The Book of Mormon (musical) with tyrannical, charismatic men with way too many children, our heroes... must confront a one-eyed, genocidal warlord with an unprintable name... That's enough to test the faith of even the most optimistic gospel spreaders (not to mention songwriters). Yet in setting these dark elements to sunny melodies "The Book of Mormon" achieves something like a miracle. It both makes fun of and ardently embraces the all-American art form of the inspirational book musical. No Broadway show has so successfully had it both ways since Mel Brooks adapted his film "The Producers" for the stage a decade ago." Jon Stewart, host
By the Beautiful Sea (musical) By the Beautiful Sea (musical) By the Beautiful Sea is a musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Arthur Schwartz. Like Schwartz’s previous musical, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", also starring Shirley Booth, the musical is set in Brooklyn just after the start of the 20th century (1907). "By the Beautiful Sea" played on Broadway in 1954. "By the Beautiful Sea" played in pre-Broadway tryouts in New Haven at the Shubert Theatre starting February 15, 1954; in Boston starting February 23; and Philadelphia starting March 16. The musical opened on