Get ready for the ultimate musical journey! We're counting down the greatest stage and screen musicals of all time, from classic Broadway hits to modern masterpieces. Join us as we celebrate the most iconic, groundbreaking, and unforgettable musicals that have captured our hearts and imaginations!
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00:00:00I'll be your tiny dancing queen, your Judy, Gaga, Cher, Celine,
00:00:04and I'll turn up on certain nightmares,
00:00:09but only for the gays.
00:00:12Welcome to Ms. Mojo,
00:00:14and today we're counting down our picks for the best musicals of all time,
00:00:18on stage or on screen,
00:00:20including revivals and film adaptations.
00:00:22We'll be excluding Disney animated films though.
00:00:25Wandering free, wish I could be part of that world.
00:00:32Number 100. High School Musical.
00:00:35One of the most successful Disney Channel made-for-TV films,
00:00:38this bop-to-the-top musical became an enduring franchise.
00:00:42Directed by Kenny Ortega,
00:00:44the film follows basketball team captain Troy Bolton and new transfer Gabriela Montez
00:00:49as they audition for the school musical,
00:00:51to the disapproval of their high school cliques.
00:00:54No, no, no, stick to the stuff you know.
00:00:59It's better by far, it seems that they are no mess with you.
00:01:03No, no, no.
00:01:04The charm of this Romeo and Juliet meets Greece musical
00:01:07is undoubtedly due to its best-selling soundtrack.
00:01:10Its many earworms include Get Your Head in the Game,
00:01:13We're All in This Together,
00:01:15and the top 10 hit, Breaking Free.
00:01:17We're breaking free.
00:01:18We're soaring, flying.
00:01:22There's not a star in heaven that we can't bring.
00:01:27Today, High School Musical soundtrack is certified quintuple platinum for sales,
00:01:32and the musical is certified gold in the hearts of its still passionate fandom.
00:01:36We're all in this together,
00:01:39and it shows when we stand hand in hand,
00:01:43make our dreams come true.
00:01:47Number 99. Six.
00:01:49Well, I picked up a pen and a microphone.
00:01:53History's about to get overblown.
00:01:57Welcome to the show, to the history mix.
00:02:00Let us tell you a story about history, or herstory.
00:02:03This West End musical reimagines the famous Six Wives of the Infamous Henry VIII
00:02:08as pop star divas vying for who had it worst with the Mad King.
00:02:12You think for a moment, I grant you a moment.
00:02:15Just hold up there, n-n-n-n-n-n-no way.
00:02:20All queens get a chance to shine,
00:02:22from first wife Catherine of Aragon's defiant No Way,
00:02:25to Anne Boleyn's bubbly Don't Lose Your Head.
00:02:28There is also the attractive Catherine Howard's heartbreaking All You Wanna Do.
00:02:32All you wanna do, all you wanna do, baby.
00:02:35I think we can all agree I'm the ten amongst these threes.
00:02:38All you wanna do, all you wanna do, baby.
00:02:42And ever since I was a child, it'd make the boys go wild.
00:02:45Every queen has lost in life, as they are quick to realize,
00:02:49but they certainly win in pop song aplomb,
00:02:51and the end of the musical sees them bond together in true sisterhood solidarity.
00:02:56Six was nominated for several Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical.
00:03:00Keep on slayin', queens.
00:03:02Number 98, Caroline or Change.
00:03:05This Jeanine Tesori, Tony Kushner musical about a black maid working for a white family in the 60s
00:03:11is highly acclaimed and extremely powerful.
00:03:14Just like Noah.
00:03:15I don't want it. I ain't some rag pick. I ain't some jackdaw.
00:03:18I don't want your husband's money.
00:03:20Got a load of laundry left, so excuse me, Mrs. Gelman, from now on.
00:03:24I'll check every pocket, put the money in the bleach cup.
00:03:26The score mixes African-American spirituals and the blues
00:03:29with traditional Jewish folk music for this tale of devastating culture clash in segregation-era America.
00:03:36And some folks go to school at night,
00:03:39and some folks march for civil rights,
00:03:41and I don't. I ain't got the heart. I can't hardly breathe.
00:03:47Caroline or Change won the Lawrence Olivier Award for Best New Musical,
00:03:51but faced stiff competition at the 2004 Tony Awards, only winning one.
00:03:56A 2021 revival on Broadway was even better received than the original,
00:04:00and audiences have grown to appreciate this challenging yet beautiful musical drama.
00:04:05I'm looking for a house of love, high above, in the clouds.
00:04:12Asking you, tell me now, why I cry out loud.
00:04:20Number 97. Something Rotten.
00:04:23This bar's gonna be on top. This bar's gonna be on top.
00:04:27Man, I'm gonna shizzle. Man, I'm gonna pop.
00:04:30Yeah, this bar's gonna be on top.
00:04:32It's hard to not be the Bard.
00:04:34Playwright brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom struggle to compete with the arrogant
00:04:38but popular William Shakespeare in 1590s London.
00:04:41Luckily, Nostradamus is here to tell the Bottom Brothers the hit of the future,
00:04:45a musical about a young prince, and something about omelets?
00:04:49Wait a minute. You wrote omelet?
00:04:53This hilarious comedy of errors features several earworms,
00:04:57including Nick's amusing rant, God I Hate Shakespeare,
00:05:00and Shakespeare's own lament about the price of fame in Hard to Be the Bard.
00:05:04Cause it's hard. It's hard. It's hard. It's really, really hard.
00:05:08It's sexy, but it's hard.
00:05:10This bar that I'm raising to breathe is amazing. It's hard. It's hard.
00:05:14And then there is the cleverly constructed ode to all-musicals showstopper, A Musical.
00:05:19Created by Cary and Wayne Kirkpatrick, along with John O'Farrell,
00:05:23Something Rotten went on to be nominated for several Tonys and Drama Desk Awards.
00:05:27Nothing rotten about this musical.
00:05:29And then you got yourself a musical.
00:05:35A musical.
00:05:39A la la la la la la la la musical.
00:05:44Number 96. Once.
00:05:46If your life was wrong,
00:05:51how long do you think you'd stay
00:05:56living?
00:06:00This romantic Irish indie film is a tuneful success.
00:06:04When street musician Guy meets Girl, what follows is a sweet but forbidden romance,
00:06:09as Girl has a Czech husband coming for her.
00:06:11One standout song, Falling Slowly, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the Year.
00:06:16The film as a whole won Best Foreign Film at the 23rd Independent Spirit Awards.
00:06:21Cause this is what you've waited for.
00:06:29Your chance to even up the score.
00:06:33Once's romantic charm and successful soundtrack even led to a minimalist stage adaptation by the same name.
00:06:40This adaptation was also critically acclaimed and won the Tony for Best Musical for 2012.
00:06:45No one fell slowly for this musical.
00:06:48Falling slowly, sing your melody, I'll sing it loud.
00:07:08Number 95.
00:07:09Victor Victoria.
00:07:31This classic queer musical comedy is one for the books.
00:07:34Directed by Blake Edwards, it follows Julie Andrews as impoverished soprano Victoria living in 30s Paris.
00:07:40Gay performer Toddy convinces Victoria to pass herself as a female impersonator,
00:07:45although not everyone is convinced she truly is a he.
00:07:48This madcap film songs are solidly diegetic,
00:07:51performed as nightclub numbers, including the iconic routine, La Jazz Hot.
00:07:56Also, baby, La Jazz Hot may be what's holding my soul together.
00:08:07Other highlights include Victoria's solo, Crazy World and Chicago, Illinois.
00:08:11Chicago, Illinois is like a shiny toy.
00:08:16The prairie state is proud to say that it sits bright in joy.
00:08:22Andrews' voice and crystal cut diction are as golden as ever.
00:08:26The music, composed by the legendary Henry Mancini with lyricist Leslie Bricus,
00:08:30even won its creators an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score or Adaptation.
00:08:36Number 94.
00:08:37Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
00:08:53Speaking of queer musicals, this cult classic is an unforgettable musical romp.
00:08:58In East Germany, Hedwig Robinson has an American soldier propose marriage,
00:09:02only for her husband to later leave her for another man.
00:09:05Regardless, Hedwig embraces her female identity and forms a rock band, the Angry Inch.
00:09:18While the original 1998 off-Broadway musical by Stephen Trask and John Cameron Mitchell
00:09:23was well-received, the film adaptation became a cult favorite,
00:09:27as well as winning an audience award at the Sundance Film Festival.
00:09:31The musical finally premiered on Broadway in 2014 to much acclaim,
00:09:35and there have been many international productions.
00:09:49Number 93.
00:09:50Miss Saigon.
00:10:09The musical and the operatic world meet once again in harmonious tandem.
00:10:13Fresh off their success with the blockbuster Les Miserables,
00:10:16Claude-Michel Chambord and Alain Bublil adapted Giacomo Puccini's classic opera
00:10:21Madame Butterfly into Miss Saigon, set during the Vietnam War.
00:10:25This forbidden love story between a U.S. Marine and a Vietnamese bar girl
00:10:29includes passionate duets, such as Sun and Moon and Last Night of the World.
00:10:43But it's Kim's searing ode to her son, I'd Give My Life for You, that is a true standout.
00:11:00Another iconic piece includes the famous helicopter rescue.
00:11:04While Miss Saigon never achieved the heights of its predecessor,
00:11:07it was a smashing commercial success, and as of 2024,
00:11:11is Broadway's 14th longest-running show.
00:11:14Number 92.
00:11:15How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
00:11:35We believe in this musical.
00:11:37This Frank Lesser show follows window washer J. Pierpont Finch's rise to the top of the corporate world
00:11:42with the help of the titular book.
00:11:44For its comic charm and trenchant satire of the business world,
00:11:48the musical won seven Tony Awards and even snagged the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
00:11:53It was eventually adapted into a 1967 film by the same title.
00:11:57Suddenly there is music in the sound of your name.
00:12:06Rosemary.
00:12:10Standout numbers include Finch's ecstatic Rosemary,
00:12:13the sweetly tongue-in-cheek I Believe in You,
00:12:15and the showstopper Brotherhood of Man.
00:12:18Lesser's score is as charming as ever,
00:12:20and the depiction of the corporate world's many absurdities are still relevant today.
00:12:24Yes, your life of mentorship is free.
00:12:30Keep forgetting each other all you can.
00:12:35Number 91.
00:12:36Spamalot.
00:12:37Many times we've given rhymes that aren't quite unsingable.
00:12:41We're a problematic couple of pieces from the diaphragm.
00:12:48The classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail
00:12:51was finally adapted into a musical by John Dupre and Eric Idle.
00:12:55A light-hearted parody of Arthurian legend,
00:12:57Spamalot is a side splitter of a comedy.
00:13:00Its score includes the cheerfully idiotic positivity
00:13:03of the always-look-on-the-bright-side-of-life from the film,
00:13:06and several meta-songs such as the song that goes like this
00:13:09and the uproarious Diva's Lament.
00:13:12Now we're halfway through act two,
00:13:15and I've had nothing yet to do.
00:13:19I've been offstage for far too long.
00:13:24The musical was commercially and critically successful,
00:13:27going on to be nominated for 14 Tony Awards and winning Best Musical.
00:13:32Looking at the bright side of life definitely paid off in this respect.
00:13:35Set your mind on what you find.
00:13:39And there's nothing you can't do.
00:13:44You can't do.
00:13:47So keep on.
00:13:49Number 90, Heather's The Musical.
00:13:52Honey, what you waiting for?
00:13:55Welcome to my candy store.
00:13:59We'd walk into this trio's candy store.
00:14:01High school teen Veronica Sawyer gets entangled with the Heathers,
00:14:04a clique of mean girls all called Heather,
00:14:06and becomes attracted to the new kid JD.
00:14:09An adaptation of the darkly satirical teen 80s comedy by the same name,
00:14:13Heather's The Musical was a surprise off-Broadway hit.
00:14:16Transferring to the West End
00:14:17and gaining a passionate cult following in the process.
00:14:20Please, Veronica, open the door.
00:14:22Veronica, can we not fight anymore?
00:14:24Please, can we not fight anymore?
00:14:26Veronica, sure you're scared.
00:14:28I've been there, I've been set you free.
00:14:30Popular numbers that have even gone viral
00:14:32include the rock banger Candy Store,
00:14:34JD's desperate Meant To Be Yours,
00:14:37and the wistful duet between JD and Veronica, Seventeen.
00:14:40Let us be Seventeen
00:14:46If we've still got the right
00:14:52You know your musical has made it
00:14:53when Riverdale devotes a whole episode to it.
00:14:56Number 89, La Cage Aux Folles.
00:14:59Under our cuffs,
00:15:01Shuttles and trucks,
00:15:03Moving we are not
00:15:05Who we are
00:15:10Number 88, Falsettos.
00:15:12Feel alright, feel alright
00:15:14Feel alright, feel alright
00:15:16Feel alright, feel alright
00:15:18Feel alright, feel alright
00:15:20Feel alright, feel alright
00:15:22Feel alright
00:15:24Number 87, Blood Brothers.
00:15:26Tell me it's not true
00:15:31Love is here before me
00:15:36Say it's just a dream
00:15:40Number 86, Once On This Island.
00:15:43And when they see you safe with me
00:15:45The gods will smile
00:15:50They'll smile
00:15:59Number 85, Parade.
00:16:03And I will speak for you
00:16:07The things I see in you
00:16:10It means a man who isn't guilty
00:16:12Doesn't have to walk the plank
00:16:14This award-winning musical is a heartbreaking exploration
00:16:17of the dark side of America.
00:16:19Written by Jason Robert Brown,
00:16:21this musical is based on the real-life criminal trial
00:16:23of Jewish-American Leo Frank in 1913.
00:16:26Its book writer, Alfred Urey,
00:16:28was even connected to the case through his great-uncle,
00:16:30who owned the factory Frank had worked at.
00:16:32When Frank is accused of the murder
00:16:34of a young employee,
00:16:36he falls victim to the bloody legacy of the Confederacy.
00:16:38Parade's score is a subtle patchwork
00:16:40of contemporary pop,
00:16:42traditional southern music, and gospel.
00:16:44He gave our lives
00:16:47For the old hills of Georgia
00:16:51The old red hills of old
00:16:59Both the original production and its revival
00:17:01went on to be nominated for several Tony Awards,
00:17:04proving that tales of racial segregation
00:17:06and anti-Semitism are still sadly relevant today.
00:17:09You don't have the right to know
00:17:13A man that wasn't born
00:17:16He's a patient man
00:17:22Number 84, Showboat
00:17:26But old Man River
00:17:29He just keeps rolling
00:17:33Along
00:17:40Number 83, Sunset Boulevard
00:17:43Sunset Boulevard, Headlight Boulevard
00:17:48Getting there is only the beginning
00:17:51Number 82, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
00:17:55The dawn was breaking
00:17:59And the world was waking
00:18:03Any dream will do
00:18:07Number 81, The Wiz
00:18:10Don't you care in nothing that might be alone
00:18:14Come on, he's on down, he's on down, down the road
00:18:17Number 80, Top Hat
00:18:19Isn't this a lovely day to be caught in the rain
00:18:25You were going on your way
00:18:31Now you've got to remain
00:18:34Fred Astaire was matched with many excellent dance partners,
00:18:37including Eleanor Powell and Sid Cherise.
00:18:40But it's his legendary partnership with Ginger Rogers
00:18:43that led to a string of wonderful dance movie musicals.
00:18:46One of them, Top Hat, featured the music of Irving Berlin,
00:18:49including timeless standards such as Cheek to Cheek
00:18:52and Top Hat, White Tie and Tails.
00:19:03Astaire and Rogers combine elegance with technical precision
00:19:06for a truly formidable duo.
00:19:09Astaire himself shows off his tap-dancing prowess
00:19:12in an iconic performance of Top Hat.
00:19:15One year later, Astaire and Rogers would triumph once again
00:19:18with the hit Swing Time,
00:19:21Still, the iconography of Top Hat can't be bested.
00:19:25And I seem to find the happiness I seek
00:19:31When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek
00:19:37Number 79, A Little Night Music
00:19:40But where are the clouds
00:19:45Quick, send in the clouds
00:19:49Number 78, In the Heights
00:19:52Turn up the stage lights, we're taking a flight
00:19:55Two couple of days in the life, what it's like
00:19:57In Washington Heights
00:20:01Number 77, Porgy and Bess
00:20:04I want to walk
00:20:12I'm gonna live my best years here
00:20:20Number 76, The Rocky Horror Picture Show
00:20:23It's the railway club
00:20:26The very time you're in the state
00:20:31Then do the long hair
00:20:35Number 75, Hair
00:20:38A head with hair, long beautiful hair
00:20:41Shining, gleaming, gleaming, flaxen, waxen
00:20:44Give me down to their hair, shoulder length no longer
00:20:48One of the most controversial musicals of its era,
00:20:51Hair captures the political activism and gleeful irreverence
00:20:54of 60s youth counterculture.
00:20:56With a racially integrated cast, nudity,
00:20:59and a trenchant anti-war critique,
00:21:01Hair follows a group of hippies as they struggle
00:21:03against their conservative culture.
00:21:05Not only that, but it was the first concept musical
00:21:07on Broadway with a contemporary rock score.
00:21:10Some highlights include the titular number,
00:21:12the sweetly lilting good morning starshine,
00:21:15and the catchy acid trip Hare Krishna.
00:21:25Though plotless, Hair nevertheless packs a dramatic punch.
00:21:28Especially with its 1979 film adaptation's gut punch
00:21:31of a twist ending.
00:21:33Many songs were so influential they were even used
00:21:35at Vietnam War protests.
00:21:37Bold and uncompromising,
00:21:39the musical's pacifist message is more daring than ever.
00:21:50Number 74, 1776
00:21:53I say 40 yes, 40 yes
00:21:58Vote for independency
00:22:00Someone open up a window
00:22:03I say 40 yes
00:22:05No, no
00:22:07Vote for independency
00:22:09Someone open up a window
00:22:12Number 73, Avenue Q
00:22:14On Avenue Q, sexy be me
00:22:17On Avenue Q, sexy be you
00:22:19On Avenue Q, sexy be us
00:22:21But not when we're together
00:22:24Number 72, Mamma Mia
00:22:27You can dance, you can jive
00:22:31Having the time of your life
00:22:35Ooh, see that girl
00:22:38Watch that scene
00:22:40Dig in the dancing queen
00:22:44Number 71, Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
00:22:48Tu sais bien que ce n'est pas possible
00:22:54Je ne te quitterai pas
00:22:58Il faudra pourtant que je parte
00:23:03Number 70, A Star is Born
00:23:06Don't wanna know another kiss
00:23:10More than me falling off my lips
00:23:15This tale of a washed up actor mentoring a young female star on the rise
00:23:19has become one of Hollywood's most beloved and much remade stories.
00:23:23But it's this 1954 musical film adaptation
00:23:26of the original 1937 film
00:23:28that best realizes this vision.
00:23:30In fact, it's considered one of the greatest movie musicals
00:23:33by the American Film Institute.
00:23:35When I get to that swan-y
00:23:41side
00:23:51Here, Judy Garland interprets beloved standards by George Gershwin,
00:23:54Harold Arlen, and Richard Rogers
00:23:56with bold, heart-breaking pathos.
00:23:59One performance in particular,
00:24:01The Man That Got Away,
00:24:02composed by Arlen with lyrics by Ira Gershwin,
00:24:05was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song.
00:24:08It's all a crazy game
00:24:16One more that all ties through
00:24:21It is now one of the most iconic musical sequences in cinema.
00:24:25Garland's star never fades with us.
00:24:28Number 69, Merrily We Roll Along
00:24:31Opening doors, singing, look who's here
00:24:35Beginning to sail on a dime
00:24:38That faraway shore's getting very near
00:24:42We have nothing to fear
00:24:44We haven't got time
00:24:47Number 68, A Strange Loop
00:24:50So days like this just get me
00:24:52I hate days like today
00:24:54Days when I face myself
00:24:56But see the same reflection
00:24:59Someone who's stuck rewriting
00:25:01And stuck in his own way
00:25:03Number 67, Evita
00:25:05But I'm on my foundation
00:25:08In bed and meditation
00:25:11Let him say the words he's saying to me
00:25:16Number 66, Sweet Charity
00:25:19Hey big spender
00:25:24Spend a little time with me
00:25:35Number 65, Ragtime
00:25:38We will ride
00:25:42On the wheels of a dream
00:25:49Historical musicals were never so heartbreaking.
00:25:52Based on E.L. Doctorow's 1975 novel,
00:25:55the musical follows three distinct groups.
00:25:58Eastern European immigrants represented by Tata,
00:26:01upper-class families represented by Mother,
00:26:03and African-Americans represented by Harlem musician
00:26:06Cole House Walker Jr. all struggle to realize
00:26:08the American dream.
00:26:10Baker and billionaire
00:26:12Everyone and repair
00:26:14Moving to the ragtime
00:26:17Historical figures such as
00:26:19Booker T. Washington, J.P. Morgan,
00:26:21and Harry Houdini also appear.
00:26:23Composed by Stephen Flaherty
00:26:25with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens,
00:26:27Ragtime's portrayal of culture and class clash
00:26:29leads to both a tragic and hopeful finale.
00:26:32And say to those who blame us for
00:26:36the way we chose to fight
00:26:39that sometimes there are battles
00:26:42that are more than black or white
00:26:47Nominated for numerous Tony and Drama Desk awards,
00:26:50this musical's message about the importance
00:26:52and difficulties of achieving true equality
00:26:55still resonate today.
00:26:57The pain of justice
00:27:01We have been denied
00:27:04We have been denied
00:27:10We're suffering now
00:27:11Such lives of sorrow
00:27:13Don't give us tomorrow
00:27:15Just give us today
00:27:20If you hit the dust
00:27:22Then we raise you up
00:27:24When your bubble bursts
00:27:26Then we raise you up
00:27:28If you're fit as brass
00:27:30Then we raise you up
00:27:34Who let them break me down
00:27:37I know that there's a place for us
00:27:40Only a glorious
00:27:47You're swagger and you're bearing
00:27:50And just right clothes
00:27:52You're wearing
00:27:54You're short hair
00:27:56And you're dungarees
00:27:58And you're lace-up boots
00:28:01Carousel
00:28:03If I loved you
00:28:06Words wouldn't come
00:28:09In an easy way
00:28:12You will never walk alone with this legendary musical.
00:28:15Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's
00:28:17second musical together is an undisputed classic.
00:28:20Indeed, Carousel's score features many beautiful showcases,
00:28:24from the lyrical Mr. Snow
00:28:26to the light-hearted June Is Bustin' Out All Over.
00:28:29The operatic Tour de Force
00:28:31looked no further than Billy's soliloquy,
00:28:33featuring some of Hammerstein's best character writing.
00:28:36But my little girl
00:28:38Gets hungry every night
00:28:43And she comes home to me
00:28:49The inspirational You'll Never Walk Alone
00:28:51became not just a pop standard,
00:28:53but a football tradition,
00:28:55particularly for Liverpool.
00:28:57You'll never walk alone
00:29:08And of course, there is the heartbreaking If I Loved You,
00:29:11one of Broadway's best love songs,
00:29:13performed by countless artists.
00:29:15This musical was a personal favorite of Rodgers himself,
00:29:18and a favorite with all of the world.
00:29:21No. 59
00:29:22Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
00:29:26But when we fall in love we wake up
00:29:30And we are a god and angels weep
00:29:35No. 58
00:29:37Billy Elliot, The Musical
00:29:43Electricity
00:29:45Sparks inside of me
00:29:48No. 57
00:29:50Little Shop of Horrors
00:30:10No. 56
00:30:12Aida
00:30:14But it is to be in love
00:30:16And have that love return
00:30:19We're turning the stars
00:30:22Are we paying for some crime?
00:30:25No. 55
00:30:27Matilda, The Musical
00:30:29When I grow up
00:30:31When I grow up
00:30:33I will be strong enough
00:30:35To carry all the heavy things
00:30:37You have to hold around
00:30:40This Tim Minchin musical is far from revolting.
00:30:43The original West End production of Matilda
00:30:45won seven Olivier Awards in 2012,
00:30:47including Best New Musical,
00:30:49and its Broadway production was nominated
00:30:51for 13 Tony Awards, winning five.
00:30:53Even if a little you can do a lot
00:30:57You must not a little thing like little stop you
00:31:01Critics praised the musical's clever and witty
00:31:03adaptation of Roald Dahl's book,
00:31:05even improving it in some cases.
00:31:07The musical's film adaptation in 2022
00:31:09was also well-received,
00:31:11though it had a limited theatrical release
00:31:13in the U.S. before it went into streaming on Netflix.
00:31:15Standout numbers include Naughty,
00:31:17When I Grow Up,
00:31:19and that stunning feat of choreography
00:31:21Revolting Children.
00:31:23We can S.B.L. how we like
00:31:25If enough of us are wrong, wrong is right
00:31:27Everyone N-O-R-T-Y
00:31:29We're a little bit naughty
00:31:31For a kids' musical that packs a grown-up punch,
00:31:33you won't go wrong with this one.
00:31:35No. 54
00:31:37Kiss Me Kate
00:31:39That is hot
00:31:42Yeah!
00:31:48No. 53
00:31:50The Color Purple
00:31:52For you and I
00:32:02No. 52
00:32:04Man of La Mancha
00:32:06To fight for the right
00:32:08Without question or pause
00:32:10To be willing
00:32:12To march into hell
00:32:14But a heavenly cause
00:32:20No. 51
00:32:2242nd Street
00:32:34No. 50
00:32:36Dear Evan Hansen
00:32:40If I could tell her
00:32:45If I could tell her
00:32:51Was there ever a musical theater fandom
00:32:53as passionate as the one for this Broadway musical?
00:32:55With a score by Benj Pasek
00:32:57and Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen
00:32:59follows the titular socially anxious
00:33:01teen as he accidentally becomes
00:33:03a celebrity following the death of a classmate.
00:33:05The musical was nominated for nine
00:33:07Tony Awards and won six,
00:33:10including Best Musical.
00:33:24The film adaptation, however,
00:33:26with Ben Platt reprising his stage role,
00:33:28was a box office and critical disappointment.
00:33:30Still, many songs from the show
00:33:32became popular in their own right,
00:33:34including Waving Through a Window
00:33:36and You Will Be Found.
00:33:38We're glad the world found this musical.
00:33:46No. 49
00:33:48The Color Purple
00:33:50For you and I
00:33:56No. 49
00:33:58No. 49
00:34:00La La Land
00:34:08No. 48
00:34:10The King and I
00:34:20No. 47
00:34:22Moulin Rouge
00:34:28No. 46
00:34:30Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
00:34:46No. 45
00:34:48Hadestown
00:34:58No. 46
00:35:04This Greek myth makes for
00:35:06a powerful musical.
00:35:08Written and conceived by Anais Mitchell,
00:35:10Hadestown is a retelling of the myth
00:35:12of Orpheus and Eurydice,
00:35:14set in a post-apocalyptic setting
00:35:16inspired by America's Great Depression.
00:35:28First staging the work
00:35:30as a sung-through musical in Vermont,
00:35:32Mitchell eventually released a concept album
00:35:34in 2010.
00:35:36The show eventually made it to Broadway,
00:35:38receiving 14 Tony nominations
00:35:40and winning 8, including Best Musical.
00:35:42Fusing 20s swing and ragtime
00:35:44with contemporary indie folk rock,
00:35:46Hadestown's score takes risks
00:35:48both musically and thematically.
00:35:50Highlights include the longing
00:35:52wait-for-me strain and its climactic reprise,
00:35:54as well as the politically charged
00:35:57How does the wall keep us free?
00:36:09This powerful show about poverty
00:36:11and inequality shows the way.
00:36:13No. 44
00:36:15Waitress
00:36:27It's been gone
00:36:29No. 43
00:36:31Newsies
00:36:41No. 42
00:36:43Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella
00:36:45Because these daft and dewy-eyed dopes
00:36:47keep building up impossible hopes
00:36:49impossible things are happening
00:36:51every day
00:36:55No. 41
00:36:57Spring Awakening
00:37:09No. 40
00:37:11The Music Man
00:37:15Peeing in the pool hall window after school
00:37:17You got trouble, folks!
00:37:19Right here in River City!
00:37:21Trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with P
00:37:23and that stands for Pool
00:37:25That this show won the Tony for Best Musical
00:37:27over the legendary West Side Story
00:37:29is considered one of the most controversial Tony picks.
00:37:31Fortunately, Meredith Wilson's musical
00:37:33adaptation of his memoir
00:37:35proved to be a classic in its own right.
00:37:37This beloved score features
00:37:39many clever patter songs,
00:37:41such as the opening,
00:37:44and the satiric, You Got Trouble.
00:37:46There's also the beautiful love song Till There Was You
00:37:48interpreted by many artists
00:37:50from Peggy Lee to the Beatles to Ray Charles.
00:37:52No, I never saw them at all
00:37:54Till there was you
00:38:00Also, it features one of the best marches ever written
00:38:0276 Trombones
00:38:04in one of Broadway's most impressive finales.
00:38:0676 Trombones
00:38:08If you count your points
00:38:10100 and more
00:38:12From the Beatles to Simpsons parodies
00:38:14the musical's influence lives on.
00:38:16Number 39
00:38:18Dreamgirls
00:38:32Number 38
00:38:34Jesus Christ Superstar
00:38:42And remember
00:38:44I've been your right hand man
00:38:46all along
00:38:48Number 37
00:38:50Next to Normal
00:39:00Number 36
00:39:02The Book of Mormon
00:39:04I'll just leave it here
00:39:06It has a lot of information
00:39:08you can really use
00:39:10My name is Jesus Christ
00:39:12You have a lovely home
00:39:14It's an amazing book
00:39:16Number 35
00:39:18Funny Girl
00:39:30Barbara Streisand's performance in this Julie Stein
00:39:32and Bob Merrill musical
00:39:34as well as her reprise in the celebrated film adaptation
00:39:36is the stuff of legend.
00:39:39Following Broadway star Fanny Bryce
00:39:41the musical features many spectacular
00:39:43numbers such as the lyrical
00:39:45people and in the film
00:39:47My Man
00:39:55And Fanny's show-stopping act one finale
00:39:57Don't Rain on My Parade has really
00:39:59sunk into the cultural consciousness.
00:40:01Since Streisand it has been performed
00:40:03by many great singers, most notably
00:40:05by Lea Michele
00:40:09And first
00:40:11but first
00:40:13be a person who needs
00:40:15people
00:40:17people who
00:40:19need people
00:40:23The film adaptation is considered one of the best
00:40:25movie musicals by the American Film Institute
00:40:27and the stage musical itself
00:40:29has enjoyed a long life on stage
00:40:31through various productions
00:40:33Nobody is going to rain on this show's parade
00:40:35Number 34
00:40:37Guys and Dolls
00:40:45Number 33
00:40:47Anything Goes
00:40:59Number 32
00:41:01My Fair Lady
00:41:07Your eyes are red
00:41:09Now say goodnight
00:41:11Please it's really time
00:41:13for you to be
00:41:15Number 31
00:41:17Mary Poppins
00:41:29Number 30
00:41:31Hello Dolly
00:41:37It's gonna be a long time
00:41:39before the parade
00:41:41has begun
00:41:45It's so nice to have this musical
00:41:47back where it belongs, on this list
00:41:49Jerry Herman's exuberant
00:41:51take on Thornton Wilder's farce
00:41:53was a critical and commercial hit
00:41:55Winner of 10 Tony Awards
00:41:57Hello Dolly's winsome score includes
00:41:59the titular big band number, made into
00:42:01a hit by Louis Armstrong
00:42:03Look who's here
00:42:06This is Louis
00:42:08Hello Louis
00:42:10But there's also the romantic love duet
00:42:12It Only Takes a Moment
00:42:14and the ensemble piece Put on Your Sunday Clothes
00:42:16Hello Dolly was eventually adapted into a film
00:42:18directed by Gene Kelly
00:42:20Though the film was a box office disappointment
00:42:22it was nominated for a handful of Oscars
00:42:24and had its own influence
00:42:26recently referenced in the Pixar movie WALL-E
00:42:36It's clear Dolly will never go away again
00:42:48Number 29
00:42:50Come From Away
00:42:52And the world has come ashore
00:42:54If you're hoping for a harbor
00:42:56Then you'll find an open door
00:42:58In the winter from the water
00:43:00To whatever's in the way
00:43:02To the ones who have come from away
00:43:04Welcome to the Rock
00:43:06Number 28
00:43:08Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
00:43:10It's priest, have a little priest
00:43:12Is it really good?
00:43:14Sir, it's too good, at least
00:43:16Then again they don't come, it seems, off the flesh
00:43:18So it's pretty fresh
00:43:20Number 27
00:43:22Sunday in the Park with George
00:43:38Number 26
00:43:40An American in Paris
00:43:50Number 25
00:44:00Grease
00:44:10The high school musical before high school musical
00:44:12Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
00:44:14created this show based on Jacobs' own high school experience
00:44:16in the 50s
00:44:19Rough and raunchy
00:44:21with themes of teen rebellion and sexual exploration
00:44:23Grease's edges were sanded off in later productions
00:44:25particularly in its blockbuster film adaptation
00:44:27The film became the highest grossing musical film of its time
00:44:29even culminating in a forgotten sequel
00:44:31An original song for the film
00:44:33Hopelessly Devoted to You
00:44:35was nominated for an Academy Award
00:44:37for Best Original Song
00:44:39Other highlights include the fun summer nights
00:44:41and Rizzo's pointed
00:44:43There Are Worse Things I Could Do
00:44:45Grease is still very popular
00:44:47with a 2016 live TV production
00:44:49and countless community productions
00:44:51What a legacy
00:45:09Number 24
00:45:11A Chorus Line
00:45:29Number 23
00:45:31Company
00:45:39Number 22
00:45:41Annie
00:45:55Number 21
00:45:57Oliver
00:46:09Number 20
00:46:11Stormy Weather
00:46:19A very loose dramatization
00:46:21of the life of Bill Bojangles Robinson
00:46:23this film proved seminal
00:46:25in many key ways
00:46:27For one thing, it features an all African American cast
00:46:29starring Robinson, Lena Horne, Cab Calloway
00:46:31and Katherine Dunham
00:46:33For another, there is the astounding
00:46:35performance of the Nicholas Brothers
00:46:38A jaw-droppingly athletic
00:46:40dance number that still impresses today
00:46:42Fred Astaire himself claimed
00:46:44that it was, quote, the greatest movie musical
00:46:46number he had ever seen
00:46:48And true to the title, we witness Lena Horne's
00:46:50sweet rendition of Harold Arlen's
00:46:52smoky torch song Stormy Weather
00:46:54Stormy weather
00:46:58Since my man and I
00:47:00ain't together
00:47:04It's no wonder the
00:47:06Library of Congress selected this film for preservation
00:47:08in the National Film Registry
00:47:10This movie musical opened a lot of doors
00:47:12No one to walk with
00:47:14but I'm happy
00:47:16on the shelf
00:47:18Ain't misbehavin'
00:47:20Slavin' my love
00:47:22for you
00:47:24for you
00:47:26for you
00:47:28Number 19
00:47:30Cats
00:47:36Jellicle Zoo
00:47:38Dance musicals are notoriously
00:47:40very tricky to pull off
00:47:42Andrew Lloyd Webber's choice to adapt
00:47:44T.S. Eliot's poems about anthropomorphic
00:47:46cats into a musical made
00:47:48many investors skittish about its prospects
00:47:50The musical, however, was a
00:47:52smashing success, becoming the fifth
00:47:54longest-running show on Broadway
00:47:56and the eighth longest-running on the West End
00:47:58Its many excellent showcases
00:48:00include the high-energy Jellicle Ball
00:48:02and the slinky jazz number Macavity
00:48:04There never was a cat
00:48:06of such deceitfulness
00:48:08and swervity
00:48:10He always has an alibi
00:48:12and one or two despair
00:48:14But the emotional
00:48:16linchpin of the musical belongs to
00:48:18Grizabella's powerful solo Memory
00:48:20A darkly beautiful melody
00:48:22that never fails to bring down the house
00:48:24Love to me
00:48:26It's so easy
00:48:28to leave me
00:48:31Leave me
00:48:33All along
00:48:35with the memory
00:48:39The film adaptation of this iconic show
00:48:41may have greatly disappointed
00:48:43but the impact of the stage musical lives on
00:48:45now and forever
00:48:4718. The Wizard of Oz
00:48:49Oh, we're off
00:48:51to see the wizard
00:48:53the wonderful wizard of Oz
00:48:55He is a wizard of a wiz
00:48:57There is no list complete
00:48:59without the inclusion of this behemoth
00:49:01This 1939 film seems to transcend
00:49:03all classifications
00:49:05That's how deeply ingrained it is
00:49:07in American culture
00:49:09But Harold Arlen and Edgar Yip Harburg songs
00:49:11for the film have become standards
00:49:13in their own right
00:49:15Who doesn't know the catchy refrain
00:49:17and dexterous lyrics
00:49:19of Follow the Yellow Brick Road
00:49:21or Ding Dong the Witch is Dead
00:49:23Ding Dong the Witch is Dead
00:49:25But the true standout
00:49:28is the very first number, Over the Rainbow
00:49:30sung by Judy Garland as Dorothy
00:49:32in a legendary performance
00:49:34This poignant, longing ballad
00:49:36won the Academy Award for Best Original Song
00:49:38and has been interpreted by countless
00:49:40artists ever since
00:49:42Somewhere
00:49:44over the rainbow
00:49:46bluebirds fly
00:49:52It's very hard to surpass
00:49:54this artistic legacy
00:49:562017, Oklahoma
00:50:08But of course, even Arlen and Harburg
00:50:10can't compete with the musical dream team
00:50:12of Rogers and Hammerstein
00:50:14Their first musical together was a smash hit
00:50:16both critically and commercially
00:50:18It quite literally changed
00:50:20Broadway musicals for good with its
00:50:22integrated book and score, even winning
00:50:24a special Pulitzer
00:50:26Ironically, Oklahoma's innovations blended
00:50:28the world of 19th century European operetta
00:50:30complete with a ballet sequence
00:50:32with that of wholesome Americana
00:50:34Rogers' classical lyricism is evident
00:50:36in the supple strains of Surrey with a Fringe
00:50:38on top, and Curly and Lori's
00:50:40Enemies to Lovers love duet
00:50:42People Will Say We're in Love
00:50:44My head
00:50:46feels so bright
00:50:48when you're by my side
00:50:50Let people
00:50:53Let people say
00:50:55we're in love
00:50:59There is also the rousing
00:51:01title song with full chorus
00:51:03and Hammerstein's elegant lyrics
00:51:05It's a musical triumph that still
00:51:07holds up today
00:51:09We say, yo!
00:51:11Hi, hi, oh yeah
00:51:13We're only saying
00:51:15you're the one fine Oklahoma
00:51:17Number 16
00:51:19Into the Woods
00:51:21Without regret, the choice is made
00:51:23The task is set, into the woods
00:51:25But not forgetting why I'm on the journey
00:51:27The protege of Oscar Hammerstein II
00:51:29Stephen Sondheim has also made
00:51:31his own mark in musical theater history
00:51:33One of his most beloved musicals
00:51:35written with James Lapine
00:51:37has to be this 1986 musical
00:51:39Nominated for 10 Tony Awards
00:51:41Into the Woods interweaves
00:51:43the stories of several fairytale characters
00:51:45like Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood
00:51:47into one narrative
00:51:50The comedy satirizes and questions
00:51:52the reputed morality of fairytales
00:51:54and the nuances lost in black and white portrayals
00:51:56of good and evil
00:51:58So nice
00:52:00You're not good, you're not bad
00:52:02You're just nice
00:52:04I'm not good, I'm not nice
00:52:06I'm just right
00:52:08I'm the witch
00:52:10You're the world
00:52:14The satire and social commentary
00:52:16were sadly lost in translation
00:52:18but the musical still enjoys
00:52:20a sterling critical reputation today
00:52:22Although how can you know who you are
00:52:24Till you know what you want, what you don't
00:52:26So then which do you pick
00:52:28Where you're safe out of sight and yourself
00:52:30But where everything's wrong
00:52:32Or where everything's right
00:52:34And you know that you'll never belong
00:52:36Number 15
00:52:38Fiddler on the Roof
00:52:40Enjoy it
00:52:44Tradition
00:52:48And in the circle
00:52:50of our little village
00:52:52We've always had
00:52:54our special types
00:52:56This legendary musical
00:52:58is one of the most beloved in the canon
00:53:00Composed by Jerry Bach
00:53:02with lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
00:53:04Fiddler follows the family of the piously Jewish Tevye
00:53:06and the drama that arises
00:53:08when his three daughters marry for love
00:53:10The gems of this unforgettable score
00:53:12are countless
00:53:14These include the iconic opening tradition
00:53:16and Tevye's comic solo
00:53:18If I Were a Rich Man
00:53:30There's also the beautifully
00:53:32lyrical sunrise sunset
00:53:34and the sensational bottle dance
00:53:36A spectacular bit of choreography
00:53:38by Jerome Robbins himself
00:53:40Beautifully tragic, Fiddler won nine Tony Awards
00:53:42including Best Musical
00:53:45The vocals have been similarly lauded
00:53:57Number 14
00:53:59The Sound of Music
00:54:11Our hearts come alive with the sound of this music
00:54:13Rodgers and Hammerstein strike again
00:54:15with this fictionalization of the life
00:54:17of the Von Trapp family
00:54:19Winning Best Musical at the 1960 Tony Awards
00:54:21it was subsequently adapted
00:54:23into a beloved film starring Julie Andrews
00:54:25and Christopher Plummer
00:54:27Rodgers' score is as winning as ever
00:54:29filled with gems such as the titular opening
00:54:31and the minor key waltz, My Favorite Things
00:54:43There's also the tender Viennese-inspired
00:54:45Edelweiss
00:54:47and the grandly operatic
00:54:49Climb Every Mountain
00:54:52The Sound of Music was the last
00:54:54Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration
00:54:56as the latter sadly died of stomach cancer
00:54:58months after its premiere
00:55:00A fitting legendary musical
00:55:02for a legendary career
00:55:04Number 15
00:55:18The Sound of Music
00:55:20for a legendary career
00:55:22Number 13
00:55:24Singing in the Rain
00:55:32The apotheosis of movie musicals
00:55:34is undoubtedly this classic
00:55:36co-directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen
00:55:38Number 1 in AFI's
00:55:40greatest movie musicals list
00:55:42Singing in the Rain is considered one of the greatest
00:55:44American films of all time
00:55:46and it's a jukebox musical at that
00:55:48That's right
00:55:50Arthur Freed reintroduced his back catalog
00:55:52with Nasio Herb Brown in this film
00:55:54writing one new song, Make Em Laugh
00:56:04Betty Comden and Adolph Green
00:56:06also contributed the winsome Moses Supposes
00:56:08but it's Freed and Herb Brown's
00:56:10Singing in the Rain
00:56:12performed winningly by Kelly
00:56:14that has enjoyed a long cultural life
00:56:17It's a song and dance omnipresent in pop culture
00:56:29Who doesn't know this glorious feeling?
00:56:31Number 12
00:56:33Cabaret
00:56:47Life is a cabaret old chum
00:56:49Perhaps John Kander
00:56:51and Fred Ebb's most enduring musical
00:56:53Cabaret is as winning
00:56:55as it is unflinchingly dark
00:56:57Set partially among the flourishing queer culture
00:56:59of early 30s Berlin
00:57:01it's also a cautionary tale
00:57:03of the rise of fascism
00:57:05and the complacency that led to its rise
00:57:07Highlights include the sinister MC's
00:57:09Vaudevillian Wilkommen
00:57:11and Sally Bowles' cabaret songs
00:57:13at the Kit Kat Club
00:57:15Another cabaret as well as two songs
00:57:17added to the movie
00:57:19Mine Hair and The Earnest
00:57:21Maybe This Time
00:57:31The stage version won the Tony Award
00:57:33for Best Musical
00:57:35along with seven others
00:57:37It's iconic film adaptation was also a smash success
00:57:39with a great performance by Liza Minnelli
00:57:41winning a boatload of Oscars
00:57:44We'll always return to this cabaret
00:57:54Number 11
00:57:56Gypsy A Musical Fable
00:58:10Everything came up roses for this musical
00:58:12The life of Gypsy Rose Lee
00:58:14and her complicated stage mother Mama Rose
00:58:16is given a formidable life
00:58:18by Julie Stein and Stephen Sondheim
00:58:20in this musical adaptation
00:58:22The best numbers include Let Me Entertain You
00:58:24whose clever lyrics double as both
00:58:26wholesome showbiz Americana
00:58:28and striptease innuendo
00:58:30Entertain you
00:58:32and you will
00:58:34have a real
00:58:36good time
00:58:38yes sir
00:58:40June's boyfriend Tulsa also gets a sleekly jazzy solo
00:58:42All I Need Is The Girl
00:58:44Then there are Mama Rose's
00:58:46brassy showcases
00:58:48These include the canny Small World
00:58:50the brassy Act 1 finale Everything's Coming Up Roses
00:58:52and her Act 2 mental breakdown
00:58:54Rose's Turn
00:58:56Well someone tell me
00:58:59is it my turn
00:59:01Don't I get a dream for myself
00:59:03Starting now it's gonna be my turn
00:59:05Gangway world get off of my runway
00:59:07Starting now I bet a thousand
00:59:09This time boys I'm taking the balls and
00:59:11Lauded by many critics as one of the greatest musicals ever
00:59:13the dark side of show business
00:59:15has never sounded this golden
00:59:17Number 10
00:59:19The Producers
00:59:21Mr. Biala's
00:59:23We can do it
00:59:25We can do it
00:59:27We can do it
00:59:29Drink champagne
00:59:31What happens when you intentionally try to create the worst musical
00:59:33You get a great one of course
00:59:35This delightful musical comedy
00:59:37by Mel Brooks alone has set the record
00:59:39for winning 12 Tony Awards out of 15
00:59:41nominations, the most in Broadway
00:59:43history
00:59:46We were created to be hated
00:59:48Max Bialystock
00:59:50Hello
00:59:52Hello
00:59:54Hello
00:59:56Where did Brooks go right?
00:59:58In the show producer Max Bialystock cooks up a scheme
01:00:00to get rich off a Broadway musical
01:00:02designed to bomb, roping in hapless
01:00:04accountant Leo Bloom
01:00:06The musical in question? A breezy comedy
01:00:08about the glories of Hitler's Nazi Germany
01:00:10Needless to say
01:00:12the sweet and campy strains of springtime
01:00:14Hitler are taken as satire by audiences
01:00:16making the intended bomb a smash success
01:00:18It's a great romp
01:00:20pulled off with spectacular panache
01:00:22Oh it ain't no mystery
01:00:24if it's politics
01:00:26or history
01:00:28the thing you gotta know
01:00:30is
01:00:32everything is show business
01:00:36Number 9
01:00:38Hairspray
01:00:40I can hear the bells
01:00:42I can hear the bells
01:00:44the bridesmaids are singing
01:00:46Hair is serious business in musicals
01:00:48and so is Hairspray
01:00:50Based on the 1988 film
01:00:52this Mark Shaman show follows the life
01:00:54of cheerful plus-size Tracy Turnblad
01:00:56living in 60's Baltimore
01:01:04Making friends
01:01:06with her African American classmates
01:01:08Tracy becomes an ally
01:01:11racially integrating the Miss Teenage Hairspray competition
01:01:13Hairspray features catchy songs
01:01:15like Good Morning Baltimore
01:01:17the gushing I Can Hear the Bells
01:01:19and the rousing finale You Can't Stop the Beat
01:01:31The original Broadway production won the Tony Award
01:01:33for Best Musical as well as 7 others
01:01:35The film adaptation
01:01:37was also well received
01:01:39with its soundtrack selling over a million copies
01:01:41No one can stop the beat of this musical
01:01:43Number 8
01:01:45The Lion King
01:01:47Can you feel the love tonight
01:01:49Can you feel the love tonight
01:01:51The ice the evening brings
01:01:53The ice the evening brings
01:01:55The king of the Broadway stage
01:01:57is this stage adaptation
01:01:59of a Disney classic
01:02:01The Lion King is the third longest running show
01:02:03in Broadway history
01:02:05grossing over 8 billion dollars worldwide
01:02:08The production
01:02:10directed by Julie Taymor
01:02:12distinguishes itself from the film
01:02:14in its beautiful sets and dazzling puppetry
01:02:16It also added new songs to the score
01:02:18including Zazu's Morning Report
01:02:20The Madness of King Scar
01:02:22and Shadowland
01:02:34Combining Shakespearean Gravitas
01:02:36and African Splendor
01:02:38The Lion King is a triumph of collaboration
01:02:40Featuring the talents of Elton John
01:02:42Tim Rice, Lebo M
01:02:44Taymor herself
01:02:46and Hans Zimmer
01:02:48This is one circle of life we'll be returning to
01:03:00Number 7
01:03:02Rent
01:03:06This year's rent
01:03:08This year's rent
01:03:10Next year's rent
01:03:12Composer Jonathan Larson's early project
01:03:14Tick Tick Boom
01:03:16is a semi-autobiographical gem
01:03:18adapted into an acclaimed film by Lin-Manuel Miranda
01:03:20But it was Larson's
01:03:22passionate modern retelling of Puccini's La Boheme
01:03:24that truly soared
01:03:26For one thing, it featured a majority queer cast
01:03:28and themes, portraying the devastating
01:03:30impacts of the AIDS crisis
01:03:32Other highlights include La Vie Boheme
01:03:34and Take Me or Leave Me
01:03:44But the Act 2 opener, Seasons of Love
01:03:46became a pop hit in its own right
01:03:48reaching 33 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts
01:03:50Rent not only won the Tony
01:03:52for Best Musical
01:03:54but also the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
01:03:56for its portrayal of Bohemian life
01:04:04La Vie Boheme
01:04:06La Vie Boheme
01:04:08Number 6
01:04:10Wicked
01:04:20The Wizard of Oz strikes again
01:04:22this time in this re-imagining of its
01:04:24iconic villain, the Wicked Witch of the West
01:04:26Based on Gregory Maguire's
01:04:28best-selling novel of the same name
01:04:30the musical follows green-skinned outcast Elphaba Thropp
01:04:33and her complicated friendship with roommate
01:04:35Galinda Upland
01:04:37Clothing, unadulterated clothing
01:04:39For your face
01:04:41Your voice
01:04:43Your clothing
01:04:45Let's just say
01:04:47I love it all
01:04:49Elphaba's refusal to turn a blind eye to the injustices
01:04:51of Oz makes her the target of the despotic
01:04:53Wizard of Oz
01:04:55Stephen Schwartz's score includes the show-stopping
01:04:57Defying Gravity
01:04:59and Galinda's scene-stealing solo, Popular
01:05:01The show's long-awaited film adaptation
01:05:03the first of a two-part film
01:05:05was also wildly successful
01:05:07Wicked's themes of social justice
01:05:09fascism and state propaganda
01:05:11still resonate strongly today
01:05:13as does its touching portrayal of female friendship
01:05:15Who can say
01:05:17if I have been changed
01:05:19for the better
01:05:21but
01:05:23because I knew you
01:05:25because I knew you
01:05:27Number 5
01:05:30Chicago
01:05:32That's good, isn't it?
01:05:34Grand, isn't it?
01:05:36Great, isn't it?
01:05:38Swell, isn't it?
01:05:40Fun, isn't it?
01:05:42But nothing
01:05:44stays
01:05:46It's time to rouge our knees
01:05:48and roll our stockings down for this stellar show
01:05:50A lighter, if just as cynical,
01:05:52sister to Cabaret
01:05:54Kander and Ebb's 1975 musical
01:05:56is based on a real-life jazz-age murder trial
01:05:58Its 1996 revival
01:06:00is Broadway's second-longest-running show
01:06:02with its West End revival becoming
01:06:04the longest-running American musical
01:06:06Come on, babe, why don't we paint the town
01:06:10And all that jazz
01:06:12I'm gonna rouge my knees
01:06:14and roll my stockings down
01:06:16The Academy Award-winning film adaptation
01:06:18was also a triumph
01:06:20introducing general audiences
01:06:22to exquisitely directed performances
01:06:24of Ebb's vaudevillian songs
01:06:26As we both reached for the gun
01:06:28and the show-stopping cell-block tango
01:06:30are among the highlights of this memorable score
01:06:32These merry murderesses are our jam
01:06:34They had it coming
01:06:36They had it coming
01:06:38They had it coming
01:06:40They took a fall along
01:06:42Number four
01:06:44The Phantom of the Opera
01:06:46With a little illumination, gentlemen
01:06:56No list would be complete
01:06:58without the smash West End musical
01:07:00The Jewel in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Crown
01:07:02Based on Gaston Leroux's novel
01:07:04of the same name
01:07:06this luxurious gothic romance
01:07:08mixed with Lloyd Webber's
01:07:10impressive Puccini pastiche
01:07:12is a combination few have been able to resist
01:07:14Sing, my angel of music
01:07:16Sing for me
01:07:20Winner of Best Musical
01:07:22at the Tony Awards
01:07:25and the longest-running show
01:07:27ever on Broadway
01:07:29Phantom's influence is still strong
01:07:31with a worldwide gross over $6 billion
01:07:33With its iconic overture
01:07:35The Seductive Music of the Night
01:07:37and the sweeping romance
01:07:39of All I Ask of You
01:07:41the show's musical greatness is undeniable
01:07:43Share each day with me
01:07:45each night
01:07:47each morning
01:07:51With a film adaptation
01:07:53and a stage sequel
01:07:55it's clear this Music of the Night
01:07:57is far from over
01:07:59Number three
01:08:01Hamilton
01:08:03The world turned upside down
01:08:09The world turned upside down
01:08:11when Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical
01:08:13biography of this famous American
01:08:15revolutionary premiered on Broadway
01:08:17and was met with almost instant
01:08:19critical and audience acclaim
01:08:22The demand was so great that it became the first
01:08:24Broadway show to gross more than $3 million
01:08:26in a regular eight-performance week
01:08:40Notable for being a non-stop rap opera
01:08:42steeped in Broadway idioms and tradition
01:08:44it won 11 Tonys
01:08:46including Best Musical
01:08:48and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
01:08:50The musical's pro shot was released to Disney Plus
01:08:52in 2020 becoming the second most
01:08:54streamed film on the platform
01:08:56and the cast album with beloved songs
01:08:58such as Alexander Hamilton
01:09:00My Shot and The Room Where It Happens
01:09:02was certified diamond
01:09:04This show did not throw away its shot
01:09:16Number two
01:09:18Do You Hear The People Sing
01:09:20Do You Hear The People Sing
01:09:22Do You Hear The People Sing
01:09:24Do You Hear The People Sing
01:09:26Do You Hear The People Sing
01:09:28Do You Hear The People Sing
01:09:30This one surprised many
01:09:32when it premiered in Paris in 1980
01:09:34at the Palais des Sports
01:09:36composed by Claude-Michel Chambard
01:09:38with original lyrics by Alain Boublier
01:09:40and Jean-Marc Nathel
01:09:42The show was produced in London and on Broadway
01:09:44a few years later by Cameron Macintosh
01:09:48The time is now
01:09:50The day is here
01:09:52One day more
01:09:54One more day to revolution
01:09:56One day more
01:09:58One more day to revolution
01:10:00With a superb translation by Herbert Kretzmer
01:10:02this production won 8 Tony Awards
01:10:04and spawned countless international productions
01:10:06Highlights from this show
01:10:08include Fantine's I Dreamed a Dream
01:10:10Eponine's plaintive solo On My Own
01:10:12and the revolutionary
01:10:14anthem Do You Hear The People Sing
01:10:17The film adaptation, with Anne Hathaway's
01:10:19award-winning performance of I Dreamed a Dream
01:10:21was also successful
01:10:23And I was young
01:10:25and unafraid
01:10:27and unafraid
01:10:29that dreams were made
01:10:31and used
01:10:33and wasted
01:10:35It's arguably the world's
01:10:37favorite musical
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01:10:551. West Side Story
01:10:57Tonight, tonight
01:10:59There's only you tonight
01:11:01What you are
01:11:03What you do
01:11:05What you say
01:11:07For the best
01:11:09music, lyrics, and book however
01:11:11this musical adaptation of Shakespeare's
01:11:13classic Romeo and Juliet is about as
01:11:15perfect as you can get. West Side Story
01:11:17is the product of four geniuses
01:11:19Jerome Robbins' iconic
01:11:21choreography combines the energy of modern
01:11:23jazz with the grace of classical ballet
01:11:25Turn off the juice, boy
01:11:27Just play it cool, boy
01:11:29Just play it cool, boy
01:11:31Just play it cool, boy
01:11:33Just play it cool, boy
01:11:35Composer Leonard Bernstein's heart-grabbing score
01:11:37is a rich blend of American jazz
01:11:39Latin and Spanish rhythms
01:11:41and classical gravitas
01:11:55Young's Sondheim shifts seamlessly
01:11:57between youthful satire and romantic
01:11:59yearning in his sharp lyrics
01:12:01And Arthur Lawrence's book about cultural
01:12:03clash, the immigrant experience, and
01:12:05American racism still resonates profoundly
01:12:07with audiences today
01:12:09Despite its many revivals and not one but two
01:12:11critically acclaimed film adaptations
01:12:13West Side Story is a classic that time
01:12:15cannot weather away
01:12:17You forget I'm in America
01:12:29Which other
01:12:31legendary musicals do you feel we missed
01:12:33or should be ranked higher or lower?
01:12:35Let us know in the comments down below
01:12:37Make a musical
01:12:39Sure, make a musical
01:12:41The new Don Lockwood, he yodels, he jumps about to music
01:12:43Do you agree with our picks?
01:12:45Check out this other recent clip from
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