For those who know me personally, you know I listen to lots of rock music [from old rock, to new, more pop-like bands], cabaret-punk, and undefined indie music like Tori Amos and the like. Another part of my broad musical taste is my love, my deepest and most obsessive love, of musicals. I have a friend who shares my love for them – or perhaps, thinking back, she’s the one who actually got me into them. Apart from the fact that I love the music, the stories and the dancing, I am always simply in awe of musicals.
For one, musical casts are made up of actors who are dancers and singers. They roll three separate talents into their person. There can’t be a mediocre one in the bunch, or it simply won’t work. Singing while dancing, they whirl around the stage – and when they stop singing and dancing long enough to speak, they’re as convincing as any other stage actor.
Next, we have the writers and creators of musicals. They compose, they write lyrics, they make up a story that manages to center around it all and somehow fit dancing in without looking ridiculous. It doesn’t surprise me in the least that it takes years to write a good musical.
Lastly, there’s the performance as a whole. Watching a musical on stage is simply a staggering experience. The grandness of it all, the lighting, the costumes, the sheer talent of the actors/dancers/singers! The notes they can hit and the emotion they manage to put in their voices and movements – it is magic, pure magic.
Slightly Ignorant 
One of my favorites I’ve seen is, Ragtime. Very powerful. Very moving. I am not a Phantom fan, but yes – – musicals rock. I love Into the Woods, too.
I love Ragtime! But my favorite (that I saw in NYC) were Jersey Boys and Wicked.
I saw Wicked in Chicago. FAB-U-LOUS.
Mom practically raised us on The Sound of Music, a Rogers and Hammerstein classic to be sure. The Music Man was enjoyable, and I even watched our high school production of Brigadoon twice. I also very much enjoyed Chicago. And let’s not forget Grease.
I’ve never seen a Broadway production, though.
I also really, really love musicals. I really like the old ones I have to admit like Easter Parade, Singing In The Rain, White Christmas, My Fair Lady and The Sound Of Music. I do like some of the newer ones and will always give them a change. I adored Chicago and LOVED Grease. I really feel if you’ve never seen any of those old Fred Astair, Judy Garland type musicals, you haven’t seen the best ones.
Yay! I see I’ve got lots of shared love here for musicals. I love some of the older ones as well, but I have to admit my favorites are Wicked and Rent. Rent especially is just an incredible show.
Musicals are indeed very special. My favorite would have to be The Sound of Music–my first exposure to music and more.