Now with our “Wild Cards” settled, it’s time for the main event! We’re starting with the Nederlander Conference Group A today!
For now, these entries will be long but should get shorter once I cycle through all the shows involved. I will evaluate each show and then declare who I feel is the winner based mostly on my opinion.
Let’s begin this round!
Memphis v. Rent
Memphis: This is more a good match to go up against Rent. It tells the story of a white man in the Jim Crow south who falls in love with a black woman with a voice just as beautiful as she is. He works to help build her career but has his own issues, including not being ready for all the hate the world throws at them. If you’re looking for a musical with a happy ending, this really isn’t it. If you want a musical that will make you think and feel something, this is it. It also has some great music – I especially recommend listening to “Say a Prayer.” But I’m not sure it had the same staying power as Rent.
Rent: I covered this in the Wild Card round. But as I noted above, I feel Rent has had more staying power than Memphis. While Memphis probably has timely message for our times, there is still something about the message of Rent that still attracts new fans every year.
Winner: This is a bit more difficult but I think I still have to give it to Rent, just for the fact that it’s stayed in collective memories as well as my own a lot longer.
Jersey Boys v. White Christmas
Jersey Boys: I had heard of the Four Seasons before heading into the show and of course I would recognize Frankie Valli’s voice from Grease. But it was interesting to hear the story of how the band came to be and how the eventually broke up, all set to their own songbook. Each member took a turn narrating and I think it provided as balanced a story as possible. And the music was amazing – it was like going to a concert. I had a good time seeing it though when I did get a chance to see it again, I passed – I wasn’t really interested in a repeat performance.
White Christmas: I took my sister to see this because she loves the movie. We both enjoyed this adaptation, bringing the music of Irving Berlin to the stage as we enjoyed a lovely Christmas show. I only have some dim memories of it, though I remember I saw David Ogden Stiers in it. And I remember it actually snowed when we saw it, so we got a little snow ourselves.
Winner: This one was also hard because I was torn between the two. Ultimately, though, I have to give it to Jersey Boys.
Little Shop of Horrors v. Hairspray
Little Shop of Horrors: I saw this with my parish’s teen group back in 2003. Though once again, I was disappointed that I did not get a chance to see Kerry Butler as Audrey (though Jessica Snow did an amazing job as Audrey). Hunter Foster was perfectly cast as Seymour and I enjoyed the puppetry of the Audrey II. It was all a lot of fun and I still enjoy the music to this day. And in a bonus point, we got to go on a backstage tour after the show. How cool is that?
Hairspray: The movie was a lot of fun and the musical was just the same, though with its moments of levity. It has a lot of toe-tapping musical numbers and high-energy choreography. Everyone has a lot of fun rooting for Tracy Turnblad to dance on TV, integrate the Corny Collins show and get her man, Link Larkin. And if you’re not humming when you leave the theater, you may have to check your pulse.
Winner: I went back and forth between these two options but in the end, you can’t stop the beat so the winner is Hairspray!
Wicked v. Pippin
Wicked: While I did see this after the 2004 Tony Awards, both Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth were out. So was Joel Grey. But I did get to see Eden Espinosa and Laura Bell Bundy, who were both very good in the role (Espinosa was especially great as Elphaba) so I’m not too sad I didn’t get to see the original leads. And I got to see Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero so that was a plus. Wicked is still around and on track for a 20th anniversary celebration in 2023 once Broadway resumes. I have a feeling it will continue on and continue inspiring a new generation of girls who will identify with Elphaba or Glinda and cherish their friendship.
Pippin: This is an interesting musical. Stephen Schwartz’s music and lyrics are amazing. But the story is…well…I’m not entirely sure I can accurately describe the plot. It’s only one step above Cats in that it at least has a plot. So while I got to see some amazing people in this – Andrea Martin, Patina Miller, Charlotte d’Amboise, Rachel Bay Jones, Christopher Sieber – I’m not sure this is a musical I could recommend to others.
Winner: In this battle of Stephen Schwartz musicals, I think one definitely has the edge and so I have to declare the winner Wicked.
There we have it! Rent, Jersey Boys, Hairspray and Wicked are moving on to Round 2 and we have to say goodbye to Memphis, White Christmas, Little Shop of Horrors and Pippin.
So do you agree with my decisions? Disagree? Let me know in the comments below!
Next time: Group A from the Shubert Conference gets a chance to shine!
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