The 25 Best Musicals of All-Time

The other day I told you that I would be sharing with you my favorite Broadway Musicals of All-Time.  It's a question that has been asked of me for years and years.  And because of that, I felt it appropriate to share with you the many musicals that I love that didn't make my Top 25.  I needed you to see how hard this subject is for me.  I have loved Musicals for years and there are just too many that I adore to narrow it down to a select few, but I did it.  As hard as it was, I did it.  I managed to pull together and rank my 25 favorite Musicals.  And while you may not completely agree with my rankings or my opinions, each of these shows have very good reasons for making it onto this list.

THE 25 BEST MUSICALS OF ALL-TIME

25. Godspell
The mixture of Religion and Musical theatre was a popular theme in the 1970s (Jesus Christ Superstar opened in New York the same year as this Off-Broadway hit!).  Stephen Schwartz' folk rock-inspired show was always a favorite in my household growing up.  The songs are simple yet complex and they perfectly reflect the feeling of the period (which was about love, peace and understanding).  Below is an appearance of the original Off-Broadway cast on the Today show (back when Barbara Walters was the co-host!).

24. Cabaret
Whether it is Harold Prince's groundbreaking original 1966 Broadway production or Bob Fosse's sleek and seductive 1972 film version, this Musical must be mentioned when you talk about Broadway greatness.  The Kander and Ebb landmark show is still one of the most popular Musicals (especially in colleges!).  Songs like the smashing opener "Wilkommen" (see the 1998 revival below) or the catchy title number (most famously performed by Liza Minnelli on film!) have made this show the innovation that it is.

23. Oklahoma!
It was the first show Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote together and it changed the face of Musical theatre.  No show before it had combined memorable songs, fully-developed characters, a complete plot and masterful choreography.  And because it is set against the backdrop of the Western territory in the early 20th Century, it is a true piece of Americana.  Below, see Hugh Jackman in the London revival singing the powerful title song.

22. 1776
I love this show.  It is always enjoyable to me (especially around the Fourth of July!).  Who ever thought that a show about the creation of the Declaration of Independence would be a fantastic Tony-winning hit?  Sherman Edwards' spritely songs and Peter Stone's smartly written libretto make each of these men (John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, etc.) relatable and still keep that iconic aura they have had in our eyes.  Below, most of the original Broadway cast reprised their roles in the 1972 film version.

21. The Music Man
Meredith Wilson's masterpiece about a con man who manages to dupe a small Iowa town into funding a boys' band (that doesn't really exist!) is a classic in every way.  Much like its leading man "Prof." Harold Hill, the Musical takes the audience on a ride that ultimately we are the better for taking that ride.  Below, original star Robert Preston sings "Ya Got Trouble" at the 1973 Tony Awards as part of a celebration of the best award-winning Musicals.

20. Jersey Boys
I normally do not care for what are termed as "Jukebox" Musicals (Mamma Mia! really annoys me even if it has Meryl Streep!).  But this 2005 Tony-winning show has been one of the most interesting recent hits.  Its structure is definitely not a "traditional Broadway Musical," but it feels more like Musical in the same way the Oscar-winning biopics Coal Miner's Daughter or Ray are "Musicals."  It is both extremely enjoyable (each time I've seen it, everyone is on their feet by the finale!) and fantastically innovative (thanks both to the brilliant direction of Des McAnuff and the sharp libretto co-written by Marshall Brickman who also helped Woody Allen write Annie Hall.).

19. The King and I
Rodgers and Hammerstein were the gods of Broadway in its Golden Age and this show was part of their creative peak.  In adapting the true story of Anna Leonowens and her tenure as the tutor to the children of Siam's King Mongkut, they created a relationship that (although very sexually charged, especially in the "Shall We Dance" number below) was about two people from different sides of the world who came to respect each other as equals.  That is the kind of good character development that makes great Musicals.

18. A Chorus Line
For most of my life, this show had the honor of being the Longest Running Broadway Musical.  Michael Bennett's show about dancers who strive to nail that important audition was (in a way) Broadway's first "reality Musical."  Even though the dancers on stage had character names, they were basically playing versions of themselves (to varying degrees).  The fantastic choreography and the charming score (by the late Marvin Hamlisch) made this musical so popular that it was a phenomenon all its own (and ten times better "reality" than you would get on Jersey Shore or any of the Real Housewives shows!).

17. Guys and Dolls
This show comes right from the heart of Broadway (in particular Times Square!).  Damon Runyon's stories about gamblers and their gals that run around Times Square were light-hearted and charming enough to entice producers into turning it into a lavish Broadway Musical.  It is one of the most successful titles and one of the most revived shows in Broadway history.  Below, Stubby Kaye reprised his Broadway role in the 1955 film version and sings one of my favorite songs in the show, "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat."

16. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
One of Stephen Sondheim's most popular and most enduring works is also one of his most intense.  I mean who writes a musical about a guy who takes revenge on the society that wronged him by slicing their throats and having them baked into meat pies?!?!  And yet with Sondheim's masterful score and under Harold Prince's innovative direction, Sweeney Todd has become one of the most important shows of the last 40 years.  Below, original star Angela Lansbury alongside George Hearn play the leads and sing about the fun they'll have putting people into pies!

15. Oliver!
Just like Oklahoma! and The Music Man brought Americana to the rest of the world (through their hit London productions!), this show was basically London's response.  And it became one of the biggest hits on both sides of the Atlantic in the early 1960s.  Lionel Bart's clever score and the well-developed use of Dickens' characters (like Fagin, Nancy and The Artful Dodger) have made this Musical version of Oliver Twist one of the most lovable hits (especially among schools, thanks to the use of children in prominent roles!).

14. Chicago
Had it not been for this show's smash hit revival in 1996 (followed by an Oscar-winning film in 2002!), this one would have drifted right into obscurity.  But the Kander-Ebb-Fosse collaboration is bold, brassy, sexy, confrontational (at times) and (most importantly) jazzy.  It may have been too dark and sardonic for audiences who were enamored with A Chorus Line back in the late 1970s, but it provides a commentary on our culture and our media that has definitely become more prevalent over the last 30 years.  Below, original stars Chita Rivera and the late Gwen Verdon perform the finale of the Musical with Fosse's original chic choreography.

13. Man of La Mancha
When it comes to Musicals, one theme is always dominant: Dreams.  And in this show, the lead character is a man who follows his dreams.  Sure, he's a crazy old coot who thinks he's a knight and mistakes windmills for dragons; but his faith in his dreams make him one of the most inspirational characters ever.  Based on the literary classic Adventures of Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes, this Musical's structure is inspired both by its literary roots as well as the 1960s approach to theatre (which was mostly inspired by the Meisner method acting techniques).  It uses a "play within a play" motif where the actor playing Quixote is actually Cervantes himself trying to showcase his work and defend his writings.  The score (by Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion) has some of the most beautiful songs including "Dulcinea" or "I, Don Quixote" or the timeless "The Impossible Dream" (sung below by Brian Stokes Mitchell in a 2003 revival of the show).

12. Evita
The same year he directed Sweeney Todd to great acclaim, the hit Harold Prince had directed in London the year before opened on Broadway to a massive (at the time) advance in ticket sales.  Evita was one of the most highly anticipated shows of the late 1970s.  Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's gargantuan rock opera about the wife of Argentinian dictator Juan Peron was (like Jesus Christ Superstar) first an extremely successful rock concept album that topped the charts with singles like "Don't Cry For Me Argentina."  With Prince's guidance, it became a theatrical wonder and a box-office smash.  I fell in love with this show at a very young age (my parents adored this Musical!) hearing the Original Broadway Cast album which featured the phenomenal Patti LuPone in the title role alongside the brilliant Mandy Patinkin as the Brecht-like narrator Che (see both of them below performing at the 1980 Tony Awards).

11. The Sound of Music
Thanks to the extremely successful 1965 film version, this Musical is one of the most popular shows in theatrical history.  It also is one of the most poignant as it served as the last Musical that Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote together (due to Hammerstein's death from throat cancer in 1960 eight months after the show opened on Broadway).  And as their last endeavor, it is one of their best scores.  So many songs in this show are just brilliant ("My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and of course the iconic title song!).  Below, the 1998 revival cast performs a medley of songs at the Tony Awards.

10. Gypsy
The same year The Sound of Music opened on Broadway, this show business gem was also running to sold-out crowds.  The star power of Ethel Merman combined with an amazing score (by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim) made this Musical a very popular hit.  It has been revived four separate times on Broadway, has had several notable regional and tour productions, two (somewhat) well-received film versions and has been named by several critics as the "greatest Broadway Musical."  Interesting to note that each major revival has (in some way) incorporated the original choreography by the legendary director Jerome Robbins.  It just goes to show the mark that man left on his shows (but more on that in a bit!).  Below, watch clips of Patti LuPone in the most recent Broadway revival.

9. Sunday In the Park With George
This one is truly a personal favorite.  I was first introduced to this show by my mother who showed me the PBS American Playhouse telecast that showcased the Original Broadway production.  Stephen Sondheim's hauntingly beautiful and rich score was just marvelous to hear especially when sung by the likes of Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters.  Whenever I hear a song from this show, I think about watching that telecast with my mother and how it was through her (and my father!) that I fell in love with Broadway Musicals.

8. The Producers
There are very few Musicals that have made me literally laugh out loud.  And when I say "laugh," I mean an endless stream of gut-busting full-out laughter.  And of course that kind of laughter has to come from someone like Mel Brooks.  The Musical version of his amazing 1968 comedy is so hilariously brilliant and it is truly a pure "love letter" to Broadway and the traditional style Brooks must have loved growing up.  Below, Nathan Lane leads the Broadway cast in a hilarious medley of the shows best songs.

7. The Lion King
When I talked about the stage version of Beauty and the Beast, I (slightly) compared it to a theatrical show at Disneyland and how it was primarily a version of the film on stage (with fantastic sets and costumes).  But with The Lion King, director Julie Taymor found a way of innovating animated animals and planting them in front of a live audience.  Using masks, puppetry and elaborate costumes, Taymor expands the imagination of everyone who comes to see the show.  It also helps that the score from the film (Elton John and Tim Rice's songs and Hans Zimmer's instrumental score) are used to brilliant effect.  The show is still one of the biggest box-office hits on Broadway after almost 15 years and shows no sign of stopping.

6. Fiddler On the Roof
Another show introduced to me by my parents (it's a particular favorite of my father's!).  This landmark Musical based on Sholem Alecheim's Tevye stories is not just about a Jewish family in a Russian/Ukrainian village.  It is about community and adaptation and (dare I say it!) "Traditions."  The genius of Jerome Robbins' original staging and choreography is always honored in every production and utilized in some way (see below the 2004 revival).  The show is synonymous with "traditional" Broadway.

5. Wicked
The rank of this one probably surprises a lot of you, but there is a reason.  When I first heard about this show, I was about to graduate from college and could not afford to go see the out-of-town-tryout that was right here in San Francisco (even though I wanted to, I was just too busy!).  But I did hear some good things about it and heard it would be opening on Broadway later in the year.  However, that summer and early fall ended up making it one of the worst years in my life.  First, in July my Grandmother died after years of battling the effects of a stroke; and then, in October my Mother passed away suddenly from medical complications.  It was right before Halloween, which is when this show opened on Broadway.  That Thanksgiving, I needed to get away and went to New York.  I managed to get tickets to this show (with its Original Cast!) and I immediately fell in love with the Stephen Schwartz score and the brilliant staging by Joe Mantello.  It was the show I needed at that time in my life.  It made me realize everything was going to be alright.  It was like my Mother and Grandmother wanted me to see this show which has since become one of the most "Popular" shows of the last decade.

4. Les Misérables
This show is beloved in my family.  Everyone who has seen it says that they were just mesmerized and moved by this Musical.  Like many shows before it, a Musical version of Victor Hugo's long literary masterpiece seems like insanity.  But with a rousing, haunting and inspirational score and memorable characters (from lead Jean Valjean to the tragic Fantine to the treacherous Thenardiers), the show has become one of the biggest hits worldwide.  It even is (finally!) getting a film version released later this year directed by Oscar-winner Tom Hooper and starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway.  It cannot surprise you that I will be seeing it the day the movie opens at my local movie theater!

3. The Phantom of the Opera
Les Miz and this one are almost tied, but this one slightly wins out because I felt that Harold Prince's staging was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen in my life (even though I was only 13 at the time I saw it!).  It is considered one of the most unabashedly romantic Musicals in Broadway history.  Andrew Lloyd Webber's haunting and majestic score wins me over every time I hear it.  And I've already mentioned how I felt about Mr. Prince's genius staging (I mean, he has helped make Opera accessible to the masses!).  Below, watch as original stars Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman showcase one of the most memorable scenes in the show at the 1988 Tony Awards.

2. West Side Story
One of the biggest landmarks in Broadway history just had to be on this list no matter what.  Jerome Robbins' powerful and enigmatic adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet set against the backdrop of 1950s street gangs is and will forever be a remarkable masterpiece.  With a fantastic and almost symphonic score by Leonard Bernstein (with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, his first Broadway credit!) and a moving libretto by Arthur Laurents, the characters literally leap into your hearts (thanks to Robbins' brilliant choreography which he created with the help of his co-choreographer Peter Gennaro).  It was bold and innovative and yet, at the same time, it was traditional and theatrical.  There is truly nothing like it.

1. My Fair Lady
This really cannot be that much of a surprise.  I know this show backwards and forwards.  I know every line, every song, every orchestration and even every shot of the film.  Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's brilliant Musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion is beautiful in every way.  It has two of the best leading characters in Broadway history and it features gorgeous sets and costumes (if the production is done right!).  And the score is filled with amazing songs like "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "I Could Have Danced All Night," "On the Street Where You Live" and Higgins' final soliloquy "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face."  Each in their own way are among my favorite Broadway songs (that's a list I can never do, by the way!).

So there, I have done it.  I have given you my Top 25 Broadway Musicals.  It was difficult and even painful at times, but I have answered the question most people have asked me for most of my life.  Are any of these your favorites?  I encourage you to tell me your favorite and what you love about it (even if it's not on this list!).

The Ones That Won't Be On the List...Plus a Little More!!!

I have been a "Broadway Baby" for as long as I can remember.  That's why I use the Stephen Sondheim song title as my nickname, my mantra and the title of my blog.  But there is one question that many have asked me over the years that I have always hesitated to answer.  What is my favorite Broadway Musical?  And over the last few years, I've shared with you many different favorites from Movies to Television to Songs.  But I've always avoided that one big question.  And there is a very simple reason.  There are so many Broadway Musicals that I love, it is too hard to narrow it down.  This week, I've decided to do what I consider to be the impossible.  But instead of doing a list of 100 or even 60, I have narrowed it down to a list of 25.  And if you think 100 is difficult, 25 is no picnic!  That being said, before I give you the 25 Musicals that are close to my heart, I thought I would share with you a few of the Musicals that I still like but just missed making it into the "upper echelon" (so to speak!).  So I will first talk a bit about 10 shows I think people would be surprised to know are NOT in my top 25.  After that, I want to quickly run through 5 more extremely popular Musicals that (on one level or another) bug me, yet I still love them (kind of a love-hate relationship going on there!).  Later this week, my top 25 shall be revealed to you.  All at once and not one at a time, like I have done in the past.  Think of it as my special gift to all the people who have been frustrated when I never answered their original question (Who knows? They may find themselves more frustrated after this week!).  But first, the 10 shows that won't be in my top 25 (in no particular order)!

42nd Street
I love the original film and the stage production is a lavish toe-tapping adaptation.  The show opened the month before I was born and has one the most infamous opening nights in Broadway history.  The show's famed director-choreographer Gower Champion died the day of the opening, but producer David Merrick refused to reveal the news until after the final curtain call.

In the Heights
One of the more recent and unique hits in Broadway history.  It's use of hip-hop and latino pop certainly give it a flavor all its own.  In a way, it is one of the most original American Musicals of the last decade.

The Pirates of Penzance
Gilbert and Sullivan were the Rodgers and Hammerstein of their day back in Victorian England.  But for me, it was Joseph Papp's hilarious tongue-in-cheek 1980s hit production that makes this show such a treat.

Kiss Me, Kate
This show combines Shakespeare and Musical theatre to quite charming and hilarious effect.  Only Cole Porter could give the Bard's great comedy (The Taming of the Shrew) a showman's touch.  Plus "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" is one of the cleverest songs ever written!

Funny Girl
She says it herself: She's the Greatest Star!  There is no one like Barbra as the legendary Fanny Brice.  However, she's put such a mark on the role that no one has ever dared touch it in a major revival.

Rent
This Musical was meant for my generation.  Every theatre geek in my high school (including myself!) loved the late Jonathan Larson's masterpiece.  It has since closed on Broadway and spawned a mediocre film version, meaning I believe this show belonged to its time and we were the better for it.

Annie Get Your Gun
When I finally got to New York, this was the first Broadway show I saw (with the phenomenal Bernadette Peters in the lead!).  Like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin let his songs speak for themselves.  And in this Musical, there's no business like it!

Beauty and the Beast
This may shock many of you.  I love the 1991 Disney film, you know I do!  And I love the Broadway show. Yet (unlike some of Disney's later theatrical productions) while the costumes, sets and effects are gorgeous, the show feels very much like a straight adaptation of the film (with a few new songs added).  Like the kind you would have found at Disneyland (Not that there's anything wrong with that for Disney's first theatrical venture!).

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum
I've talked about how this show has one of the greatest opening numbers in Broadway history.  And as Stephen Sondheim's first show as both composer and lyricist, it served as an appetizer for the career he would have.  This one was hard to knock off the top 25, but not as painful as the one below.

How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
This was the most painful cut of all.  My dad is still mad at me over this (He's still speaking to me, he's just a little miffed!).  This Pulitzer Prize-winning satiric powerhouse was beloved in my house.  Yet as some new shows have debuted in my lifetime (particularly in the last 10-15 years), shows fall by the wayside.  So consider this brilliant piece of theatre Miss Congeniality!  Plus watch Harry Potter dance up a storm in the most recent revival!

Now, these next 5 shows are enormously popular in different circles of theatre "geeks" (i.e. critics, fans, crazy people, etc.).  Yet each of these shows while I love them for their accomplishments and even enjoy them from time to time, there is just some aspect of it that bothers me.  And even though they might bother me, there's some strange part of me that can't resist liking (or even loving!) them.  I can't help it, I love to hate them yet I hate that I love them.  So from 5 to 1 (1 being the show that bugs me the most!):

5. Spring Awakening
I may be incurring the wrath of many a teenage fangirl with this placement, but I probably already incurred that wrath the first time I bad-mouthed Twilight!  But the obsessive love that the teen crowd seems to have for this well-written youthful Musical is what turns me off it.  The fact that it launched Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff's careers is a plus in its favor (despite what the Glee haters out there say!).

4. South Pacific
The Broadway gods will curse me for this one but Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1949 Pulitzer Prize-winner has a very un-entertaining plot.  The score is absolutely brilliant (of course!), yet the fact that it is based on James Michener's Tales of the South Pacific stories just doesn't do it for me (even though Hammerstein's libretto explores and confronts prejudice in ways the theatre never did before).  Despite that, the songs are amazing especially when performed by the likes of Mary Martin, Kelli O'Hara or Glenn Close.

3. Annie
You had to grow up in the 1980s to understand this.  I mean, the song "Tomorrow" was everywhere.  And if you were a kid interested in Musical, Annie was the predominant choice for children's theatre.  Yet there is something about that precocious little redhead that audiences can't resist.  The show is getting another major revival on Broadway and there are the talks about Willow Smith "whipping her hair" into the role in a film remake.

2. Cats
When it overtook A Chorus Line as the longest running Broadway show, it was an event (until Phantom surpassed it 8 years later!).  And Andrew Lloyd Webber's score is complex and masterful (much like his other shows!).  However, how the hell did this show become such a phenomenon?!?!  As much as I appreciate the music and the athletic choreography, I occasionally find myself agreeing with the naysayers and wondering why this show worked (my uncle has asked me on 5 separate occasions and I still have no answer for him!).

1. Grease
This Musical qualifies as my guilty pleasure, meaning I'm to admit that I enjoy it (or at least some of it!).  And I really shouldn't be, there are tons of theatre geeks like me who love this show and are not embarrassed one bit about it.  However, this show annoys me.  And I hate that I like the fact that it annoys me!  Maybe that's what the creators of the original show meant to do, annoy the audiences into to loving them.

So maybe I have surprised a few of you Broadway fans out there.  I maybe I'll surprise you even more later this week with what shows ARE in my top 25.  And just FOR THE RECORD: I thought Damn Yankees was damn fun; I love Camelot and I even love Spamalot; I find the scores for Company, Carousel and Jesus Christ Superstar intricate, exciting and thrilling (respectively); I'm just crazy for Crazy For You; And there's nothing like the helicopter of Miss Saigon or the Fosse magic of Pippin; plus I just enjoy the hell out a good Rocky Horror Time Warp.  Yet NONE of the shows I just mentioned are in my top 25.  Come back later this week to know more!

10 FAVORITES (59): An Opening to Remember

It is the first week of June and that means that Broadway's annual Tony Awards are just a few days away (airing this Sunday, June 10 on CBS at 8PM hosted by the incredibly talented Neil Patrick Harris).  As my nickname claims, I love this time of year.  Not only do I catch up on the many musicals and plays that have charmed audiences and critics alike on the Great White Way over the season, but I also think back on the many shows I have loved throughout my lifetime and the landmarks that have made a cultural impact (think hits like My Fair Lady or A Streetcar Named Desire).  And, of course, it is always the musicals that tend to get the most attention from everyone at this time (myself included!).  There is one extremely important element to musicals that have made most of them the successes they have been: The Opening Number.  A lot of shows get defined by how they begin.  If an Opening Number is spectacular enough, you could read the phone book afterwards and audiences would still think it was worth the price of admission.  So for this week's 10 FAVORITES, I am going to countdown some of the greatest Broadway Opening Numbers in some of the most popular Tony Award-winning musicals.  And just to give you all a clue as to how difficult this list was to devise, here are some of the famed musicals that didn't quite make the list: West Side Story, The Music Man, The Phantom of the Opera and even Wicked!  Now, let's see which ones did make the list...

THE 10 MOST MEMORABLE

OPENING NUMBERS

IN BROADWAY HISTORY

HONORABLE MENTION

"The Sound of Music," The Sound of Music

Music by Richard Rodgers and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Some may be surprised that this is just an "Honorable Mention," but there is a reason.  Though original star Mary Martin sang this opening song beautifully on Broadway in 1959, the song's (and the musical's) popularity truly stems from the treatment it got in the mega-successful 1965 film starring the luminous Julie Andrews (and her mountain-spinning ways!).

OPENING #10

"Another Openin', Another Show," Kiss Me, Kate

Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter

Cole Porter's backstage musicalization of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew was the first musical to win the Tony Award for Best Musical back in 1949.  With this Opening Number, the title itself became a standard phrase within the Broadway lexicon.

OPENING #9

"Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'," Oklahoma!

Music by Richard Rodgers and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Out of all the Opening Numbers on this list, this is the oldest and the most understated.  When Rodgers and Hammerstein's first collaboration opened back in 1943, the Opening scene threw most people for a loop.  The style was very different from any other musical before and its brilliance lies in its simplicity.

OPENING #8

"I Hope I Get It," A Chorus Line

Music by Marvin Hamlisch and Lyrics by Edward Kleban

My Fair Lady opened with a sumptuous Overture.  West Side Story opened with dancing, but no dialogue or singing.  But in A Chorus Line, Director-Choreographer Michael Bennett got straight to the point of the show: Dancers auditioning (and praying!) for a spot in a musical.

OPENING #7

"Aquarius," Hair

Music by Galt McDermott and Lyrics by Gerome Ragni & James Rado

Hair was a landmark musical back in 1968 in many different ways.  Its Opening Number, which became a huge pop hit for The 5th Dimension, set the tone of love, peace and community shared by all the characters on the stage.

OPENING #6

"Magic to Do," Pippin

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Several Broadway Directors could be called innovative and Bob Fosse is certainly one of them.  In Stephen Schwartz' Pippin, Fosse used lighting tricks, dancers' bodies and the smooth tones of Tony-winner Ben Vereen to lure the audience into the "Magic" that was about to unfold before them.

OPENING #5

"Circle of Life," The Lion King

Music by Elton John and Lyrics by Tim Rice

How do you live up to one of the most popular Opening scenes in Disney Animation?  Director Julie Taymor wowed audiences and critics alike with the answer to that question.  Using a mix of puppetry, masks and colorful costumes, the Disney hit has become one of the biggest moneymakers in Broadway history and has proven its stamina over and over thanks in large part to its thrilling Opening Number.

OPENING #4

"All That Jazz," Chicago

Music by John Kander and Lyrics by Fred Ebb

Who knew murder could look so good?  Kander and Ebb's delightful killer-diller musical has become synonymous with a "Razzle Dazzle" Broadway show.  From its opening line of "Come On Babe" to its high-strutting final notes, the number wows everyone (whether its sung by the likes of Chita Rivera, Bebe Neuwirth or even Oscar-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones!).

OPENING #3

"Tradition," Fiddler On the Roof

Music by Jerry Bock and Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick

When it comes to defining what a musical's story is about, this is one of the few Opening Numbers that lays it all out there for you.  And it is a combination of all facets of musical creation: direction, choreography, libretto and score.  Director Jerome Robbins stylized a perfect Opening for Tevye and his fellow villagers from Anatevka where they basically tell the audience what their lives are like and what is important to them: Tradition!

OPENING #2

"Wilkommen," Cabaret

Music by John Kander and Lyrics by Fred Ebb

The title is German for "Welcome" and when you think about it, an Opening Number is basically a kind of a "Welcome."  And what a "Welcome" audiences get when they see this show (or even the Oscar-winning 1972 film version).  Mix in scantily clad women, a rousing "Oom-Pah-Pah" styled song and a dynamic performance from the actor cast as the Master of Ceremonies (The role won both a Tony and an Oscar for Joel Grey!) and you have one of the most in-your-face Opening Numbers in Broadway history.

AND...

OPENING #1

"Comedy Tonight," A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

But when it comes to in-your-face or laying it all on the line, Fiddler and Cabaret were just following in the footsteps of Forum (which is not surprising as they were all originally produced by the legendary Harold Prince!).  This Opening Number doesn't only delight in its performance, but it surprises many to know that it almost never existed!  When Forum was first in out-of-town tryouts, it was getting hammered by the critics and walked out on by audiences.  Enter Jerome Robbins to serve as "show doctor" (basically, a production supervisor).  He told George Abbott (director), Harold Prince (producer) and Stephen Sondheim (composer-lyricist) that the Opening Number they had in place was killing the show (it was an unheard-of Sondheim song called "Love Is In the Air").  He asked Sondheim to write a new song that basically said "baggy-pants farce" and also told him "Don't worry about writing jokes! I'll handle the jokes."  What Robbins came up with the second Sondheim wrote "Comedy Tonight" has gone down in Broadway lore as the most hilarious and most entertaining ten minutes ever to be put on a stage.  I think that serves as qualification enough to top this list.

10 FAVORITES (54): Happy Birthday, Lord Lloyd Webber!

What does the Bible, Argentina, a Hollywood studio, a Parisian Opera House and the London back alleys all have in common?  They each serve as the settings for some of the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber.  Lord Lloyd Webber is celebrating his 64th birthday today (coincidentally he shares his birthday with another Broadway musical legend, Stephen Sondheim, who turns 82 today!).  For over 40 years, Lloyd Webber's musicals have thrilled audiences, broken box-office records and reshaped the musical theatre landscape.  His legend has been fully cemented especially with two new revivals of his earliest hits (Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita) opening on Broadway within the next month and the most financially successful musical of all-time now celebrating its 26th year on the London stage (Phantom's 25th anniversary on Broadway will occur in January of next year!).  His sumptuous and epic musical scores have won Tonys, Grammys and even an Oscar.  But what are the songs of his that this "Broadway Baby" will treasure most.  So, in honor of Lord Lloyd Webber's birthday, this week's 10 FAVORITES are devoted to the best songs the man composed for some of the world's most famous musicals.

THE 10 BEST 

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER 

SONGS

SONG #10
An Unexpected Song
from Song and Dance or Tell Me On a Sunday
Original Lyrics by Don Black
Additional Lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr.
Originally written for the one-act musical Tell Me On a Sunday, when that show was combined with a balletic second act to create the 1986 Broadway hit Song and Dance (featuring a stellar Tony-winning performance from Bernadette Peters).  The stand-out song from the show was this charming number that has since become a popular audition song for almost every young female aspiring to stage greatness.  But of course, all these young women take their cues from the phenomenal Ms. Peters (see below!).

SONG #9
All I Ask of You
from The Phantom of the Opera
Lyrics by Charles Hart
Additional Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
Arguably one of Lloyd Webber's most romantic songs ever written, its sweeping melody moves the audiences to tears towards the end of the first act of the gothic musical romance.  The song has become a standard at most weddings (especially ones where the brides have dragged their fiancee to a performance of Phantom!).

SONG #8
Love Changes Everything
from Aspects of Love
Lyrics by Don Black & Charles Hart
Not many shows open with a powerhouse ballad, but in Aspects of Love Lloyd Webber took a chance.  While the show was not his most successful critically (not many of his shows are exactly beloved by the critics), this song was a popular hit and launched leading man Michael Ball into super stardom in the United Kingdom.

SONG #7
Buenos Aires
from Evita
Lyrics by Tim Rice
What I've always loved about this song is the mix of rock rhythms and latin-style dance music combined with the forceful attitude of the character of young Eva Peron.  She stands there when she enters the Argentinian metropolis and (while enthralled by what she sees) she is not intimidated to tell the world what to expect from her.  It doesn't hurt that the original Broadway production had a powerhouse performance from the amazing Patti LuPone (below!).

SONG #6
Memory
from Cats
Lyrics by Trevor Nunn (adapted from T. S. Eliot)
Every time I've talked with people about this musical, they always ask me "Why the hell did a show about kitty cats run so long on Broadway!?!"  There are lots of reasons why the show was so popular (so many to mention here really!).  One of those reasons though was this extremely popular power ballad that became the show's signature tune.  Who knew that kitties could have powerful emotions!?!

SONG #5
I Don't Know How To Love Him
from Jesus Christ Superstar
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Back in 1970, this was one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's first #1 hits.  Inspired by legendary rock albums by The Who and Led Zeppelin, Lloyd Webber and writing partner Tim Rice released Jesus Christ Superstar as a concept album hoping it would be successful enough to warrant a musical production.  Thanks to hit singles like this one (not to mention the title number!), the show opened on Broadway, opened in London  and had a feature film version all within a matter of 3 years.

SONG #4
As If We Never Said Goodbye
from Sunset Boulevard
Lyrics by Don Black
Additional Lyrics by Christopher Hampton
While Sunset Boulevard is not among Lloyd Webber's shining successes (the multi-million dollar original London and Broadway productions lost most of their original investments), this emotionally charged second-act "aria" gives the actress playing Norma Desmond a chance for a true tour-de-force performance.  The sweeping melody and the lyrical poetry make for brilliant speech by someone who has felt so alone, but now has a chance at returning to her former glory.  Just watch Glenn Close below in her Tony-winning triumph.

SONG #3
The Phantom of the Opera
from The Phantom of the Opera
Lyrics by Charles Hart
Additional Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
When it comes to Broadway title tunes, this rock-influenced powerhouse ranks among the best (right up there with Oklahoma!, Hello, Dolly! and The Sound of Music).  There are several things I love about this number. One of the things is the minute I hear that drum-beat intro, I'm immediately taken back to the first time I saw this show and this musical sequence.  When the Phantom takes Christine to his underground lair, the stage production goes all out in wowing audiences with rising candelabras, swirling mists and a moving boat.  Combine all that with the thrilling final seconds of the song when Christine reaches high E's in her vocalizing, it makes for a memorable musical number.

SONG #2
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
from Evita
Lyrics by Tim Rice
This song doesn't really need a lot of explanation.  It is a powerful and very emotional song that epitomizes the love Eva Peron had for her people (more importantly the power they could give her!).  The melody is moving and Tim Rice's lyrics are the perfect mix of poetry and politics.  Get a great performer like Patti LuPone or original London star Elaine Paige (below) to sing it and you've got a Grammy-winning hit.

AND...
SONG #1
The Music of the Night
from The Phantom of the Opera
Lyrics by Charles Hart
Additional Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
This goes on my list as one of my favorite Broadway songs of All-Time.  It goes up there with songs by the likes of Rodgers and Hammerstein, George Gershwin and Irving Berlin.  When I first saw Phantom of the Opera almost 20 years ago, I remember this song just moving me to tears (which was a complete turnaround as I had just been wowed by the phenomenal staging of the title number!).  With this song you hear the Phantom's lonliness and his heartbreak, but you also hear the beauty and the passion with which he floods his soul with his art and his music.  It is a hauntingly beautiful song that celebrates the thing that brings us all together: music.

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS: How Long Is Too Long On Broadway?

As the East Coast is still recovering from the damage that was caused by last weekend's Hurricane Irene, Broadway went back into business this week with a full blast.  The revival of Chicago, which has been a solid hit since its opening back in 1996, danced its way passed A Chorus Line to become the 4th Longest Running Broadway Musical AND the Longest Running American Broadway Musical.  That latter title is the one to note here.  You see, the three musicals that are ahead of the Bob Fosse-style "Razzle Dazzler" are shows that were birthed across the Atlantic Ocean in London: Cats, Les Miserables (both of which are now closed) and The Phantom of the Opera (which is STILL running - since 1988 - with a count of 9,016 performances as of September 4, 2011).  Cats and Phantom are two of the biggest hits in composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's career and Les Miserables is one of producer Cameron Mackintosh's worldwide hits (interestingly enough, Mackintosh also co-produced Cats and Phantom, meaning he has a stake in the top 3 Longest Running Broadway shows!).  But how long is too long?

I remember when I was a kid and A Chorus Line's 6,137 performances seemed like an aberration, something unattainable that NO other show could EVER surpass.  Then, when I was in High School, Andrew Lloyd Webber's bizarrely fascinating musical about felines did the seemingly impossible.  In June of 1997, Cats famously passed A Chorus Line's record and remained on Broadway for another 4 years.  A year after Cats closed, Les Miserables passed A Chorus Line (and promptly closed a year later!).  And in the last 8 years, The Phantom of the Opera dropped the massive chandelier every night and in the process passed all three to become the Longest Running Broadway Musical.  Now with over 9,000 performances, Phantom has become the unattainable.  Even the show's legendary director, Harold Prince, is often surprised by the massive success that the show has enjoyed.

When Prince began as a producer (of The Pajama Game back in 1954), the Longest Running Broadway show was Oklahoma!, which had a total run of just over 2,000 performances.  Since then, seven other landmark Broadway musicals have enjoyed the title of Longest Running show in history: My Fair Lady, Hello, Dolly!, Fiddler On the Roof, Grease, A Chorus Line, Cats and, now, Phantom.  But Phantom's run pretty much equals the combined totals of Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, Dolly! and Fiddler together!  So I ask again, how long is too long?

At this time, Phantom and Chicago are not the only current Broadway shows that have run for over a decade.  Disney's Tony-winning hit The Lion King and the massive ABBA musical Mamma Mia! both have at least a decade under their "belts" and the 2003 Oz-ian mega-hit Wicked is not too far behind.  This is an interesting question because with the economy the way it currently is and those economic realities having an affect on the state of several Broadway shows, it's refreshing to see shows that were once the hottest tickets in town remain open and still perform at 80-90% capacity!  But do these respective shows' successes encourage what several notable Broadway-philes have called: A Creative Vacuum?  More producers (meaning investors who want to be called producers!) are trying to grasp at the unattainable because with so many shows running so long, they believe the impossible is actually quite possible.  That's why we are seeing an enormous amount of musicals based on recognizable titles (i.e. films, books or even comic books!).  So I ask you readers, have these shows run too long?  Are they making it harder for the future generation of playwrights or composers who are having trouble getting the proper funding from these pretentious investors?  Or is commercial theatre (re: Broadway) in major trouble thanks to the constantly troubling economy?  It seems to always come down to money no matter what you do!  Below, are the posters of the 8 shows currently running on Broadway that have surpassed 1,000 performances (which means they have run at least 2 and a half years!).  Are these 8 shows representative of what Broadway is all about today?  And, if so, is that a good thing or a bad thing or just the way it is?

10 FAVORITES (42) - Disney Voices

After over 80 years and over 60 animated films, the Walt Disney Company has amassed a large cast of characters.  Some are beloved, some are despised and some are just so evil that we can't help but cheer when they come on the screen.  But one of the true measures of the impact of a great Disney character is thanks in large part to the performance of the actor or actress chosen to play that role.  Which performance is the most special?  That's what this week's 10 FAVORITES is all about.  Below, is my list of 10 (actually, 12!) best Vocal Performances from Disney animated films.  Now, when I say "Vocal Performance," I am not referring to singing (though most of the characters listed below sing, with a couple exceptions!).  Also, you will notice that almost half of the characters on the list are villains.  And to put it bluntly, villains are often the most memorable thing in a Disney film.  But a hero, a heroine or even a sidekick can be just as memorable, if it is done just right!  So, without further ado, here are:

THE BEST VOICE PERFORMANCES

IN DISNEY FILMS

HONORABLE MENTION
Adriana Caselotti as Snow White
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
The original Disney heroine is an "Honorable Mention" mainly because the voice of the sweet Adriana Caselotti almost irritated me for a while.  But there is no more iconic vocal performance than Caselotti's renditions of "Whistle While You Work" or "Someday My Prince Will Come."  I felt she needed some recognition on this list.

VOICE #10
James Woods as Hades
Hercules (1997)
While this film is not the most beloved within the Disney canon (especially within the studio itself!), the performance of James Woods as the devilish Hades is quite the scene-stealer.  Woods utilizes some of his best skills and is the perfect bad guy (in what might be called a "so-so" film!).

VOICE #9
Donna Murphy as Mother Gothel
Tangled (2010)
The biggest highlight in last year's animated hit was the performance of two-time Tony Award-winner Donna Murphy as the deliciously wicked Mother Gothel.  The twists the writers gave to the Rapunzel story and that of the "witch" character were perfectly fitted to Murphy's theatrical bravado.  She's cruel, she's selfish and she's a total bitch, but we love her for it!

VOICE #8
Kathryn Beaumont as Alice
Alice In Wonderland (1951)
No matter where I am or what I'm watching, when I think of the character of Alice from the Lewis Carroll classic story, I hear Beaumont's sweet and wistful voice.  She's so prim and proper and just the perfect little girl as we follow her curiosity and her adventures in Wonderland.

VOICE #7
James Earl Jones as Mufasa
The Lion King (1994)
No one can deny the power of this man's voice!  James Earl Jones, who chilled us as the voice of Darth Vader, moved us to tears when he voiced the father of Simba.  The scene in which Mufasa's ghost comes to the disenchanted Simba is one of the most haunting and powerful scenes in the movie, certainly in thanks to James Earl Jones' voice!

VOICE #6
Eleanor Audley as Maleficent
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
I've talked of my love for this movie and even then I talked about how much I loved this villain.  The dripping disdain in Eleanor Audley's voice when she is cursing the innocent Aurora (soon after her birth!) is so spiteful...but I can't help loving this character more!  Audley also voiced the wicked Stepmother in Disney's Cinderella, so she was no stranger to the world of the Disney villain.

VOICE #5
Pat Carroll as Ursula
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Like many other Disney villains, Ursula practically steals the movie from the rest of the delightful cast of characters.  Character actress Pat Carroll was so amazing when she voiced the role and her performance shines through.  In fact, the song "Poor Unfortunate Souls" is one of the best songs in Disney history and certainly a showstopper sequence if there ever was one in a Disney film!

VOICE #4
Phil Harris as Baloo the Bear
The Jungle Book (1967)
Jazz legend Phil Harris sounded so at ease with the lazy "jungle bum" character of Baloo and his performance of the Oscar-nominated song, "The Bare Necessities," is so ingrained in our collective consciousness.  Harris would go on to voice O'Malley the Alley Cat in 1970's The AristoCats and Little John in 1973's Robin Hood (Little John was quite similar to Baloo in many ways, not just Harris' voice!), but it is his performance as Baloo that is forever in our hearts.

VOICE #3
TIE
Jonathan Freeman as Jafar
Aladdin (1992)
AND
Jeremy Irons as Scar
The Lion King (1994)
I put these two together because they are practically equal in my mind and their performances as two of Disney's greatest villains are so wickedly great.  Character actor (of film and stage) Jonathan Freeman was so snake like and imperious as Jafar and, when you talk about imperious, you cannot forget Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons' performance as Scar.  Interesting note about Irons' performance of the song "Be Prepared" (below): Irons' voice cracked more than halfway through the song (on the line: "You won't get a sniff without me!") and master voice actor Jim Cummings (who also voiced Ed, the loony hyena) had to finish the song in his stead.  My father said if I hadn't pointed it out, he would never have noticed it.  I believe many other people don't notice either!

VOICE #2
Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
As I've stated before, this is my favorite Disney film of all-time.  There are so many things I love about this film and the cast is chief among them.  But if I had to pick a stand-out performance, I would not hesitate to recognize the charming performance of the great Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts.  She is so perfect and proper as the teapot that by the time the film gets to the title song (which Lansbury sings!), my heart races to hear her brilliant rendition.  And it makes it even more special when I heard (from Alan Menken in an interview) that Lansbury was able to perform the song perfectly in the recording booth in one take!

AND...
VOICE #1
Robin Williams as The Genie
Aladdin (1992)
Of course this performance would top this list.  When Robin Williams wowed critics and audiences with this vocal performance, it changed the game.  Since then, stars line up to take a part in a Disney animated film (and now, DreamWorks animated films!).  Williams' performance was so important to the film that both the Golden Globes and the Academy thought about giving him a special award.  And the Academy still talks about creating a Vocal Performance category, and that is all thanks to Robin Williams' role as The Genie.

WHAT ABOUT THE PIXAR FILMS?

Some of you may be asking the above question at this moment, so to allay your worries, here are the 5 best voices in PIXAR's short history (hence the 5 and not 10!):

PIXAR VOICE #5
Jason Lee as Syndrome
The Incredibles (2004)
For anyone who remembers Jason Lee's fantastic performance in the Kevin Smith films (Mallrats & Chasing Amy, in particular), his role as the ultimate fanboy turned total villain is quite the highlight of the 2004 Oscar-winning adventure.

PIXAR VOICE #4
Peter O'Toole as Anton Ego
Ratatouille (2007)
Getting the well-respected Peter O'Toole to voice the role of the cynical food critic was quite a coup for PIXAR and his brilliant speech towards the end of the film is as much about all critics (and criticism, in general!) as it is about food.

PIXAR VOICE #3
Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
When you create a character like Mike Wazowski, you need a top-notch comedian to take it to the next level and Billy Crystal is in that category.

PIXAR VOICE #2
Ellen DeGeneres as Dory
Finding Nemo (2003)
In a cast filled with charming performances (Albert Brooks, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, etc.), it is Ellen DeGeneres as the absent-minded Dory that almost steals the touching, funny and poignant movie.

AND...
PIXAR VOICE #1
Tom Hanks as Woody
The Toy Story movies (1995, 1999 & 2010)
In all three movies, it is the performance of Tom Hanks as Woody that is at the franchise's heart and it is a testament to the power of Hanks as an actor (whether he is seen or just heard!).