Friday 5 on a Wednesday: 5 Favorite Broadway Musical Writers Debuts

Broadway Musical Writers' Debuts

Couldn't wait for the weekend! (Plus, I have a review coming out this Friday!)

Everybody has to start somewhere, right? Here are five of my favorite debuts by Broadway musical writers. So far, two of these shows are still the debuts, but the other three were just the beginning of storied careers. All of them are still writing, so the future is still bright! 

   

5. Waitress - Sara Bareilles

Okay, I had some real problems with some of the content and one of the characters in this show. Frankly, I'm shocked that a nearly all-female creative team let it slide. That said, I found the score to be thoroughly enjoyable. Catchy and modern with a fun mix of traditional-ish show tunes, Ms. Bareilles certainly knows her way with a pop song. I find myself singing "sugar butter flower" when I cook, and the first real song, "Opening Up" is a real banger. It's already been 10 years, but I hear she's working on something new. Chances are it'll be wonderful. What a great way to start!

  

4. Maybe Happy Ending - Will Aronson and Hue Park

Who'd have thought that a musical about robots could bring you to tears? But Aronson and Park's first Broadway effort did all of that and more for me. The lyrics are sharp and thoughtful, the tunes reflective of robotic rigidity. Then, the adventure starts, and as their world opens up, so too, does the score. I can't wait to hear where they take us next!

  

3. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice

Though a show called The Likes of Us was their first collaboration (1965), Joseph... was their first produced show (1968). Over the years, there have been many takes on this Bible-Pop musical, with maybe the biggest change being the addition of the "Mega Mix" curtain call, which adds a good 10 minutes to the short run time. My favorite version is still the one that premiered on Broadway in the 80s - no one played the Narrator better than Laurie Beechman. And the score remains the pinnacle of the pastiche genre; Rice's lyrics are deceptively simple and delightfully clever. Not bad for a little show that started as a school pageant!

  

2. In the Heights - Lin-Manuel Miranda

In the years since its debut, Lin-Manuel Miranda has certainly contributed to the cultural canon - stage, film, television...amusement parks. There's nowhere he doesn't reach. But for my money, his first effort was, to date, his best. He expanded musical score vocabulary with a new sound while paying tribute to tradition. The influence of that score opened the door for his next works for sure. What really sets this semi-autobiographical piece apart though, is the heart this show has wand wears proudly.

  

1. The Full Monty - David Yazbek

David Yazbek has brought some great big stuff the Broadway in the years since he arrived on the scene. The score for this one certainly showed us what to expect in the future. Catchy numbers, heartfelt ballads, and some wickedly funny, often surprising lyrics are all here in this sweet musical. What has become his trademark - time/place specific sound and rich character songs - all started with this show. He also is very at home with turning movies into musicals, but he does so in such a way that most of the time (Tootsie notwithstanding) he finds imaginative ways to expand and improve the source. With this show, he had me at the witty, thematic, and cleverly titled, "Scrap." I am really looking forward to visiting this one again in the spring!