Top 10 Musicals That Should Have Made It to Broadway
#10: “A New Brain”
This musical is William Finn’s autobiographical account of dealing with a seemingly terminal illness and the special healing powers of art. Gordon Schwinn worries that he may not live long enough to complete his work so when he pulls through, he’s grateful for the chance to keep doing what he loves. The music showcases Finn’s absolute best through a powerful message but perhaps its mixed reviews kept it off the Broadway stage. However, with his other hit musicals, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and “Falsettos” paving the Great White Way, maybe Broadway is ready for another Finn hit.
#9: “The Witches of Eastwick”
Based on the novel and movie of the same face, it follows three bored women who get mixed up with the devilish Darryl Van-Horne. He brings mayhem to their town and it’s up to them to use their new found powers to get rid of him. The show had a successful run in London, was nominated for four Olivier Awards and the critics gave mostly favorable reviews. It seems that poor timing is responsible for keeping this show off Broadway but now just might be the right time to revive this musical starring three badass witches.
#8: “Bare: A Pop Opera” / “Bare: The Musical”
This Pop Opera, reworked and rebranded as “Bare: The Musical”, is a coming-of-age story by Damon Intrabartolo and Jon Hartmere. We follow a group of Catholic boarding school teens wrestling with their identities and finding their place in the world. The revised musical focuses on the movement to legalize gay marriage and the bullying LGBT pupils still face. This version has been around the world, but not Broadway. But with ever-relevant themes, relatable characters and catchy tunes, it’s about time that all changed.
#7: “The Baker’s Wife”
This show may not have earned a place on Broadway but it established a dedicated cult following. When the baker’s wife leaves him, he loses his zest for baking, and it’s up to the villagers of Provence to save the day and the baked goods. It’s almost impossible to imagine a Stephen Schwartz musical not making it big, it seems like we're unlikely to see “The Baker's Wife” – or even a production like Schwartz's eternally popular “Children of Eden” – on Broadway anytime soon. Still, we can keep crossing our fingers and hold on hope for this show to finally hit the Great White Way.
#6: “Martin Guerre”
Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boubil are known for successfully turning history into musical theater but sadly, “Martin Guerre” failed to match up to “Les Mis” or “Miss Saigon” at the box office. Our titular Guerre is forced into an arranged marriage to produce a Catholic heir but plot twist, he’s in love with someone else – a classic story. Sir Cameron Mackintosh, who backed their other shows, showed less of an interest in this one but it still went on to win the Olivier for Best New Musical, and any show with that title deserves a spot on Broadway.
#5: “Dogfight”
Before their success with “Dear Evan Hansen”, “La La Land” and “The Greatest Showman,” Pasek and Paul brought us “Dogfight”. We see a group of Marines enjoying one last night of freedom before shipping out to Vietnam, and playing a game where they bet on who can find the ugliest date. The show deals with specific sociocultural issues of 1960s America, and some issues that have surfaced again today. Rose, a victim of this cruel game represents a changing America and demonstrates a new wave of female empowerment, and who can’t get on board with that?
#4: “Heathers: The Musical”
A black comedy based on the classic '80s cult film, “The Heathers” are the OG mean girls – and when bad boy JD moves to town, things turn dark at Westerburg High School. While the songs are undeniably catchy and there’s plenty of comedy throughout, the show also deals with bullying, teen suicide, sexual assault and violence in schools. The show started its UK run, Off-West End but thanks to a committed cult following, it transferred to the West End. Perhaps it’s still fated to make its Broadway debut after all, that would be “Big Fun.”
#3: “Love Never Dies”
Cruelly dubbed, “Paint Never Dries,” this sequel to Phantom of the Opera failed to wow the critics during its London run. But then, not every Andrew Lloyd Webber show has been an instant hit – with “Whistle Down the Wind” being a prime example of an underrated classic. Perhaps the fans just weren’t ready to see Christine and the Phantom reunite under these new circumstances. Webber has said this was a stand alone piece rather than a sequel, but now with a new generation of theater goers and maybe a couple of tweaks, the Phantom could haunt Broadway again.
#2: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
We’re all familiar with the Disney version of Victor Hugo’s story about a deformed bell-ringer who is hidden away by the cruel judge Frollo. Once again this heartwarming story and its beautiful songs didn’t get their much deserved credit. Luckily Berlin took a chance on it when a production of “The Lion King” fell through and it has since become one of their longest-running shows. Eventually it was translated back into English so let’s hope that one day “out there” there will be a spot for this show on Broadway.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions.
“Zorro”
“Bat Boy”
“Far From Heaven”
“Giant”
“Evil Dead”
#1: “The Last Five Years”
Here we follow Cathy and Jamie’s relationship, but, with the exception of one scene, the couple never actually share the stage. Instead we see the relationship chronologically from Jamie’s perspective and in reverse from Cathy’s. Despite not reaching the Great White Way, it did hit the silver screen, starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan. This show would be perfect for one of the smaller Broadway theaters as it only needs to fit the two actors and a fairly simple set. The plot is super relatable and it’s unique standpoint would make it stand out.
