What is the BEST musical of ALL Time and what is the WORST musical of all time". "What do YOU think are the best and worst? — Page 2

Best: Les Miz, The Drowsy Chaperone, RENT, Sweeney Todd, Ragtime, The Secret Garden...and probably many more.

Worst: CATS and Annie for now.

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Best: Into The Woods


Worst: The Phantom of the Opera

ok now peoples worst lists are so big it just seems like they put it on because they just didn't care for it. Worst doesn't have to be your will not attend again list.

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No offense ThunderCat but do you honestly think that Jerry Springer: The Opera is a better show then Jesus Christ Superstar?

Superstar, if done right, is absolutely phenomenal. While more modern productions cast more broadway type singers, it is thrilling to see it done with rock singers....ie: Ted Neely and Carl Anderson. For someone who loves the rock and roll music of Queen, I am surprised you wouldn't like JCS. Also, JCS really paved the way for shows like RENT, bringing rock music to the stage...along with many others of course. I'm not trying to offend you of course as I think CATS is bad, and Avenue Q is overrated.

I'm also surprised Fiddler got a worst nomination. It's a really great show, with a great message and awesome music. Perhaps by todays standards when we have Phantoms and puppets and huge sets and Idina Menzels on the stage, the show seems simple and contrite...too old. But it is truly beautiful and Tevye might be one of the most coveted roles for men in musical theatre.

What exactly constitutes the BEST musical? Is it by how long it lasts, how long it is popular? In that case wouldn't Oklahoma, Fiddler, The Sound of Music, Kiss me Kate...all of which go through revival after revival, sung at auditions endlessly, and presented by community theatres everywhere, be considered the best?

If it's by music, thats hard. Alot of people really dislike Sondheim, Wicked seems to contrite, Fiddler is too old, Hair is too hippy, JCS is to rock, Godspell is odd, Avenue Q is shock value etc etc etc.

Some people may say that long running, famous succesful musicals are best. Les Mis...great. Phantom...blugh. (IMHO)

Sorry, that was really long winded.

Oh well, at least we can all agree Annie sucks

Best - Sweeney Todd, sheer masterpiece. Its brilliant.

Worst - Cats, well Mario Cantone sums it up the best: "A Jellicle Cat can ear a hat. A jellicle Cat gets tit for tat, the jellicle luve the jellicle... What the **** is a jellicle cat? We'll tell you! *repeat* you know what! Kiss my jellicle ass. By the end of the show I had claw marks all over me, and they were self inflicted"

I know exactly how he feels

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attend the tale, I like both or your choices, not a fan of rags at all and love Assassins, all most as brilliant as Sweeney but not before Sweeney, come to think of it Sondheim could take best show with at least 4 shows coming to mind.

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Cats really bothers me

Updated On: 1/24/06 at 08:26 AM

Asking someone what they think are the best and worst of all time is different from asking them what they liked the most and least of what they've seen. I mean, I never saw 'South Pacific' or 'Anything Goes' on Broadway, but I bet they were great shows for their era.

I forget who ran it, but there was a poll last year asking which Broadway show had the biggest impact on Broadway itself. I'll paraphrase heavily, but basically they asked, was it 'Oklahoma' with its use of songs to advance the plot? Was it 'West Side Story' integrating classical ballet and streetfighting? Or was it 'A Chorus Line' for giving people a good reason to go back to Times Square?

I chose the latter, because I can remember when Broadway, Eighth Ave. and 42nd Street were no-go zones during almost all the years between 'Midnight Cowboy' and 'Basketball Diaries.' You'd be lucky if all they snatched was your purse or chain as you ran the gauntlet to and from the Shubert Theater. Yet 'A Chorus Line' ran there for nearly 15 years, and a new Broadway sprouted all around it.

The show I've personally enjoyed seeing the most was 'Gypsy.' But the show I think most deserves its Best Musical Tony Award is 'A Chorus Line,' for being Broadway's ghost light during its darkest time.

Likewise, though I've never seen 'Carrie,' it gets my vote because it's been skewered so thoroughly and celebrated so frequently as the worst musical ever, becoming, as in Ken Mandelbaum's book, the benchmark against which all other bad musicals are measured.

Well, it's nice to see another "Cats" bashing thread.

Sounds like most of you don't "get" poetry in general, as opposed to lyrics. They ARE different, after all... and Cats is/was a different kind of show. Maybe many of you were too young to appreciate seeing "poetry" come to life in an experimental way, as a theatre "mood piece"... but I'm pretty convinced that the people who really think it's the WORST show they've ever seen, either haven't been exposed to very much experimental theatre... OR they just don't "get" poetry in general, or fell asleep in their English Lit classes more often than they tried to connect to it. Or T.S. Elliott. It's pretty obvious to me here when ANYONE tries to over-analyze or dissect the literal meaning of "Jellicle Cat." It shows more about your individual aversion to abstract poetry, or at the very least your lack of comprehension of what that really is, than it does to the "failings" of this show. Cats was and is one of the most daring and unique shows I've ever seen, or will likely see, on any "commercial" stage.

Sorry, guys, I'm in a bitchy mood this morning.

*sigh*

Some people just don't "get" Shakespeare either, and don't even want to try.

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The best (I have more than one)

1) Wicked
2) Sound of Music -- Can't help it..HUGE fan!
3) Phantom

Worst:

1) 1776 -- but I think worst is too harsh a word
2) Grease

It's tough, I've liked every show I've seen...

BEST:
Phantom of the Opera
RENT
Sweeney Todd
Cabaret
Aida
Urinetown

WORST:
Grease
Thoroughly Modern Millie

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Best: Ragtime
Worst: In My Life