Best "Live" Musical you have ever seen ? [Archive]

RAIDER

06-27-2009, 03:41 PM

I have just come back from Vegas and i saw Jersey Boys which completely blew me away ...
I didnt realise how many bands had covered their songs to which i thought it was their song such as "Working My Way Back to You " which i always thought was a orginally done by Detroit Spinners :blush:

Anyway i wondered what was your favourite

Here are my top 3

Beauty & The Beast
Buddy
Jersey Boys

sassafras

06-27-2009, 04:05 PM

Jesus Christ, Superstar was the best one I've ever seen!

d_m_n_n

06-27-2009, 04:06 PM

Wicked or The Lion King...both brought me to tears...:cloud9:

nicster

06-27-2009, 04:17 PM

Lion King, been 4 times!

Fiddler on the Roof a close second...:mickey:

NotaGeek

06-27-2009, 05:12 PM

I categorize my favorite musicals by city, because seeing theater in London is SO personal .. the theaters are small it's just a completely different experience.

Hair (with John Barrowman)
The Lion King
Miss Saigon (my absolute favorite musical)
Grease (the first revival with Debbie Gibson!)
Les Miserables -- seing it in its original theater was amazing!

In New York my favorite musicals are:

Rent
Gypsy (the revival with Patty LuPone)

joanna71985

06-27-2009, 05:23 PM

Mine are:
Wicked
Shrek the Musical
Les Mis

I hope to see Lion King, Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins this summer.

coloradowendyl

06-27-2009, 08:42 PM

VolMickey

06-27-2009, 08:43 PM

Lion King at TPAC in Nashville. Awesome.

Earnhardt321

06-28-2009, 02:06 PM

I will let you know at the end of August what my favorite is. Will be going to see Jersy Boys, Mamma Mia and Wicked.

I have seen Miss Saigon and it was very good.

Simba's Mom

06-28-2009, 03:27 PM

"Godspell"
However,DS has done several musicals in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and I'm sure that any one of those would become Mom's favorite!

VWL Mom

06-28-2009, 03:50 PM

First broadway play I saw was a class trip to see Hello Dolly with Ethyl Merman. Loved it.

Favorite as an adult was The Kind and I with Yul Brynner shortly before he died. Outstanding.

TheDuckRocks

06-28-2009, 05:11 PM

First broadway play I saw was a class trip to see Hello Dolly with Ethyl Merman. Loved it.

Favorite as an adult was The Kind and I with Yul Brynner shortly before he died. Outstanding.

Wow, I thought I'd really be dating myself when I said that The King and I with Yul Brynner was mt absolutely favorite Musical experience ever.

BriarRose0708

06-28-2009, 10:12 PM

Definately RENT is my number one, although bring your ear plugs because every production I've seen has been terribly over miked. Music can't be beat though, especially if you can see any of the original cast.

Honorable mention includes:
Mama Mia!
Spamalot
Wicked (only worth it to see the original cast. Saw it in London with just Idina and it was bad)
Spring Awakening
Lion King

Diznee4Me

06-29-2009, 07:53 AM

We saw Camelot a few years ago with Robert Goulet as King Arthur. :thumbsup:

VWL Mom

06-29-2009, 08:20 AM

Wow, I thought I'd really be dating myself when I said that The King and I with Yul Brynner was mt absolutely favorite Musical experience ever.

Just aging like a fine bottle of wine ;)

diz_girl

06-29-2009, 09:35 AM

Gypsy (the revival with Patty LuPone)

I'm jealous - I've heard that she was great in that.

The musical that I've seen on Broadway was the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (original cast). It was really good.

I also saw the King and I with Yul Brynner - in Philadelphia. He was great. You know that we're all showing our age mentioning that one.

LittleSpirit02

06-29-2009, 09:46 AM

1) Wicked
2) Phantom of the Opera
3) Legally Blonde
4) Spring Awakening
5) Hairspray

I've also seen B&tB and Titanic but they were when I was in grade school so I can't really remember them well enough now to rank them.

TheDuckRocks

06-29-2009, 11:29 AM

Just aging like a fine bottle of wine ;)

Bless you! Did you notice my new line at the bottom of my signature? I've been saying for years that my use of Sweet and Low is going to keep me pickled forever.

I also saw the King and I with Yul Brynner - in Philadelphia. He was great. You know that we're all showing our age mentioning that one.

It's amazing but over the years when taking to people about on stage musicals they have seen, anyone who had the delight of seeing Yul Brynner in The King and I always raves about how good he was. No matter what city or who else was in the cast his performances always dazzled. Night after night, year after year this truely is remarkable. BTW, do any of you remember the Anit-smoking ads he filmed that were played after his death where he said "this is the reason I'm no longer alive today"?

LarryBoy

06-29-2009, 11:41 AM

Definately Wicked! Saw it with the traveling cast in Atlanta and thought it was fabulous.
Haven't seen Lion King yet, but I really want too.

FlaTinkRAMESAM

06-30-2009, 09:13 PM

RENT...by far. My favorite. Jon Larson wrote an amazing book... it touches me in so many ways. It will be in Tampa next week and my best friend and I are going 2 nights. Cannot wait!!!

Legally Blonde, Sweeney Todd (2005 Revival version), Hairspray, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Annie, Spring Awakening

07-01-2009, 04:37 PM

Lion King - Far and away my favorite!

Mama Mia

Spamalot (Richard Chamberlain in the lead role)

ILoveLegos

07-01-2009, 05:20 PM

On Broadway:
Phantom of the Opera (3 times)
Beauty & the Beast (2 Times)
Big River (Once)
Secret Garden
Stomp
Momma I want to Sing

Off Broadway:
Fiddler on the Roof
Guys & Dolls
A Chorus Line
Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat
Cats

2Epcot

07-01-2009, 05:47 PM

The Lion King and Wicked are my favorite musicals.

citizensnoopy

07-01-2009, 09:39 PM

My favorites (all seen in LA):

Company
Pippin (for the score alone ... Stephen Schwartz at his best!)
The Sound of Music
Ragtime
Les MIserables

MNNHFLTX

07-01-2009, 09:42 PM

A Chorus Line. It was the first musical I ever saw and it took my breath away!

NotaGeek

07-01-2009, 09:43 PM

A Chorus Line. It was the first musical I ever saw and it took my breath away!
DANCE 10, LOOKS 3!!!

I absolutely LOVE A Chorus Line Beth!

Tick-Tock

07-02-2009, 11:53 AM

This one's not too well-known, but I loved Return to the Forbidden Planet. Saw it twice in London in the early 1990s.

TheDuckRocks

07-02-2009, 12:06 PM

DANCE 10, LOOKS 3!!!

I absolutely LOVE A Chorus Line Beth!

Curious thing when I left the theater after seeing A Chorus Line, I thought I could dance. Not so.....Dance 0.

Seasonscraps

07-02-2009, 03:02 PM

My absolute favorite was Miss Saigon.

Honorable mention to:
Annie Get Your Gun
Kiss Me Kate
Chicago

LittleSpirit02

07-02-2009, 11:43 PM

:thumbsup:
Curious thing when I left the theater after seeing A Chorus Line, I thought I could dance. Not so.....Dance 0.

A little off topic but if you love a Chorus Line you should definitely see the recent documentary called "Every Little Step." It follows the process of creating the Broadway revival and it's fantastic!

Lakin

07-03-2009, 12:08 AM

About a year ago, I went with my family to see The Lion King on Broadway. Just - WOW. My favorite part was Be Prepared. Just - WOW.

MNNHFLTX

07-03-2009, 10:54 AM

:thumbsup:

A little off topic but if you love a Chorus Line you should definitely see the recent documentary called "Every Little Step." It follows the process of creating the Broadway revival and it's fantastic!That documentary sounds really good. :thumbsup:

One of my fervent hopes is to see the revival of A Chorus Line on Broadway--that would be fantastic!

TheDuckRocks

07-03-2009, 12:26 PM

:thumbsup:

A little off topic but if you love a Chorus Line you should definitely see the recent documentary called "Every Little Step." It follows the process of creating the Broadway revival and it's fantastic!

Thank you, I just put it on my Netflix queue under saved for when they release it on DVD.

PiratesCove

07-03-2009, 10:56 PM

Fiddler on the Roof starring Topol a few months ago at Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. Topol was vibrant and he did bring me to tears!

We also laughed so hard it hurt at Spamalot that came to the WAC!!!

We keep Broadway season tickets at WAC and it's the best so far. It helps having the Walton family close! ;)

Carol

07-05-2009, 06:34 PM

Wicked is my number one -- with Rent and Chicago coming in next.

I plan on seeing Jersey Boys soon. :)

BelleKP

07-06-2009, 10:26 PM

It's like choosing a favourite Disney park . . . it really depends what mood I'm in!
If I base it on number of times I've seen it; Rent would win (8 times :blush:).
If I base it on being moved to tears; Wicked and Les Miz would tie.
If I base it on truly majestic costuming and staging; Lion King would come out on top.
For sure fun; Avenue Q/Mamma Mia made me laugh and sing.
For pure nostalgia; Chorus Line/Cats/Chicago/Cabaret/Godspell/Jesus Christ . . . I grew up on these shows, listening to the LPs.
And I once played the Narrator in Joseph, so that has to be on my list too!!
See . . . I told you I couldn't choose! :D

BelleKP

07-06-2009, 10:27 PM

Wicked is my number one -- with Rent and Chicago coming in next.

I plan on seeing Jersey Boys soon. :)

I'm going to see Jersey Boys in September . . . and am very excited, I've heard all good things! :thumbsup:

thrillme

07-07-2009, 08:14 AM

Gypsy was excellent, Catz...

But my NUMBER 1 best of the best...had to be "The King and I" with none other than the one true "King"...Yul Brynner. He revived it not too long before he passed away. I got to see it at the Magestic (I guess actually I've seen all my great musicals there).

I'll never be able to see it again though because it just wouldn't feel right.

rjmdds

07-07-2009, 10:03 AM

Lion King
Mamma Mia!

DisneyDog

07-08-2009, 07:42 PM

Phantom of the Opera because it always makes me feel so overwhelmingly emotional. I saw it twice in Philly and once in NYC.

I also saw Yul Brenner in The King and I in Philly. I must have been about 12 years old. He was wonderful, of course.

Saw Spamalot last year and laughed myself silly. It was great!

But, Phantom is still the clear winner. It is just so powerful.

minnie1956

07-13-2009, 11:04 PM

:)Joseph-with Donny Osmond
Cats

RAIDER

08-06-2009, 04:43 PM

I'm going to see Jersey Boys in September . . . and am very excited, I've heard all good things! :thumbsup:

I am now planning to see Jersey Boys in the UK later this year. I cant wait to see how the 2 compare from the Vegas version to London :thumbsup:

Nini

08-15-2009, 05:24 AM

Rock of Ages

Saw it last Monday night and it was fantastic!!! Great music, very funny, and just plain entertaining. Loved it!!! (Constantine Maroulis is outstanding.)

Also, have seen Phantom twice and really enjoyed that. Chicago is great too.

I also would love to see "A Chorus Line" brought back. I really liked the movie so would like to see the "real" thing.

Denise

Aggie97

08-20-2009, 10:00 PM

I just saw Billy Elliot on Broadway last weekend, and it was absolutely fantastic. Couldn't believe how much we enjoyed it. It moved to the top of my list! :thumbsup:

Mousemates

08-20-2009, 10:04 PM

Les MIserables

serstar87

08-27-2009, 02:37 PM

Les Mis is my all-time favorite. Miss Saigon is a close second. I also loved Jersey Boys, Avenue Q, and Curtains.

Phantod

08-27-2009, 03:53 PM

Here's my short list.

1. South Pacific. I had the album (those vinyl things music used to play on) when I was a teenager back in the 60s, but never saw the play or movie. Finally saw it "in the round" a couple of years ago....and I knew every lyric....kept my voice down when singing along tho. :mickey:
2. Lion King. Just spectacular. It's a favorite because we got to see the animators drawing it at WDW back in '93.
3. Fiddler on the Roof.

Lakin

09-21-2009, 05:26 PM

My mom's working on getting us tickets to another Broadway soon! :party: Hopefully it'll be Beauty and the Beast or a Disney play - or Wicked.

3. Fiddler on the Roof.

Kind of off topic, but I sang MatchMaker for the Indiana Solo & Ensemble competition and got a gold. Just thought I'd share....

prprincess

09-22-2009, 10:00 AM

I haven't seen many, and after reading all of your answers, my choice will probably seem silly. But I'm going to say Annie.

I was a HUGE fan of the movie in the 80s, and so finally getting to see it on stage live, as an adult brought back so many good memories. I was literally in tears. And it was neat to see Sally Struthers as Mrs. Hannigan.

citizensnoopy

09-22-2009, 12:58 PM

Mickey'sGirl

09-22-2009, 01:29 PM

Les Miserables

Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat

Chess

A Chorus Line

Cats

I was fortunate enough to see many original West End or Broadway cast performances for many shows back in the 80's and 90's -- and Donny :heart: Osmond as Joseph several times in Toronto. He probably thought I was stalking him. :blush:

mjaclyn

09-23-2009, 09:47 AM

There are SO many broadway shows that I absolutely love it's very hard to narrow it down so I'm just going to list the two that pop into my head right now...

Wicked
Billy Elliot

Evil Genius

11-17-2009, 10:44 AM

Love this topic...ok here are my type five:

Urinetown: The Musical

The Fansticks!

The Producers

Forver Plaid

Singing in the Rain

Granny Jill A

12-04-2009, 02:06 PM

Jersey Boys definitely is in my top 5!

Les Miserables
Phantom of the Opera
A Chorus Line (NYC and got engaged that night)
Chicago

Wicked...I get to see in the fall. LIon King is on my list to must see at some point!

Wendy

I saw Phantom twice in Chicago, once from the front row, and I was blown away by it. It's my number one pick.

My number two pick is Les Miserables - I saw it multiple times while serving as an usher here in Kansas City. It brought tears to my eyes every time.

Pagan

12-07-2009, 09:43 AM

This isn't even close for me. Wicked by a mile.

"Defying Gravity" at the end of act one? If you don't have goosebumps during that performance you really need to get a checkup.

Evil Genius

12-07-2009, 11:33 AM

This isn't even close for me. Wicked by a mile.

"Defying Gravity" at the end of act one? If you don't have goosebumps during that performance you really need to get a checkup.

I know I'm in the minority...but I find Wicked to be incredibly grating.

The eye candy aspects of the show are nice...but other than maybe two songs, I think this is Shwartz's weakest score. Plus after reading the novels I thought the show really butchered the first book! The novel itself is incredibly dark and political and the show...wasn't.

Pagan

12-08-2009, 11:03 AM

I know I'm in the minority...but I find Wicked to be incredibly grating.

The eye candy aspects of the show are nice...but other than maybe two songs, I think this is Shwartz's weakest score. Plus after reading the novels I thought the show really butchered the first book! The novel itself is incredibly dark and political and the show...wasn't.
Agreed, I guess they were going for a lighter tone. More mass appeal.

Tick-Tock

12-09-2009, 02:39 PM

I know I'm in the minority...but I find Wicked to be incredibly grating.

Maybe a minority, but definitely not alone. My DH saw Wicked once, said he hated it, and refuses to go back. I didn't hate it, but other than "Defying Gravity," found it utterly forgettable.

Evil Genius

12-09-2009, 02:52 PM

Maybe a minority, but definitely not alone. My DH saw Wicked once, said he hated it, and refuses to go back. I didn't hate it, but other than "Defying Gravity," found it utterly forgettable.

One of the theatres I work for are chomping at the bit for the rights to become available for it so they can produce the show. I keep begging them not to but hey...I know it'll make them a ton of cash so I really can't argue with that. I just know it's one I won't be directing or performing in.

Tiggerlovr9000

12-11-2009, 06:55 PM

I can't think of not liking any of the ones I have seen but Phantom of the Opera has to be my all time favorite..:thumbsup::thumbsup:

alicefan76

12-14-2009, 06:23 PM

Evil Genius

12-17-2009, 11:34 AM

I agree with previous posters that "Phantom of the Opera" is one of my favorites.

I also like some of the less well know shows that have apparently disappeared:
Sunset Boulevard (original with Glen Close)
Titanic
Ragtime
Jekyll and Hyde
The Secret Garden

Just to name a few :D

I heard somewhere Andrew Lloyd Webber is doing a sort of a sequel to Phantom that takes place in NYC. Not sure about that...would be hard to replicate the success of the original :confused:

Ragtime actually just re-opened a revival on Broadway! I love that show!

The Phanton sequel looks like a train wreck! You can find a plot synopsis on line and these words just make me chuckle...Robotic Christine.