is told by her father that he won't allow the marriage unless Lucky can demonstrate his good intentions by raising $25,000, which is a rather sizeable sum in 1936. Having lost his last dime on a bet regarding his marriage, Lucky heads to New York City to make a fortune and meets Dance instructor Penny. After a rocky start, Lucky and Penny become a performing duo, but Lucky realizes that he's begun to fall for Penny and feels guilty due to his engagement. Eventually, the engagement is called off and Lucky and Penny dance off into the sunset.

Memorable Songs:
"The Way You Look tonight" is probably the best known song in the film, but "A Fine Romance" and "Never Going to Dance"  are considered by many to be some of the finest dance routines ever committed to film.

Awards:
One Oscar for Best Original Song. One of EW's Top 100 films of the 20th Century. #90 in AFI's top 100 films. Entered into the National Film registry in 2004.

Trivia Notes:
Penny and Lucky were played by Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire  respectively.

Prior to Swing Time, most dance routines on film were performed in the same manner as they would have been on a stage. But the film added horizontal and vertical depth to the staging of the dance routines, as well as adding special effects in the form of trick photography in one sequence.

In one scene, Astaire attempts to steal a tuxedo overcoat so that he's have appropriate attire for an upcoming audition. Astaire would wear the exact same piece of clothing in the opening scene in "Holiday Inn."

Coming Soon:
South of the border! Down further than Mexico way!

[Compound]

I really don't like Jukebox musicals. Pop songs have a meaning of their own, they don't need to be shoehorned into a narrative to work.

Having just started on the entry for #41, all I can say is "Uh oh."

And when I say "Uh oh" I mean "Wait. My records show that Tripe voted for that. Which he didn't." There will be a slight delay while I figure out what happened.

[Johnny Unusual]

Never seen either movie so far, but Swing Time sounds like fun.

Just to remind people: know is the time you might want to submit your suggestion for the next list.

[Compound]

Okay, you're all about to experience a slight case of Deja vu. Let's start off instead with something "Gimmicky! Forgettable! Off putting! Certified Rotten on the Tomato meter! And bad, except for Nipsey Russell!"

[Johnny Unusual]

Ah, match game!

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Number 50 : The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"
(23 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #14 by Routing Protocols)

Synopsis:
A young school teacher, Dorothy, is nervous as she prepares to leave her family for her first teaching job.  As her family sits down for Thanksgiving dinner, her dog Toto runs outside into a raging snowstorm. Dorothy follows, and materializes in the Kingdom of Oz, accidentally killing the Wicked Witch of the East, who had been babbling about gravity for some reason.  The Good Witch of the North informs Dorothy that in order to return home, she must find "The Wiz" who lives in the Emerald City. So Dorothy sets off and encounters an intellectual scarecrow being tormented by crows, a turn of the century mechanical man, a lion hiding in a statue, and Phineas and Ferb who are building a frozen dairy treat sidewalk through an ice cream canyon. After avoiding a crazy homeless puppeteer and Poppy drug dealers, the crew arrive in the Emerald city and are informed that they must kill the Wicked Witch of the West in order to be sent home. Before they can do so, Dorothy is seized by a gang of motorcycle riding flying monkeys and taken to the Wicked Witch's sweatshop, where the fire alarm triggers the sprinklers, extinguishing the Witch and sparking a dance number. The Wizard is revealed to be a failed Atlantic City politican, and Lena Horne, who is much too good for this, reveals that the power to return home was in Dorothy the whole time. And boom. She's back in Harlem.

Memorable Songs:
"Ease on Down the Road", chronicling Dorothy's travels down the yellow road, is probably the stand out song here, although "Believe in Yourself"  is quite strong as well, as is "You Can't Win, You Can't Even Break Even" in the movie version, being saved by Michael Jackson being himself at a high point in his career. "Brand New Day" is also memorable, although these days it's best remembered for a Family Guy cutaway which is in reverse because, well, it's the internet.

Awards:
The play won several Tonys and multiple Drama desk awards. The movie?  Er, hey look! A demonic duck! (Exits pursued by a bear)

Trivia Notes:
The stage version of "The Wiz" hews much closer to the plot of the Frank Baum story. Kansas, tornadoes, etc. But I'm not going to summarize that one. Yet.

The Emerald City set was the courtyard of the World Trade Center. I oh so much want to make a joke here, but it's still too soon.

As Mike and Co note, the screenplay for The Wiz was written by Joel Schumaker, of Batman and Robin fame.

Coming Soon:
Somehow Eddie Izzard sings better than Bono here...