Top 10 Musicals

Despite my love of rock music, I grew up in a classical environment. And if there’s one thing I took away from my traditional upbringing, it’s a love for musical theater.

Some of the productions on this list are musicals I have seen on broadway, while some I have seen from community theater groups. Others have been filmed, and some have never been performed live. There are other musicals I have never seen but want to like Wicked and Be More Chill. There are also a few that I have seen, but have forgotten about like Cinderella and White Christmas. I have left all of these musicals off the list despite their immense praise or my vague, positive memories of them.

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10. Matilda

I saw this performance in a stage set inside of a canyon, giving it an interesting backdrop but also a different perspective on the effects. Better than its movie counterpart, this musical has great music combined with hilarious acting and shocking turn of events. It even makes Matilda’s parents seem likeable with their over-the-top stupidity.

9. Aladdin

No, I am not referring to the Disney cartoon, nor am I talking about the live action film. There is a broadway musical of this classic story that I went to see back in 2019. This is a musical where I had decently great seats to, and I will never forget my amazement at the golden set of the Cave of Wonders. And yes, there were no animals in the musical, but the three friends of Aladdin were a brilliant and suiting replacement for Abu. They even added a nice alternative twist to the climax of the story. The best part by far, however, was the ensemble that brightened up the stage and painted the floor of Agrabah in color.

8. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

I was introduced to this musical when I played Miss Jones my sophomore year of high school. The story was slightly different, but the villain of the story combined with the innuendo and a plot that would never work out in real life, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is one musical that anyone can find something in it to enjoy. There may not be as many female roles to play, but the way the men see the girls that work with them and how the girls treat them is hilarious and adds to the setting of a completely unrealistic turn of events.

7. Cats

There isn’t a lot that happens in Cats. Based off of a series of poems, it is one of a few musicals made up entirely by its lyrics and no other dialogue. Macavity and Grizabella add direction to some sort of plot, but the majority of the production is a display of different characters instead of a traditional story. But the actors are phenomenal, the effects and props are amazing (most notably with Macavity and Skimbleshanks), and the costume designs are charming without stepping on the verge of creepy. It is a classic and unfortunately shoved under the radar in light of other greats like Phantom of the Opera.

6. The Sound of Music

The musical that everyone knows and loves, it would be a crime to leave The Sound of Music off this list. With the beloved Julie Andrews as Maria and timeless compositions such as “Sixteen Going On Seventeen,” “Do-Re-Mi,” and of course “The Sound of Music,” you cant call yourself a musical theater nerd until you have seen this one. It is a story of love, a story of destiny, and a story of truth, and you can’t find a plot any more memorable than this production.

5. Suessical: The Musical

Charming, sweet, and funny, Suessical: The Musical is a nod to the great author, Dr. Seuss that people of all ages can enjoy. Following Horton as he undertakes his adventures with the Whos, the story takes many tangents on other classic stories and even adds a sideplot in the land of Whoville with the war against the “Butter-Side-Downers.” Though it was absolutely destroyed by critics in 2000, it remains a favorite with community theaters and school theater departments.

4. Into the Woods

Another musical almost everyone has heard of at least once in their life, Into the Woods, like Suessical, is a mash-up if the Grimm Brothers fairytales in a “happily-never-after” twist of plot. While some may say the Disney film sucked due to the removal of certain numbers, I happened to like the story better with Rapunzel’s suicide left out of it and a young, annoying Red Riding Hood. It is certainly not a pleasant story, but it is a reminder that all good things must come to an end. However, though our “happily-ever-afters” are not absolute, it is implied that they continue when we learn to pick up the pieces and move on to the next good thing.

3. Newsies

If you haven’t seen this musical yet, see it now. With the greatest soundtrack of any musical combined with a tear-jerking story, there is almost nothing that can match the greatness of this musical. And with its comedy, loveable characters like Crutchie and Les, and the heart-breaking tale of Jack Kelley the orphan, this is one musical that will never be swept under the rug.

2. Psych: The Musical

I would never list this as the best musical. But it is hands down my favorite. I’ve loved Psych since I saw my first episode (“Let’s Doo-Wop it Again”), and even more so when I saw this musical. It has the same charm that the show had along with comedic yet not laughable musical arrangements. Even the new character, Z, showed great acting that matched the character of a man driven mad by anger and grief. And it’s even better that each member of the original cast could sing, specifically Lassie.

It’s a shame most of the actors never got other big roles outside of this show. And it’s a shame that Timothy Omundson isn’t on broadway with his astounding bass pipes.

1. Hamilton

When I found out that Hamilton was a musical that rapped, I was skeptical about how good the production actually was. But when it was released on Disney+, I was ecstatic. And I left knowing immediately that this is one of (if not the) greatest broadway musical yet.

To start, the opening number is potentially the greatest opening to a musical in history. But what makes Hamilton so brilliant is that the writers combined a historical reenactment with modern music without making the story out to be a joke. And the way it retells Founding Father Alexander Hamilton’s life story is beautiful and opens your eyes to a new perspective of American history. It reminds us that the men that structured our government weren’t just humans that made mistakes, they were boys.

The music is amazing, and while much of the choreography is simple, the ensemble kills it with their dance skills and body language. Lin-Manuel Miranda plays the character of Alexander Hamilton in the best way possible. He is naive and almost the worst fit to act as a major historical figure at the beginning, but as the story progresses, he becomes more passionate and expresses a stubborn side that fits perfectly with the young politician. Even better, the actor for King George was the perfect blend of annoying, childish, and pompous.

The second act may not have the most satisfying ending, but it only drives its point that we forget the strides that those before us went through to get us the freedoms that we enjoy today. And the reminder of all of Eliza’s contributions only shows that while they might not have had the same rights as men in the 17th century, women did so much for our country that we often forget to remember or talk about in the history books.