Top 10 Broadway
Cause sleep is for losers and I haven't done this in a while.
10)) The Music Man
"Well, you got trouble my friend."
If I could play any male role, it would either be Snoopy from ‘Charlie Brown’, or Harold Hill. I actually went to all the trouble of learning the lyrics to “Trouble” for a music class (still can recite it. Quite proud of that ^_^).
From another angle Hill could appear a villain of sorts; the silver-tongued scam artist coming to cheat the unsuspecting out of their money. But this show makes us love him. The music is quite clever, and the show overall is uplifting. It’s just pure fun.
9)) Les Misérables
"I raise my eyes to see the heavens, and only the moon looks down."
I know there are some people who would flog me if this show wasn’t on this list ~_^ Still, it is a great show. The plots and subplots are quite numerous, and it’s amazing how they all intertwine, eventually culminating with the revolt of Enjolras’ band of students.
The music is epic, which fits with the story. The songs are classic (“I Dreamed A Dream”, “On My Own”, “Do You Hear the People Sing?”), and like any great story it makes you care greatly about the characters-- even the villain, for some.
8)) Cabaret
"Money makes the world go 'round."
This show is Broadway at its darkest: sexy, creepy, angsty, cynical, ironic, but with a dash of playfulness thrown in so the audience doesn’t leave feeling completely like crap. It’s the story of people trying to create a little sunshine in a time of shadows, struggling on even when their efforts seem futile. When I first saw it I knew the title song, but to see the contrast of the cheerful lyrics to the female lead, crying as she tried to get the words out, was heart-wrenching. It’s quite a powerful piece in the end.
“Money” is by far the sexiest song in the show, in my opinion. And the first version of “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” is the creepiest.
7)) Into the Woods
"Can't we just pursue our lives with our children and our wives?"
The only production of this I’ve seen was my high school’s, but I also have the soundtrack with Bernadette Peters. The reasons for liking this show are simple, but numerous: first of all, it’s based on fairy tales, but looks at them from a much more mature perspective. Sort of taking it back to the days of Grimm, now that I think of it. And it turns the main characters into real people.
Second of all it’s Sondheim, and Sondheim at his best. The lyrics come quickly and cleverly, and when they don’t come quickly they’re beautifully poetic (“No More” is one of my favorite songs from the show).
6)) Nine
"My body's clearing forty as my mind is nearing ten."
I first heard the song "Guido's Song" when Antonio Bandaras sang it at the Tonys, and my exact thoughts were "Good God, that's exactly how I feel." Oh, and also, "Wow. Great song." XD
Nine tells the story of a middle-aged man with a childish mind. He goes through the paces of responsibility, but what he really wants to do is play. Some of this is accomplished through his work-- he’s a director-- but it’s not enough. He has several affairs, and the show mainly revolves around Guido and the many women in his life (in fact, he’s the only guy in the show, unless you count a flashback version of himself).
It’s a coming-of-age story at its core, even though the main character is in his late 30s. The lyrics are full of both passion (“The Bells of St. Sebastian”, “Unusual Way”, “I Can’t Make This Movie”) and playfulness (“Contini Submits”, “Be Italian”).
5)) Jesus Christ Superstar
"What's the buzz; tell me what's a-happenin'"
Yeah, I only first saw this two days ago. But man, it ROCKS. It a) humanizes the story of Jesus, b) does it with 60's-style rock music, and c) (most importantly) makes it work. I've never had so much respect for Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The greatest thing about the show is its emotion and intensity. Everyone feels, everyone is human, everyone has to deal with problems. Some fuck up. Some don' t get it. Some just don't know what to do about it.
Webber's skill in composing really shines through (and works well with Tim Rice's lyrics). "The Temple" and "Trial & 39 Lashes" are the best examples of this, I think-- the quickening paces and repeating words, lines slowly crawling up the scale... both perfectly reflect the mob mentality.
I’ll say this for Webber: he knows how to make music dramatic. And it really, really works here.
4)) Man of La Mancha
"And yet how lovely life would seem if every man could weave a dream, to keep him from despair."
When I first saw this show I was in a bit of an emotionally distraught place, so the sentimental message got through to me even more than it might have otherwise. Still, the message of the show is still clear and pure: As long as you have a dream, nothing that is 'real' needs to matter.
The songs all have a distinctly Spanish style hidden in the rhythm and the orchestrations. The lyrics are straightforward and honest. Don Quixote's enthusiasm is catching; by the end you're quite willing to give more credit to the 'crazies' of the world.
3)) Once On This Island
"Some girls you marry, some you love."
Besides having in it the (IMO) most romantic song in any Broadway show ("Some Girls"), this show tells a good folktale using the music of the region it comes from. It's a pretty simple story, actually-- peasant girl becomes infatuated with a rich man and does everything to be with him despite the barriers between them. Of course, there's the added dimension of the gods who use the girl as something of a pawn. And interestingly enough, it's one of the few Broadway musicals that doesn't have a completely happy ending. w00t for being unique.
The parts of this show I like best are the most intense: "Rain", "Pray", and the bits with the god of Death.
2)) Little Shop of Horrors
"There must be someone you could eighty-six real quiet-like."
I've had a life relationship with this show. The '86 movie scared the crap out of me when I was a wee lass, but I liked it in some capacity even then. It was just bizarre, and that was kinda cool.
Then in 8th grade, I was cast as Audrey, which remains one of the greatest theatrical experiences of my life (behind Zombie Prom, of course ^___^). Then four years later, I got to see the revival on Broadway.
But beyond my long-standing familiarity with the show, it's just good. It's funny, it's scary, it's sweet, and the music's rockin'. Seymour's psychological deterioration is actually a pretty interesting thing to watch, and the life that Audrey wishes for is so honest and pure. The fact that I've kept liking Little Shop all this time is probably a sign of how good it is. I haven't gotten tired of it yet even after all this exposure.
1)) The Secret Garden
"I heard someone crying. Maybe it was you."
Either this or Guys & Dolls was the first show I saw on Broadway, but it's obvious which one had more of an effect on me. To this day the finale of the first act sends shivers down my spine, and the finale of the show never fails to make me spring tears. I dream of playing Martha, the spirited maid, and I greatly admire Dicken, who weaves the magic of nature.
Not to mention how beautiful and rich the music is. It's haunting at times (the Storms, "I Heard Someone Crying", "The House Upon the Hill"), spritely at others ("Wick", "Round-Shouldered Man", "Show Me the Key"), and at still others heart-wrenching ("Lily's Eyes", "Race You to the Top of the Morning", "How Could I Ever Know"). Those that sing the songs are awesomely talented-- and they include Mandy Patinkin, whose voice is just so unique. And of course he was Inigo in The Princess Bride, which gives him extra awesome points XD
Yeah... Anyone I know in RL has probably heard me rave about this show's greatness at one point or another. I just cannot voice how much I adore it.
In creating this list I realized I've seen at least 20 shows on Broadway. That's... pretty awesome.
10)) The Music Man
"Well, you got trouble my friend."
If I could play any male role, it would either be Snoopy from ‘Charlie Brown’, or Harold Hill. I actually went to all the trouble of learning the lyrics to “Trouble” for a music class (still can recite it. Quite proud of that ^_^).
From another angle Hill could appear a villain of sorts; the silver-tongued scam artist coming to cheat the unsuspecting out of their money. But this show makes us love him. The music is quite clever, and the show overall is uplifting. It’s just pure fun.
9)) Les Misérables
"I raise my eyes to see the heavens, and only the moon looks down."
I know there are some people who would flog me if this show wasn’t on this list ~_^ Still, it is a great show. The plots and subplots are quite numerous, and it’s amazing how they all intertwine, eventually culminating with the revolt of Enjolras’ band of students.
The music is epic, which fits with the story. The songs are classic (“I Dreamed A Dream”, “On My Own”, “Do You Hear the People Sing?”), and like any great story it makes you care greatly about the characters-- even the villain, for some.
8)) Cabaret
"Money makes the world go 'round."
This show is Broadway at its darkest: sexy, creepy, angsty, cynical, ironic, but with a dash of playfulness thrown in so the audience doesn’t leave feeling completely like crap. It’s the story of people trying to create a little sunshine in a time of shadows, struggling on even when their efforts seem futile. When I first saw it I knew the title song, but to see the contrast of the cheerful lyrics to the female lead, crying as she tried to get the words out, was heart-wrenching. It’s quite a powerful piece in the end.
“Money” is by far the sexiest song in the show, in my opinion. And the first version of “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” is the creepiest.
7)) Into the Woods
"Can't we just pursue our lives with our children and our wives?"
The only production of this I’ve seen was my high school’s, but I also have the soundtrack with Bernadette Peters. The reasons for liking this show are simple, but numerous: first of all, it’s based on fairy tales, but looks at them from a much more mature perspective. Sort of taking it back to the days of Grimm, now that I think of it. And it turns the main characters into real people.
Second of all it’s Sondheim, and Sondheim at his best. The lyrics come quickly and cleverly, and when they don’t come quickly they’re beautifully poetic (“No More” is one of my favorite songs from the show).
6)) Nine
"My body's clearing forty as my mind is nearing ten."
I first heard the song "Guido's Song" when Antonio Bandaras sang it at the Tonys, and my exact thoughts were "Good God, that's exactly how I feel." Oh, and also, "Wow. Great song." XD
Nine tells the story of a middle-aged man with a childish mind. He goes through the paces of responsibility, but what he really wants to do is play. Some of this is accomplished through his work-- he’s a director-- but it’s not enough. He has several affairs, and the show mainly revolves around Guido and the many women in his life (in fact, he’s the only guy in the show, unless you count a flashback version of himself).
It’s a coming-of-age story at its core, even though the main character is in his late 30s. The lyrics are full of both passion (“The Bells of St. Sebastian”, “Unusual Way”, “I Can’t Make This Movie”) and playfulness (“Contini Submits”, “Be Italian”).
5)) Jesus Christ Superstar
"What's the buzz; tell me what's a-happenin'"
Yeah, I only first saw this two days ago. But man, it ROCKS. It a) humanizes the story of Jesus, b) does it with 60's-style rock music, and c) (most importantly) makes it work. I've never had so much respect for Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The greatest thing about the show is its emotion and intensity. Everyone feels, everyone is human, everyone has to deal with problems. Some fuck up. Some don' t get it. Some just don't know what to do about it.
Webber's skill in composing really shines through (and works well with Tim Rice's lyrics). "The Temple" and "Trial & 39 Lashes" are the best examples of this, I think-- the quickening paces and repeating words, lines slowly crawling up the scale... both perfectly reflect the mob mentality.
I’ll say this for Webber: he knows how to make music dramatic. And it really, really works here.
4)) Man of La Mancha
"And yet how lovely life would seem if every man could weave a dream, to keep him from despair."
When I first saw this show I was in a bit of an emotionally distraught place, so the sentimental message got through to me even more than it might have otherwise. Still, the message of the show is still clear and pure: As long as you have a dream, nothing that is 'real' needs to matter.
The songs all have a distinctly Spanish style hidden in the rhythm and the orchestrations. The lyrics are straightforward and honest. Don Quixote's enthusiasm is catching; by the end you're quite willing to give more credit to the 'crazies' of the world.
3)) Once On This Island
"Some girls you marry, some you love."
Besides having in it the (IMO) most romantic song in any Broadway show ("Some Girls"), this show tells a good folktale using the music of the region it comes from. It's a pretty simple story, actually-- peasant girl becomes infatuated with a rich man and does everything to be with him despite the barriers between them. Of course, there's the added dimension of the gods who use the girl as something of a pawn. And interestingly enough, it's one of the few Broadway musicals that doesn't have a completely happy ending. w00t for being unique.
The parts of this show I like best are the most intense: "Rain", "Pray", and the bits with the god of Death.
2)) Little Shop of Horrors
"There must be someone you could eighty-six real quiet-like."
I've had a life relationship with this show. The '86 movie scared the crap out of me when I was a wee lass, but I liked it in some capacity even then. It was just bizarre, and that was kinda cool.
Then in 8th grade, I was cast as Audrey, which remains one of the greatest theatrical experiences of my life (behind Zombie Prom, of course ^___^). Then four years later, I got to see the revival on Broadway.
But beyond my long-standing familiarity with the show, it's just good. It's funny, it's scary, it's sweet, and the music's rockin'. Seymour's psychological deterioration is actually a pretty interesting thing to watch, and the life that Audrey wishes for is so honest and pure. The fact that I've kept liking Little Shop all this time is probably a sign of how good it is. I haven't gotten tired of it yet even after all this exposure.
1)) The Secret Garden
"I heard someone crying. Maybe it was you."
Either this or Guys & Dolls was the first show I saw on Broadway, but it's obvious which one had more of an effect on me. To this day the finale of the first act sends shivers down my spine, and the finale of the show never fails to make me spring tears. I dream of playing Martha, the spirited maid, and I greatly admire Dicken, who weaves the magic of nature.
Not to mention how beautiful and rich the music is. It's haunting at times (the Storms, "I Heard Someone Crying", "The House Upon the Hill"), spritely at others ("Wick", "Round-Shouldered Man", "Show Me the Key"), and at still others heart-wrenching ("Lily's Eyes", "Race You to the Top of the Morning", "How Could I Ever Know"). Those that sing the songs are awesomely talented-- and they include Mandy Patinkin, whose voice is just so unique. And of course he was Inigo in The Princess Bride, which gives him extra awesome points XD
Yeah... Anyone I know in RL has probably heard me rave about this show's greatness at one point or another. I just cannot voice how much I adore it.
In creating this list I realized I've seen at least 20 shows on Broadway. That's... pretty awesome.