And we CAN discuss musical theatre here. Monday, the Drama Book Shop had LaChiusa, Guettel and Jason Robert Brown singing and chatting and one has to wonder who annointed these three. Not counting a staged song cycle, Adam Guettel has had two musicals produced. Brown's been responsible for three, I believe. LaChiusa's written many more, it's true, but many are only famous for having bombed.
If the new generation of musical theatre writers is to be noted, let's note people who've done more work: I think the songwriters heard on BK's Broadway Bound are excellent (especially Markell & Bernstein), and prefer my friends Darryl Curry, Heisler & Goldrich, Jeanine Tesori and Sammy Buck to the omnipresent Brown, Guettel and LaChiusa.
Guittel has noted himself that his output would be larger if he hadn't had so much trouble with his addictions. As it is, his
Floyd Collins has been produced widely in regional theater, and it appears that
Light in the Piazza will share in that production history. Similarly, Brown's
Parade is better known for the touring production that the one staged in NYC;
Songs for a New World again is a staple in regional theaters, and
Last 5 Years looks to be following that route as well.
I can't say much about LaChuisa's production history, as I don't care for his writing and haven't particularly followed his career. He has been widely recorded (on major labels) however, as have Brown and Guittel, for their shows as well as being represented on solo recordings, such as Audra McDonald's
Way Back to Paradise.Other than Tesori, I've never heard of any of the people Noel mentions.
Violet was released on the
Resmiranda label, better known for it's recordings of classical music. While I cannot remember it's title off-hand, a show she wrote that appeared at the Mark Taper Forum about a woman film director in the early days of silents was quite good, but not recorded, and I don't believe widely produced. The only other show she's written that I know of is
Thoroughly Modern Millie, and she cannot claim writing the entire score for that as much is from the original film source.
A book, such as
The New American Musical edited by Wiley Hausam, needs to reach a national audience if it is to be worth the publisher's investment. (Either that, or it needs to be included as part of the required reading of a college course, usually taught by the author/editor, Lord knows I had that happen often enough.) As Mr. Hausam himself acknowledges, part of the inspiration for editing this volume came from three similar books edited by Stanley Richards, one of which I own myself (
Ten Great Musicals of the American Theater). If I had never heard of the musicals in that book, which range from
Of Thee I Sing through
A Touch of Venus and
Fiddler on the Roof to
Company, I probably would not have bought the book. Similarly, I am familiar with all four musicals included in Mr. Hausam's book, which was part of the reason for my buying it.
This begs the question, Mr. Katz:
Why should any of us have heard of the works of Mssrs. Curry, Heisler & Goldrich, or Buck? Where have their works been produced? I acknowledge Ms. Tessori's talents, which I enjoy and admire, but the others you mention are unknown to me.
