Top Guy
1) The Producers
I’m a big Mel Brooks fan, which puts me in the same category as any other American man who was ever a teenager. The Producers features a musical—the truly inspired Springtime for Hitler, no less—within the musical that is intended to defraud investors but ends up being a huge hit.
2) Wonderful Town
I’ve never seen Wonderful Town, but I have heard the wonderful ode to the Buckeye State, “Why, oh why, oh why oh, why did I ever leave Ohio?” That’s enough to make this list.
3) The Wizard of Oz
Tornadoes, flying monkeys, witches, lions—what’s not to like about The Wizard of Oz? “If I Only Had a Brain” could be the best song in any musical, and the ending that demystifies the wonderful wizard is truly inspired and inspiring. As a side note, the myth about the musical perfectly synching with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon is totally bogus.
4) Grease
C’mon, you know it’s fun. And admit it, you know all the words to the songs.
5) Hairspray
John Waters is overrated, but Hairspray is a bit overlooked. The musical about an overweight teenager who wins a spot on, then tries to racially integrate, a local dance show is certainly more entertaining than The Phantom of the Opera. The R&B soundtrack that drives the musical also is more enjoyable than the boringly overwrought Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work.
Top Lady
1) Singin’ in the Rain
From the “Moses Supposes” number to “Good Mornin’” to “Make ‘em Laugh” to the perfect, perfect title song scene, it just doesn’t get any better than this. And even if there was no singing or dancing, Lena’s shriek of “Whattayou think I am, dumb or somethin’?” would make this movie.
2) Camelot
If Singin’ in the Rain is timeless, there is nothing more of its own time (1960) than Camelot. The fact that it came to represent the too-short first term of JFK adds another layer to the already timeless story; and even the happiest songs have a few minor keys that consistently foreshadow or reflect the ultimate tragic end.
3) West Side Story
Leonard Bernstein is the great American composer; and this is one of his masterworks. And what could be more American than an immigrant vs. native gang war, violence on the streets of New York, and a love that defies all those barriers? Plus, it’s so ingrained in our culture, all you have to do is crouch at the knees and start snapping your fingers, and at least one person around you will start going “Boy, Boy, Crazy Boy….”
4) The Music Man
Lots of musicals have great stories, but few of them actually have great characters. Prof. Harold Hill is a great American swindler who, in pretending to clean up a squeaky clean town by instituting a boys’ band, cleans himself up…by actually instituting a boy’s band. Besides, when is anyone ever going to write a nice song about Gary, Indiana again?
5) A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line declared itself “The Greatest Musical. Ever.” in its own ads when it opened, and it comes pretty darn close. No other show is so equally demanding of vocal, dancing, and acting skill in its performers; it’s a showcase of talent, an exacting look at the back rooms of show business, and a celebration of the myriad types of people who make up the American stage. The finale number, “One,” with the case in white costumes on a staircase, has become the iconic image for musical theater.
1) The Producers
I’m a big Mel Brooks fan, which puts me in the same category as any other American man who was ever a teenager. The Producers features a musical—the truly inspired Springtime for Hitler, no less—within the musical that is intended to defraud investors but ends up being a huge hit.
2) Wonderful Town
I’ve never seen Wonderful Town, but I have heard the wonderful ode to the Buckeye State, “Why, oh why, oh why oh, why did I ever leave Ohio?” That’s enough to make this list.
3) The Wizard of Oz
Tornadoes, flying monkeys, witches, lions—what’s not to like about The Wizard of Oz? “If I Only Had a Brain” could be the best song in any musical, and the ending that demystifies the wonderful wizard is truly inspired and inspiring. As a side note, the myth about the musical perfectly synching with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon is totally bogus.
4) Grease
C’mon, you know it’s fun. And admit it, you know all the words to the songs.
5) Hairspray
John Waters is overrated, but Hairspray is a bit overlooked. The musical about an overweight teenager who wins a spot on, then tries to racially integrate, a local dance show is certainly more entertaining than The Phantom of the Opera. The R&B soundtrack that drives the musical also is more enjoyable than the boringly overwrought Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work.
Top Lady
1) Singin’ in the Rain
From the “Moses Supposes” number to “Good Mornin’” to “Make ‘em Laugh” to the perfect, perfect title song scene, it just doesn’t get any better than this. And even if there was no singing or dancing, Lena’s shriek of “Whattayou think I am, dumb or somethin’?” would make this movie.
2) Camelot
If Singin’ in the Rain is timeless, there is nothing more of its own time (1960) than Camelot. The fact that it came to represent the too-short first term of JFK adds another layer to the already timeless story; and even the happiest songs have a few minor keys that consistently foreshadow or reflect the ultimate tragic end.
3) West Side Story
Leonard Bernstein is the great American composer; and this is one of his masterworks. And what could be more American than an immigrant vs. native gang war, violence on the streets of New York, and a love that defies all those barriers? Plus, it’s so ingrained in our culture, all you have to do is crouch at the knees and start snapping your fingers, and at least one person around you will start going “Boy, Boy, Crazy Boy….”
4) The Music Man
Lots of musicals have great stories, but few of them actually have great characters. Prof. Harold Hill is a great American swindler who, in pretending to clean up a squeaky clean town by instituting a boys’ band, cleans himself up…by actually instituting a boy’s band. Besides, when is anyone ever going to write a nice song about Gary, Indiana again?
5) A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line declared itself “The Greatest Musical. Ever.” in its own ads when it opened, and it comes pretty darn close. No other show is so equally demanding of vocal, dancing, and acting skill in its performers; it’s a showcase of talent, an exacting look at the back rooms of show business, and a celebration of the myriad types of people who make up the American stage. The finale number, “One,” with the case in white costumes on a staircase, has become the iconic image for musical theater.
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