Ever since my Grandma took me to see my first musical when I was 7, I've loved musicals. The brilliant songs and elaborate displays of light and sound had me absolutely hooked from the second the curtain pulled open on that PAC stage. But it wasn't until I saw a production my cousin was in at UWSP that I really started favoring some shows over others. It was then that I developed my musical philosophy. My taste in musicals, as you'll soon see, isn't flooded with mega musical hits that have taken the world by storm, but rather smaller (and usually much edgier) shows. This is because I feel an audience member shouldn't leave a musical thinking about how great the singing was or how flawless the dancing was, but really thinking, digging deep into the depths of their minds, contemplating a thought they hadn't contemplated in ages. A good musical is gonna bring a subject to the table that sometimes you didn't want to think about, but in the end you'll be better because of it. With that said, please enjoy a listicle of the top 10 musicals of all time... according to me ;)
Okay, so I know I just told you that my taste in musicals doesn't really consist of big name shows, but Hamilton is just too intricately made and performed not to be on this list. Hamilton, in fact, might be one of the biggest, most known musicals for a long time to come. After finding monumental success during 2015, it's first season on Broadway, Hamilton won 11 Tony awards, which is one away from being tied with the record set by The Producers in 2001. Hamilton: An American Musical follows the story of, you guessed it, Alexander Hamilton. As the story progresses through Hamilton's life, we see major events, such as the winning of the revolutionary war, the end of Washington's presidency, the death of Hamilton's son, and the assassination of Hamilton himself. Seem stale? After all, it is just the story of some old white guy and the people around him over 200 years ago. But wait! Hamilton is more than it seems! Although Alexander Hamilton and the men around him were old white guys trying to run a country, all the characters in the musical, except for King George III, are played by non-white actors and actresses. This aspect is used to show that the American's were viewed by the British as different, or foreigners, and that through their combined work, a powerful nation was founded. These elements are ones many people today should consider, that this wonderful nation we call America was built by immigrants, I bet anyone of you reading this could name at least a handful of political figures that might need to sit down and really digest what the show is trying to say.
"Wait a second," you ask yourself, "isn't this that one chick flick from the 90's with Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep?" Why yes, yes it is! And may I say, how convenient of you to ask that! This musical, as well as the movie, is based off of the original book of the same title written by Robert James Walter in 1992. This story follows the four day encounter between a Francesca, an Italian war bride in Madison County, Iowa and Robert, a photographer trying to find the last of the coveted covered bridges of Madison County. Francesca's husband and children are off to a fair in Indianapolis for four days, and during those four days, she spends them revealing her life story to Robert. They share those four days, and both of them fall into a sort of love with each other, but once Francesca's family returns, she decides to stay and live with them, rather than go away with Robert and live a free life. This beautiful show shows us how we have to decide between the things we love, and though these decisions are tough, they're decisions that need to be made. If you do decide to listen to the album, I recommend you pay attention to the strings throughout the show. Though there is a consistent theme the cello plays, the music and the surrounding accompaniment change it's mood as the story progresses. It really is a work of art, but what else would we expect from Jason Robert Brown, one of the best and most brilliant contemporary composers of our time.
Ever wonder what would happen if Jack (the one from the Beanstalk), Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel, a Baker, his Wife, and a Witch were all in the same area? Well wait no more! I present to you Into the Woods. As with any of Sondheim's work, Into the Woods is a beautiful masterpiece, complete with unusual rhythms and underlying musical theme's that you don't even know are screwing with your head while you're listening to them. I've been in this show myself, twice, and if I had to tell you anything about my experience, it's that it is one of the hardest musicals to learn. Sondheim loves his fast pace pitter-patter rhythms, which are some of the most challenging to pick up. But the beauty of a Sondheim show is realizing everything written in the score and lyrics has a reason to be there. Some stuff may seem overly complicated, too complex, or even just redundant, but that's only because life is that way, too. And that's really what Into the Woods is all about. The characters dive into the woods in search of ingredients for a potion, or for the market to sell their cow, but they come out (or never come out) knowing more about themselves then they ever had before. Another theme from this show that is perfectly executed is that of desire; how we as humans are always striving for something better or different. A line that is heard in many of the songs is "I wish", which always comes before a characters desire. through the show, many characters end up getting what they want, or something close, but even when everyone seems happy with what they have at the end of the show, we hear one final "I wish", and the show ends. This seems to show that we as humans, no matter how satisfied, will never stop wanting. Just another one of Sondheim's perfect little intricacies, I suppose.
I'm usually not one to fall in love with Off-Broadway shows. I usually feel that if a show isn't on Broadway, it has a reason not to be. But Jason Robert Brown's The Last 5 Years is the only exception.
Honorable Mentions!
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