26 replies to this topic

[ollyd24]

1.) wizard of oz- fantastic effects, brilliant cast and the new songs are fab! the new dance for russell fit in nicely and marianne benedict is the best in my opinion! fav song- Red shoes blues/baccahanalia

2.)  wicked- really good story line and good songs! good casting and good set desingn , best song = defying gravity

3.)   les mis- fantastic songs really good set design and actors are brilliant! favourite song- i dreamed a dream

[Haz23]

Les Miserables
Song: One Day More

The Phantom of the Opera
Song: The Music of the Night

Blood Brothers
Song: Tell Me It's Not True.

If we are talking about more recent musicals, I'd include Wicked (Defying Gravity), Billy Elliot (Electricity), Matilda (When I Grow Up) and The Book of Mormon (I Believe).

[Cactus]

Les Misérables (momentous in the literal sense, fantastic ensemble pieces, epic story, with the right cast works from the back row of the Upper Circle as well as the front row of the Stalls)
Song: too many to choose from... At the end of the day, One Day More, Finale

Parade (layered, working on the grand scale of social commentary as well as the small subtle focus on one couple's relationship)
Song: You don't know this man

Passion (going with the Donmar Revival here - thrilling, intelligent, no easy answers, claustrophobic and mesmerising)
Song: the whole score is like one rhapsodic number but having to choose - The Finale

[Dawnstar]

I'm finding this tricky. Should you pick musicals that are momentus for the genre or ones that have had a strong impact upon yourself personally? In my case the two lists don't overlap.

Momentus for the genre:

Showboat - the first serious musical as opposed to musical comedy.
Song: Old Man River

The Sound Of Music - if you ask people who know very little about musicals to name musical I suspect this one would be the most named...
Song: The Sound Of Music

The Phantom Of The Opera - ...and the ones that didn't pick The Sound Of Music would pick this! Defines megamusical.
Song: The Phantom Of The Opera


Momentus for me personally:

Evita - the first cast album I ever listened to (on LP despite it being the 1990s!)
Song: Eva's Lament. Gives me goosebumps every time.

Zorro - I adored this show beyond reason & still miss it 3 years later.
Song: The Man Behind The Mask

Chess - I love the lyrics & music so much that I have yet to bring myself to see it live for fear that seeing an actual production might spoil it for me.
Song: You And I

[Reich]

Sunday in the park with George

I find it hauntingly beautiful. It touches me in so many ways that I can’t really describe.
- Sunday

West Side Story

Watching the film as a kid taught me what racism is and serves as a large part as to how I don’t want to live my life
- Tonight

Cabaret

Decadence and ignorance all wrapped up in a tawny bit of show business – open your eyes sally!  
- So what

I can’t reduce to 3 …

Pacific Overtures

Feudalism v’s. capitalism. Far from your average musical and very moving – it’s a good documentary but with show tunes!
-Next


My fair lady

I don’t really see it as a romance but as two people using each other to ‘better’ themselves
- I could have danced all night

[Nev]

Chess
Lyrics, music and overall feel of the score - fantastic. And even better in my native Swedish, I think.
Song: 'Nobody's Side' or 'The Deal'.

Phantom of the Opera
Over the top and lavish but absolutely fabulous.
Song: 'Wandering Child'

The Hired Man
One of the most beautifully crafted scores I know. I fell even more in love with it after seeing the brilliant Landor production last year.
Song: 'War song' or 'If I could'

[kris24fan]

Les Miserables
Reason: The show I could go to again and again, amazing roles, amazing music and never fails to put a shiver in my spine and a tear in my eye in its finale. 26 years and still going strong. An instituition.
Song: One Day More- Perfection.

Sweeney Todd
Reason: Musical theatre as art. The musical even opera purists don't sniff at. Sweeney and Mrs Lovett may have the most depth of any musical characters ever written. And it works with both actors and singers. Can't wait to see the new version.
Song: A Little Priest- Just listen to the wit and ingenuity of this song and tell me there's better writing then this anywhere!

Parade
Reason: I missed this at the Donmar and have kicked myself ever since. The Donmar recording is just sensational and just listening to it, without ever having had the experience of seeing it, I can still feel what an impact it makes on an audience. Jason Robert Brown is always seen as the hope for modern day musicals, with Parade he has created a show that can already put him up with the top echelon.
Song: All The Wasted Time- It may be based on a moment of my life when this song was playing but this song just breaks me. Laura Pulver and Bertie Carvel nail it on the Donmar recording

[wickedlover]

1) Mary Poppins
It was my first west end show nearly 8 years ago, and it's just in that special place for me.  Magical and british, possibly the only musical I have seen that beats its movie counterpart out of the competition.
Best Song- Anything Can Happen

2) Wicked
I just love the story, basically how 2 people who couldn't be more different eventually become best friends. Love it.
Best Song- No One Mourns The Wicked (Love the fierceness of the opening music)

3) Shrek
I know this one probably won't be a favourite amongst anyone else, but I love it, didn't expect to when I first went to see it, but I do.
Best Song- Who I'd Be

[tommo2k]

Phantom - first musical of the ones I saw that made me fall in love with musical theatre.

Cats - just love the jellicle ball.

Les Mis- best score ever!

Defying gravity is pretty cool the first time you see it too.

[jamescrispy94]

1) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (OLC at the Palladium) - Same reason as wickedlover for Mary Poppins really, not only my first West End show for my 8th birthday but my first BIG show I've ever seen, every time I hear the songs on the Making of DVD or the OCR it touches my heart and I suddenly feel like an 8 year old again.

2) Sweeney Todd (Chichester) - You just need to look at the reviews at the moment to see how phenomenal at the moment I needn't say more. For me the story, the INCREDIBLE store, it literally has EVERYTHING!

3) Mary Poppins (West End) closely followed by Oliver! (Drury Lane and Birmingham on UK Tour) - Mary is just fantastic on the stage, words cannot describe how it just NEEDS to be on the stage! CAMERON BRING THIS BACK TO ENGLAND WILL YOU????!!!!

Oliver! not only is it one of the best shows ever written but it always casts my mind back to working on this with an AmDram co. and meeting some friends and new people. TRDL was so huge and breathtaking but I slightly feel a bit guilty by saying that the UK tour in Birmingham last week may have been that slightly better.