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.)
Gypsy, Dreamgirls, 1776, Chess
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.
Based on Gypsy Rose Lee’s memoir.
Gypsy is based on Gypsy, Gypsy Rose Lee’s autobiography.
Can-Can, I believe, is original.
ETA: Simulpost with Fenris!
I’m pretty sure that The Rocky Horror Show has no source other than Richard O’Brien’s heavy drug use.
Evita definitely quaifies. And without it, nobody would remember Eva Peron.
Song & Dance is less remembered, and it’s a shame.
Grease?
**
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
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.)
Except for pretty much every Argentinian.
Well, it’s definitely inspired by Sesame Street…
Yeah, I thought about that – thus the question mark.
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.”
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.