In the increasingly high-stakes world of Broadway musicals, the trend seems to be similar to that of recent TV seasons: there will be one mega-hit, so ordained by both critics and audiences, plus a lot of other stuff fighting to survive. We saw the phenomenon last year with The Producers. Next, Thoroughly Modern Millie made a brief claim to the throne, but quickly was edged out by this year’s blockbuster. That is, of course, Hairspray. With a $27 million advance, it’s not likely that you’ll be seeing the Harvey Fierstein vehicle anytime soon. But contrary to initial appearances, there is a season out there, with some intriguing shows, both big and small. (And with a little luck, a few might even stay around long enough for you to see them!)

Movin’ Out

After Hairspray, Movin' Out is probably the other blockbuster claimant. It's based on a blockbuster idea, certainly -- pair up Billy Joel's music with Twyla Tharp's choreography. What emerges is a loosely constructed piece that follows two couples and various friends through good and hard times. The narrative is almost non-existent, yet serendipitously allows Tharp to explore some of her favorite tropes: conflicted romances, Vietnam, nostalgia for the rock 'n' rollin' '60s. It's not Tharp's best work, but it is fabulously danced, especially by sexy John Selya and Elizabeth Parkinson, a stunning Nicole-Kidman-look-alike. Michael Cavanaugh sings and plays the familiar Joel songs as to the manner born. If ultimately one feels that Movin' Out is driven more by commercial interests than creative ones, it's hard to resist its energy.

Amour

A commercial risk that didn't pay off. Michel Legrand's first Broadway musical is a lyrical fable about a man who can walk through walls. The piece is a tad fey, but I enjoyed Amour a lot. The through-composed score finds Legrand still in command of the boulevardier charm he displayed almost 40 years ago in Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Jeremy Sams' English lyrics (adapted from French originals) have sass and style. Malcolm Gets and Melissa Errico were adorable in the leads, and the seven-member supporting ensemble was superb. I admired especially James Lapine's witty direction and the lovely scenery by Scott Pask. Most of all, Amour didn't look like anything else, which is a rare virtue in our often-formulaic theater. Hélas, the show's charms proved too idiosyncratic and ephemeral for Broadway. Amour was a hit in Paris, but for Americans it's apparently like other French perishables -- best enjoyed while abroad, not to be imported.

Flower Drum Song

Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1958 musical, where East meets West in Chinatown, San Francisco, has always gotten a bad rap. It's considered cheesy and simplistic at best, racist at worst. Actually the score has some marvelous songs (alongside a fair amount of dross), and even the naive cultural idea has theatrical potential. It seemed like a good idea to have David Henry Hwang freshen the book, and bring in the elegant director Robert Longbottom to stage the new version. Longbottom comes off best -- the opening "A Hundred Million Miracles" is magical, and many of the other numbers are snappy good fun. The book scenes, though, feel inert -- Hwang has substituted new cliches for Hammerstein's old ones. Lea Salonga as Mei-Li is lovely but monochromatic. I preferred the peppy Sandra Allen, who plays assimilated showgirl Linda Low.

A Man of No Importance

A small musical based on a small movie, Man tells the story of a middle-aged Irishman who is a bus worker by day, amateur theater director by night. The secondary (or perhaps primary) plot shows him fighting to accept his homosexuality. The show wants to be two things at once: a sentimental drama about identity, and a jolly tale of leprechaun-ish folks puttin' on a show (Wilde's Salome, of all things), but the clash of styles finds one undercutting the other. Composer/lyricists Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens are masters at assimilating international styles, but apart from their marvelous score for Ragtime, I've not been bowled over. Here, the Celtic-tinged songs are serviceable while you're hearing them, forgotten a moment later. Roger Rees is a decent singer by actor standards (and of course a fine actor by any standards). Joe Mantello's direction keeps the proceedings moving, but in the end Man feels unfocused and surprisingly drab.

Through Dec. 29, Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, Lincoln Center, 150 W. 65th St., 212-239-6200.

Musicals in Mufti

Musicals in Mufti has come up with an intimate, utterly charming counterpart to New York's vaunted (and impossibly oversubscribed) Encores! series. Like Encores!, MIM brings back forgotten-but-worthy musicals for a limited number of performances. (Their winter season promises Noel Coward's Pacific 1860, John Kander's A Family Affair, and Kenward Elmslie's legendary but almost never produced The Grass Harp.) I caught Jumbo, which was a mischievous choice -- a 1935 Rodgers and Hart musical originally designed for the 5,000-plus seat Hippodrome, the show calls for (among other things) a live elephant! There wasn't one in the tiny York Theatre, of course -- not even an orchestra, nor much scenery. But a handful of engaging actor/singers, accompanied by two pianos, sang gems like "My Romance" and "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" and reminded us that good performers doing good material is what the theater is all about.

Winter season begins Jan. 17, York Theatre Company, The Theatre at St. Peter’s, 54th and Lexington, 212-935-5850.