Friday, March 18, 2011

Musicals To See Before You Die

Here is my list in order of preference, the musicals one should see before they die. Its a good list to take with you when you retire or have the time and money to indulge. At any one time, I think Broadway would have at least 1/3 of the shows below still running or reprised.

My Fair Lady
Les Miserables
Phantom of The Opera
La Cage aux Folles
West Side Story
Company
The Sound of Music
Wicked
Gypsy
The King & I
Sunday In The Park With George
Sweeney Todd
Oklahoma!
South Pacific
Oliver!
A Little Night Music
Funny Girl
Cabaret
The Lion King
Mamma Mia
The Jersey Boys
The Producers
Cats
Guys & Dolls
Porgy & Bess
Finian's Rainbow
Little Shop of Horrors
Fantasticks
Brigadoon
Camelot
Carousel
Fiddler on The Roof
Chicago
Into The Woods
Evita
A Chorus Line
Showboat
Young Frankenstein
Dreamgirls
The Music Man
How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
Ragtime
Hair
Hello, Dolly!
Follies
Godspell

Musicals are know for their showstopper tunes. I have included a few that stuck:

The showstopper in Les Miserables, Do You Hear The People Sing?, was absolutely marvellous in the musical, it was grand, rousing ... makes me think maybe some people in a certain country could use it very well (don't mention names la). I can very well imagine the majority of the public singing this song, wouldn't that be loverly?



The showstopper in La Cage aux Folles, I Am What I Am, where the drag queen displays his bitterness at being sidelined by his son because of his being a drag queen. Its a powerful song which speaks for self actualisation, confidence in our own choices in life.



The brilliant showstopper, Defying Gravity, in Wicked (a genius prequel to The Wizard of Oz story, you will look at the Wizard and the Witch differently after the show). Have to click on link as they won't let me embed this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g4ekwTd6Ig

This next showstopper was at the end of the musical Carousel, a rousing number which later some silly football club stole it and regarded it as their birthright.



Finally, I had to feature this by Colm Wilkinson, whom I think has the best male voice on the musical stage now. He sings Bring Him Home from Les Mis, as he was praying for the life of his daughter's love. Its easily better than I Dreamed A Dream from the same musical.

8 comments:

Y said...

Jesus Christ Superstar, Hairspray,Evita, Man of La Mancha, Joseph and the ATD?

Hollywood should do a remake of Fiddle on the Roof and The King and I but then there's no Peter Ustinov and Yul Brynner anymore.

tanhc said...

If only Les Miserables can be played or screened in all the countries currently in the grip of a powerful struggle for freedom from autocracy, what a rousing, unifying call it would probably make, and who knows, it might just spur on and lead to a resounding victory for the underdogs!

Btw, if I can alter your list, I would have placed Les Mis right on top!

Tell me, which song in Les Mis has not touched your heart or disturbed your soul?

Super Saiyan 3 said...

I like "do you hear the people sing" more, only because we have performed it, huhu!

I agree on everything you said about Notion, plus i love a board full of Chinese enterpreneurs.

Y said...

3rd time I posted something with reference to you, altho this time indirectly so. As Kris suggested, I finally posted a picture of the perfect hunky guy on my blog *wink*

BTW, you reckon the minute news trickles out that Japan's situation has stabilised, the mkt is going to fly? Apparently, the situation is not as bad as reported by some sensatinalised networks. We hope and pray so right?

SK Au Yong said...

Blood Brothers.......Melanie C(I think) is just wonderful. Good storeyline

BTW Glory, Glory ......is sillier than You'll Newver Walk Alone ...no offense just cannot help making this point.

Hope we can agree to disagree... I know you are die hard MU but Liverpool has its own supporters.

tanhc said...

If only Les Miserables can be replayed or screened in all those countries deep in the grip of a powerful struggle for freedom from autocracy, what a rousing, unifying impact it would make, and who knows, it might just lead on to a resounding victory for the underdogs!
Btw, if I could alter your list, I would have placed Les Mis right on top!
Tell me, which song in Les Mis has not touched your heart or disturbed your soul?

Y said...

Looks like market may take a nose dive like the torpedoes in Libya. Is war and bloodshed the answer to the world's woes? sad sad sad.. I just wish some of these were just musicals that we watch enjoy cry and when the curtains fall everything is just going to be alright but doesn't look like it does it.

SalvadorDali said...

cinfong, evita is on the list ... i have some issues with tim rice's over zealous lyrics in JCS ... Joseph atc is for kids

au yong soon kok, i have no issues with revenge posts, but at least have a better retort la than just saying Glory Glory is sillier... im sure pooliver fans can do better than that