Husk, I understand your point...and very much appreciate the reiterating that I'm not dumb (though that may not necessarily be true

, but it's hard to explain. It's not like I'm never gonna allow myself to be exposed to it my whole life, but it's accepting that I'm young and I have many years ahead of me, and I know my preference is to experience a show live before experiencing it any other way.
There are so many shows I still haven't gotten to see a production of that I know I eventually wanna see/hear, but I'm content to wait. Like Man of La Mancha was definitely one. It's one of my aunt's favorite shows and she kept telling me to listen and I was like noo I wanna wait. Well, this year I get to see the tour in Connecticut. So I'm glad I didn't listen to the music first--I love the feeling of hearing most of the music for the first time in the context of the show. Even if the production isn't great, then I can go get the OBC and appreciate it more than if I knew nothing about it.
Listening and reading is what I did with Night Music, Husk. I only like to do that though if there's no way to actually see it. Like as I read through Night Music, all I could think is how great it would be to SEE. When I watched Company at the library, I was so appreciative of what a greater understanding I had of it seeing rather than hearing it.
Obviously, everyone has their ways they prefer to get into shows, but that's my preference, and to the degree I can, I'm sticking to it.
"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli