(I realized that I had forgotten to include two musicals I had seen and intended to include. I only realized it when I was wondering why I hadn’t seen Legally Blonde appear in the bracket yet. I went back to my list and realized that it and Lennon did not appear anywhere. Lennon probably wouldn’t have survived any bracket but Legally Blonde stood a good chance of progressing far and I’m sorry I forgot it).
So I’ve eliminated twelve musicals so far and I now face the Sweet 16! It’s time to whittle them down more until I have my Elite Eight. Who will survive Round 2?
I’ve already discussed each musical individually so going forward, my comments will focus more on the match up.
Let’s start with the Nederlander Conference!
Rent v. Jersey Boys
This is a bit more of an even matchup, both having made their own marks on Broadway and become something of legends. Each ran for a good amount of time and Jersey Boys still lives on off-Broadway (or did and will once theater came come back). There’s been talk of reviving Rent, though, so I’m sure that will be something to look forward to. But one production still stands out a bit more and has left such an impact on Broadway that one of its songs has become an anthem of sorts.
Winner: Rent!
Hairspray v. Wicked
Two big name musicals that came out around the same time and feature strong female leads – this is a good matchup. Both also teach about accepting others and not segregating out others – Hairspray uses actual segregation while Wicked as Animals as stand ins. And they also have a lot to say about friendship. In the end, though, I think one is a bit stronger than the other.
Winner: Wicked!
Hello, Dolly! v. The Sound of Music
Well, this is a bit more even. Both are classics of a by-gone era of Broadway with scores and stories that have transcended time. They have strong female leads at the center and intriguing romances. One is definitely lighter than the other but one is also more beloved than the other. And I think it was great that it was my first Broadway experience.
Winner: The Sound of Music!
Beauty and the Beast v. Les Miserables
Another matchup of complete opposites! And two musicals that originally starred Terrence Mann (though I did not see him as either Javert or Beast)! Beauty and the Beast is filled with hope and gives you a nice happy feeling when you leave the theatre. Les Mis…is pretty depressing honestly but there is a tiny flicker of hope kept alive throughout the show. Both were very good productions and I enjoyed both of them for different reasons. So I think this one will just have to come down to my own bias.
Winner: Beauty and the Beast!
There we go! One half of our Elite Eight has been decided – Rent, Wicked, The Sound of Music and Beauty and the Beast. We say goodbye to Jersey Boys, Hairspray, Hello, Dolly! and Les Miserables and commend them for making it this far.
So what do you think of my picks this time? Agree? Disagree? Sound off below in the comments!
Next time: We finalize the Elite Eight when the Shubert Conference takes its turn.
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