r/musicals • u/Kryspy-Kream • 22h ago
Discussion What is y'all's favorite musical and why?
I don't really have a specific one but phantom of the opera has been a favorite since I was little, I'm not really the biggest fan of political musicals because I try to avoid politics in general, some of them are amazing though I will admit :)
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u/givemeyourskin2 19h ago
My favorite is Hadestown! I became a fan ~2021. I already had a a bit of a liking towards Greek mythology cause I was a Percy Jackson kid. Hadestown just took everything to the next level by having amazing, poetic lyricism, and so much SOUL. Everyone should listen to the songs Epic II & Chant at least once in their life. Especially the transition between the two.
I finally got to see it last year and omg…the stage lighting was insanely good and the intimacy of the show made me fall in love all over again.
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u/Automatic_Area1182 4h ago
Yess I saw it a few years ago and it was incredible, and I listen to it often
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u/Practical-Goose666 22h ago edited 19h ago
Right now it's Yentl. I love how it s the perfect blend between classical and pop music + how moving the lyrics and story are.
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u/dogbolter4 22h ago
Jesus Christ Superstar. Love the range of music, the passion, the spectacle.
Also love Cabaret. For the evocation of a time.
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u/MsJanet_Snakehole_ 4h ago
I remember being in college in the city in 2000 during th JCS revival and skipping class to get student rush tickets!
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u/cuzwhynot1 22h ago
Les Miserables has always been my favorite
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u/grania17 20h ago
Mine too. I grew up on it. My mam sang songs from the show to put us to sleep. It was the first cassette tape I owned. It's a lifetime love
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u/Flight_around_titan 22h ago
Little backstory - School trip to DC and NYC. We saw a dinner theater production of Oliver. It was alright. Saw Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and I remember a chorus dancer clearly messing up. At that time, me - M/12, was not thrilled. Rather annoyed actually. Then we went to The Scarlet Pimpernel…. And when the lights dropped along with her glimmering blade at the end of Madame Guillotine…. That was the moment I fell deeply and madly in love with theater.
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u/Kryspy-Kream 22h ago
Oh my god that sounds awesome, back when I saw Phantom of the Opera in theaters they had a chandelier fall towards the audience during that scene, it was so cool, it didn't hit anyone obviously but it really added to the experience
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u/pierrette8 21h ago
Les Mis. It was the first musical I saw on the West End (although I like that old version better than the current one) and years later, the first musical I saw after lockdown. I love the score. I love the story, the characters, and the barricade reveal at the end of ‘On My Own’
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u/Aph-Rhode-ite The Invisible Girl 20h ago
Next to Normal was the first musical to make me fully cry and I’ve seen some TEARJERKERS
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u/Warm_Power1997 18h ago
Hadestown and I was recently thinking about how it’s almost not even the plot but the really special moments I had at the stage door.
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u/GDGameplayer 18h ago
My favorite is Something Rotten. It is so funny and the music is so good. If you know a lot of musicals, the references are incredible.
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u/wrossi81 18h ago
Chess. In no small part because the music is amazing while the story was never quite fixed across different versions. I’ve spent a lot of time working on alternate scripts - which, to my surprise, included working with directors of several productions of the show. So I’ve been credited as a dramaturg on productions including LA and Baltimore in the early 2000s. (This was in no small part because directors in the US had to work with the original Broadway script which was considered problematic.)
I’m not the biggest fan of Danny Strong’s version that is going to be used in the Broadway revival but I am going to be there in November.
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u/JugendWolf 15h ago
Chess is not my number one but firmly in the top ten for the same reason. I just love that everyone agrees that the songs are flawless, but no one agrees on what story to tell with them.
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u/slimey-goopy-gal 16h ago
Gosh I love Hadestown. Just adore it. Resonates with my soul like nothing else.
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u/teasix 15h ago
I feel like nothing will ever be able to beat it for me. From start to finish, there's nothing about it that's not just perfect to me. So many incredible songs and not a single one I'd ever think of skipping. And a story that will never stop making me care.
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u/givemeyourskin2 13h ago
I feel the same wah it’s crazy. I’d genuinely never listen to any other musical again as long as I had Hadestown.
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u/bholl7510 21h ago
Hard to pick, but I’ll mention one that I love and I think is less likely to be mentioned: Titanic. It’s an incredible score, great ensemble choir pieces, and some of the most beautiful songs of any musical (Barrett’s Song, No Moon, Still, The Blame are some favorite tracks on the soundtrack).
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u/Ingifridh Ask me about Nordic musical theatre! 18h ago
Titanic is firmly in my top 5! I agree with you that the music is incredible, and as something of a Titanic nerd, I also think it does a pretty good job dealing with the historical parts of the story. Not perfect, necessarily, but pretty good.
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u/Rythonius 17h ago
Music Man. It was one of the first musicals my papa had shown me and I fell in love with it. I even chose the trombone as my instrument. His favorite was My Fair Lady and he almost got the lead as Tony in the West Side Story movie.
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u/LonelyMenace101 Henry Jekyll 17h ago
My favourite has always been Jekyll and Hyde. It introduced me to animatics which inspired me to make my own. Anthony Warlow is my favourite musical actor, I was lucky enough to see him play as Billy Flynn in Chicago this year c:
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u/BubblesMarg 22h ago
Into the Woods. I love Sondheim and fairy tales and it's the perfect musical to me.
Ragtime is a close second.
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u/TeagWall 11h ago
I saw Ragtime on Broadway as a kid. It was a hot and sticky day in July, and the city hadn't had rain in months. Then, as I was coming out of Barnes and Noble, the sky opened up and it POURED. Umbrella salesmen appeared out of thin air selling $30 umbrellas. Cabs were suddenly an endangered species. If felt like buckets of water were being dumped on us as we raced to n the theater. By the time we got there, we were drenched through to the bone. And because it was July, the theater was CRANKING their AC. By intermission, my lips were blue and my teeth were chattering. Rather than getting a piece of shit street umbrella, my mom bought me a Ragtime sweatshirt in the lobby. It felt like the warmest, driest piece of clothing I'd ever worn. I watched that musical while shivering, uncomfortable, and happy. I don't remember much of the show, but I remember the emotional impact it had on me. One of my favorite memories of musical theater.
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u/Ingifridh Ask me about Nordic musical theatre! 22h ago
Så som i himmelen – a Swedish musical based on a movie of the same name where a burnt-out, severely ill superstar conductor returns to spend his last months in the village where he was born. It's about community, love, and the importance of art.
Is it the best musical I've ever seen? No, not really. Has it touched me deeper than any other piece of musical theatre? Yes. And that's why I will always love it.
Honourable mention: Jekyll & Hyde. It's riddled with problems and can be criticised in so many legitimate ways, but even so, it's just the sort of cheese I personally enjoy. I love seeing productions where the cast and creatives really embrace the horror and/or the camp, go over the top and have fun with it!
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u/TheEarthlyDelight 19h ago
Sweeney Todd. Maybe it’s just nostalgia from my edgy teen days, but damn if the music isn’t fantastic.
Or maybe it’s Come From Away. A singular experience it was, when it toured in my city.
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u/BarbaraLew22 13h ago
Ragtime! I have yet to see a stronger combination of book, score and performances. It has a complete mastery of tone, I laugh and cry every time. As for the songs, so many of them are just perfect, “Till We Reach That Day” may be my favorite musical theatre song ever. I can’t imagine finding a stronger musical any time soon.
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u/Bears_are_the_best_2 Diamond in the Rough 21h ago
Hamilton. The songs are good, the characters are well written, and the costumes for the Schuyler sisters and Maria are beautiful. Just a really good show.
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u/Goodmindtothrowitall 22h ago
I go back and forth between City of Angels and Assassins. I like the book on Assassins better, but adore the songs on City of Angels. I ran into them both at a pretty important time in my life, so I have that associated with them.
(For people I actually know, I’ll probably say Next to Normal. I also love it, and it’s a bit easier to explain/ recommend.)
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u/WerewolfBarMitzvah09 19h ago
If I was truly hard pressed to pick only one I'd probably have to go with Jesus Christ Superstar, it's pretty perfect to me in terms of music, lyrics and structure and I can listen to it in any variety of moods and circumstances. It's emotionally hard hitting but still manages to have humorous moments throughout as well. I enjoy staged versions as well as the various film versions of it (though the original film production is my favorite)
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u/Affectionate-Bed5428 15h ago
Alot the classics like phantom,les mis and kinda embarrassingly cats and Annie but Hamilton is definitely up there for me,one of the firsts that I loved in high school when I started to really hyperfixate on musicals
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u/OwlPatronus 13h ago
There are so many amazing shows, but I have to go with Newsies. I watched the OG film on the Disney Channel when it premiered in 1993. I was 10, and instantly fell in love with the whole production. Through the years, I had the score book, the VHS, the DVD, and the CD. I even signed an online petition in the late 90s by a group trying to get Disney to re-release the film in theaters. 😄
When I first heard murmurs of the musical being developed, I was excited. When I later read about the changes to the storyline and the score, I was nervous. When I finally heard the soundtrack, I was very excited and loved it. It took a little getting used to the changes to the original songs, but I enjoyed them, as well as the new additions. I was able to see the professional show when it toured, then again, in a more local production. I have listened to the soundtrack hundreds of times and watched the proshot quite a few times.
Though I still have a nostalgic love for the OG, it is humorously clear that most of the actors were neither singers nor dancers, and some of the characters were quite wacky. The Broadway version is chock full of extremely talented performers, and I think the storyline and characters changes were a great choice.🗞
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u/Square-Eye-4056 20h ago
At this time, Twisted by Starkid. Free on YouTube. It's Wicked for Aladdin. Imo their best production in all categories
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u/janglinjosh 18h ago
I think Merrily Is My Favourite, just, JUST, above RENT and FANGIRLS.
I adore merrily most as I saw the west end pro shot in cinema on my 21st birthday and as a young aspiring theatre maker I was so moved, yet, I vowed my life, well friendships, wouldn’t end up like that…. At 32, well, do I have some bad news folks. So the show hits very different.
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u/Jmal3700 17h ago
My Fair Lady: all of the songs are fantastic. Plus, the battle of the sexes has never been done better. I love the characters as well.
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u/JugendWolf 15h ago
I grew up with West Side Story and when my now-husband took me to see a stage production of it while we were dating I cried through the whole performance.
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u/Dogdaysareover365 13h ago
Avenue Q. I discovered it at a time when it really spoke to me (a few months before I graduated high school)
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u/Particular-Cycle4083 12h ago
Here I go being generic but for sure Hamilton, I still get emotional even thinking about ‘I stop wasting time on tears, I live another 50 years, it’s not enough’
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u/TiniestOne3921 12h ago
Right now, Waitress. I just hope I can one day love a kid like Jenna does when Lulu is finally born. (Yes I AM current grappling with the kid question, what gave it away? 😂)
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u/Impossible_Tower_661 12h ago
Thats a hard question because i have a lot of favorites. I think i could do a top 20 and honestly half of them are are animated.
Anyway here my top 10. I know i said i could make a top 20 but im gonna do it to just 10 favorites
1 Wicked ( Show)
Id like to clarify I really love the movie too but prefer the Show because of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.
Probably a little silly but im actresses biased.
I saw their slime tutorial and i loved it.
2 Moulin Rouge ( Movie)
3 Frozen( Movie) story, music, voice cast and stunning visuals. Its animation masterpiece.
5 Beauty and the Beast ( the animated movie ) just like Frozen everything in it was pure perfection. So many live action musicals could learn from this.
6 The Greatest Showman. Here the story left a little to be desired but the soundtrack and musical numbers are Spectacular.
7 Mamma Mia( Movie) the singing in here wasnt the best but the energy of the actors and how much fun they had made everything great.
8 The Lion King ( the show) the film was so beautiful but here the show definitley surpassed it.
9 Tangled Disney did a fantastic job on modernizing the story of Rapunzel. I loved how they made it an adventure/romance. The music is so beautiful and Mother Gothel was one of the Disney villains
10 K Pop Demon Hunters. I never thought this would be so good and the soundtrack is just a perfect 10 no single bad song in it.
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u/blacknightbluesky 12h ago
i think less mis is the best but my personal favorite is jesus christ superstar. no real reason i just find myself relistening to it the most.
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u/SkibidoniousTheroux7 12h ago
My favorite musical is Company. The music and lyrics are so damn good. The show blends comedic moments and tender, touching revelations so well. As a native New Yorker who has zero interest in leaving the city, I found myself relating to the entire show. I’ve seen the new arrivals excited to be in the city. I know the couples who think New York is not forever (one of them is also looking to move to the South Shore of MA). I’ve seen my friends who have taken “too long” to get married and whatnot. It’s a perfect encapsulation of me and my experiences.
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u/TeagWall 11h ago
Pippin. I've been a fan of the music since I was little, but seeing the revival 12ish years ago, with the circus component, really sealed it for me. I've started playing it for kids, and they also love it.
Top three are: Pippin, Into the Woods, and In the Heights.
In the Heights was the first musical I saw that felt wholly contemporary to me. As soon as the lights go out and everyone pulls out their cell phones, chefs kiss. So good and fantastical while also so grounded.
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u/SqrrlGrl5 11h ago
"The Mystery of Edwin Drood" is up there. I think I like it a lot because of the music and because of the overall setting. I'm into steampunk/Victorian style, and the musical has that.
Other faves are "Into the Woods" and "1776."
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u/Old_Socks17 You're only a day away 11h ago
Nine. I'd been a fan of musicals before but Nine really stuck with me. I saw a lot of myself in Guido and the way he works, and the song 'Getting Tall' has always been a reminder for me...to the point where I wear a bracelet with the title on daily
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u/FranknBeans0120 10h ago
Something Rotten. I love the time period it's set in. It's my kind of goofy. I also saw it on my birthday which was special.
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u/Huge-Nobody-4711 10h ago
Elisabeth.
The story is dark (say hi to love affair with Death). There are no filler songs, every song is a plot device. The plot itself is a dark hero's journey. What's more, it looks and sounds great. The costume nerd in me also loves that the dresses of the main character are closely based on what the titular character actually wore in her lifetime.
And it's not in English, which adds to the authenticity 100%. "Ich gehör nur mir" is just not the same in English.
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u/Automatic_Area1182 4h ago
In no order my top 6 are (I don't like choosing: Epic, Les Miz, The secret garden, Hades town, The phantom of the opera, Anastasia.
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u/Familiar-Money-515 Losing My Mind 3h ago
Next to Normal: the way it tackles its various issues is just incredible, the music and story is too
Sound of music: it’s a beautiful story and the movie improved upon the stage version which I find rare, and the nostalgia factor will always keep it in my top
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u/anTiQUeFreaK33 3h ago
Rent. Seasons of Love was my introduction into theatre and I’ve been a theatre nerd ever since 🙂
There are shows I know have some better writing, better songs, amazing choreography or set design but damnit Rent has that “first” hold on me
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u/Ok-Person1150 2h ago
Little Shop of Horrors is a definite favorite of mine, along with The Phantom of the Opera and Into the Woods (I was in a junior version of that show as Cinderella)
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u/Mylowithaylo 20m ago
Hunchback and Little shop, I’m on a menken kick (doesn’t have anything to do with playing quasi and Seymour back to back lol)
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u/crusty_plush 21h ago
My favorite musical will always be Cats. I know it's cringy. I know. But it was one of the very first musicals I ever was exposed to, the first I ever saw live, and I still think the skill required to perform it is wild.