The Musicals

Celebrate Musical Theatre

So Many Great Musicals

A list of the bests of all time in any subject is debatable and controversial. So there is any of the lists on this site are the best of all time, just great among the best shows. Please pardon me if one of your favorites is missing from the list. I recommend going out of your comfort zone. If you are into modern rock theatre, go see a Rodgers and Hammerstein show; you may be surprised about how much you enjoy it. And vice versa. If you into Andrew Lloyd Webber, go see a Stephen Sondheim musical. And vice versa. There is so many different types of musical theatre shows, so try something new.

1776

The story of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and the Continental Congress put to music. 1776 deals with the struggles that led to the signing of the the Declaration of Independence of the United States. William Daniels played the lead role in both the stage (1969) and screen (1972) versions of the musical, the musical had a revival in 1997. Songs include, “Sit Down John,” “But Mr. Adams,” “He Plays the Violin,” “The Egg,” and “Is Anybody There.” The book takes many liberties with the historical facts about how liberty was won in America, including portraying Caesar Rodney at the edge of death (he was actually a general in the Delaware militia through 1781), Jefferson not having been home in six months (he had just returned from home) and other characters who are inaccurately portrayed. Still, 1776 is an entertaining musical that stirs patriotism within its audience.

42nd Street

A girl named Peggy Sawyer moves to New York to perform in the theatre and ends up saving the show within a show, Pretty Lady. With a simple story line, great music and dance routines, it is packed with energy and lots of fun. Songs include “The Lullabye of Broadway,” “42nd Street,” “I Only Have Eyes for You,” and “Shuffle Off to Buffalo.” Based on the 1933 film musical of the same name that starred Ruby Keeler, it was performed on Broadway in 1980 starring Jerry Orbach Wanda Richert, and revived in 2001 starring Kate Levering and Christine Ebersole.

A Chorus Line

It isn’t a typical book musical. It is more than a revue. It is the story of a tryout for dancers, but is the story of every dancer in the tryout. It won nine Tony Awards and is one of the only musicals to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It’s a Chorus Line. It was the longest running show ever on Broadway for over a decade, though that record has been surpassed multiple times since. A Chorus Line was produced, directed, and choreographed by Michael Bennett who understood dancers and was able to bring that out of the performers. To the book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, Marvin Hamlisch wrote the music and Edward Kleban the lyrics for a score that include, “What I Did For Love,” “At The Ballet,” “One,” “Dance Ten Looks Three,” and a montage that makes us laugh, touches us, and allows us to know the characters a little better each time it is performed.

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum

It is often referred to with the abbreviated title “Forum,” combining Roman comedy with vaudeville. It is the quintessential musical farce that includes satire, mistaken identity, puns, and sight gags. Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart created a wildly funny book and Stephen Sondheim wrote both the music and lyrics that moved the story along. The best known song from the show is “Comedy Tonight,” a song that started the set the tone for the show and is so well known that if you sing, “Something familiar...,” someone else is sure to sing the next line or hum the tune. The story is about Roman slave, Pseudolus, who is offered his freedom by his young owner, Hero,if he can woo the concubine next door, Philia, for his master. The girl is interested as well, but she has been sold to a renowned warrior, Milo Gloriosus. But Pseudolus is determined to win his freedom and does not give up. And chaos ensues.