OKLAHOMA WEST SIDE STORY A CHORUS LINE MY FAIR LADY HAIR GYPSY MAME LES MISERABLES CATS
...go buy BROADWAY - THE AMERICAN MUSICAL and BROADWAY: THE GOLDEN AGE
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
They say that THE PRODUCERS changed broadway to the current state of they type of comic musicals that are being done now. Also, MAMMA MIA really set off the whole 'juke box' thing to the state it's in (not that there weren't any before, but MAMMA MIA spawned the current rage).
my favorite musical in terms of just the writing, book, music and lyrics written for the stage all fantastic is KISS ME, KATE. I honestly don't think musicals really get any better than that. It's a classic in every sense but at the same time is just so smart and witty - genius really. I don't think there is a better score for anything in all of musical theatre. each and every song is a Broadway standard. I've said it before if the only song in the show was "Always True to You (In My Fashion)" it would still be hailed as one of the greatest scores ever written, but the fact that the list just keeps going with hit after hit "Another Op'nin' Another Show", "Why Can't You Behave?", "Wunderbar", "So In Love", "Tom, Dick or Harry", "I Hate Men", "Were Thine That Special Face?", "Too Darn Hot", "Where Is the Life That Late I Led?", "From This Moment On", "Bianca", "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" ... I should seriously just list every single song... for me it just doesn't get any better...
Hair. (Was this the first musical to include nudity?)
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.