What Stage in the States for These Songs? Quiz

"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is a musical with music by Gene de Paul, Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn; it is based on the popular 1954 movie of the same name.

The show's original tour began in the US in 1978 but was cancelled before it even reached Broadway. A trial run in 1982 closed after just three days, although a 1985 West End run fared slightly better with an 11-week run.

The story is set in the 1880s Oregon frontier. Adam Pontipee marries a young town girl named Milly and takes her home to his remote cabin where he has six brothers. Milly decides to teach them manners and help them to find their own wives. The boys have a better idea and ride into town and kidnap six women at a social and bring them home. This sets the scene for a romantic comedy as they all try to navigate this new dynamic.

The musical's main themes are love and family amidst learning to adapt in a new world on the western frontier.

"Sunset Boulevard" is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, based on the 1950 movie of the same name.
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Opening in London in 1993 it had a four-year run with a three-year run on Broadway commencing in 1994. It has had multiple tours and international performances since.

The musical revolves around Norma Desmond, a silent film star who lives in seclusion in her mansion on Sunset Boulevard. Norma is fixated with her former glory and is convinced she is ready to make her comeback.

Her life becomes entwined with young aspiring screenwriter Joe Gillis who stays at her house. Joe is originally happy to indulge her fantasies in exchange for the luxurious lifestyle, but eventually becomes a pawn in Norma's obsession, her loss of reality and the fantasy created by her ego.

The show is a cautionary tale about clinging to the past, the dangers of fame as the characters seek recognition, wealth and love and the moral compromises made in the pursuit of these goals.

"The Osmonds" is a newer musical based on the life of the Osmond brothers from Ogden, Utah. The story is by Jay Osmond and it has more than 30 of the brothers' famous songs.

The musical premiered in London in February 2022 and toured the UK and Ireland until the end of the year with sold out shows in every city. The original Broadway premiere had been set for August 2021 but was postponed due to COVID.

Music, faith and family are the main themes as the musical introduces us to parents George and Olive Osmond and their nine children: Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie and Jimmy. It follows their lives from their beginnings on "The Andy Williams Show" through to selling out vast arenas in live concerts, multiple record-breaking TV shows and to the one bad decision that cost them everything.

"The Wizard of Oz" is a 2011 musical based on the 1939 film which, in turn, was based on the L. Frank Baum novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". The musical has songs from the movie by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg, with new songs and extra lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

The London premiere was in 2011 where it ran for 18 months before moving on to a Toronto and North American tour from 2012 to 2014.

The classic story of Dorothy Gale from Kansas being swept away by a tornado to the magical Land of Oz and following the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City to find the wizard who can help her get home is well known to many.

Her travelling companions the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the Cowardly Lion are all out in force in this musical that focuses on themes of friendship, courage and the true power of believing in oneself.

"Whistle Down the Wind" has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Jim Steinman. It is based on the 1961 movie of the same name which was based on a novel by Mary Hayley Bell. The book and movie were set in England but for the musical this was changed to a small town in Louisiana in the 1950s.

It premiered in 1996 in Washington D.C. with bad reviews and the Broadway run was cancelled. The show was reworked and then opened in the West End in 1998 where it ran for two and a half years.

The musical revolves around a group of children near Christmastime who find an escaped convict in their barn and mistakenly believe he is Jesus. The children agree not to tell the adults and the pure love, innocence and faith is in juxtaposition with an adult revivalist group who have set up a tent in the town which the adults attend to prove their faith.

The themes explored include the transformative power of belief, compassion, empathy and the loss of innocence set amid the social and racial tensions of society in the 1950s American deep south.

"Gone with the Wind" has Margaret Martin as author, composer, and lyricist. It is adapted from Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel and the 1939 film, although it is a bit more faithful to the book than the film was.

With a running time of three and a half hours, the production premiered on the West End in April 2008 and closed due to bad reviews in June after just 79 performances. The planned New York production and US tour were placed on hold based on this reaction.

The story is set in Georgia in the American South during the Civil War and Reconstruction era. It follows the life of Scarlett O'Hara, a strong-willed southern belle, as she navigates love, loss and the changing social and economic landscape of the time.

The musical explores themes of survival, resilience, and the impact of war on individuals and society. It's a sweeping epic that delves into the complexities of human relationships and the cultural shifts brought about by historical events.

"Hairspray" is an American musical based on the 1988 movie of the same name. With music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, it received 13 nominations at the Tony Awards and won eight, including Best Musical.

It actually premiered in Seattle in 2022 and moved to Broadway a year later where it ran for another 6 years. The London premiere was in 2007 and ran until 2009.

The story is set in the 1960s and centres around 'plus-sized' teenager Tracy Turnblad who loves to dance and wants to join a local dance program on TV in Baltimore, Maryland. She actually achieves this goal despite her size, renewing her faith in humanity until she realizes that racial segregation is prevalent in both the show and her community.

She then becomes an advocate for integration and rallies against discrimination, which forms most of the theme for the musical - acceptance, equality, diversity, individuality and the power of unity.

"West Side Story" is a musical with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim in his Broadway debut. It is based on a concept by Jerome Robbins, who also directed and choreographed the show.

Opening on Broadway in 1957, it ran for two years and then went on a national tour for a year and then spent another six months on Broadway where it won six Tony Awards. The London run began in 1958 and finished in June 1961. It was adapted to a movie in the same year, which went on to win 10 Academy Awards.

The musical is set in 1950s' New York City and is based on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". The story unfolds against the backdrop of two rival gangs, the Jets who are white Americans, and the Sharks who consist of Puerto Rican immigrants, who are both competing for their territory.

The trouble starts when Tony, a former Jets member, falls in love with Maria who is the sister of Bernardo, the Sharks leader. The relationship is played out amidst a growing tension between the groups, cultural differences and gang warfare ending in tragedy.

The musical follows these themes of love, intolerance, social and racial discrimination and the tragic consequences of violence and ends with some hope for a different future.

At the time Chicago had several high profile cases involving women killing their partners and these women were made into media sensations and acquitted. A lore arose that, in Chicago, feminine or attractive women could not be convicted.

It is a unique musical in that its original run was much less than its revival - the revival actually holds the record of the longest running in Broadway history. Originally premiering on Broadway in 1975 it had a respectable two-year run and the UK tour ran for 18 months.

The revival began on Broadway in November 1996 and was still running as of November 2023. The West End revival began in 1997 and ran for 15 years, finally ending in 2012.

The musical is set in 1920s Chicago and centres around Roxie Hart, a chorus girl who murders her lover, and Vaudeville star Velma Kelly, who was involved in the death of her husband and sister. The story revolves around both the girls as they vie for the attention of the media and their smooth lawyer Billy Flynn, who is known for turning his clients into celebrities.

The musical adopts a satirical tone in a cynical commentary on the legal system and the pursuit of fame in the Jazz age, where the celebrities manipulate the justice system to their own ends.

"Happy Days" has music and lyrics by Paul Williams and is based on a book by Garry Marshall, who created the popular TV series set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The musical did not have a Broadway premiere, opening in both Connecticut and New Jersey in 2007 and then proceeding straight to a National Tour.

The show is set at about season 4 of the TV show, when Richie and the gang have just finished high school and are getting ready for college. It is based around the kids trying to save Arnold's from demolition by hosting a dance concert and a wrestling match.

The musical is a feel-good nostalgic look at life in a simpler time that captures the charm and innocence of 1950s suburban America while the cast navigate the challenges of adolescence and growing up amidst themes of friendship, loyalty and romance.