Why No Best Musical Olivier In 2002?

[Phantom of London]

Very curious.

[Oleanna]

Well it was clearly a difficult season post-9/11. The closure of lots of shows were attributed to the downturn in tourism this caused.

In addition to this, it seems to me that the only possible shows eligible were “Closer to Heaven” and “Peggy Sue Got Married”, so hardly a bumper year.

“Shockheaded Peter” was considered a musical, but was nominated for (and won) “Best Entertainment”.

[Oleanna]

When researching this, I found it interesting to note that neither “The Secret Garden” nor “The Full Monty” were nominated for Best New Musical...

[Phantom of London]

Thanks so there was musicals to fill the categories?

[Deleted]

The Secret Garden got surprisingly poor reviews. I liked it and would have given it the award but nothing else that year was worthy. Closer to Heaven started off great for the first fifteen minutes but then the soap opera book dragged it right down after that. Peggy Sue Got Married was workmanlike and staged well, Ruthie Henshall and Gavin Lee transcended the material, the audience rising, as one, for Henshall at the curtain call. My two musicals of the year were both on the fringe at the Bridewell, Is There Life After High School (Broadway 1982) and Rags (Broadway 1986) which had a great klezmer infused orchestration and a lovely performance by Sally Ann Triplett in the lead role.

The Full Monty was eligible for 2003 I think, but it ran on its name and the imported cast were no great shakes, whilst Dora Bryan was just embarrassing. The show itself suffers from not being set in Sheffield, which is what a UK audience expected.

[Someone in a tree]

That was the year I moved to the big smoke. Ahhh happy days @cardinal!

Never saw Full Monty as it sounded terrible.

Life after high school was brilliant. Such a great production

[iamian]

'Lance Armstrong: The Musical' won it that year

[mallardo]

Jun 19, 2018 12:42:41 GMT Someone in a tree said:

Never saw Full Monty as it sounded terrible.

The Full Monty was and is a great show with a wonderful David Yazbek score. It was reset to Buffalo, New York because it was created by Americans for a Broadway audience.  Instead of condemning it as heretical it should be asked why no British writers and composers took up the challenge?

[Someone in a tree]

I have now seen Woman and scoundrels and I didn’t enjoy either also the bits of his I have heard online I just don’t enjoy - I generally prefer a much more classical or jazz sound.

[mallardo]

Jun 20, 2018 12:28:17 GMT Someone in a tree said:

I have now seen Woman and scoundrels and I didn’t enjoy either also the bits of his I have heard online I just don’t enjoy - I generally prefer a much more classical or jazz sound.

I don't know what to make of that. Yazbek's music is very much jazz oriented and always has been, full of complex rhythms and harmonies . Take a listen to Haled's Song About Love in The Band's Visit, a gorgeous pastiche of the classic Chet Baker cool jazz sound. I'm really shocked that you don't like Yazbek's music as I know you're someone with very sophisticated tastes - a Steve Reich fan, no less!

[gmoneyoutlaw]

I loved The Full Monty on Broadway and at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey. This has to be said as Paper Mill has been around for decades and the biggest Broadway entertainers would do shows there just for the hell of it. In The Full Monty, Elaine Stritch made the show "her show" and it was electrifying. That was the true meaning of charisma, she elevated everyone on stage to her level and it was a night to remember.

Dirty was an okay show. Joanna Gleason was a bit dull. I hear the London production with Lindsay was good but had backstage drama.

Woman was hysterical made even more perfect as the cast on Broadway was top notch! Sherri Rene Scott, Brian Mitchell, Danny Burnstein, Patti LuPone and Laura Benati on a phone and I couldn't stop laughing.