What is the most well known musical of all time? — Page 2

I'd say Annie would be up there too. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't know the words to "Tomorrow".

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I agree with all your answers so far.

It's a subjective question though of course.

Everyone knows The Sound Of Music from the constant tv airings at the holidays.

As mentioned:

WSS
Grease (thanks to the movie)
Phantom simply b/c of it's so ubiquitous
Annie
A Chorus Line
Cats

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Updated On: 8/25/10 at 07:57 AM

While WSS and Sound of Music are definitly possibly the most well known - my first thought was Fiddler.
I don't think Phantom is really that well known as a musical - when I think of Phantom of the Opera, I think Lon Chaney not ALW

I've been thinking about this, and I agree with BroadwayGirl actually - we're all writing this from, as she put it, "inside the musical theater bubble." Most of my students wouldn't know the Phantom's mask from a barricade if it hit them in the face. Unless they're involved in theater, many of them wouldn't know Annie or Grease either. I've had an amazing amount of students who didn't even know The Wizard of Oz.

Amazingly, what the majority seem to have heard of, is Hairspray and Sweeney Todd because of the movies. But if you go away from middle class New Jersey to other parts of the country, I'd bet there are as many, if not more, people who couldn't name a SINGLE musical let alone one they all would know.

Hell, I saw a statistic once that only like 87% of people could name the vice-president. What chance would we have that those people would know Phantom or Grease or Annie?

Then again, I think of it this way. I have less than no interest in NASCAR. I couldn't name a single driver -- but there are millions who could list off a hundred names without blinking, just like we could with shows. If we're REALLY talking EVERYONE in the world, I'm afraid there would be more people who know NOTHING than any one show.

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...And to the NASCAR comment this girl would say...REALLY? Dale Earnhardt? You REALLY couldn't name that? Maybe you're too young for that or lived under a rock when he died?

Updated On: 8/25/10 at 11:40 AM

OK, yes, Dale Earnhardt. I've heard of Mario Andretti. But that's about the extent of it. So you want the Dale Earnhardt equivalent in musicals? If movies count, it's The Wizard of Oz, no question.

But what if we look at JUST stage shows that aren't movies at all (movies offer a far wider range of exposure than just the stage shows do) -- I really think it's Cats. The reason I say this - my best friend, before college, knew NOTHING of musicals. I mean NOTHING. But he HAD heard of Cats. Granted this was fifteen years ago (so no, Broadwaygirl, not even close to too young - just forgot), but he'd HEARD of the show.

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Honestly, how many people do you think have heard of the SOM or WSS or Les Mis, but haven't heard of Wicked? Not many.

My grandmother, and most grandmothers, I'd bet.

I'm going to say Cats.

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Ok... I find this topic to be very interesting, so I took liberty into my own hands. I walked around campus today in Southeast Texas (trust me, we are not know for our theater here), and asked 50 random people what the most well known musical was. The top answer was...... PHANTOM! Second place was shockingly... Sweeney Todd... Rounding out the last few answers was WSS, Wicked, Annie, Cats, and one vote for Spring Awakening? I didn't get 1 vote for Sound of Music. I know this isn't 100% accurate, but I thought it was intriguing!

minicko - interesting experiment. But notice - both are relatively recent movies. Those who know Sweeney I guarantee (unless they're theater people) have never seen the show, or even know that there is a Ballad of Sweeney Todd.

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I agree with most of the ones up above (save Sweeney), and the same thing happened with watching WSS in school this year. Really- nudity is ok (and hard for some not to laugh at) but manly dancing isn't?

I'd like to add (although not quite a direct answer) the instrumental/karaoke versions of "There's No Business Like Show Business" and the overture for Gypsy (specifically "Rose's Turn" and "Everything's Coming up Roses"). I swear I hear those at every party/dance/show based on the slogan "Let's put on a show!" I'm sure every kid, regardless of their theater-knowledge, has been dragged to an event with that theme. In fact, those songs were just covered by Lucy in the Character Show at Knott's Berry Farm. It was interesting!

I'd like to add: if we are talking about musicals that do NOT have film versions, I would have to go with none other than Wicked. Les Miz MAYBE, but only because Wicked is still comparatively new.