A Night at the Theater Trivia Game | Musicals Mixture

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Starting at the Gershwin Theater on 51th St., I first take a glance at the marquee for which long-running show? It is a retelling of "The Wizard of Oz", focusing on the friendship between a "good witch" and a "bad witch".

Answer: Wicked

Open since fall of 2003, "Wicked" tells the story of The Wizard of Oz from the point of view of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. The musical paints Elphaba in a sympathetic light, showing her school days and her friendship with good witch Glinda, as well as showing her eventual turn to "evil". Well over a decade since it originally opened, the show remains popular, with songs like "Defying Gravity" and "Popular", well known among theater lovers.

2. A block away on 50th St., I decide to check out a revival of which popular Rodgers and Hammerstein musical at the Circle in the Square Theater? I discover that this revival provides a darker and more modern take on the show, significantly changing the famous dream ballet, as well as putting more weight on the death of secondary character Jud.

Answer: Oklahoma

"Oklahoma" was the first musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein and was one of the earliest musicals to have a serious plot. Adapted from the play "Green Grow the Lilacs", it focuses on the romance between farm girl Laurey and cowboy Curly in the territory of Oklahoma shortly before it achieved statehood.

While the 2019 revival does not change the script, it changes the tone significantly, as it puts the characters in modern dress and leans into darker aspects of the show, such as Curly killing rival suitor Jud at the end of the show.

3. I decide I'd rather see something lighter, so I wander down to the Eugene O'Neill Theater on 49th St. Which humorous show about two missionaries visiting Uganda can I see?

Answer: The Book of Mormon

Written by the creators of South Park, "The Book of Mormon" is a humorous take on religion, telling the story of two Mormon missionaries who go on a mission to Uganda and struggle to get their message across to uninterested locals. The show earned nine Tony awards when it opened in 2011 and remained popular, becoming one of the longest running shows on Broadway.

4. Wandering down to the Walter Kerr Theater on 48th St., I decide to check out a more recent Tony winner. What musical is playing here? It opened in spring 2019 and uses jazz, blues, and folk music to tell the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Answer: Hadestown

Written by singer-songwriter Anais Mitchell, "Hadestown" sets the story of Orpheus and Eurydice in a setting reminiscent of the Great Depression. It presents a version of the story where Hades runs the Underworld as a company town and coerces a starving Eurydice to become one of his workers. The score uses aspects of folk and blues music to emphasize the setting.

5. Looking for something with a happier ending, I decide to check out the Brooks Atkinson Theater on 47th St., where I can see what musical with music by Sara Bareilles? Based on a movie, it tells the story of a pie maker who unexpectedly becomes pregnant.

Answer: Waitress

"Waitress", based on the movie of the same name, tells the story of Jenna, a waitress who becomes pregnant while in an abusive relationship. Over the course of the musical, Jenna begins an affair with her doctor and considers entering a pie-making contest to earn enough money to leave her marriage.

The musical features music by Sara Bareilles, who has also starred as Jenna at various points during the run.

6. Next, I go to the Richard Rodgers Theater on 46th St. where I decide to check out which incredibly popular musical that uses hip-hop to tell a story about the founding of the United States?

Answer: Hamilton

Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton" uses a hip-hop score to tell the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton, notable for casting people of color in the roles of prominent American historical figures. It's a ridiculously popular musical, completely selling out its original Off-Broadway run and most of its early Broadway performance.

It also received great critical acclaim, winning eleven Tony Awards and a Pulitzer.

7. Looking for something more family-friendly, I wander down to the Minskoff Theater on 45th St., where which musical based on a Disney movie is playing? It masterfully uses puppets to represent various African animals.

Answer: The Lion King

"The Lion King" first opened on Broadway in 1997, making it the third longest running show in Broadway history as of 2019. In addition to adding several scenes and songs not present in the movie, the show manages to adapt the movie to stage by having some characters portrayed by puppets and by having other characters' costumes feature elaborate headpieces with animal faces.

8. Walking half a block down 45th St., I end up at the Schoenfeld Theater to check out which musical set in Canada shortly after 9/11?

Answer: Come From Away

"Come From Away", which opened on Broadway in 2017, tells the true story of 38 planes that were diverted to the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, on September 11, 2001. Using an ensemble cast, most of whom play multiple characters over the course of the play, it focuses on human kindness in times of tragedy (and also on how Canadians are nice).

9. Even further down 45th St., at the Al Hirschfeld Theater, I come across this stage adaptation of which movie musical? It's a jukebox musical, incorporating music from a number of artists, and it focuses on a young poet who falls in love with a courtesan in Paris at the turn of the 20th century.

Answer: Moulin Rouge

Based on the movie of the same name, "Moulin Rouge" opened on Broadway in summer of 2019. Based on the 2001 movie of the same name, it uses various pop songs to tell the story of the romance between poet Christian and showgirl and courtesan Satine. In addition to music from the movie, the musical incorporates music from more recent artists, such as Katy Perry and Lady Gaga.

10. Finally, I settle down at the Majestic Theater on 44th St. to see which show that's been running for over 30 years? It tells the story of singer Christine and her "angel of music".

Answer: Phantom of the Opera

Adapted from a novel by Gaston Leroux, Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera" opened in 1988. As of 2019, it remains open, making it the longest running show ever to run on Broadway. It tells the story of opera singer Christine Daa�, who catches the interest of a mysterious musical genius living beneath the Paris Opera House and is perhaps most notable for having a chandelier crash onto stage at the end of the first act.

Source: Author rose1729

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ponycargirl before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

A Night at the Theater Trivia Quiz

I've arrived in New York's theater district, looking to spend a night at the theater. Can you help me decide what to see by identifying these musicals, all of which were open on Broadway as of the fall 2019?

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>