Top 50 Musicals

[broadwayboy81]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 5:02pm

A while back some friends and I challenged each other to come up with our top 50 musicals (based on score, book, lyrics, the test of time, etc.). I ended up with a top 80 or so... Eventually we combined ours together to see what our tops overall were. It proved to be very interesting, challenging and a bit lame! hehe! Anyway, I just went back to my list today and revised it with additions, subtractions, and some rearranging. So here are my current Favorite 50 musicals. I would love to hear opinions on it and see what you guys come up with!

1) Sweeney Todd
2) A Light in the Piazza
3) Sunday in the Park with George
4) Into the Woods
5) Gypsy
6) Ragtime
7) Floyd Collins
The Last Five Years
9) A Man of No Importance
10) Passion
11) Company
12) Caroline, or Change
13) Little Shop of Horrors
14) Parade
15) Assassins
16) West Side Story
17) Cabaret
1 Marvin Trilogy
19) A New Brain
20) Wild Party (Lippa)
21) Follies
22) Wild Party (LaChiusa)
23) Les Miserables
24) Marie Christine
25) Miss Saigon
26) King and I
27) Rent
2 Wicked
29) Hello Dolly
30) Sunset Boulevard
31) Carousel
32) John and Jenn
33) The Sound of Music
34) Kiss Me Kate
35) Thoroughly Modern Millie
36) A Little Night Music
37) The Producers
3 Guys and Dolls
39) Side Show
40) Bounce
41) The Music Man
42) Sweet Smell of Success
43) Me and My Girl
44) The Secret Garden
45) You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown
46) Chicago
47) The Phantom of the Opera
4 Nine
49) The Full Monty
50) She Loves Me
51) Merrily We Roll Along

[kangaroo]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 5:24pm

Where is Aida? And you have 51 musicals.
For me personally... Miss Saigon and Les Miserables would be higher, with Aida up there too.

[bjivie2]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 5:29pm

I like lots of your choices. Here's my edited picks of your list. I took into account the strength of the piece, how it affected musical theatre, and I gave a little bit of priority to Broadway shows over Off-Broadway.

1. West Side Story
2. Gypsy
3. Sweeney Todd
4. Cabaret
5. A Chorus Line
6. Hello, Dolly!
7. The Phantom of the Opera
8. Les Miserables
9. Little Shop of Horrors
10. Show Boat
11. Carousel
12. Company
13. Oklahoma!
14. RENT
15. Dreamgirls
16. The Producers
17. Guys and Dolls
18. Marvin Trilogy
19. Ragtime
20. My Fair Lady
21. The Music Man
22. Funny Girl
23. Assassins
24. Chicago
25. Once on this Island
26. The Lion King
27. Caroline, or Change
28. HAIR
29. The Wiz
30. Passion
31. Miss Saigon
32. The Sound of Music
33. Urinetown
34. Follies
35. Fiddler on the Roof
36. A Little Night Music
37. Hairspray
38. Wild Party (LaChiusa)
39. Kiss Me, Kate
40. South Pacific
41. Wicked
42. The Last Five Years
43. Nine
44. Me and My Girl
45. The Secret Garden
46. You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
47. Sunday in the Park with George
48. Into the Woods
49. The Full Monty
50. City of Angels
51. Thoroughly Modern Millie

Of course this is leaving off such shows as The King and I, Sweet Charity, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Little Me, Wonderful Town, Avenue Q, She Loves Me, Floyd Collins, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Parade, Godspell, Titanic, and MANY others. I'm just trying to give my opinion.

[PramsAclams]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 5:32pm

I saw Enter the Guardsman in Ashland, Oregon, and it is one of my favorite five musicals. Anyone down?

[bjivie2]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 5:34pm

Where are you from, PramsAclams? I'm from Seattle. Do you live in Oregon?

[broadwayboy81]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 5:39pm

I love the ideas being tossed around. Aida is too weak in the book catagory for me. I do like it though! Sorry, I do have 51. That's because I had 50 and today when I updated I added Caroline and couldn't bring myself to take off merrily! haha

[bjivie2]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 5:41pm

Yeah, Aida should not be on ANY "best of" list, except MAYBE Best of Elton John musicals list. The music is fun, but gets a little repetive, and the book is just awful. It's got great design elements and performances though.

[maybethistime]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 6:30pm

aida should only be catagorized in a list of top good-looking/best set or costume designs, otherwise after 15 minutes you cant stand it and it starts all over and the book is a disgrace to books
but the design is still GREAT

[gherbert]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 6:45pm

Buy the book Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time because those guys got it right!

[LittleFish8386]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 6:56pm

You had Music Man and not Urinetown????

Blasphemy!!!

[maybethistime]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 7:14pm

i could never do it- you all are brave!

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 9:16pm

THIS IS NOT IN ORDER! I COULD NEVER DO IT! And these are my 50 favorite, not the all around best musicals of all time for everyone.

1. RENT
2. Sweeney Todd
3. Taboo
4. tick, tick... BOOM!
5. Thoroughly Modern Millie
6. Jekyll and Hyde
7. The Music Man
8. Les Miserables
9. Evita
10. Jesus Christ Superstar
11. Songs For a New World
12. The Last 5 Years
13. Into the Woods
14. West Side Story
15. Little Shop of Horrors
16. Gypsy
17. Aida (yeah, I said it. HA!)
18. Ragtime
19. Urinetown
20. Cabaret
21. A Chorus Line
22. HAIR
23. Assassins
24. bare
25. Guys and Dolls
26. Sunday in the Park With George
27. Once On This Island
28. Avenue Q
29. The Phantom of the Opera
30. Big River
31. The New Starlight Express
32. Nine
33. The Rocky Horror Show
34. Godspell
35. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
36. Chicago
37. Kiss Me, Kate
38. Funny Girl
39. Side Show
40. Follies
41. La Cage Aux Folles
42. Passion
43. Pippin
44. Chess
45. Fiddler on the Roof
46. Hairspray
47. Jospeh and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
48. Hello, Dolly!
49. A Class Act
50. Beauty and the Beast

THAT WAS SO HARD!

[Necromancer07707]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 9:19pm

I'd say Man of LaMancha and Children of Eden deserve to be SOMEWHERE on there

[PramsAclams]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 9:21pm

In response to "joie de vivre" or whatever your "scree name" is, I am from Napa, California and currently residing in Manhattan. Viva la Guardsman!

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 9:24pm

Don't hurt me Necromancer, but I've never heard anything from Children of Eden. Isn't that crazy?

[Magical_Ms._Mistoffeles_72]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 10:21pm

These are in no particular order
suessical
phantom
Cats
Joseph
JCS
Babes in arms
Newsies
Annie
Oliver
Annie Get Your Gun
Snoopy
Chicago
Hair
Hairspray
Camelot
Wizard of Oz
West Side Story
There are so many! I cant think... my head hurts

[DancerGirl16]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 9:35am

Not in order

1. Sweeney Todd
2. Les Miserables
3. Ragtime
4. Rent
5. Man of La Mancha
6. Nine
7. A New Brain
8. The Last Five Years
9. The Wild Party (lippa)
10. Parade
11. Hairspray
12. Phantom by Maury Yeston
13. Jesus Christ Superstar
14. Evita
13. Dance of the Vampires
14. West Side Story
15. Songs from a New World
16. Chicago
17. Cabaret
18. Guys and Dolls
19. Jekyll and Hyde
20. Aida
21. Side Show
22. Fiddler on the Roof
23. Rocky Horror
24. Avenue Q
25. Guys and Dolls
26. Into the Woods
27. A Chorus Line
28. Merrily We Roll Along
29. Sunday in the Park with George
30. Little Shop of Horrors
31. Company
32. Caroline or Change
33. Gypsy
34. Zombie Prom (it is very original and I like that)
35. 42nd Street
36. The Full Monty

[sanda]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 9:40am

this is too many.

mine small billboard:
Les Miserables
Man of La Mancha
Fiddler on the roof
Gypsy
Camelot
Chicago
Jesus Christ Superstar

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 9:55am

No order and this is terribly difficult
1. RENT
2. Sweeney Todd
3. My Fair Lady
4. tick, tick... BOOM!
5. Thoroughly Modern Millie
6. Les Miserables
7. Urinetown
8. Zanna Don't!
9. Phantom of the Opera
10. Jesus Christ Superstar
11. Songs For a New World
12. The Last 5 Years
13. Into the Woods
14. Assassins
15. Little Shop of Horrors
16. Gypsy
17. Hair
18. Ragtime
19. Chicago
20. Cabaret
21. A Chorus Line
22. HAIR
23. Snoopy
24. Bare
25. Pal Joey
26. Sunday in the Park With George
27. Once On This Island
28. Avenue Q
29. Rags
30. Grand Hotel
31. Titanic
32. Nine
33. West Side Story
34. Godspell
35. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
36. Dreamgirls
37. Kiss Me, Kate
38. Fiddler on the Roof
39. La Cage Aux Folles
40. Follies

Okay, I onyl got 40 but I tried.

[PleaseChangeMe]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 10:08am

Now, I disagree and wonder how some shows (Wicked, Hairspray and Cats, for example) got on some lists, but here is my list, again, in no particular order:

1 - Sweeney Todd
2 - RENT
3 - Caroline, or Change
4 - Man of La Mancha
5 - Gypsy
6 - Les Miserables
7 - Candide
8 - Ragtime
9 - Hair
10 - Parade
11 - The Last Five Years
12 - Assassins
13 - Into The Woods
14 - West Side Story
15 - Company
16 - Sunday in the Park with George
17 - A Chorus Line
18 - Dreamgirls
19 - Passion
20 - Urinetown
21 - Follies
22 - A Little Night Music
23 - Merrily We Roll Along
24 - Anyone Can Whistle
25 - Chicago
26 - Cabaret
27 - Wonderful Town
28 - MASS
29 - Pacific Overtures
30 - Hello, Dolly!
31 - Avenue Q
32 - Camelot
33 - Side Show
34 - Phantom of the Opera
35 - Bounce
36 - A Funny Thing Happened...
37 - The Frogs
38 - Evening Primrose
39 - Do I Hear A Waltz
40 - Once On This Island
41 - The Wiz
42 - The Producers
43 - Oklahoma!
44 - Parade
45 - Flower Drum Song
46 - 42nd Street
47 - How To Succeed...
48 - Guys and Dolls
49 - My Fair Lady
50 - Fiddler on the Roof

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 12:18pm

This is in completely random order:

1 - Show Boat
2 - Oklahoma
3 - My Fair Lady
4 - Guys and Dolls
5 - Hello Dolly
6 - West Side Story
7 - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
8 - Porgie and Bess
9 - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
10 - Fiddler on the Roof
11 - Carousel
12 - The King and I
13 - Fiorello
14 - Cabaret
15 - Chicago
16 - Damn Yankees
17 - The Most Happy Fella
18 - Hair
19 - City of Angels
20 - Les Miserables
21 - Evita
22 - Jesus Christ Superstar
23 - Parade
24 - Falsettos
25 - Urinetown
26 - The Fantasticks
27 - Little Shop of Horrors
28 - Grease
29 - Nine
30 - Bye Bye Birdie
31 - Annie
32 - A Chorus Line
33 - Anything Goes
34 - Crazy for You
35 - Into the Woods
36 - A Little Night Music
37 - Ragtime
38 - The Threepenny Opera
39 - The Secret Garden
40 - Sweeney Todd
41 - Hairspray
42 - Caroline, or Change
43 - The Wild Party (LaChiusa)
44 - Gypsy
45 - Oliver
46 - Aspects of Love
47 - Titanic
48 - 42nd Street
49 - Company
50 - Man of La Mancha

[buddhaismymom]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 1:29pm

oh you all have very good lists and i dont think i have the time (and to be frank, the knowledge) to make a list that could even compare. but here are some thoughts random as they might be-

i need to see sweeney todd.

andrew lloyd webber is overrated. i think he wrote 3 good musicals. phantom, joseph and jcs. i loathe cats. dont even..whatever.

im a little sore towards urinetown, but the cast i saw was ridiculous local theatre crap, so perhaps thats why im not fond of it. loved the ending, however.

yes to a new brain. it never made it to broadway, did it? unfortunate.

children of eden is absolutely wonderful. mynameinlights- you must hear it, you'll die. its schwartz at his finest..better than wicked

rent. i think if i made a list it would be near the top. and probably little shop. but im picturing anthony rapp as seymour and thats doing things to me.

[bjivie2]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 3:12pm

Yeah, I complete forgot Man of La Mancha when I made my list. Whoops! Oh well...

I'm not really a fan of Children of Eden, but I do have a recording of Cheyenne Jackson playing Cain when he was younger. So good...

[Kimsus123]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 3:53pm

haha i would be in that recording too :) and WHERE THE HELL IS RUTHLESS FOOL