# Has there ever been a successful Broadway musical sequel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** theater-stage-dance\ **Created:** [March 24, 2024, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273 "2024-03-24T05:06:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/1 "2024-03-24T05:06:47Z")
I was reading up on Broadway flops and came across _Bring Back Birdie_ with Donald O’Connor and Chita Rivera, which was (of course if you read the title of this thread) a complete flop. It made me wonder if any Broadway Musical sequel ever made it big. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/2 "2024-03-24T06:13:07Z")
Mamma Mia! Here we go again! I’m not sure if it’s at popular as the first. But seems well known. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/3 "2024-03-24T06:15:05Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Mamma Mia! Here we go again! That was a Broadway musical? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/4 "2024-03-24T06:16:56Z")
The article below lists eight Broadway musical sequels. I don’t see any I would call “notable” (I do not think this is a complete list but you’d think they’d get the best of them): > **[What 8 Broadway Musicals Received the Sequel Treatment?](https://playbill.com/article/what-8-broadway-musicals-received-the-sequel-treatment)** > > From The Phantom of the Opera to Annie , Playbill details the eight musicals that earned sequels—and where those productions are now. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/5 "2024-03-24T06:19:00Z")
Oh yes. I may be confused tho’. The name of one of them is, Mamma Mia, Here we go again! The other is, Mamma Mia 2. (3 is in the works) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/6 "2024-03-24T06:23:08Z")
I’m sorry, but I cannot find any reference to a Broadway musical sequel to Mama Mia! Please note that I am looking for stage production musical sequels to previous state production musicals. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/7 "2024-03-24T06:27:09Z")
Yes. I understand. I googled to get the names straight. I’m still not sure if it’s completely right. [Playbill.com](http://Playbill.com) ETA: there is one. The Lil’wrekker acted in it in her college theatre. Whether it ever actually got produced in a big Broadway theatre I can’t tell, either. So. I’m probably wrong. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/8 "2024-03-24T09:11:51Z")
I can’t be sure, but it seems like someone should mention WICKED. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/9 "2024-03-24T09:53:59Z")
Technically that’s a prequel 🙂 I think “The Wizard of Oz” was made into a musical but Wicked, the prequel, pre-dated it which makes sorting this a little weird. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/10 "2024-03-24T10:04:37Z")
At that, did JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR hit Broadway before JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT did, but only _after_ TWO BY TWO did? I may be doing this wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/11 "2024-03-24T10:10:48Z")
Well, _Joseph_ is Old Testament, so it cannot be a sequel to _Jesus Christ Superstar_. At any rate, I’d like to see _Jesus Christ Superstar II: He’s Back and He’s Pissed!_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/12 "2024-03-24T10:20:31Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Well, _Joseph_ is Old Testament, so it cannot be a sequel to _Jesus Christ Superstar_. Which is my point: _Two By Two_ is Old Testament, and — in both senses — comes before _Joseph_. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/13 "2024-03-24T11:29:13Z")
Don’t forget The Wiz. There was also a 1902 Wizard of Oz musical. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/14 "2024-03-24T12:02:33Z")
While the 1902 musical did hit Broadway for 293 performances, I wouldn’t\t be calling _Wicked_ a sequel. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/15 "2024-03-24T12:35:48Z")
That’s fair. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2024, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/16 "2024-03-24T13:44:25Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > > > Mamma Mia! Here we go again! > > That was a Broadway musical? No. That was only a film. Love Never Dies (sequel to Phantom of the Opera) would be the most famous, except it never reached Broadway, playing in London and then in Australia. I saw it in London and it was so bad. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/17 "2024-03-24T15:44:21Z")
If you squint at _Falsettos_, it sort of qualifies, maybe? (Broadway musical consisting of an Off-Broadway musical and its sequel) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/18 "2024-03-24T15:48:10Z")
Not a sequel of a Broadway musical. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/19 "2024-03-24T16:21:31Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Love Never Dies (sequel to Phantom of the Opera) would be the most famous, except it never reached Broadway, playing in London and then in Australia. I saw it in London and it was so bad. It’s quite bad or really just super boring and bland. And some strange plot decisions. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273/20 "2024-04-08T10:11:57Z")
**A Tuna Christmas** actually played on Broadway, at the Booth Theatre in 1994-95 for 20 performances (It is a Christmas novelty). I think the touring version with the same cast actually made more money and is a perennial favorite in other markets, particularly DC. It’s a sequel to **Greater Tuna** , which was kind of a big deal off-Broadway, but never played a Broadway theater. I vaguely remember a play called **The Boys in Autumn** , about Tom Sayer and Huckleberry Finn at the twilight of their legal and political careers, playing at the Circle Theater, not sure whether it was during its Broadway or Off-Broadway era. It doesn’t have a Wikipedia listing, so maybe not a big success. It could be seen as a sequel to the more popular **Big River** (opened on April 25, 1985 at the [Eugene O’Neill Theatre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_O%27Neill_Theatre), and closed on September 20, 1987, running for 1,005 performances.), but I forget which one came out first. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-successful-broadway-musical-sequel/999273.md?page=2)