Titles S
Sail Away
"...a musical with a book, music and lyrics by Noël Coward. The show was the last musical for which Coward wrote both the book and music, although he wrote the music for one last 'book' musical in 1963. The story centers around brash, bold American divorcee Mimi Paragon, working as a hostess on a British cruise ship. The musical ran on Broadway (1961) and in the West End (1962) and has been revived since."
Sarafina!
"...a South African musical by Mbongeni Ngema depicting students involved in the Soweto Riots, in opposition to apartheid. Sarafina! premiered on Broadway on January 28, 1988. The musical was conceived and directed by Mbongeni Ngema, who also wrote the book, music, and lyrics."
Saratoga
"...a musical with a book by Morton DaCosta, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, and music by Harold Arlen.Based on Edna Ferber's sprawling novel Saratoga Trunk, it focuses on Clio Dulaine, an 'illegitimate' Creole woman who seeks revenge on the New Orleans family who exiled her mother when she became impregnated by their son. Posing as a countess raised in France, she joins forces with Montana cowboy Clint Maroon, whose family's property was appropriated by railroad tycoon Bart Van Steed. Clint persuades Clio to seduce Bart into proposing marriage, but the conspirators soon find themselves falling in love while scheming to settle old scores."
Saturday Night
"...a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and the book by brothers Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein, based on their play, Front Porch in Flatbush. Saturday Night was scheduled to premiere in the 1954-55 Broadway season. Announcements of the production appeared in the New York Times, and auditions were held in mid-1955, following some revisions to the music brought about by backers' auditions. In the summer of 1955, it appeared that Saturday Night would be Sondheim's musical debut on Broadway that fall. However, in August 1955, lead producer Lemuel Ayers died, leaving the production with little morale and even less cash. The production was scrapped, and the musical material shelved. Although a handful of songs from the musical have appeared in revues and on Sondheim compilation albums, the score as a whole went unperformed until 1997."
Say, Darling
"...a three-act comic play by Abe Burrows and Marian and Richard Bissell about the creation of a Broadway musical. Although the play featured nine original songs with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Jule Styne, all of the songs were presented as either rehearsal or audition material and not as the thoughts or feelings of the characters."
Scarlet Pimpernel
"...a musical with music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics and book by Nan Knighton, based on the novel of the same name by Baroness Orczy. The show is set in England and France during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution."
School of Rock
"...is a rock musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater and a book by Julian Fellowes. Based on the 2003 film of the same name, written by Mike White, the musical follows Dewey Finn, an out-of-work rock singer and guitarist who pretends to be a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. After identifying the musical talent in his students, Dewey forms a band of fifth-graders, in an attempt to win the upcoming Battle of the Bands contest."
The Scottsboro Boys (OBC) & (2015 London Cast)
"...a musical with a book by David Thompson, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Based on the Scottsboro Boys trial, the musical is one of the last collaborations between Kander and Ebb prior to the latter's death. The musical has the framework of a minstrel show, altered to "create a musical social critique" with a company that, except for one, consists entirely of African-American performers."
The Secret Garden
"...a musical based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The musical's book and lyrics are by Marsha Norman, with music by Lucy Simon. It premiered on Broadway in 1991 and ran for 709 performances.The story is set in the early years of the 20th century. Mary Lennox, a young English girl born and raised in the British Raj, is orphaned by a cholera outbreak when she is eleven years old. She is sent away from India to Yorkshire, England, to live with relatives whom she has never met. Her own personality blossoms as she and a young gardener bring new life to a neglected garden, as well as to her sickly cousin and uncle."
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
"...this musical version of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty depicts Mitty at age 40, tempted by 'would-be chanteuse.' Willa De Wisp to leave his wife Agnes and really live 'the Secret Life.' It features 17 songs, with lyrics by Earl Shuman and music by Leon Carr. The musical opened off-Broadway at the Players Theatre on October 26, 1964, and ran for 96 performances..."
Seesaw
"... a musical with a book by Michael Bennett, music by Cy Coleman, and lyrics by Dorothy Fields.Based on the William Gibson play Two for the Seesaw, the plot focuses on a brief affair between Jerry Ryan, a young lawyer from Nebraska, and Gittel Mosca, a kooky, streetwise dancer from the Bronx."
Seussical
"...a musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty based on the books of Dr. Seuss that debuted on Broadway in 2000. The play's story is a rather complex amalgamation of many of Seuss's most famous books."
Seventeen
"1951 musical based on the Booth Tarkington novel of the same name."
Seventh Heaven
"A flop 1955 nusical with music by Victor Young. based on the silent film of the same name."
70 Girls, 70
"...a musical with a book by Fred Ebb and Norman L. Martin adapted by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Ebb, and music by John Kander. The musical is based on the 1958 play Breath of Spring by Peter Coke. The plot concerns a group of larcenous old folks who steal furs from various New York City stores with the intent of using the proceeds from their resale to buy their Upper West Side retirement hotel, the New Sussex Arms, which is slated to be sold to developers."
1776 (OBC) & (1997 Broadway Revival)
"...a musical with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. The story is based on the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It focuses on, and partly fictionalizes, the efforts of John Adams to persuade his colleagues to vote for American independence and to sign the document."
She Loves Me (OBC) & 1993 Broadway Revival & 2016 Broadway Revival
"...musical is the fifth adaptation of the play Parfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklos Laszlo, following the 1940 James Stewart-Margaret Sullavan film The Shop around the Corner and the 1949 Judy Garland-Van Johnson musical version In the Good Old Summertime. IThe plot revolves around Budapest shop employees Georg Nowack and Amalia Balash who, despite being consistently at odds with each other at work, are unaware that each is the other's secret pen pal met through lonely-hearts ads."
Shenandoah
"...a musical that was written in 1975 with music by Gary Geld, lyrics by Peter Udell, and a book by Udell, Philip Rose and James Lee Barrett, based on Barrett's original screenplay for the 1965 film Shenandoah."
Sherry (1993 Studio Cast)
"...a musical with a book and lyrics by James Lipton and music by Laurence Rosenthal. The musical is based on the George S. Kaufman-Moss Hart play The Man Who Came to Dinner. In 1967, following a short run on Broadway, and poor reviews, the score of this musical was apparently lost - being rediscovered at the Library of Congress more than thirty years later. A studio recording based on the rediscovered score was released in 2004."
Show Boat (1966 Music Theater at Lincoln Center Revival) & (1988 Studio Cast)
"...a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally produced in New York in 1927. It was based on the 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber. The plot chronicles the lives of those living and working on the Cotton Blossom, a Mississippi River show boat, from 1880 to 1927. The show's dominant themes include racial prejudice and tragic, enduring love."
Shout!
"Named after the 1960s pop diva Lulu's breakthrough hit, Shout! is a hip-swiveling journey through the endlessly infectious pop classics that made superstars of female vocalists including Lulu, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, and more."
Show Girl
"..a musical revue with songs and sketches by Charles Gaynor, opened on Broadway January 12, 1961. [Its star] Carol Channing received not only critical love letters but also a Tony nomination for Best Actress."
Shrek
"...a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on the 2001 film Shrek and William Steig's 1990 book Shrek."
Side by Side by Sondheim (London Cast)
"...a musical revue featuring the songs of prolific Broadway and film composer Stephen Sondheim. Its title is derived from from the song 'Side by Side by Side' from Company."
Side Show (OBC) & (2014 Broadway Revival)
"...a musical about Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who make a change from being a circus act to becoming famous stage performers in the 1930s."
Silk Stockings
"...musical with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The musical is loosely based on the Melchior Lengyel story "Ninotchka" and the 1939 film adaptation it inspired. It ran on Broadway in 1955. This was the last musical that Porter wrote for the stage."
Simply Heavenly
"A musical folk comedy in 2 Acts, 17 scenes: Music by David Martin: Book and lyrics by Langston Hughes. Based on the novel Simple Takes A Wife and other Simple stories by Langston Hughes."
Sister Act (London Cast)
"..a musical written by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane, with lyrics by Glenn Slater and music by Alan Menken. It is based on the hit 1992 film comedy of the same name."
Sitting Pretty (1989 Studio Cast)
"..a 1926 musical, with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by P.G. Wodehouse."
Skyscraper
"...a musical with a book by Peter Stone, lyrics by Sammy Cahn, and music by Jimmy Van Heusen. Based on the 1945 Elmer Rice play Dream Girl, it focuses on an antiques dealer who is determined to save her midtown Manhattan brownstone from the bulldozer."
So Long, 174th Street
"...a musical with a book by Joseph Stein and lyrics and music by Stan Daniels. Based on Stein's play Enter Laughing, which had been adapted from the Carl Reiner book of the same name and served as the basis for a 1967 film, it focuses on the journey of young David Kolowitz from factory helper to actor - and from insecure adolescence to self-assured adulthood - in just three whirlwind days in New York City in the late 1930s."
Something for the Boys (2018 Studio Cast)
"..is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields. Produced by Mike Todd, the show opened on Broadway in 1943 and starred Ethel Merman in her fifth Cole Porter musical."
Something Rotten!
"...is an original musical comedy with a book by John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Set in 1595, the story follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to find success in the theatrical world, as they compete with the wild popularity of their contemporary William Shakespeare."
Sondheim on Sondheim
"...a musical revue consisting of music and lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim for his many shows. It is conceived and directed by James Lapine. The revue had a limited run on Broadway in 2010."
The Sound of Music (OBC) & (1998 Broadway Revival) & (2013 Television Broadcast)
"...a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers.The original Broadway production, starring Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel, opened on November 16, 1959."
Song of Norway
"... an operetta written in 1944 by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from the music of Edvard Grieg and the book by Milton Lazarus and Homer Curran."
South Pacific (OBC) & (2008 Broadway Revival)
"..a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its stories into a single plotline about an American nurse at a U.S. Naval base, during World War II, who falls in love with an expatriate French plantation owner with a dark past."
Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark
"...a 2011 rock musical with music and lyrics by U2's Bono and The Edge and a book by Julie Taymor, Glen Berger, and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. The musical is based on the Spider-Man comics created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, published by Marvel Comics, as well as the 2002 film about the character, and the Greek myth of Arachne. It tells the story of the origin of the character, his romance with Mary Jane and his battles with the evil Green Goblin..."
SpongeBob SquarePants
"..is a musical, co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau with songs by various artists and a book by Kyle Jarrow. It is based on the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants."
Spring Awakening
"...a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1891 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind. It features music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of sexuality. The original play was banned in Germany for a while due to its portrayal of abortion, homosexuality, rape, child abuse and suicide. In the musical, alternative rock is employed as part of the folk-infused rock score."
Starlight Express
"...a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music), Richard Stilgoe (lyrics) and Arlene Phillips (choreography). The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates."
St. Louis Woman
"...a musical by Harold Arlen (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics) based upon the novel God Sends Sunday by African-American writer Arna Bontemps."
State Fair
"...a musical with a book by Tom Briggs and Louis Mattioli, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and music by Richard Rodgers. Rodgers and Hammerstein originally adapted the Phil Stong novel of the same name for a 1945 movie musical, which was remade in 1962. The stage production closely follows the plot of its predecessors, providing a glimpse into the life of the farming Frake family and their three-day adventure at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines in 1946. While parents Abel and Melissa are hoping to win a few blue ribbons, siblings Margy and Wayne are more interested in finding romance on the midway."
Steel Pier
"a 1997 musical written by the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb from the original book by David Thompson."
Stop the World, I Want to Get Off
"...a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. Set against the backdrop of a circus, it focuses on Littlechap, whose first major step towards improving his lot is to marry Evie, his boss' daughter. Saddled with the responsibilities of a family, he allows his growing dissatisfaction with his existence to lead him into the arms of various women—Russian Anya, German Ilse, and American Ginnie—as he searches for something better than he has, only to realize in the twilight of his life what he always had—the love of his wife— was more than enough to sustain him."
The Story of My Life
"...a musical with music and lyrics by Neil Bartram, and a book by Brian Hill. The show follows two childhood friends from age six to 35 and has only two characters."
Street Scene (OBC) & (1989 English National Opera)
"...a Broadway musical or, more precisely, an 'American opera' by Kurt Weill (music), Langston Hughes (lyrics), and Elmer Rice (book). Written in 1946 and premiered in Philadelphia that year, Street Scene is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name by Rice."
Strike Up the Band [1927 version] (1991 Studio Cast)
"...a musical with a book by Morrie Ryskind, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. The musical ran on Broadway in 1930 after the original book by George S. Kaufman was revised. The story satirizes America's taste for war: America declares war on Switzerland over a trivial trade issue. The original book by George S. Kaufman centered on Horace J. Fletcher, a Babbitt-like cheese tycoon who tries to maintain his monopoly on the American market by convincing the United States government to declare war on Switzerland. The story ended darkly.The 1930 plot by Ryskind, softened the political overtones, increased the emphasis on romance and added a happy ending. It relegated the war plot to a dream sequence. The incident that incites war concerned chocolate instead of cheese."
The Student Prince (1952 Studio Cast) & (2012 Studio Cast)
"...an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play Alt Heidelberg. The piece has elements of melodrama but lacks the swashbuckling style common to Romberg's other works. The plot is mostly faithful to its source. The show was the most successful of Romberg's works, running for 608 performances, the longest-running Broadway show of the 1920s."
Subways Are Sleeping
"...a musical with a book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Jule Styne. The original Broadway production played in 1961-62. The musical was inspired by an article about subway homelessness in the March 1956 issue of Harper's and a subsequent 1957 book based on it, both by Edmund G. Love, who slept on subway trains throughout the 1950s and encountered many unique individuals."
Sugar
"...a musical with a book by Peter Stone, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Bob Merrill. It is based on the film Some Like It Hot, which was adapted by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond from a story by Robert Thoeren and Michael Logan. It premiered on Broadway in 1972."
Sunday in the Park with George (OBC) & (2006 London Revival) & (2017 Broadway Revival)
"...a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical was inspired by the painting 'A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte' by Georges Seurat. A complex work revolving around a fictionalized Seurat immersed in single-minded concentration while painting the masterpiece."
Sunset Boulevard
"...a musical with book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Based on the 1950 film of the same title, the plot revolves around Norma Desmond, a faded star of the silent screen era, living in the past in her decaying mansion on the fabled Los Angeles street. When young screenwriter Joe Gillis accidentally crosses her path, she sees in him an opportunity to make her comeback to the big screen. Romance and tragedy follow."
Sweeney Todd (OBC) & (2000 New York Philarmonic)
"...a 1979 musical thriller with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and libretto by Hugh Wheeler. The musical is based on the 1973 play Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Christopher Bond. Sweeney Todd opened on Broadway at the Uris Theatre on March 1, 1979 and ran for 557 performances It was directed by Harold Prince with musical staging by Larry Fuller. It starred Len Cariou as Sweeney Todd and Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett. The musical tells the story of Benjamin Barker, alias Sweeney Todd, who returns to London after 15 years' transportation on false charges. When he learns from his former landlady Mrs. Lovett that his wife poisoned herself after being raped by the judge who wrongly transported him (Judge Turpin by name), he vows revenge."
Sweet Charity (OBC) & (2005 Broadway Revival)
"...a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It is based on Federico Fellini's screenplay for Nights of Cabiria. However, where Fellini's black-and-white Italian film concerns the romantic ups-and-downs of an ever-hopeful prostitute, in the musical the central character is a dancer-for-hire at a Times Square dance hall. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1966."
Sweet Smell of Success
"...a musical created by Marvin Hamlisch (music), Craig Carnelia (lyrics), and John Guare (book). The show is based on the 1957 movie of the same name, which tells the story of a powerful newspaper columnist named J. J. Hunsecker (based on famed New York columnist Walter Winchell) who uses his connections to ruin his sister's relationship with a man he deems inappropriate."
(SHE LOVES ME - Daniel Massey & Barbara Cook)
