Cats V Phantom of the Opera V Rent III Grease III The Little Mermaid I The Music Man I Seussical I Joseph I Godspell I Chicago I Footloose I I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change I Brigadon I Sound of Music I Avenue Q I Oliver I Back to the 80's I High School Musical I Lucky Stiff I Working I Mimi le Duck I The Scarlet Pimpernel I The Mystery of Edwin Drood I Jersey Boys I A Chorus Line I Follies I Light in the Piazza I
CATS--its the only show that literally made me sick (I threw up at intermission, I was 6 and my parents still joke that I had good taste in theater from a young age)
"Don't thank your parents, if you were raised in a nurturing environment you wouldnt be in show business"--Conan O'Brien at the 2006 Emmy Awards
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
(Also, while it didn't make it to Broadway COPACABANA was the worst show I have ever seen in a pre-Broadway try-out. OY!)
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks." Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
Anything by a grandson of Richard Rodgers and also "Wicked", except for "Popular" and only when sung by Annaleigh Ashford (call be weird but I really digg her).
The two worst musicals I've ever seen never made it to and never will make it to Broadway, thank God. One is Queens Boulevard,which played at Signature Theater Company late last year, the other was Only Children, and NYU Tisch mainstage original musical, which was their own modernized version of the play Spring Awakening. Two of the worst things I've ever seen in my life.
As far as musicals that have actually made it somewhere, I think Grease has about zero redeeming qualities.
Quick count before I crash... Phantom of the Opera IX Cats IX [ I for koolaid’s ALW reference. I think it counts?] Grease V Rent III Annie II Avenue Q II Brigadoon II Follies II Hairspray II The Music Man II Sunset Boulevard II Wicked II The Little Mermaid I Seussical I Joseph I Godspell I Chicago I Footloose I I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change I Sound of Music I Oliver I Back to the 80's I High School Musical I Lucky Stiff I Working I Mimi le Duck I The Scarlet Pimpernel I The Mystery of Edwin Drood I Jersey Boys I A Chorus Line I Light in the Piazza I The Fatnasticks I Nick and Nora I Movin' Out I La Cage Aux Follies I Dr. Dolittle I Jelly's Last Jam I Sweeney Todd I Into the Woods I My Fair Lady I Flower Drum Song I Oklahoma I South Pacific I Bye Bye Birdie I Miss Saigon I Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat I Camelot I Mamma Mia I
I have unfond memories of 'Kismet', the only show I ever walked out on. I can't say I enjoy 'Cats' or 'Annie' in the least. I'm still working on 'Kiss Of The Spider Woman', which I don't *hate*, I just... can't convince myself to click. :/