I completely forgot about Kiss Me, Kate! Definitely a favorite. And I love Bye Bye Birdie too -- it's not a deep piece of theater by any means, but it's so much fun!

I could go on forever about this topic too...

My favorite is a somewhat obscure show called Runaways, not many people have heard of it. I had the pleasure of student directing my High School's version of it (it one the State Thespian competition :D) along with Your a Good Man Charlie Brown. I can't sing so I directed the musicals and acted in the "straight" plays

After that I would have to say
Tommy
A Chorus Line
Miss Saigon

I am not very into Andrew Lloyd Webber even though I have seen many of his shows.

Guys and Dolls
Kiss Me Kate
My Fair Lady
Oklahoma
Carousel
Music Man
The Producers

This is my kind of thread!!!
 

My favorite musicals are:

A Chorus Line
Tommy
Godspell
Jesus Christ Superstar
Cats

But my all time favorite is HAIR! hence my AOL Screen name. I love both the screen and stage versions because they do vary somewhat. Just to hear the actress sing "Easy to be Hard" in the screen version is enough to watch it. It's done so much better than whats on the stage version.

I'm not a terribly huge fan of musicals, but my favorites are--

A Chorus Line
Grease
Rent
Anything Goes

Two comments:

First, Sondheim is amazing -- but both of my actor kids think he's also Satan. His stuff is incredibly difficult to sing. They were both in Into the Woods (Baker's Wife and Jack). Daughter has also been in a couple of other Sondheim things, and son was just in A Little Night Music. They both love him -- probably because he is so challenging.

Second, agreed that there is nothing "deep" about Phantom, but I'm not sure there's anything wrong with "theatre for the masses." Isn't that what it's supposed to be? How would the arts be supported without us "masses?" Or is theatre supposed to only be enjoyed by an elite group of musical theatre snobs?

If Sir Andrew and Sir Elton and the boys from Abba can add some excitement to the arts for someone who might not otherwise go to the theatre, I'm certainly not going to take them to task.

All of this talk about ABBA and no one mentioned Chess! It has a horrendous plot (actually no plot at all) but the music is totally kickass.

I will always hold a special place in my heart for Bye Bye, Birdie because I met my boy when we did that show freshman year. He was Hugo Peabody and I was Deborah Sue, aka a 2-line chorus member. :)

My other favorites are Phantom of the Opera, Pippin, Tommy, Into the Woods, and Rent.

Random interjection, speaking of Tommy: Is anyone really surprised by this Pete Townsend child pornography thing? Hello, this is the man who created Uncle Ernie! :p

Cabaret. No contest. I love Fosse and and also a Liza freak...Although I saw it in NY with the girl who used to star in Caroline in the City and thought she would be horrendous, but she was great!!!

Hated Les Miz. Fell asleep!!! And I am in the business so to fall asleep at the theatre is unheard of for me!!!

I also love A Chorus Line - I identify with many of those characters.

There's nothing wrong with theatre for the masses. But it really bugs me when people gush on and on and on about how Phantom is the best Broadway show ever. I just feel that the acclaim its gotten (and money its made) is grossly disproportionate to the quality of the show. Its all production and little substance. Its Broadway's version of an action movie.

I forgot to put Ragtime on my list. Saw it in NYC a few years back and it was exceptional. It had a good balance of production values and substance.

Bye Bye Birdie
Annie Get Your Gun
Lil' Abner

I have to say, I cannot stand Rogers & Hammerstein, they're just so perky they make me nauseous.

I love love love Sunday in the Park with George, they made a video of the production with Mandy Patinkin (sp?) and Bernadette Peters that's just fabulous.

Any Sondheim makes me pretty happy though. (Yay Into the Woods!)

I'm lucky enough to live in St. Louis , home of the nation's largest outdoor theatre, so summertime is massive-amounts-of-musicals time so let's see if I can narrow this down a bit.

Cabaret & Chicago (tie, love Kander & Ebb, was very pleased with the new movie version of Chicago)
7 Brides for 7 Brothers
Brigadoon
Fiddler on the Roof
and
Kiss Me Kate, which is so cheesy but a bunch of my friends were in a high school production here that was just loads of fun, so I love it.

I, too, could talk about this subject all day.

My favorite musical is The Music Man. Last year I helped put it on at my high school, which was a complete blast. I have found one thing out, though. It was much more fun to be in the show than to be the one putting it on.

My favorites:
Ragtime
Once on this Island (I can't say enough about this show)
Fiddler on the Roof (a classic)
The Fantasticks (it's a little theatrical but I love it)
She Loves Me (charming, with beautiful music)
South Pacific (men's ensemble in this show is great)
Guys and Dolls (those men again)
My Fair Lady


The shows I'm not going to rush out to see again:
Any Webber (doesn't do it for me, but I loved it when I was 10)
Chicago (Fosse dancers are amazing but it's an utterly heartless show)
West Side Story (I just can't stand this one, it has some great music, but it's too dated for me)
Grease (cute show, but I've seen the movie way too many times, and I don't really like the woman should change to please men message)
Annie (the song the orphans sing annoys me too much)

Wow, I can't believe more people have not said anything about Mamma Mia I saw it when it came to Norfolk with my lil sis, after seeing bits on television and LOVED IT!!!! :D I would love to see it again. My dad loves ABBA, and I made sure he and my mom saw it in Atlanta. They loved it too.

I can't say that I have seen a musical that I have not liked. Unfourtunately, none on Broadway. (yet!) ;) My list includes:

Les Miz (twice)
Phantom of the Opera
Miss Saigon
Lord of the Dance

I am hoping to see The Full Monty when it comes here later this season. But when I win the lottery, I am taking my mom to see all the Broadway musicals. She grew up in North Jersey, so she gave me my love of Broadway! First stop, The Producers!!!

Re: This is my kind of thread!!!
 

My roommate just rented "Hair" and I saw it again for the first time in years. It was SO POWERFUL, especially considering what is happening right now! We had our protest against war in Iraq in San Francisco yesterday, and I do not want to go to war! Knowing that I could be drafted (It's a long shot, but still a possibility), the last scene when Claude goes off to fight in Berger's place was really effective. If you have not seen it, rent it! Especially for anyone who is in favor of the military action in Iraq... What great songs, especially "Easy to be Hard" and "Let the Sunshine In"!