Good thread.
1. Les Miz will always be on top for me, but I'm starting to like other shows more. I love it though. I saw it when I turned eleven, and even though my parents had always played musical CDs for me, seeing Les Miz was what really started me on my musical theater obbsession. The plot is so good, and so is the music AND the lyrics, which is important. Those young guys in hot 19th century costumes don't hurt, either.
2. Titanic is still underrated, even though it won Best Musical at the Tony's. I'll be talking musicals with people and I'll ask them if they know this show and they'll usually go "You mean the movie?". Gr. This show is so amazing. It's the only show that makes me cry, and that comes from just listening to the CD.
3. Ragtime should have won best musical the year after Titanic, if only Lion King hadn't been in the running. This one sounds a lot like Titanic, and it just awesome. End of story.
4. Urinetown is the funniest thing I have ever, EVER seen/heard. And it's perfectly family friendly, too, nevermind the title. It's about the not too distant future where because of a horrible water shortage, toilets are outlawed and people must pay to use public toilets. Then a romance develops between a revolutionary and the evil corporation owner's daughter, and all of this other bad stuff happens. Opening line:
"Well, hello there. And welcome - to Urinetown! Not the place, of course.
The musical. Urinetown "the place" is ... well, it's a place you'll hear
people referring to a lot through the show."
5. Assassins taught me more than I'll ever need to know about every American (would-be) assassin, plus the music and lyrics are unbelievabale (it's Sondheim, what else do you expect?) Anway, if I hadn't gotten into this show than I never would have been curious about Squeaky Fromme and then I never would have read Helter Skelter, so I'm glad I saw it.
Honorable mentions: The Secret Garden, Pacific Overtures, My Fair Lady, How to Succeed (I prefer it to Guys and Dolls, and with Matther Broderick, though don't dislike Robert Morse, either) The Music Man and West Side Story.
And I totally agree about Little Women. Sutton Foster, who is the lead, is amaaaaaazing, and every clip I've heard (on broadway.com) seems like it's gonna be good.
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