Best American musical?

[Ptah]

[bluesbassman]

1. Although I consider The Blues Brothers one of the finest films ever, it really wasn't a "musical"...

THIS was a musical!

[rbnyc]

7. +1

[CBGLuthier]

8. Yep. Not a musical.

[blogslut]

10. Awesome musical

Not American though.

Musical Trivia Bonus: Oklahoma! was based on the play "with music", Green Grow the Lilacs. While Showboat is considered to be the first musical as opposed to a play with music, Oklahoma! perfected the genre.

And frankly, Oklahoma! is one damned fine musical.

EDIT ADD: The Fantasticks is the greatest musical ever, period. No fucking contest. End of story. Final answer.

[MilesColtrane]

2. I don't know what THE best would be, but these are in the running:

Porgy and Bess

Guys and Dolls

West Side Story

The Sound of Music

Fiddler on the Roof

[Manifestor_of_Light]

3. good list.

plus pretty much anything by Rodgers & Hammerstein.


West Side Story will live forever, IMNSHMO.

[ornotna]

4. Hedwig and the Angry Inch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tgy9ODhwNI

Would be my second choice. Rocky is still number one.

[Steerpike]

5. I still love

How to succeed in business without really trying...

I really regret not being old enough to have seen the original Ethel Merman version of Annie get your gun!

[LeftinOH]

6. Reefer Madness (the musical!):

[CBGLuthier]

9. The best "American" musical is 1776.

I find the others lacking in their americaness.

That said, I love Guys and Dolls and as it is still a high school favorite I would pick it as the true great american musical.

[Tikki]

11. "Rock and Roll High School"......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akJ-KeJzSyg
P J Soles as Riff Randall


Tikki

[VermeerLives]

12. Singing in the Rain

No one like Gene Kelly. This song is the happiest song from American musicals, IMO. I smile every time I watch this scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1ZYhVpdXbQ