I will forever sing the praises of Hadestown. I grew up obsessed with both mythology and how storytelling develops over time, so it hit me harder than most shows ever did. I could go on and on about how it is the most genuine and heartbreaking show currently running on Broadway. A top ten (or perhaps top five) musical of all time for me
My top 10 contemporary musicals! 10. Bonnie & Clyde 09. Six 08. Matilda 07. If/Then 06. Once 05. Wicked 04. The Book of Mormon 03. Legally Blonde 02. The Last Five Years 01. The Bridges of Madison County
Legally Blonde & In The Heights are my favorites. I also love Wicked and Mamma Mia. In The Heights is way better than Hamilton. In The Heights and Legally Blonde very memorable songs. Wish Mamma Mia had a lesbian couple.
I love this list! But no Rent is absolutely criminal, It is a show that defined generations of open story telling and acceptance on Broadway, It needs to be here
Another thing about Wicked-- we don't see a ton of fantasy on stage!! Which first of all means magic, the lighting, costume, staging of magic is wonderous. But it also means seeing real life, real deep messages, through a fantastical metaphor. The messages of otherness told in a different story. That always hits for me, helps us see our world in a new light. Takes us away to a magical far off land, and then reminds us at the end of the day that those messages apply here on our earth too. Wicked for me lives much closer to the top, in my top 5 for sure.
Next to Normal absolutely deserves its spot! I hope it makes the rounds again so more people can see it. I feel like I'm in the small group who doesnt love Wicked. Dont get me wrong the music is great, it just doesnt hit for me. Urinetown and Spring awakening are on my want to see list for sure.
Oh man, a lot of my favorites from this decade are not top picks, were not really iconic the way the ones on this list are, but I still loved them. Legally Blonde is my comfort show to this day, [title of show] is the meta little-show-that-could (and one of the first shows to have a vlog!), Xanadu redeems the 1980 film by being absolutely ridiculous and quotable, and Spelling Bee is so quirky and clever, plus interactive. I also have a soft spot for Seussical since it was my senior year musical in high school, but it only really became good during the licensing revisions so the B'way version doesn't count.
Wicked: 20 years later (and a couple hundred other shows) it's still my favorite show ever. It's not perfect, it's not the most technically impressive. But from the first time I saw it I cared deeply about those characters and that story. I'm also a sucker for a book with attention to detail, and bonus points for backstory. I knew and liked the Wizard of Oz but after seeing Wicked it reads like a shiny piece of propaganda. Wicked also came out right as we were entering the Iraq war and some storylines make very pointed reference to those current events (in 2003) but it's amazing how culturally and politically relevant it has remained, maybe because we make the same mistakes over and over again. OMG and the music! The size and volume of the orchestra makes me tear up with the overture's first chord every time (do they have the biggest orchestra on Broadway now?) Rant over. I make no apologies for my love for this show. And the movie(s) better not kill stage ticket sales. That is all.
I got to see a local professional production of Next to Normal and it was gut-wrenching. I came in knowing NOTHING and I came out of that theatre with my eyes so full of tears I couldn't see. It didn't help it was closing night, and it was the first professional production I'd seen. Truly a night to remember!
Is there a reason why The Last Five Years didn’t make your list? Also I've never seen it but the score of Jekyll and Hyde is gorgeous. My heart also loves A Little Princess and Little Women even though they probably wouldn't make my top list either. And I truly love Legally Blonde (it's my Mamma Mia, but I get it not being in your top).
Oh my goodness! I have to thank you for introducing me to several of these! And very much agree - oh Drowsy Chaperone!! Also… wedding singer? The last five years? Legally blonde? I’m sure others but these are some of my favorite memories of our warm up / hype rituals :)
@itskatharinequinn ahhhh yes, I forgot that. My mind blanked on the other one including 90s and I think having the logo in the video cover threw me off!
I'm fully okay with In the Heights over Hamilton, but...no Hamilton at all in favor of some of what we have here? Was there a rule against multiple shows by the same composer that I missed?
I'm one of the few who's not crazy about Hamilton. It's really creative. I think because it's mostly melodic dialogue and not straight conversation (kinda like Les Mis), is why.
I will forever sing the praises of Hadestown. I grew up obsessed with both mythology and how storytelling develops over time, so it hit me harder than most shows ever did. I could go on and on about how it is the most genuine and heartbreaking show currently running on Broadway. A top ten (or perhaps top five) musical of all time for me
Ditto! I stopped this list at 2010, so Hadestown is a near full decade after, but the score is just gorg.
@@itskatharinequinn I must have spaced out during the era specification. Another great list regardless!
My top 10 contemporary musicals!
10. Bonnie & Clyde
09. Six
08. Matilda
07. If/Then
06. Once
05. Wicked
04. The Book of Mormon
03. Legally Blonde
02. The Last Five Years
01. The Bridges of Madison County
HOT TAKES and here for it. So much JRB love here!
Legally Blonde & In The Heights are my favorites. I also love Wicked and Mamma Mia. In The Heights is way better than Hamilton. In The Heights and Legally Blonde very memorable songs. Wish Mamma Mia had a lesbian couple.
I love this list! But no Rent is absolutely criminal, It is a show that defined generations of open story telling and acceptance on Broadway, It needs to be here
Another thing about Wicked-- we don't see a ton of fantasy on stage!! Which first of all means magic, the lighting, costume, staging of magic is wonderous. But it also means seeing real life, real deep messages, through a fantastical metaphor. The messages of otherness told in a different story. That always hits for me, helps us see our world in a new light. Takes us away to a magical far off land, and then reminds us at the end of the day that those messages apply here on our earth too. Wicked for me lives much closer to the top, in my top 5 for sure.
I recent listened to the Avenue Q soundtrack and I was like, ooooo, wow. But some of those melodies still hit
Saw twice at the Wyndham’s on my last trip. Top five musicals ever in my opinion. Best production of this musical ever.
Next to Normal absolutely deserves its spot! I hope it makes the rounds again so more people can see it. I feel like I'm in the small group who doesnt love Wicked. Dont get me wrong the music is great, it just doesnt hit for me. Urinetown and Spring awakening are on my want to see list for sure.
It's just so damn good. Can't wait to see it back here on Broadway.
COME FROM AWAY
A STRANGE LOOP
HADESTOWN
all should be in the top five
Wicked helped my family keep their jobs and also my friends.
Oh man, a lot of my favorites from this decade are not top picks, were not really iconic the way the ones on this list are, but I still loved them. Legally Blonde is my comfort show to this day, [title of show] is the meta little-show-that-could (and one of the first shows to have a vlog!), Xanadu redeems the 1980 film by being absolutely ridiculous and quotable, and Spelling Bee is so quirky and clever, plus interactive. I also have a soft spot for Seussical since it was my senior year musical in high school, but it only really became good during the licensing revisions so the B'way version doesn't count.
Wicked: 20 years later (and a couple hundred other shows) it's still my favorite show ever. It's not perfect, it's not the most technically impressive. But from the first time I saw it I cared deeply about those characters and that story. I'm also a sucker for a book with attention to detail, and bonus points for backstory. I knew and liked the Wizard of Oz but after seeing Wicked it reads like a shiny piece of propaganda. Wicked also came out right as we were entering the Iraq war and some storylines make very pointed reference to those current events (in 2003) but it's amazing how culturally and politically relevant it has remained, maybe because we make the same mistakes over and over again. OMG and the music! The size and volume of the orchestra makes me tear up with the overture's first chord every time (do they have the biggest orchestra on Broadway now?) Rant over. I make no apologies for my love for this show. And the movie(s) better not kill stage ticket sales. That is all.
I love The Producers! Got to see at a regional theater in Philly. Hairspray is great. The Book of Mormon would be on my list.
It should also be said that Wicked, book and musical, predated the "redeem the villain prequel" trend by at least a decade.
No Legally Blonde? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
i DOOO love Legally Blonde but it's not necessarily the best constructed IMO
Spring Awakening!!!!! Talk about the musical I needed to see as many times as possible. That score hits sooooo beautifully.
Every time!!
original one you got to sit on the stage with the cast. next to cast members.
I want to play the chaperone so badly
Make it happen, Jackie!!!
I got to see a local professional production of Next to Normal and it was gut-wrenching. I came in knowing NOTHING and I came out of that theatre with my eyes so full of tears I couldn't see. It didn't help it was closing night, and it was the first professional production I'd seen. Truly a night to remember!
It's SO beautiful
Is there a reason why The Last Five Years didn’t make your list? Also I've never seen it but the score of Jekyll and Hyde is gorgeous. My heart also loves A Little Princess and Little Women even though they probably wouldn't make my top list either. And I truly love Legally Blonde (it's my Mamma Mia, but I get it not being in your top).
Literally only because I was looking at Tony years and didn't consider off Broadway. Foolish of me! I *love* L5Y. And I also love Little Women :)
Seeing both Fantasia and Cynthia Erivo in person was an incredible experience. Both absolutely brought it to church.
Ughhh I'm so jealoussss
In the heights > Hamilton. Easily
I love that I'm not alone in this :)
I will never forget when Avenue Q beat Wicked. It felt like we were being punked!
THE TONYS THAT ROCKED THE WORLD
I love the singing. Hahaha
Oh my goodness! I have to thank you for introducing me to several of these! And very much agree - oh Drowsy Chaperone!! Also… wedding singer? The last five years? Legally blonde? I’m sure others but these are some of my favorite memories of our warm up / hype rituals :)
LOVE YOU FOREVER
The score for The Producers is ...not great. JMO. Passing Strange needs to be on this list.Booked my tix for Sterophonic..can't wait!
Oooh I have never seen Passing Strange and so want to.
Very confused to not see Rent on this list?!
It was in the previous video :) 80s and 90s!
@itskatharinequinn ahhhh yes, I forgot that. My mind blanked on the other one including 90s and I think having the logo in the video cover threw me off!
I'm fully okay with In the Heights over Hamilton, but...no Hamilton at all in favor of some of what we have here?
Was there a rule against multiple shows by the same composer that I missed?
This list is through 2010 and Hamilton came out in 2015. It’s in the intro but maybe it should be in the title.
@@breakyourstory totally!!
@@breakyourstory ah crap. You're right. Sorry!
I'm one of the few who's not crazy about Hamilton. It's really creative. I think because it's mostly melodic dialogue and not straight conversation (kinda like Les Mis), is why.