To what I think was your original point, or question, I do think there is no doubt that if someone COULD write a musical in the classic style, and might actually want to, Shaiman and Wittman are it. The evidence is bountiful from their use of pastiche in Hairspray (although granted they are not doing golden age there), Catch Me If You Can (a show that while I get why it didn't work for many, produced a SCORE that I have never tired of listening to over the years), some of the Poppins work, and some of the songs from Smash.
I've also just thought about Frankel and Korie. Certianly much of Act One of Grey Gardens fits the bill. Drift Away, Will You?, Peas in a Pod, and on and on. They also used pastiche in War Paint, although under the surface their music is incredibly complex, more so than I think of the classics as being, but I could be wrong. This is based on me being able to read music and trying to play through their songs on the piano. Point is, I think they LIKE the classic style and could and would write a whole show in that style. |
