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About This Quiz
Broadway musicals are known for their impressive songs, but they also have some memorable characters. Do you remember these Broadway musicals well enough to match them with their main characters? Find out by taking this quiz.
Which musical contains the characters Jean Valjean, Inspector Javert and Cosette?
8 Femmes.
Peau d'Âne.
Les Misérables.
The critics initially hated Les Misérables with reviews like the one from Michael Ratcliffe, which called it “a witless and synthetic entertainment.” The public, however, loved it, and it sold 5,000 tickets within 24 hours of opening.
La Cage aux Folles.
Who were the principal characters in West Side Story?
Tony and Maria.
“This is my last night as a blond … The fortune teller told Pepe a dark lady was coming into his life.” –Consuelo, West Side Story
Danny and Sandy.
Romeo and Juliet.
Christian and Satine.
Which musical contains the characters Zazu, Simba, Pumbaa and Timon?
Sarafina!
The Magic Flute.
The Lion King.
The first director of The Lion King movie was George Scribner. He envisioned a film that would be like a National Geographic feature that was animated. When it was turned into a musical, he left the project.
Aida.
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Which musical contains the characters Tevye, Golde, Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava?
Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.
Fiddler on the Roof.
Fiddler on the Roof was based on the story Tevye the Dairyman, written by Sholem Aleichem (Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich). Aleichem was known as the “Jewish Mark Twain.”
Nord-Orst.
Anastasia.
Which musical contains the characters Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero and Boq?
Little Shop of Horrors.
The Producers.
Carousel.
Wicked.
The Wicked Witch of the West was never given a name in L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz. Gregory Maguire came up with Elphaba from Baum’s initials: L. F. B.
Who were the principal characters in My Fair Lady?
Jerry Mulligan and Lise Bouvier.
Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle.
George Bernard Shaw wrote Pygmalion based upon a Greek myth. During his lifetime, Shaw refused to allow the play to be turned into a musical because he felt that would ruin the steady income he was making from it.
Maria Rainer and Captain Georg von Trapp.
Adam and Milly Pontipee.
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Which musical contains the characters Jack, Little Red Riding Hood, Witch, Rapunzel and Cinderella?
Grimm!
Babes in Toyland.
Into the Woods.
"Careful the things you say, children will listen. Careful the things you do, children will see and learn." –Witch, Into the Woods
The Slipper and the Rose.
Which musical contains the characters Christine, Raoul and Carlotta?
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
The Phantom of the Opera.
The Phantom of the Opera has grossed an estimated $6 billion since it opened January 26, 1988, beating even films such as Titanic in box office revenues. It has been performed more than 12,000 times in 35 countries (166 cities) worldwide.
Jersey Boys.
Pinocchio.
Which musical contains the characters The Emcee, Sally Bowles and Clifford Bradshaw?
Grand Hotel.
Cabaret.
“I used to pretend I was someone quite mysterious and fascinating. Then I grew up and realized I was mysterious and fascinating.” –Sally Bowles, Cabaret
Moulin Rouge.
All That Jazz.
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Which musical contains the characters Seymour, Audrey and Audrey II?
Evil Dead: The Musical.
The Wicker Man.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Little Shop of Horrors.
The 1960 film was done on a shoestring and inspired the off-Broadway musical, which opened May 6, 1982. After a month’s run, a producer picked it up, and it became the highest grossing musical of the time as well as spawning a 1986 film adaptation.
Which musical contains the characters Bustopher Jones, Grizabella, Jennyanydots, Mr. Mistoffelees and Old Deuteronomy?
Cats.
In order to finance Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber had to mortgage his house. Despite having other hits, such as Jesus Christ Superstar, under his belt, few believed a show about cats would be successful.
Beauty and the Beast.
Aida.
Smokey Joe’s Cafe.
Which musical contains the characters Zach, Cassie, Mike, Bobby, Judy, Val, Richie, Mark and Diana?
Fame.
A Chorus Line.
“What’s to tell about the Bronx? It’s uptown and to the right.” –Diana, A Chorus Line
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
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Which musical contains the characters Sky Masterson, Sarah Brown, Nathan Detroit, Miss Adelaide, Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Benny Southstreet?
42nd Street.
Pippin.
Gypsy.
Guys and Dolls.
The 1951 original Broadway production won five Tony awards: Best Musical, Best Performance (Leading Actor), Best Performance (Featured Actress), Best Choreography and Best Direction. The 1992 Broadway revival was the most successful American revival and ran for almost three years.
Which musical contains the Prince, Belle, Gaston, Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth and Lumiere?
The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Beauty and the Beast.
After the 1991 animated feature became the only animated film to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, Beauty and the Beast was converted into a Broadway musical that opened April 18, 1994. Since that time, it has played in 31 countries to more than 35 million people.
Aladdin.
The Little Mermaid.
Who were the principal characters in Grease?
Frances “Baby” Housemen and Johnny Castle.
Adam and Milly Pontipee.
Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko.
The original Grease musical was based on the Polish-American culture in Chicago. The film changed many things, including making Sandy Australian, to spotlight Olivia-Newton John. Since the film’s release, the Broadway musical has undergone revisions to reflect some of those changes.
Anna Leonowens and the King of Siam.
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Which musical contains the characters Curly McLain, Laurey Williams and Jud Fry?
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
The Sound of Music.
Oklahoma!
"But it’s summer, and we’re running out of ice." –Curly, Oklahoma
Chicago.
Which musical contains the characters Donna Sheridan, Sophie, Sam, Bill and Harry?
Gypsy: A Musical Fable.
Hairspray.
South Pacific.
Mamma Mia.
Playwright Catherine Johnson wrote the book for Mamma Mia!, but two other women were involved in its creation: producer, Judy Craymer and director, Phyllida Lloyd. The three women saw themselves in the relationship of the musical’s three best friends.
Which musical contains the characters Max Bialystock, Leopold “Leo” Bloom, Roger De Bris and Ulla Inga Hansen Benson Yansen Tallen Hallen Svaden Swanson Bloom-Cady Huffman?
The Producers.
When Mel Brooks was growing up in New York, he worked for several producers who inspired the film and musical. One producer Brooks worked for when he was 16 romanced old ladies for money, and a pair of producers he met later in life were making a killing producing only flops.
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Sweet Charity.
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Which musical contains the characters Nellie Forbush, Emile de Becque, Lt. Joseph Cable, Liat, Seabee Luther Billis and Bloody Mary?
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
The King and I.
Show Boat.
South Pacific.
"Where she’s narrow, she’s as narrow as an arrow, and she’s broad where a broad should be broad." –Nellie, South Pacific
Who were the principal characters in The Music Man?
Don Lockwood and Kathy Selden.
Professor Harold Hill and Marian Paroo.
Meredith Willson, composer, lyricist and librettist of The Music Man, was virtually unknown when the musical opened on Broadway in December of 1957. Although he continued to work as a composer, notably for some of Charlie Chaplin’s movies, he only composed two more musicals: The Unsinkable Molly Brown and Here’s Love (based on the Christmas favorite Miracle on 34th Street).
Lorelei Lee and Gus Esmond.
Margy Frake and Pat.
Which musical contains the characters Billy Crocker, Hope Harcourt, Reno Sweeney and Evelyn Oakleigh?
Annie Get Your Gun.
Show Boat.
Anything Goes.
“Oh, I see, you were in Indochina.” “That’s right, I was in Indoor China. And you were in Outdoor China.” –Moonface Martin, Anything Goes
Funny Face.
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Which musical contains the characters King Arthur of Britain, Sir Lancelot the Homicidally Brave and Sir Robin the-Not-Quite-so-Brave-as-Sir-Lancelot?
Camelot.
Spamalot.
Eric Idle, who wrote Spamalot, was a former member of Monty Python and wanted to parody musicals. He decided to do that by bringing an adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail to the stage.
The King and I.
Cinderella.
Which musical contains the characters Peggy Sawyer, Billy Lawlor, Dorothy Brock and Julian Marsh?
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
Hello, Dolly!
42nd Street.
Gower Champion was hired to turn the 1930 film 42nd Street into a Broadway hit. Sadly, Champion died August 25, 1980—opening night.
Chicago.
Which musical contains the characters Claude Hooper Bukowski, George Berger, Sheila Franklin, Hud and Neil “Woof” Donovan?
Hair.
Hair was the first musical to begin off-Broadway and move to Broadway. The show that first opened at The New York Shakespeare Festival Public Theater in October 1967 was very different from the show when it opened on Broadway at the Biltmore Theater April 29, 1968.
Jersey Boys.
Hairspray.
Barefoot in the Park.
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Who were the principal characters in Carousel?
Gaylord Ravenal and Magnolia Hawks.
Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan.
"Yeah, what about it? … My mother had a baby once." –Jigger Craigin, Carousel
Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi.
King Charles and Fastrada.
Which musical contains the characters Miguel de Cervantes, Sancho Panza, Aldonza, Antonia and the Padre?
Man of La Mancha.
The Man of La Mancha is a combination of Cervantes' life and his famous book, Don Quixote. Although Cervantes was inspired to write Don Quixote after spending time in jail, the musical makes no claims to being historically accurate nor true to the book.
Camelot.
The Pirates of Penzance.
Jersey Boys.
Which musical contains the characters Jesus of Nazareth, John the Baptist, Jeffrey, Gilmer, Herb, Joanne, Lamar, Peggy and Sonia?
Rock of Ages.
Jesus Christ, Superstar.
The Book of Mormon.
Godspell.
"Hey, I can’t see!” “Why not?" “I had my eyes shut.” –Gilmer and cast, Godspell
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Which musical contains the characters Millie Dillmount, Jimmy Smith, Miss Dorothy Brown and Mrs. Meers?
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
Singin’ in the Rain.
Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Set in 1922 New York, Thoroughly Modern Millie was based off a 1967 Academy Award-winning film. It launched Sutton Foster (who played the lead) from a chorus girl to a Tony winner.
Grand Hotel.
Which musical contains the characters Princeton/Rod, Kate Monster, Gary Coleman and Brian?
Life of Brian.
Avenue Q.
“What do you do with a B. A. in English? What is my life going to be? Four years of college and plenty of knowledge have earned me this useless degree.”
The Wiz.
The Sound of Music.
Which musical contains the characters Rusty, Poppa, Electra, Bobo and Greaseball?
Funny Girl.
Starlight Express.
In order to perform in Starlight Express, actors must first undergo four weeks of skate school and seven weeks of vocal staging and choreography. The top speed recorded by a skater during rehearsal was 40 mph.
Porgy and Bess.
La Cage aux Folles.
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Who were the principal characters in Show Boat?
Magnolia Hawks and Gaylord Ravenal.
Show Boat was based on a book by Edna Ferber. It has been adapted into a film three times: in 1929, 1936, 1951.
Don Lockwood and Kathy Selden.
Jerry Mulligan and Lise Bouvier.
Lorelei Lee and Gus Esmond.
Which musical contains the characters J. Pierrepont Finch, Rosemary Pilkington, J. B. Biggley, Bud Frump and Hedy LaRue?
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Sunset Boulevard.
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
“…I realize that I'm the president of this company, the man that's responsible for everything that goes on here. So, I want to state, right now, that anything that happened is not my fault.” –J. B. Biggley, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Grand Hotel.
Which musical contains the characters Jack Kelly, Crutchie, Davey Jacobs, Les Jacobs and Joseph Pulitzer?
Annie.
Newsies.
Newsies was originally supposed to be a drama, but was turned into a musical after the success of The Little Mermaid. Christian Bale would have never signed on if he had known it was a musical in advance.
Chicago.
Hamilton.
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Which musical contains the characters Fanny, Nick Arnstein, Mrs. Strakosh and Mrs. Brice?
Hello, Dolly!
Mame.
Brigadoon.
Funny Girl.
Funny Girl is based on the life of Fanny Brice, but it is mostly fiction with sprinkles of fact because Brice’s son-in-law wanted to avoid lawsuits.
Who were the principal characters in Miss Saigon?
Kim and Chris.
Miss Saigon is based on the Puccini opera, Madame Butterfly. Because of its negative portrayal of Asian stereotypes (originally Caucasians played the Asian characters in “yellowface”), it frequently meets with controversy whenever it is shown.
“Baby” and Johnny.
Satine and Christian.
Margy and Pat.
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