Renthead...i am very sorry, and not to be rude, but i strongly dissagree with you. They are HARDLY essential. Some are very good shows, but nothing striking. Just my opinion.
"The only way we live beyond our lives is to connect and carve ourselves into the souls of those we love." -Little Fish
There are several threads out there that already deal with this and other similar types of rankings and listings. The search function is your best friend. Just type in "essential," "best," or "top" and you are bound to get hundreds of replies. 10 is a very difficult number due to the vast styles of the genre. A list of 20 or 25 would be more comprehensive and present a broader spectrum of musicals.
"I'm just a musical prostitute, my dear." ~ Freddie Mercury
I have NEVER met Cheyenne Jackson. I have never hung out with him in his dressing room, he did not tweet me, he never bought me a beverage, and he mostly certainly didn't tickle me. . .that is all.
There are more than 10 Essentials, especially if you want to discuss shows that made a difference: 1. Oklahoma (cliche, but changed how shows were routinely done - not to mention the marriage of Rogers and Hammerstein) 2. Gypsy (perhaps the most perfect book/musical) 3. West Side Story (the perfect marriage of story, song and dance, and how to update a classic) 4. Cabaret (let's turn storytelling around and inside out) 5. Company (who needs a plot?) 6. Hair (story? who needs a story?)(first true Rock musical)(why didn't it have more of an impact on Broadway? Was it's impact more on US culture) 7. Sweeney Todd (Sondheim/Prince at their strongest) 9. A Chorus Line (who needs a plot? (I know there's an arc of the dancer's life, but it is essentially a frame and not a plot) 10. Aint Misbehavin (got to have a revue show)(how this any different than a jukebox musical like Mamma Mia) 11 Les Miz (compare this "light opera" to Porgy & Bess) 12. Cats (spectacle) 13. Rent (rock + how to update a classic story)
I don't think it's significant for its effect on Broadway, but Kiss Me Kate is so darn entertaining and wonderful and creative.
Sweeney todd Kiss of the Spiderwoman Ragtime Tick tick Boom Fiddler on the Roof Caroline or Change Sunday in the Park with George Cabaret Funny Girl Les Mis
<------ Me and my friends with patti Lupone at my friends afterparty for her concert with audra mcdonald during the summer of 2007.
"I am sorry but it is an unjust world and virtue is only triumphant in theatricle performances" The Mikado
I think that Children of Eden and possibly Jesus Christ Superstar should be added to these lists. Now I sound like some religious zealot, which I'm not. But those shows are touching, tell great stories, and have DIFFICULT singing parts.
And I disagree with the comment that RENT is garbage. It's simply different. I agree that it's not a "classic" musical, per se. RENT is innovative (the music, not necessarily the storyline, as I'm sure many would bring up is ripped off of La Boheme) and has captured the hearts of many around the world over the past decade. So it's not quite fair to consider it garbage. At least without backing up your opinion.
Les Miserables The Last 5 Years Sweeney Todd Parade Ragtime West Side Story Gypsy Cabaret The Light in the Piazza Sunday in the Park with George Kiss Me, Kate
That's 11, but anyway. Granted, some of these I don't like, but I still feel that they are essential.
1. Les Miserables 2. West Side Story 3. My Fair Lady 4. Oklahoma 5. South Pacific 6. Sweeney Todd 7. Cabaret 8. The Phantom of the Opera 9. Fiddler on the roof 10. A chorus line
