The Eight Perfect Musicals

[bmwpjager]

Posted: 4/1/11 at 11:06pm

This summer I'll be producing a summer stock series of eight musicals, performing one week after the next for eight weeks straight. Already I have a few ideas, but an idea intrigued me: pick eight musicals which not only perfectly represent the musical form, but the history of musical theatre in general. not that I need to have every single decade accounted for, but each major movement somehow included. As I said I have a few ideas, in my list below, but my question is for you to create your own lists.

My personal list:
The King and I
Gypsy
The Music Man
West Side Story
Follies
The Phantom of the Opera
The Producers
Next To Normal

Your list?

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/1/11 at 11:12pm

I would put She Loves Me on that list over Phantom, The Producers or Next to Normal any day.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/1/11 at 11:49pm

Follies in Summer Stock always seems like a bad idea to me.

I'm shocked that you would pick Next to Normal over A Chorus Line. ACL had far more impact on the world/theatre community than N2N ever will.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/1/11 at 11:51pm

I would have A Chorus Line over Next to Normal for sure.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 2:47am

Guys and Dolls

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 2:49am

Well said, Husk!

[Idiot]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 3:06am

I can only do five since the word 'perfect' is so confining, but here goes:

Sweeney Todd
A Chorus Line
Les Miserables
Kiss Of The Spider Woman
Sunday In The Park WIth George

[chewy5000]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 3:34am

Sunset Boulevard

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 3:43am

In no order.

Assassins
The Music Man
Gypsy
Little Shop of Horrors
Passing Strange
Sweeney Todd
Ragtime
Grey Gardens

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 2:13pm

The Music Man
Oklahoma
Fiddler on the Roof
A Little Night Music
A Chorus Line
Evita
Les Miserables
City of Angels
Falsettos
Rent

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 2:25pm

My eight:

Carousel
Guys and Dolls
Gypsy
A Chorus Line
Sweeney Todd
Les Miserables/Miss Saigon/Evita
The Producers

And I'd think about a jukebox musical for the eighth spot.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 2:28pm

The Producers is an awful musical.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 2:33pm

In no order bar chronological:

Anything Goes
South Pacific
West Side Story
Gypsy
Jesus Christ Superstar
Sweeney Todd
Les Misérables

[xxdrewboy85xx]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 2:35pm

Oklahoma
Carousel
Hello Dolly
West Side Story
Guys and Dolls
Gypsy
A Chorus Line
Rent

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 2:37pm

Will someone add Caroline or Change to their lists, already?!

[Katurian2]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 3:17pm

I for sure would. One of the best of the 2000's for sure:


Sweeney Todd
West Side Story
Cabaret
Oklahoma!
Caroline, or Change
A Chorus Line
Les Miserables
Passing Strange

[JP2]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 4:08pm

Les Miserables
Sweeney Todd
Hairspray
Little Shop of Horrors


I can only name these 4 right now. . .

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 4:11pm

In order (chronologically):

Show Boat
Oklahoma!
Guys and Dolls
Gypsy
Hair
A Chorus Line
Sweeney Todd
Ragtime

Updated On: 4/2/11 at 04:11 PM

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 4:41pm

In no order but chronological:

West Side Story
South Pacific
Guys and Dolls
Gypsy
A Chorus Line
Sweeney Todd
Les Miserables
The Producers

[(8) :D]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 4:46pm

If you want to represent the different movements in Broadway the best 8 shows to represent this would be;

Show Boat
Oklahoma
West Side Story
Hair
A Chorus Line
*A Sondheim Show (Possibly A Funny Thing Happened - As It Was His First or Company as it was the first musical to represent the middle class in a not so positive light)
Rent
Next To Normal

This would be my choice of 8 musicals, but if you want to show the movements of musical theatre I think this list best represents this!

[slmlbl]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 5:19pm

My Fair Lady
She Loves Me
Gypsy
Oklahoma
Sweeney Todd
Ragtime
Music Man
Light In The Piazza

[NeoNormal]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 5:42pm

Oklahoma
West Side Story
Gypsy
Company
Sweeney Todd
Les Miserables
Sunday in the Park with George
Ragtime

[Bwaynerd]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 5:42pm

The Wedding Singer
Miss Saigon
Legally Blonde
Les Miz
West Side Story
Next to Normal
Hello, Dolly!
Hairspray

[devonian.t]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 6:14pm

The Pirates of Penzance
Carousel
West Side Story
Cabaret
Company
Dreamgirls
Rent
The Wild Party (Broadway)

[aliceidinabernadette]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 6:43pm

Show Boat
Oklahoma
West Side Story
Cabaret
Company
A Chorus Line
Rent
Avenue Q (needed a true comedy, and it's very influential)

edit: by no means do I think these are all "perfect", but they are great shows that shaped musical theatre and challenged audiences (even though Rent is pretty flawed, it needs to be there for "rock musicals", Jonathan Larson, etc)

Updated On: 4/2/11 at 06:43 PM