# Are there are any stage musicals that were "born" as stage musicals? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 9, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139 "2009-10-09T01:11:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/1 "2009-10-09T01:11:44Z")
Lerner & Lowe based _My Fair Lady_ on _Pygmalion_ and _Camelot_ on _Once and Future King_, _Oklahoma_ on a non-musical play and _King & I_Sound of Music\* were highly fictionalized musicalizations of highly fictionalized previous film versions of somewhat true stories (_Sound of Music_ was based on a [German film](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049876/)which was based on Maria von Trapp’s memoirs) and _South Pacific_ on stories by James Michener. Kander and Ebb based _Cabaret_ on various works by Isherwood [ultimately] and _Chicago_ on a non-musical movie/play and novel and _Kiss of the Spider Woman_ on the novel, _Fiddler on the Roof_ was based on the short stories of Sholem Aleichem, _Les Miserables_ and _Wicked_ and _Ragtime_ on the novels of those names, _Miss Saigon_ is an updating/adaptation of Madame Butterfly as _Rent_ is of _La Boheme_, and most of the musicals produced in the last decade are musicalizations of movies (with _Hairspray_ being a musical movie based on a musical play based on a non musical movie and _The Color Purple_ soon to be a musical movie based on a musical play based on a novel that inspired/was cross pollenated by a major non-musical motion picture). BUT Have there been any successful musicals that have been completely original? By this I mean they were not based on a novel, non-musical play, or previous work but were an original story with original characters designed specifically for the musical theater? _Gilbert and Sullivan_ I’m pretty sure would qualify- some of their works anyway- but surely there’s something more recent. I’m not making judgment I should ad: I loved many of the works above and few if any of Shakespeare’s plays (which I consider a sort of “spoken musical”) were original in plot, but I’m just curious if any characters/stories began as musicals. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/2 "2009-10-09T01:18:23Z")
I believe [In The Heights](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Heights) is completely original. Debuted Off-Broadway in 2007 and moved to the big street in 2008. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/3 "2009-10-09T01:18:33Z")
Chorus Line? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/4 "2009-10-09T01:19:49Z")
Avenue Q? ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/5 "2009-10-09T01:24:47Z")
How about Bye Bye Birdie and Hair ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/6 "2009-10-09T01:34:01Z")
Good ones all so far. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/7 "2009-10-09T01:37:46Z")
I’m pretty sure that The Music Man qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/8 "2009-10-09T01:40:29Z")
Starlight Express, Urinetown, Bells Are Ringing, The Rocky Horror Show ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/9 "2009-10-09T02:04:00Z")
Paint Your Wagon, Anything Goes, Me and My Girl, Finian’s Rainbow ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/10 "2009-10-09T02:08:29Z")
_Kiss Me Kate_ (the play within the play is _The Taming of the Shrew_, but the framing plot (the complications coming of Bill giving the Mob Fred’s name as his own after incurring gambling debts) isn’t really based on it) ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/11 "2009-10-09T02:09:31Z")
I think _Hedwig and the Angry Inch_ would qualify. It wasn’t based on any earlier book or movie, although the Off-Broadway premier of the stage musical wasn’t the first appearance of the character. As the musical was being developed they were trying out the material at a drag club in NYC with John Cameron Mitchell doing monologues as Hedwig and the house band playing the songs. But _Hedwig_ was always an on-stage work and always involved music. ---
**Author:** ![the\_first\_supraliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f475e1/32.png) [@the\_first\_supraliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_first_supraliminal)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/12 "2009-10-09T02:14:37Z")
Sweet Charity was written specifically to showcase Gwen Verdun ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/13 "2009-10-09T02:16:23Z")
[A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to The Forum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Funny_Thing_Happened_on_the_Way_to_the_Forum) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/14 "2009-10-09T02:25:00Z")
> [@astro](#): > > [A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to The Forum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Funny_Thing_Happened_on_the_Way_to_the_Forum) A lot of Sondheim, actually, no? _Company_, _Follies_, _Anyone Can Whistle_… ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/15 "2009-10-09T02:32:46Z")
> [@astro](#): > > [A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to The Forum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Funny_Thing_Happened_on_the_Way_to_the_Forum) That was based on the Roman comedy [Pseudolus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudolus). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/16 "2009-10-09T02:43:36Z")
**The Drowsy Chaperone** **Nunsense** (and sequels) Older works: **Little Johnny Jones** **I’d Rather Be Right** **Babes in Arms** **Anything Goes** ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/17 "2009-10-09T03:00:06Z")
> [@the\_first\_supraliminal](#): > > Sweet Charity was written specifically to showcase Gwen Verdun However, it was based on the Fellini film _The Nights of Cabiria_. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/18 "2009-10-09T03:03:41Z")
_Rent_ ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/19 "2009-10-09T03:38:12Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > That was based on the Roman comedy [Pseudolus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudolus). I unserstand that another source was [_Miles Gloriosus._](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_gloriosus) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/20 "2009-10-09T04:07:09Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > _Rent_ _La Boheme_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139.md?page=2)