Musicals and Their Venues Trivia Quiz

Answer: U.S.A

The 'Flower Drum Song' is a musical by Richard Rogers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein (lyrics). It was the eighth musical they wrote together. and is based on a 1958 novel by Chin Yang Lee, which concerns a young Chinese girl who has fled communist China with her father and come to San Francisco to meet the man her family have arranged for her to marry.

However, the fiance has other ideas.

Answer: Germany

This musical is set in 1930s Berlin, mainly around a seedy nightclub. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It is based on John Van Druten's 1951 play 'I Am a Camera', which was adapted from the short novel 'Goodbye to Berlin' (1939) by Christopher Isherwood. Liza Minelli's performance in the movie version made her a star.

A young American writer arrives in Berlin and meets Sally Bowles, who is a singer/dancer in a night club. The couple fall in love and the story is played out before the decadent atmosphere, and anti-Jewish feelings of the time.

Answer: Russia

The movie version featured Topol who played a poor milkman in a small village in Russia who had five daughters and the romances of the eldest three. It shows the prejudice and brutality suffered by the Jewish population in Russia back in 1905, when during a political crisis the government incited people against the Jews to distract them from the real problems.

The music is by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein.

Answer: France

This is based on the novel 'Les Miserables' by Victor Hugo. The music is by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil. Jean-Marc Natel wrote the French lyrics and Herbert Kretzmer was the English lyricist. It was first performed in 1985 and over 53 million people worldwide have seen it, making it one of the most popular musicals ever.

The story is about an ex-convict called Jean Valjean who is seeking dedemption for his sins of the past, and is played out against the aftermath of the French revolution.

Answer: Thailand

This was the fifth musical created by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein. It was based on a book called 'Anna and the King of Siam' by Margaret Landon, which in turn was based on the memoirs of Anna Leonowens who was tutor to the children of the King of Siam.

The present day name of Siam is Thailand. Anna arrives to teach the children of the king, but some of his practices are very alien to her, and yet there in an attraction between them.

Answer: England

'Oliver!' is a musical by Lionel Bart based on the Charles Dickens novel of the same name about an orphan boy trying to survive in London of 19th Century. Charles Dickens wrote a lot about poverty in London and was active in charity work.

Answer: Ireland

'The Commitments' musical was written by Roddy Doyle based on his own novel. It concerns a group of unemployed young people who form a rock band. The songs are all classic hits from the 1950s and '60s, and were not written especially for this musical.

Answer: Argentina

This musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics). It is the story of Eva Peron who was married to Juan Peron, the President of Argentina. She was very avaricious and took a lot of money and power for herself, but the people adored her. She died in 1952.

Answer: Austria

This is the story of the musical Von Trapp family, who escaped from the Nazis during World War II. The music is by Richard Rogers and the lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein. In the movie version Julie Andrews played Maria, who was sent from a nunnery to look after a large family, and fell in love with the father played by Christopher Plummer.

Answer: Vietnam

This musical is based on the story of 'Madame Butterfly' as immortalised by Puccini in his great opera. It is set in a bar and brothel in Saigon where a young girl named Kim has been brought to work as a bar girl. She catches the eye of an American G.I. who wants to take her away from that life.

The music is by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, and the lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr.