Musicals Considered the Best Ever...

How has this changed over time.

For example, nowadays Gypsy is often the go-to for the title of best musical of all time, much like how Citizen Kane is a generic answer for best film of all time.
However, it has not always been this way. For a long time, My Fair Lady was considered the greatest ever and Oklahoma! probably was before that. For a period of time, A Chorus Line was often referred to as the greatest, wasn't it.

My point is, what musicals have been generalised as the best ever written over the years.

Updated On: 5/25/12 at 07:56 AM

I believe Gypsy has long been considered a musical with one of the best books ever written. It's definitely up there. One only as to look at the constant revivals and the fact (if the latest one gets off the ground) that it's on it's way to be filmed a third time.

We tend to look back to the OBCR's to gauge our remembrances of the greatest musicals. I, along with historians, would argue that SHOWBOAT is one of the very greatest musicals, turning the tide in the way that musicals are created. For me, the studio cast recording conducted by John McGlinn is the best available recording of SHOWBOAT. It is so good.

I saw MY FAIR LADY when I was 15 and was aware that this original production with Rex Harrison, Julie Andrews and Stanley Holloway was something very special. It fittingly played the beautiful Mark Hellinger. I can remember my parents sitting quietly in the living room listening with rapt attention to the OBCR. Incidentally, I feel that the mono version of the NY cast is superior to the London stereo version; there is so much more energy in the OBCR. In those days, cast albums were made on the first Sunday after the opening (no Sunday matinees back then), so the cast was fresh from the opening. The OBCR of MY FAIR LADY also has John Michael KIng singing "On the Street Where You Live", superior to the different London singer.

Which leads us to GYPSY, certainly one of the greatest musicals ever, withstanding different interpretations and usually coming out on top, with the exception of the Sam Mendes production which played with the raw emotions of the musical without having any fun. I bought the OBCR of GYPSY before seeing it for the first time and got so excited about it that I would count the days before seeing it. Reading in the liner notes that "Rose's Turn" was something special, I purposely did not play that track, preferring to be surprised by the live performance by Ethel Merman. For me, the OBCR is definitive.

Although the question wasn't asked, there are two guilty pleasures which I absolutely love, two flops with great scores: GOLDILOCKS with Elaine Stritch which I saw twice in the 1958-1959 season, and I HAD A BALL which I did not see, whose extremely brassy score is infectious.

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I truly believe that something like RAGTIME has a chance to be considered one of the greats. CHICAGO to many is considered one of the GREAT AMERICAN MUSICAL.

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I think it depends on what criteria you're observing.

The best SCORE? I think you have to give it to WEST SIDE STORY or CANDIDE

The best BOOK? I think GYPSY, FIDDLER, or MY FAIR LADY take the cake.

The best choreography? A CHORUS LINE

The most innovative concept/method of storytelling? COMPANY, LAST FIVE YEARS

The most SPECTACLE? WICKED, PHANTOM, or LION KING/BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

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I think GYPSY is fabulous and brilliant, and I've always had affection for MY FAIR LADY, but if I had to pick a "Perfect" musical, where everything works spectacularly, it'd be SHE LOVES ME. Too bad it's not a "go-to" classic name like the others.

It's hard to argue with choices like Gypsy, West Side Story, or Oklahoma, however, I've always felt Carousel was the stronger R&H show.

Didn't South Pacific have that title for a while. For me, that is THE American musical.

The King and I
Guys and Dolls
The Music Man
West Side Story
Gypsy
My Fair Lady
She Loves Me
1776
The Sondheim Sextet (Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park With George, and Into the Woods)
A Chorus Line
Evita (IMO one of the best crafted pop operas ever written)
Nine
Once On This Island
Ragtime
Urinetown
The Light in the Piazza
The Drowsy Chaperone
Fela!

The above list represents musicals which are (ihmo) structurally perfect. There are no wasted moves, no missing pieces, everything within directly furthers the plot, characters, or theme. While there are some (A Chorus Line, Into the Woods, Follies, Fela, Nine) that rely heavily upon the director/ choreographer's work, this does not mean the material is flawed: the piece simply makes use of their contributions as much as the book or score.

And movies which perfected their respective musicals:
The Sound of Music
The Wonderful World of Disney's ANNIE
Chicago

I think the recent revival proved that Evita is not one of the greatest musicals of all time.

I've always read/heard that My Fair Lady is generally considered "the best".

West Side Story, I think, could lay claim to one of the greatest scores of all time... but the book doesn't reach the score's bar.

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^It's not so much the performances or design of it ( it was made for TV after all). They just really tightened up the book and score (not to mention great dance arrangements) and (like R&H's Cinderella), I wish they'd license this cut of it.

Greatest musicals I would say are. Taking into consideration everything, awards, memorablity, scores covered, public, impact made to industry...

Showboat
Oklahoma
Guys and dolls
Porgy and Bess
Cabaret
West side story
Hair
La cage
Anything goes
Cats
Les Miserables
Phantom
Mamma Mia
Wicked
Lion King

I know this isn't what's being asked, but F off.

My vote for Most Underrated is PACIFIC OVERTURES.

It has a stunning score, yes, but what most people overlook -- even within the Sondheim canon -- is its stunning book, perhaps the strongest of show Sondheim wrote both music and lyrics for. ASSASSINS is a marvel of economy and experimentation, NIGHT MUSIC a terrific adaptation, and FORUM impressively packed with funny, but PO never seems to get recognition for both its vast ambition and remarkable success in execution.

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