# 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:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/21 "2009-10-09T04:11:53Z")
Doesn’t the OP ask for shows that were big, BEFORE the USAF recognized them? Shouldn’t that limit their/her appeal? ---
**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, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/22 "2009-10-09T04:14:39Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Doesn’t the OP ask for shows that were big, BEFORE the USAF recognized them? Shouldn’t that limit their/her appeal? United States Air Force? (No, I’m serious. I have no idea what you’re asking here.) ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/23 "2009-10-09T05:59:36Z")
Gypsy, Dreamgirls, 1776, Chess ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/24 "2009-10-09T06:07:59Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Doesn’t the OP ask for shows that were big, BEFORE the USAF recognized them? Shouldn’t that limit their/her appeal? Wha? Wrong thread? I have no clue how this relates to **Sampiro** ’s question. Some recent/current shows I can think of: **next to normal** **In the Heights** \*\*Assassins Caroline, or Change City of Angels The Civil War Curtains The Drowsy Chaperone Sunday in the Park With George \*\*(it’s based on only a _painting_. I think you’d have to consider that original.) **[title of show]** **Titanic Passing Strange** I believe \*\*Company \*\*was actually based on a series of short one act plays by George Furth. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/25 "2009-10-09T12:42:07Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Gypsy Based on Gypsy Rose Lee’s memoir. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/26 "2009-10-09T12:43:32Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Gypsy, Dreamgirls, 1776, Chess _Gypsy_ is based on _Gypsy_, Gypsy Rose Lee’s autobiography. _Can-Can_, I believe, is original. ETA: Simulpost with **Fenris**! ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/27 "2009-10-09T12:54:30Z")
I’m pretty sure that _The Rocky Horror Show_ has no source other than Richard O’Brien’s heavy drug use. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/28 "2009-10-09T13:07:41Z")
_Evita_ definitely quaifies. And without it, nobody would remember Eva Peron. _Song & Dance_ is less remembered, and it’s a shame. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/29 "2009-10-09T16:55:32Z")
_ **Grease?** _ ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/30 "2009-10-09T17:05:26Z")
\*\* The Fantasticks Celebration Pippin Rex\*\* (Richard Rodgers’ last musical, the life of Henry VIII – I saw it pre-Broadway. It was awful, I’m sorry to say) **Via Galactica** Science fiction musical – reportedly awful ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/31 "2009-10-09T17:09:52Z")
> [@storyteller0910](#): > > I’m pretty sure that _The Rocky Horror Show_ has no source other than Richard O’Brien’s heavy drug use. Not a direct source, but it is a deliberate parody of low budget sci-fi / horror movies that ended up in late-night double-features in general, and Universal Pictures’ 30s horror movies in particular (Rocky climbing up the radio tower at the end of the film directly references UKO’s logo.) ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/32 "2009-10-09T17:16:26Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > _Evita_ definitely quaifies. And without it, nobody would remember Eva Peron. Except for pretty much every Argentinian. ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/33 "2009-10-09T17:18:35Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Avenue Q? Well, it’s definitely inspired by **Sesame Street** … ---
**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, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/34 "2009-10-09T17:25:21Z")
> [@sjc](#): > > Well, it’s definitely inspired by **Sesame Street** … Yeah, I thought about that – thus the question mark. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/35 "2009-10-09T18:06:20Z")
Things like Evita, Titanic, and The Civil War strike me as something of a gray area for this question, since they’re based on real events. Maybe not directly on another ACCOUNT of said events, but, y’know, they’re still based on “something.” ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/36 "2009-10-10T01:48:03Z")
I wasn’t including anything based however loosely on real people. Otherwise you get into gray areas like Call Me Madam, and Annie Get Your Gun. ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/37 "2009-10-10T04:30:12Z")
[Blood Brothers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Brothers_%28musical%29) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139/38 "2009-10-11T20:15:27Z")
[Chess](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_(musical)) definitely qualifies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-are-any-stage-musicals-that-were-born-as-stage-musicals/513139.md?page=1)