Top 10 Favorite Musicals

College Majors Musical Theater Major
61

<p>What fun - but this is a tough assignment, limiting to 10 - </p>

<p>Old Favorites - </p>

<ol>
<li>A. West Side Story - incomparable</li>
<li>B. My Fair Lady - unparalleled</li>
</ol>

<p>I got these two cast albums as a little kid, played them hundreds of times, memorized EVERY word of EVERY wonderful number (still know them all today, more or less line by line, and still in love with them).</p>

<ol>
<li>Man of La Mancha - gorgeous music</li>
<li>Carousel - tragic second act is very moving, music grows on you - IMO a far, far better show than Oklahoma</li>
<li>How to Succeed in Business - just an adorable show and so funny</li>
</ol>

<p>Not As Old Favorites</p>

<ol>
<li>Little Shop of Horrors - "And you ain't in Kansas, neither!" 'Greek chorus' makes the show, as does the world's best full cast number, "Skid Row"</li>
</ol>

<p>More Recent</p>

<ol>
<li>Phantom - this may be my absolute #1 at present, because I've sung along to it for years, went nuts when I saw it in London. I think the ensemble number (Prima Donna) is fabulous. My son just arranged the title track Phantom of the Opera for his 16 member mixed a cappella group, can't wait to hear that.</li>
</ol>

<p>Fairly Recent</p>

<ol>
<li> The Producers - Keep it gay, keep it gay, keep it gay!</li>
<li> Bat Boy - PERFECT </li>
<li> Spamalot - esp. the French castle scene - nearly fell out of my seat laughing </li>
</ol>

<p>Ok, that's 10 (whew!) Some other more recent musicals I've seen and which I will rate, for your agreement/disagreement include Hairspray (5 out of 10), Avenue Q (6 out of 10 - really like Schadenfreude), Rent (2 out of 10 - characters unappealing and don't like the music), and Light in the Piazza (5 out of 10).</p>

62

<p>Oops! I forgot the Rocky Horror Show! How could I?</p>

63

<p>oh man OKAY.
top 10...
....for right now haha.
so hard!</p>

<p>1.Ragtime (in it)
2.Spring Awakening (saw it)
3.Les Miserables (saw it when I was little)
4.West Side Story(movie)
5.My Fair Lady (amazing movie)
6.Mary Poppins (saw it)
7.Wicked(saw it many a time oh hush, it was a phase)
8.Starlight Express(one of my first shows, so it's naturally gotta be on the list.)
9.25th Annual PC Spelling Bee(saw it a couple times)
10.Chicago (saw it/movie)</p>

64

<p>...+Evita and ACL....shhh</p>

65

<p>Since my son has became involved in theater three years ago I've discoverd the whole world out there of entertainment. I was blessed to see Donny Osmond in Chicago in Joseph and His Technicolor Dreamcoat. I saw it 3 times. I loved it. Anyone else?</p>

66

<p>I have seen the Donny Osmond version on video, but I must say our community theater Joseph was every bit as good as (I personally thought he was better) than Donny. We have amazing talent in our little town, and this young man (he turned 21 during rehearsals--I remember because we had cake!) was incredible. Extremely handsome, very nice, and what a voice! He went on to study voice in Austria, he and his wife performed on a cruise ship, and I believe they are currently in Branson. I don't know why he doesn't go to New York. That was 1999, and we are doing 'Joseph' again this summer. I don't know who will be here to play the part, though. We have amazing talent, but few men between 15 and 50!</p>

<p>I might add, I have been a Donny Osmond fan since the "Go Away, Little Girl" days. I think the Osmond Brothers was my first concert ever!</p>

67

<p>OK, I'll play. There won't be 10, and this will be a very sentimental list.</p>

<p>PORGY AND BESS - my parents went to see the first revival in NYC when they were dating in 1942, and my dad bought the cast album when it was finally put on LP. I must have listened to it 1000 times growing up. It's probably the reason I'm in theatre. "Summertime", "My Man's Gone Now", "It Ain't Necessarily So" are burned into my brain.</p>

<p>WEST SIDE STORY - still the best musical ever written. Music by Bernstein, lyrics by Sondheim, book by Laurents out of Shakespeare, choreography by Robbins. Please. I finally had the chance to direct it in 2000, and I'll never do anything any better. We did it on an 8 degree rake (up left to down right), a kind of knife slash across the stage, with walls of junk (literally) and a chain link fence that came down and completely filled the proscenium arch for the rumble. Rob did the set, Dana did the lights (including a 10-minute light show for the dream ballet), Greg was TD, and Stella outshone herself with the choreography. It was magical.</p>

<p>CARNIVAL - I fell in love with Anna Maria Alberhetti's voice on "Mira", and I always wanted to play Paul so I could tell her I loved her. Never did get to do that. It's a wonderful show, and no one does it anymore. (I spoke too soon--the Kennedy Center just revived it to rave reviews and it closed last week. Darn!)</p>

<p>1776 - Because I love the period and the story it tells, and the characters, and because I did get to play John Adams. My students had great fun yelling, "Sit down, John" at me in the opening number. Trust me, it was grounded and truthful work on their part.</p>

<p>FANNY - Another one that no one knows any more. They made a movie of it, but used the music as underscoring, so unless you've come across the cast album, you don't know it. Ezio Pinza and Walter Slezak starred. The ballad "Fanny" soars, and I don't know if there's a funnier novelty number out there than the "Octopus Song". Amazon.com has excerpts. Enjoy.</p>

68

<p>another you don't run across very much was Fiorello!!! Probably a little too "niche" to have universal appeal. It's my understanding it was an early starting vehicle for Tom Bosley.</p>

<p>Maybe not particularly memorable overall, but I totally enjoy "Politics and Poker" and "Little Tin Box"...both of which probably DO represent universal truth</p>

69

<p>"CARNIVAL - I fell in love with Anna Maria Alberhetti's voice on "Mira", and I always wanted to play Paul so I could tell her I loved her. Never did get to do that. It's a wonderful show, and no one does it anymore. (I spoke too soon--the Kennedy Center just revived it to rave reviews and it closed last week. Darn!)"</p>

<p>My first time seeing the show was the recent Kennedy Center revival, I know the guy who played Paul, which is why I went. It was such a beautiful production! Though I have to admit the cuts made to the book really hurt the characters of Paul and Lili, unfortunately. But it was still a beautiful show with beautiful songs! I wish it would have made a transfer to Broadway but from what I was told, that's not gonna happen. Too bad.</p>

70

<p>you're totally giving your age away!</p>

71

<p>OK - I finally made my list...these aren't necessarily in any order (I mean, if I'm stuck on an island and can only bring one cast recording cd or complete cast with me, for that matter, I'd have to think long and hard about which will come along!)</p>

<p>Sweeny Todd -The original cast (I'm in complete love with Victor Garber - I know, I know, his feelings would never be mutual; which brings me to my next musical - though he was in the movie version)
Godspell
Color Purple - adored the book, movie and musical
Cabaret - my daughter played Sally Bowles twice and, tragically, is so much like her...
Johnny Pye and the Foolkillers - I'm sure none of you know this one...it's one that my brother wrote and played off broadway at the Lamb's theatre - probably some of my favorite music/lyrics ever.
Gifts of the Magi - another one of my brother's shows from the Lamb's theatre (ok, who wouldn't LOVE something their own brother poured his heart and soul into?)
1776 - I'm glad Dr. John mentioned this one...this brings such wonderful memories of my youth...my brother played this over and over in my family dining room very, very loudly and would sing all the parts and yell the "Sit down John" to me....I've never seen it performed live, but will be seeing it this summer down the shore at The Surflight theatre.
Little Women - favorite book of all time, loved a lot of the music/lyrics in the musical
Wicked - fun to have been able to enjoy this with my daughter
Rent - loved the first cast, the next few times I liked it just to make memories with the kids.</p>

72

<p>Ohhhhh I forgot Batboy! Do I have to cut something out in order to put that one in???? I've spent many hours enjoying the music with my son...</p>

73

<p>I have the tendency to like what my sons high school happens to be doing at the time.
over the past 4 years they would be:</p>

<p>West Side story - Great music, tough dancing, good story
CATS - I liked the music. The head of the drama department at school doesn't like the show or the music but thought it was a great opportunity to be the first to do it.
Seusical - just plain fun
Big River - probably my favorite. The best music, follows the book very closely
Les Miserables -</p>

74

<p>lynnm -- Your brother wrote Gift of the Magi?!? A small company near me did it last year and I really enjoyed it! That's awesome!</p>

75

<p>drjohn -- on Porgy and Bess (on my Top l0 list as well) you wrote, "I must have listened to it 1000 times growing up. It's probably the reason I'm in theatre. "Summertime", "My Man's Gone Now", "It Ain't Necessarily So" are burned into my brain."</p>

<p>May I share how pleasant it is to read about how these musicals reach new generations, time and again. They are CLASSICS, they are our opera.</p>

<p>You'd have enjoyed, as I did at age 11 when my folks let me see Porgy. Sammy Davis Jr. was Sportin' Life so performed "It Ain't Necessarily So" in an outdoor summer music tent outside of Baltimore. Right after this very line, "the things that you're liable to read in the Bible, it ain't necessarily so --" then CRACK of lightening!! Then came a deafening rainstorm -- so loud that the performance had to stop for 30 min. until the performers could be heard again.
Meanwhile for the 30 min, Sammy Davis Jr., who was himself a religious man, kept pointing up to the ceiling and laughing, shaking his head in wonder.</p>

76

<p>sporti - Yup, I'd say he's written more plays than musicals, but Gifts of the Magi was one of them. Another play you may be familiar with is Out of Gas on Lover's Leap. I only mention that because it has two teenage characters and is often used for monologues for young actors.</p>

77

<ol>
<li>Cats ( I can't believe that this wasn't mentioned much)</li>
<li>West Side Story (Incomparable)
3.Beauty and The Beast (Marvelous)
4.South Pacific ( another one not mentioned much)
5.Les Mis
6.Seven Brides for Seven Brothers ( I met Howard Keel personally)</li>
<li>Rent</li>
<li>Phantom of the Oprah
9.Fiddler on the Roof,which I might move up a couple of slots</li>
<li>Wicked
11.Chorus Line
Honorable Mention: Porgy and Bess, Little Shop of Horrors, Seussical (sp) Yes, I really loved this.</li>
</ol>

78

<p>"Phantom of the Oprah"?? Would that be Dr. Phil? :D Just kidding!</p>

79

<p>LOL, Susan! I was thinking the same thing. Once in awhile, our typos (and let's face it: we all make 'em!) make a funny sense in and of themselves. Now I am picturing Dr. Phil as either the Phantom or Raoul ....</p>

80

<p>I knew it was a typo but I could not resist ! I type many typos here myself. Many are not funny though.</p>