My Favourite Musicals
Hey! This is my first post on this blog and seeing as I'll mostly be talking about theatre I figured what better way to get to know a little more about me than sharing my favourite musicals with you guys! When I go to the theatre its mostly to see musicals (actually its pretty much all musicals, the only play I've seen is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child but I'm hoping to fix that in the future) and musicals are by far my favourite thing in the entire world. 99% of the music on my phone is show tunes (the other 1% consisting of indie folk, cheesy 90s pop, and Trixie Mattel) and going to see musicals live is what I spend the majority of my money on. And if I'm just chilling at home I'm usually either singing along to show tunes badly or watching bootlegs online (watch out for a future post on my opinions on bootlegs). So without blubbering on for too much longer here are my 10 favourite musicals:
1) Bonnie and Clyde
This is the most recent favourite of mine. I only discovered it earlier this year but I've listened to the cast album at least once every week since and the bootleg about 20 times! From a young age I've always been intrigued by Bonnie and Clyde's story so its kind of surprising that this musical has flown under my radar for so long. But i'm absolutely delighted I stumbled upon it. The music is absolutely amazing and has an authentic 1930s feel to it and Jermey Jordan and Laura Osnes are just phenomenal together!
2)The Addams Family
Anyone who knows me knows that The Addams Family are my favourite fictional family ever and I geek out over anything to do with them- and the musical is no exception. My first experience with the show was the bootleg of the original Broadway cast a few years ago and I instantly fell in love with it. The story line is fresh and interesting but it still keeps the ooky spooky feel one comes to expect from The Addams Family. I didn't think it was possible for me to love the show any more until I saw the UK Tour of it last year in Dublin. Seeing it live in person was one of my favourite theatre experiences to date and I loved every single member of the cast, especially Carrie Hope Fletcher as Wednesday (I think Carrie is a phenomenal performer and makes every role her own so when i saw she was going to be playing Wednesday I knew that (1) I had to see and (2) she was going to bring something fresh to the role, which she did in my opinion) and Cameron Blakely as Gomez (by far my favourite incarnation of Gomez in anything Addams Family related). I really hope that one day this show opens in the West End so I can see it a million more times.
3) Cabaret
This one came as a huge surprise to me! I saw the movie with Liza Minnelli years ago and wasn't blown away by it and then year later I found a bootleg online with Alan Cumming (by far the greatest Emcee ever!!) and Emma Stone which I enjoyed more but still wasn't blown away by. So when I saw that the UK tour of the show was coming to Dublin last year I was in two minds about going to see it; but eventually Idecided to just go and see it for the sake of saying I saw it. And I'm so happy I did!! The choreography was exceptional, the songs were catchy and fun, the cast were amazing, the ensemble were hot, but most importantly the show had a very deep impact on me. Despite seeing the film and bootleg I forgot how it ended and actually left the theatre speechless with my jaw hitting the floor. The majority of shows I've seen end happily or with a satisfying conclusion but the ending of Cabaret just left me shook!!! I really hope I get to see this one live again at some point
4) The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Another show where I haven't actually seen it live but the bootleg and cast album alone were enough to make me fall head over heels in love with it! 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' is one of my favourite Disney movie of all time and I love the soundtrack but I was always a little disappointed that the ending was completely disneyfied and didn't end tragically like in the novel by Victor Hugo (call me weird but I like when things dont always end perfectly). So I was delighted to see that this adaptation which took place in 2014 at La Jolla Playhouse perfectly blended the novel and Disney film and gave me the best of both worlds. Its a shame this show didn't have a longer run or make it to Broadway but highly recommend watching the bootleg if you can find it! And who knows, maybe one day, someday soon it'll be revived (any body see what I did there?)
5) Finding Neverland
Yet another musical I have yet to actually see live but love nonetheless. Just like Hunchaback, Finding Neverland is one of my favourite movies so I was over the moon when I heard that it was being turned into a stage musical. However I was equally as gutted when I found out it was going to be opening in the US and not in London. So when a bootleg emerged you bet your ass I was all over that in a heartbeat and watched it like 5 times in a row! I love every single song on the soundtrack and never fail to cry at 'Finale' and 'Neverland (Reprise)' despite listening to it and seeing it countless times (which is rare for me cause, while I'm a big crier, I very seldom cry while listening to music and the only other song that gets to me is 'The Letter' from Billy Elliot). Laura Michelle Kelly is just a gift sent from the gods! I'm still waiting for this one to open in the West End so I can see it live but my patience is starting to dry up!! HURRY UP ALREADY!!!
6) Les Miserables
The second Victor Hugo adaptation on my list. Les Mis is just a classic that I feel you cant go wrong with. The story and music is fantastic and timeless, and throughout the whole show you feel all the feels. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel a sense of pride for the students, you'll feel conflicted, and without a doubt you'll leave wanting to see it again. I've only seen this one live twice in London but I'm seeing the UK tour in Dublin in December and I'm excited to see how the staging differs between the two. I'm also really excited to see fellow Irish man Killian Donnelly smash it as Valjean again!
7) Heathers
Yet again another bootleg (do you see a trend here?). Like most people who enjoy contemporary theatre I am a massive Heathers fan! The music is just so catchy and hilarious. The storyline is amazing, as is the 80s movie it's based on. And the casting of both the original off Broadway production and the new London production are spot on. I'll be seeing the London production in 2 weeks and I'm super excited to see what changes they've made and see how it compares to the off Broadway production (and I also can't wait to see Carrie Hope Fletcher slay in yet another fantastic role). Does anyone not love Heathers? I don't think so!
8) Waitress
Unpopular opinion here but I think Waitress should have won best new musical at the Tony awards, not Hamilton. Now before anyone comes for me in the comments I absolutely love Hamilton and think it's a revolutionary piece of theatre. But as a whole I find Waitress much more enjoyable, touching, funny, heartfelt, and with such fantastic songs and it was wonderfully cast. I love every single person from the original OBC and every single Jenna they've had on both Broadway and the Tour! Just like with Finding Neverland I'm eagerly waiting for this one to transfer to the West End but I need it ASAP please. Also is it too much to ask for Sara Bareilles to star in it when it does transfer? If you haven't yet go and listen to her last 'What Baking Can Do' and 'She Used To Be Mine' on YouTube! You wont be sorry!
9) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
I have yet to see this one done professionally. I've seen the Tim Burton movie, the concert with Patti Lupone and Neil Patrick Harris, and a local am-dram production and I loved all three; so I can only assume that I'd love a professional production even more! This is my favourite musical to sing along to and turn into a one man show while I shower! The songs are fun to sing along to, especially 'Worst Pies in London'. I also love anything with a darker theme to it so Sweeney Todd is right up my alley. I would have loved to have seen Imelda Staunton as Mrs Lovatt but hopefully it'll be revived again soon in the West End or as a tour and whoever they cast as Mrs Lovatt will live up to my expectations (they're pretty high as Mrs Lovatt is my all time favourite character in any musical!)
10) Wicked
And last but not least, the show I've seen live the most and probably my all time favourite musical - Wicked. Wicked was the very first show I saw live and definitely fueled my love and admiration for musical theatre. If I was ever granted a wish by a genie i'd wish to be talented enough to be a part of the cast of Wicked, in particular an ensemble member! The ensemble of wicked are always amazing and as much as I love the main characters I usually find myself watching the ensemble more.The choreography the do, especially in the 'Dancing Through Life' scene is so beautiful. The show itself is just wonderful. I've seen it 6 times now and I fall even more in love with it every time. There's always something new to spot. When I was younger I was obsessed with the Wizard of Oz and as I grew up i became more and more interested in reading books and watching films that gave backstories to well known villains and gave them more dimension and complexity so of course I was going to love Wicked! I can already tell that when I move to London next year I'm going to be seeing Wicked at least once a month for the first few months (maybe forever, who knows). And if you're curious, my favourite Elphabas are Kerry Ellis, Emma Hatton, Rachel Tucker, and Willemijn Verkaik; all of whom I've seen in person besides Rachel Tucker (unfortunately the day I went to see her I ended up with her understudy, who was still amazing but my poor little heart was crushed I didn't get to see Rachel)
And there you go, those are my top 10 favourite musicals. I hope you enjoyed this post and getting to know me a little bit more!
1) Bonnie and Clyde
This is the most recent favourite of mine. I only discovered it earlier this year but I've listened to the cast album at least once every week since and the bootleg about 20 times! From a young age I've always been intrigued by Bonnie and Clyde's story so its kind of surprising that this musical has flown under my radar for so long. But i'm absolutely delighted I stumbled upon it. The music is absolutely amazing and has an authentic 1930s feel to it and Jermey Jordan and Laura Osnes are just phenomenal together!2)The Addams Family
Anyone who knows me knows that The Addams Family are my favourite fictional family ever and I geek out over anything to do with them- and the musical is no exception. My first experience with the show was the bootleg of the original Broadway cast a few years ago and I instantly fell in love with it. The story line is fresh and interesting but it still keeps the ooky spooky feel one comes to expect from The Addams Family. I didn't think it was possible for me to love the show any more until I saw the UK Tour of it last year in Dublin. Seeing it live in person was one of my favourite theatre experiences to date and I loved every single member of the cast, especially Carrie Hope Fletcher as Wednesday (I think Carrie is a phenomenal performer and makes every role her own so when i saw she was going to be playing Wednesday I knew that (1) I had to see and (2) she was going to bring something fresh to the role, which she did in my opinion) and Cameron Blakely as Gomez (by far my favourite incarnation of Gomez in anything Addams Family related). I really hope that one day this show opens in the West End so I can see it a million more times.
3) Cabaret
This one came as a huge surprise to me! I saw the movie with Liza Minnelli years ago and wasn't blown away by it and then year later I found a bootleg online with Alan Cumming (by far the greatest Emcee ever!!) and Emma Stone which I enjoyed more but still wasn't blown away by. So when I saw that the UK tour of the show was coming to Dublin last year I was in two minds about going to see it; but eventually Idecided to just go and see it for the sake of saying I saw it. And I'm so happy I did!! The choreography was exceptional, the songs were catchy and fun, the cast were amazing, the ensemble were hot, but most importantly the show had a very deep impact on me. Despite seeing the film and bootleg I forgot how it ended and actually left the theatre speechless with my jaw hitting the floor. The majority of shows I've seen end happily or with a satisfying conclusion but the ending of Cabaret just left me shook!!! I really hope I get to see this one live again at some point
4) The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Another show where I haven't actually seen it live but the bootleg and cast album alone were enough to make me fall head over heels in love with it! 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' is one of my favourite Disney movie of all time and I love the soundtrack but I was always a little disappointed that the ending was completely disneyfied and didn't end tragically like in the novel by Victor Hugo (call me weird but I like when things dont always end perfectly). So I was delighted to see that this adaptation which took place in 2014 at La Jolla Playhouse perfectly blended the novel and Disney film and gave me the best of both worlds. Its a shame this show didn't have a longer run or make it to Broadway but highly recommend watching the bootleg if you can find it! And who knows, maybe one day, someday soon it'll be revived (any body see what I did there?)
5) Finding Neverland
Yet another musical I have yet to actually see live but love nonetheless. Just like Hunchaback, Finding Neverland is one of my favourite movies so I was over the moon when I heard that it was being turned into a stage musical. However I was equally as gutted when I found out it was going to be opening in the US and not in London. So when a bootleg emerged you bet your ass I was all over that in a heartbeat and watched it like 5 times in a row! I love every single song on the soundtrack and never fail to cry at 'Finale' and 'Neverland (Reprise)' despite listening to it and seeing it countless times (which is rare for me cause, while I'm a big crier, I very seldom cry while listening to music and the only other song that gets to me is 'The Letter' from Billy Elliot). Laura Michelle Kelly is just a gift sent from the gods! I'm still waiting for this one to open in the West End so I can see it live but my patience is starting to dry up!! HURRY UP ALREADY!!!
6) Les Miserables
The second Victor Hugo adaptation on my list. Les Mis is just a classic that I feel you cant go wrong with. The story and music is fantastic and timeless, and throughout the whole show you feel all the feels. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel a sense of pride for the students, you'll feel conflicted, and without a doubt you'll leave wanting to see it again. I've only seen this one live twice in London but I'm seeing the UK tour in Dublin in December and I'm excited to see how the staging differs between the two. I'm also really excited to see fellow Irish man Killian Donnelly smash it as Valjean again!
7) Heathers
Yet again another bootleg (do you see a trend here?). Like most people who enjoy contemporary theatre I am a massive Heathers fan! The music is just so catchy and hilarious. The storyline is amazing, as is the 80s movie it's based on. And the casting of both the original off Broadway production and the new London production are spot on. I'll be seeing the London production in 2 weeks and I'm super excited to see what changes they've made and see how it compares to the off Broadway production (and I also can't wait to see Carrie Hope Fletcher slay in yet another fantastic role). Does anyone not love Heathers? I don't think so!
8) Waitress
Unpopular opinion here but I think Waitress should have won best new musical at the Tony awards, not Hamilton. Now before anyone comes for me in the comments I absolutely love Hamilton and think it's a revolutionary piece of theatre. But as a whole I find Waitress much more enjoyable, touching, funny, heartfelt, and with such fantastic songs and it was wonderfully cast. I love every single person from the original OBC and every single Jenna they've had on both Broadway and the Tour! Just like with Finding Neverland I'm eagerly waiting for this one to transfer to the West End but I need it ASAP please. Also is it too much to ask for Sara Bareilles to star in it when it does transfer? If you haven't yet go and listen to her last 'What Baking Can Do' and 'She Used To Be Mine' on YouTube! You wont be sorry!
9) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
I have yet to see this one done professionally. I've seen the Tim Burton movie, the concert with Patti Lupone and Neil Patrick Harris, and a local am-dram production and I loved all three; so I can only assume that I'd love a professional production even more! This is my favourite musical to sing along to and turn into a one man show while I shower! The songs are fun to sing along to, especially 'Worst Pies in London'. I also love anything with a darker theme to it so Sweeney Todd is right up my alley. I would have loved to have seen Imelda Staunton as Mrs Lovatt but hopefully it'll be revived again soon in the West End or as a tour and whoever they cast as Mrs Lovatt will live up to my expectations (they're pretty high as Mrs Lovatt is my all time favourite character in any musical!)
10) Wicked
And last but not least, the show I've seen live the most and probably my all time favourite musical - Wicked. Wicked was the very first show I saw live and definitely fueled my love and admiration for musical theatre. If I was ever granted a wish by a genie i'd wish to be talented enough to be a part of the cast of Wicked, in particular an ensemble member! The ensemble of wicked are always amazing and as much as I love the main characters I usually find myself watching the ensemble more.The choreography the do, especially in the 'Dancing Through Life' scene is so beautiful. The show itself is just wonderful. I've seen it 6 times now and I fall even more in love with it every time. There's always something new to spot. When I was younger I was obsessed with the Wizard of Oz and as I grew up i became more and more interested in reading books and watching films that gave backstories to well known villains and gave them more dimension and complexity so of course I was going to love Wicked! I can already tell that when I move to London next year I'm going to be seeing Wicked at least once a month for the first few months (maybe forever, who knows). And if you're curious, my favourite Elphabas are Kerry Ellis, Emma Hatton, Rachel Tucker, and Willemijn Verkaik; all of whom I've seen in person besides Rachel Tucker (unfortunately the day I went to see her I ended up with her understudy, who was still amazing but my poor little heart was crushed I didn't get to see Rachel)
And there you go, those are my top 10 favourite musicals. I hope you enjoyed this post and getting to know me a little bit more!
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