| 1. West Side Story - A retelling of the Romeo | | | | I Were A Rich Man", and "Matchmaker, |
| and Juliet tale set in the background of New | | | | Matchmaker". "To Life" and "The Bottle Dance" |
| York's racial gang warfare. All of the music are | | | | are rousing, while "Tevye's Dream" and "Tradition" |
| consistently good and inspired - some are full of | | | | are fun. |
| passion (Tonight, Maria, One Hand, One Heart, | | | | 9. Company - differs from the traditional musical |
| Somewhere), some are rousing (America, Tonight | | | | in that it is comprised of vignettes (linked by |
| Quintet), and some funny (Gee, Officer Krupke, I | | | | Bobby's 35th birthday) instead of a |
| Feel Pretty). When seen with the dancing, it's one | | | | straightforward plot. Sondheim's clever music and |
| of the most memorable experience! | | | | cleverer lyrics are not immediately accessible, but |
| 2. My Fair Lady - This witty, funny, very delightful | | | | they grow on you. You will also empathize if |
| musical is a classic that defined a generation (early | | | | you're into marriage and relationships. My favorites |
| 60's). Story of a dirty flower girl whom an English | | | | include "Being Alive", "The Ladies Who Lunch" (two |
| professor taught to speak proper English until he | | | | songs made famous by Barbra Streisand), "You |
| was able to pass her off as a princess in a ball. | | | | Could Drive A Person Crazy" and "Side by Side |
| Great music includes "I Could Have Danced All | | | | by Side". |
| Night", "On The Street Where You Live". Other | | | | 10. Kismet - full of wonderful, tuneful, exotic music |
| delightful music that Rex Harrison half-sings and | | | | based on themes by Russian composer Alexander |
| half-recites include "Why Can't The English", "A | | | | Borodin. All of the songs are so good, with |
| Hymn to Him" and "I've Grown Accustomed To | | | | "Stranger in Paradise" and "Baubles, Bangles and |
| Her Face". | | | | Beads" becoming classics. My personal favorites |
| 3. Jesus Christ Superstar - This once controversial | | | | are "Fate" and the beautiful quartet "And This Is |
| rock musical about the last days of Jesus actually | | | | My Beloved". |
| contains music in a variety of genre. It's mostly | | | | 11. Follies - the other pastiche Sondheim musical |
| rock of course, but there's also pop (I Don't | | | | with theme about relationships has many |
| Know How To Love Him) classical (John 1941) | | | | wonderful, classy, intelligent songs that are |
| charleston (King Herod's Song) and opera (The | | | | surprisingly tuneful. The best of Sondheim songs |
| Last Supper)! My other favorites are "Getsemane" | | | | here include "Losing My Mind" , and "I'm Still Here". |
| and "Everything's Alright". A feast for the ears! | | | | I can relate to "The Road You Didn't Take". |
| 4. The Music Man (Meredith Wilson) - Set in Iowa, | | | | "Broadway Baby" is a guilty pleasure. |
| the story of a con man who sells musical | | | | 12. Oklahoma - the granddaddy of them - the |
| instruments but gets caught because of his love | | | | first musical with depth and psychological |
| for Marian the librarian. Every number is a delight - | | | | complexity - is as fresh as when it was created |
| from the opening "The Traveling Salesman" to | | | | by the genius of Rodgers and Hammerstein. All |
| "Goodnight My Someone" to "Ya Got Trouble" and | | | | songs are great from "Oh, What A Beautiful |
| "Seventy Six Trombones". Even the quaint "Lida | | | | Mornin" to the rollicking "The Surry with the Fringe |
| Rose", sung by a barbershop quartet is delightful. | | | | On Top" to the beautiful "Out of My Dreams" and |
| And of course, "Till There Was You" is so good | | | | the bitter "Lonely Room". |
| the Beatles even recorded it! | | | | 13. Carousel - another great musical from the |
| 5. Chicago - This cynical musical from Kander and | | | | great Rodgers and Hammerstein about a bad |
| Ebb set in the 1920's is a satire about how | | | | Carousel barker whose life is changed by the |
| society turns criminals into celebrities. Every song | | | | thought of having a daughter. "If I Loved You" is |
| is a vaudeville number, and two songs are my | | | | to me one of the best Broadway song ever, but |
| personal anthem, "Razzle Dazzle" (if you don't | | | | "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a bit on the |
| have anything substantial, razzle dazzle 'em) and | | | | annoyingly cloying side. Another of my favorite is |
| "All That Jazz". Became famous for the movie | | | | the "Soliloquy". |
| adaptation winning Best Picture of 2002. | | | | 14. Camelot - this musical takes you to the time |
| 6. Grease - A fun romp full of 50's inspired music | | | | of King Arthur and tells the story of how love can |
| about the youth of the 50's discovering love, | | | | destroy a "brief, shining moment that was known |
| friendship, class conflict and pregnancy. I like it | | | | as Camelot". "If Ever I Would Live You" has |
| mainly for the toe-tapping choruses "We Go | | | | become a classic. Other enjoyable songs include |
| Together", "Greased Lightning" and "Born to Hand | | | | the comically self-confident "C'est Moi", |
| Jive". | | | | Guenevere's melodious songs "The Simple Joys of |
| 7. Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat - The | | | | Maidenhood", "The Lusty Month of May, and |
| story of the Biblical David the Dreamer with | | | | "Before I Gaze at You Again". My favorite though |
| enjoyable songs that parody many genres - | | | | is Arthur's self-mocking song "I Wonder What the |
| French Cafe (Those Canaan Days) country | | | | King Is Doing Tonight". Go figure. |
| (There's One More Angel in Heaven), calypso | | | | 15. Hello, Dolly - very delightful musical with a |
| (Benjamin Calypso) and Elvis (Seven Fat Cows)! | | | | farcical plot about a widow who puts her hand on |
| This early Rice and Webber is a lot of fun to | | | | matchmaking penniless clerks. Rousing numbers |
| listen to. Famous for "Any Dream Will Do." | | | | include "Put on your Sunday Clothes", "Before the |
| 8. Fiddler on the Roof - a tuneful musical about a | | | | Parade Passes By", "Elegance", and of course, the |
| Jewish father whose traditions are being | | | | title song "Hello, Dolly". "It Only Takes A Moment" |
| challenged by his five daughters and the changing | | | | is a beautiful ballad. |
| world. Best songs to me are "Sunrise, Sunset", "If | | | | |