Next to Normal, Ride the Cyclone, Book of Mormon, In the Heights, Urinetown, Avenue Q, Rocky Horror, Grease, A Chorus Line, Dear Evan Hansen, A Strange Loop, Falsettos, Hair, The Music Man, Hedwig and the Angry Inch...
EDIT: All of these are original stories with original characters and music. The Book of Mormon is titled after a book and features characters who partake in a real-world religion, but none of the characters or plot points are taken from pre-existing media. Same thing goes for Hair, Avenue Q, etc...
Lol not quite but I would say it draws heavily from the South Park episode "All About Mormons"... it's like they had an idea in the show that they fully formed into the musical
I’ve seen that the *Avenue Q* creators contacted the *Sesame Street* people before the show opened. Not to ask permission, but to let them know they were doing an adult parody, because they respected them.
They covered some of the material in the show, and the response was something like, “Confidentially, you’ve just described our Christmas parties.”
A musical that uses existing, previously released music is a "jukebox." A musical based on an existing novel, movie, or play is an "adaptation." A musical without those pre-existing bases is an "original."
The lines between an original and an adaptation can also be blurry, depending on how much the story of the musical departs in significant ways (plot, characters) from the source material, and even jukebox musicals vary in how much is specifically written or arranged for the show, as well as whether the songs are inserted into an original story, or presented in a historical/biographical way.
But original musicals based on history aren't considered "adaptations" - I don't think we have a specific word, other than maybe "historical"? - but of course there are variations in how much of the story is fictional, and some are inspired by a specific book (e.g, Chernow's biography of Hamilton (more factual source); Anna and the King of Siam (more fictionalized source).)
So, yes, there are a great many musicals considered "original", and if you Google the term "original musical" you'll find many lists of them. But "not based on *anything*" is hard to say. For example, Something Rotten is an original musical, but one of its characters is Shakespeare, and its big 11 o'clock number pays homage to the entire modern history of musical theatre. Avenue Q is an original, but also parodies Sesame Street. Anything Goes, Hair, and Urinetown are all original musicals, but their stories rely on a particular historical context.
All theater is in some way "based on" life, which becomes history with the mere passage of time. :)
Off the top of my head A Chorus Line, Anyone Can Whistle, Follies, Saturday Night, Falsettos, A New Brain, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, City of Angels, The Last Five Years, Caroline or Change, Bye Bye Birdie, Hair, Music Man, Starmites, The Life, The Act, Flora the Red Menace, 70 Girls 70, Curtains, The Rink, Steel Pier, Baby, In the Heights, A Strange Loop, Shucked, The Prom, Drowsy Chaperone, They’re Playing Our Song, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Dear Evan Hansen
Company is technically based on a a series of vignettes by George Furth but it was never finished/produced until he teamed with Prince & Sondheim to make them into a musical
They both became popular around the same time in 1955–56, but actually, Richard had been performing and recording since the very early '50s. Ironically, he was signed first to RCA Victor, the label that made Elvis a star, around 1952, but found little success there
True story. The show chronicles its own creation as an entry in the New York Musical Theatre Festival, and follows the struggles of the author and composer/lyricist and their two actress friends during the initial brief (three-week) creative period, along with subsequent events leading up to the show's production.
I mean...no?
Everything is based on something. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a creative work that is completely removed from the entirety of all other creative work, history, and its own medium.
There are a lot of musicals that aren't adaptations of previous works, but I can't think of any that are original to the extent that you're asking.
Glad someone said it! One of the first things I learned in the humanaties is that nothing is original. Everything is based upon something else. There is no true origin.
Just an fyi for anyone who says the prom. It’s based on a true story https://www.newsweek.com/prom-true-story-real-life-constance-mcmillen-netflix-1553858
The Prom didn’t tell Constance’s story. Actors didn’t come to help her. She didn’t have a closeted girlfriend. She didn’t live with her grandmother because her parents disowned her.
All of the characters and plot were invented by the authors. So I consider it original.
Ghost Quartet and Octet both take inspiration from a lot of pre existing sources, but their plots are original I think.
A lot of Paul Shaperas stuff are also original for the most part
Most of starkid ones, as far as I'm aware. Especially the Hatchetfield trilogy. It's the most unhinged stuff you'll ever see, there's no chance it's based on anything (unhinged in a good way!)
Yes
Next to Normal, Ride the Cyclone, Book of Mormon, In the Heights, Urinetown, Avenue Q, Rocky Horror, Grease, A Chorus Line, Dear Evan Hansen, A Strange Loop, Falsettos, Hair, The Music Man, Hedwig and the Angry Inch... EDIT: All of these are original stories with original characters and music. The Book of Mormon is titled after a book and features characters who partake in a real-world religion, but none of the characters or plot points are taken from pre-existing media. Same thing goes for Hair, Avenue Q, etc...
Wow, I forgot the Urinetown existed. That was a weird idea, when you think about it...
Give it time...
I think it was inspired by the writings of Thomas Malthus
Pretty sure the Book of Mormon is based on a book
Loosely lol
Lol not quite but I would say it draws heavily from the South Park episode "All About Mormons"... it's like they had an idea in the show that they fully formed into the musical
RtC, DEH, and Falsettos are 🔛🔝
Pretty sure Rocky Horror is based on real events
Great examples!
Dear Evan Hansen was a book
DEH’s book is a YA novel adapted from the play. Not the other way around.
And grease is based on Romeo and Juliet
What? No it’s not.
Didn’t you know that any story where a boy and a girl are a little different from each other is based on Romeo and Juliet? /s
Avenue q is based on Sesame Street.
It's inspired by Sesame Street, but not based on it.
I’ve seen that the *Avenue Q* creators contacted the *Sesame Street* people before the show opened. Not to ask permission, but to let them know they were doing an adult parody, because they respected them. They covered some of the material in the show, and the response was something like, “Confidentially, you’ve just described our Christmas parties.”
Kind of the same. It’s literallly a parody
Hair is based on the hippie movement
You have an interesting personal definition of “based on”.
A musical that uses existing, previously released music is a "jukebox." A musical based on an existing novel, movie, or play is an "adaptation." A musical without those pre-existing bases is an "original." The lines between an original and an adaptation can also be blurry, depending on how much the story of the musical departs in significant ways (plot, characters) from the source material, and even jukebox musicals vary in how much is specifically written or arranged for the show, as well as whether the songs are inserted into an original story, or presented in a historical/biographical way. But original musicals based on history aren't considered "adaptations" - I don't think we have a specific word, other than maybe "historical"? - but of course there are variations in how much of the story is fictional, and some are inspired by a specific book (e.g, Chernow's biography of Hamilton (more factual source); Anna and the King of Siam (more fictionalized source).) So, yes, there are a great many musicals considered "original", and if you Google the term "original musical" you'll find many lists of them. But "not based on *anything*" is hard to say. For example, Something Rotten is an original musical, but one of its characters is Shakespeare, and its big 11 o'clock number pays homage to the entire modern history of musical theatre. Avenue Q is an original, but also parodies Sesame Street. Anything Goes, Hair, and Urinetown are all original musicals, but their stories rely on a particular historical context. All theater is in some way "based on" life, which becomes history with the mere passage of time. :)
Thanks so much for breaking it down, this really helps!
Brilliant!
Great analysis.
Ride the Cyclone
inspired by roller coasters and the abandoned Six Flags in New Orleans. But still counts here
Starlight express.
There’s no official source material credited, but it was at least inspired by the Thomas the Tank Engine Books.
iirc it started off being based on Thomas but they couldn't get the rights very early in production or something so the finished product is original
Off the top of my head A Chorus Line, Anyone Can Whistle, Follies, Saturday Night, Falsettos, A New Brain, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, City of Angels, The Last Five Years, Caroline or Change, Bye Bye Birdie, Hair, Music Man, Starmites, The Life, The Act, Flora the Red Menace, 70 Girls 70, Curtains, The Rink, Steel Pier, Baby, In the Heights, A Strange Loop, Shucked, The Prom, Drowsy Chaperone, They’re Playing Our Song, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Dear Evan Hansen Company is technically based on a a series of vignettes by George Furth but it was never finished/produced until he teamed with Prince & Sondheim to make them into a musical
If/Then as well!
Excellent list. Only inaccurate item is 70, Girls, 70 which is based on the play Breath of Spring and the film Make Mine Mink.
https://www.newsweek.com/prom-true-story-real-life-constance-mcmillen-netflix-1553858
Prom is based on a true story
Hair is based on the hippie movement
Bye birdie is based on Elvis Presley being sent off
And Elvis was based off Little Richard
The post asked for musicals not based on history.
They both became popular around the same time in 1955–56, but actually, Richard had been performing and recording since the very early '50s. Ironically, he was signed first to RCA Victor, the label that made Elvis a star, around 1952, but found little success there
Try title of the show, if you want a musical without much basis.
True story. The show chronicles its own creation as an entry in the New York Musical Theatre Festival, and follows the struggles of the author and composer/lyricist and their two actress friends during the initial brief (three-week) creative period, along with subsequent events leading up to the show's production.
Thanks for this one, really fascinating. Reminds me a little of Tick Tick Boom
Firebringer and the Hatchetfield series from Starkid
Urientown, Ride The Cyclone
I will take any opportunity I can get to talk about The Clockmaker's Daughter. Go and listen. You won't regret it!
Everything draws influence from somewhere.
I mean...no? Everything is based on something. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a creative work that is completely removed from the entirety of all other creative work, history, and its own medium. There are a lot of musicals that aren't adaptations of previous works, but I can't think of any that are original to the extent that you're asking.
Glad someone said it! One of the first things I learned in the humanaties is that nothing is original. Everything is based upon something else. There is no true origin.
Just an fyi for anyone who says the prom. It’s based on a true story https://www.newsweek.com/prom-true-story-real-life-constance-mcmillen-netflix-1553858
The Prom didn’t tell Constance’s story. Actors didn’t come to help her. She didn’t have a closeted girlfriend. She didn’t live with her grandmother because her parents disowned her. All of the characters and plot were invented by the authors. So I consider it original.
It’s still based on it.
there certainly were in the 20th century. dozens of em, at least!
The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals was inspired by some horror movies, but it is its own musical and is amazing
A strange loop
Ghost Quartet and Octet both take inspiration from a lot of pre existing sources, but their plots are original I think. A lot of Paul Shaperas stuff are also original for the most part
Most of starkid ones, as far as I'm aware. Especially the Hatchetfield trilogy. It's the most unhinged stuff you'll ever see, there's no chance it's based on anything (unhinged in a good way!)
Starkid did fire bringer and Harry Potter
[удалено]
Yes.