Hi there, everyone!
Sorry it has been such a long time since an actual post. Being a student gets a little hectic at the end of the quarter. However, this week, since I am not in school, there will be a new post everyday Monday - Friday! Such excitement!
Today, to kick things off, I've decide to run through a list of my top 25 musicals everyone should know about and if any of them are playing around Arizona this season. Now, obviously, this is all my opinion; I have my own bias towards certain musicals, so although some of these will include huge Broadway blockbusters (see:
Phantom of the Opera) it also includes a few musicals I find otherwise culturally significant. Also, just because it's on this list, doesn't mean it is necessarily my favorite musical -- anyone who knows me knows I am not the biggest fan of old musicals or most things Andrew Lloyd Webber (
Evita being the key exception). These musicals are the ones where I am shocked when people who say they're obsessed with theatre say they have never ever heard of. I think history is important; knowing where we came from is essential to knowing where we are going.
**The list is not in the order I think they are the most important; all of these are important for different reasons. The list is chronological from earliest to latest year opened on Broadway**
So please enjoy! And if you feel like I missed anything,
comment below what musical you think is the most culturally significant (or otherwise important) for an extra entry into the Theater Works competition!
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25. Showboat (1927)
Music: Jerome Kern
Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II and P.G. Woodhouse
Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Brief Summary: The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands, and dock workers on the Cotton Blossom, a Mississippi River show boat, over forty years, from 1887 to 1927. Its themes include racial prejudice and tragic, enduring love.
Why it's here: Showboat was the first racially integrated musical and featured two choruses -- one black and one white. It also tackled the idea of interracial marriage... during the 1920s. Interracial marriage would not become ubiquitously legal in America until 1967 after the Supreme Court case Loving vs. Virginia. That means Showboat brought this issue to Broadway 40 years before it became law. Although there has been controversy surrounding language used in the musical and its portrayal of black servants, overall, Showboat is lauded as an important musical for race relations, paving the way for future musicals such as Hairspray and Memphis. Showboat was also one of the first musicals to use a linear plot with compelling characters, instead of the vaudeville style of random skits connected by a common theme, but not a plot.
Number of performances: 572
Broadway revivals: 1932, 1946, 1983, 1994
Awards: Best Revival of a Musical (1995)
24. Anything Goes (1934)
Music and Lyrics: Cole Porter
Book: Guy Bolton and P.G. Woodhouse
Brief Summary: The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London. Billy Crocker is a stowaway in love with heiress Hope Harcourt, who is engaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Nightclub singer Reno Sweeney and Public Enemy #13 Moonface Martin aid Billy in his quest to win Hope.
Why it's here: Unquestionably one of the most well-known musicals of all time. This musical truly encapsulates the musical style and culture of the 20s and early 30s. Also, during a time of depression in the US, Anything Goes offered an escape into a crazy, affluent alternate reality. This musical also established Ethel Merman as an absolute star on the Broadway stage and introduced important show tune standards like "Anything Goes," "You're the Stop," and "I Get A Kick Out of You."
Number of Performances: 420
Broadway Revivals: 1987, 2011
Awards: Best Revival of a Musical (1987, 2011)
Around AZ: Hale Centre Theatre (Feb 18 - April 2)
23. Porgy and Bess (1935)
Music: George Gershwin
Lyrics: DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin
Book: DuBose Heyward
Brief Summary: Porgy and Bess tells the story of Porgy, a disabled black beggar living in the slums of Charleston, South Carolina and deals with his attempts to rescue Bess from the clutches of Crown, her violent and possessive lover, and Sportin' Life, the drug dealer.
Why it's here: Porgy and Bess represents another example of Broadway being ahead of its time: Porgy and Bess featured an entirely African-American cast. Although its initial Broadway run was disappointing, it has gone on to be a staple in Broadway history and c'mon, queen Audra McDonald was in it (and of course, won a Tony award for it in 2012) so it has to be at least a little significant. This was also the last musical/opera George Gershwin wrote before he died, only writing a couple film scores after Porgy and Bess.
Number of performances: 124
Broadway revivals: 1942, 2012
Awards: Best Revival of a Musical (2012)
22. Oklahoma! (1943)
Music: Richard Rodgers
Lyrics and Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Brief Summary: Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farm girl, Laurey Williams. The B-line plot concerns cowboy Will Parker and his flirtatious fiancée, Ado Annie.
Why it's here: Before Oklahoma!, no musical ran more than a few hundred performances on Broadway; Oklahoma! ran for 2,212. Oklahoma! revitalized Broadway after the Great Depression and brought musicals into the mainstream. Also, building on the path set by Showboat, Oklahoma! popularized the idea of a book musical, where the songs contributed to an overall plot and created goals other than generating laughs.
Number of performances: 2,212
Broadway revivals: 1951, 1979, 2002
21. Carousel (1945)
Music: Richard Rodgers
Lyrics and Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Brief Summary: The story revolves around carousel barker Billy Bigelow, whose romance with millworker Julie Jordan comes at the price of both their jobs. He attempts a robbery to provide for Julie and their unborn child; after it goes wrong, he is given a chance to make things right. The B-line plot deals with millworker Carrie Pipperidge and her romance with ambitious fisherman Enoch Snow.
Why it's here: Richard Rodgers once said that this was his favorite musical he ever wrote and TIME Magazine named Carousel the best musical of the 20th century. Like many Rodgers and Hammerstein collaborations, Carousel deals with serious topics; not just light, fluffy musical comedy. Not only does Carousel tell a complex, more realistic love story, but it provides commentary on domestic abuse when looks at through a modern lens. Carousel takes the idea of serious themes a step further than Oklahoma did, contributing to Rodgers and Hammerstein's legacy of telling real stories about real issues and realistic people.
Number of performances: 890
Broadway revivals: 1949, 1994
Awards: Best Revival of a Musical (1994)
Around AZ: Arizona Broadway Theatre (January 15 - February 13)
20. My Fair Lady (1956)
Music: Frederick Loewe
Book and Lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner
Brief Summary: The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins so that she may pass as a lady.
Why it's here: Like many of the musicals on this list, My Fair Lady is one of those musicals that are an ingrained part of our culture; even people who don't know about musical theatre tend to know what My Fair Lady is, even if they don't know what it is about. Julie Andrews also rose to prominence performing as Eliza in My Fair Lady and Julie Andrews is without argument one of the -- if not, the -- most important Broadway performers of all time.
Number of performances: 2,717 (record at the time)
Broadway revivals: 1976, 1981, 1993
Awards: Best Musical (1957)
Around AZ: Actor's Youth Theatre (April 7 - April 16)
19. West Side Story (1957)
Music: Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Book: Arthur Laurents
Brief summary: The musical takes place in the Upper West Side neighborhood in New York City in the mid-1950s, an ethnic, blue-collar neighborhood. The musical explores the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs. The members of the Sharks, from Puerto Rico, are taunted by the Jets, a white gang. The young protagonist, Tony, a former member of the Jets and best friend of the gang leader, Riff, falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks.
Why it's here: Even with Rodgers and Hammerstein focusing on darker, more mature themes, West Side Story truly represents a turning point in American theatre, with a dark plot line, sophisticated music, long dance scenes (like the ballets in Oklahoma and Carousel), and a focus on social problems of the time. Jerome Robbins choreography in West Side Story helped launch the explosion of dance-based shows; the West Side Story choreography is iconic. Unlike many Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals -- where even with the serious themes, the love story is the focus -- many critics of the original West Side Story noted the commentary on race issues and gang warfare stole the spotlight from Tony and Maria's Romeo-and-Juliet tragic love story.
Number of performances: 732
Broadway revivals: 1960 (considered a return), 1980, 2009
Around AZ: Arizona Broadway Theatre (October 16 - November 15), Hale Centre Theatre (July 7 - August 20)
18. The Sound of Music (1959)
Music: Richard Rodgers
Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Book: Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
Brief Summary: The Sound of Music is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world's best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. Maria, a tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey, becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
Why it's here: This is the final musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein, representing the end to an era of musical theatre. Like many of their musicals, The Sound of Music goes beyond the topic of a love story and delves into the impact of the Nazi regime before World War II. It's also arguably the most famous movie musical of all time; it definitely was my introduction to movie musicals.
Number of performances: 1,443
Broadway revivals: 1998
Awards: Best Musical (1959; tied with Fiorello)
17. The Fantasticks (1960, Off-Broadway)
Music: Harvey Schmidt
Lyrics and Book: Tom Jones
Brief Summary: The Fantasticks is an allegory. It concerns two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into falling in love by pretending to feud. The fathers hire traveling actors to stage a mock abduction, so that Matt can heroically "save" Luisa, ending the "feud." When the children discover the deception, they reject the relationship and separate. Each then gains disillusioning experiences of the real world, seen in parallel fantasy sequences. They return to each other bruised but enlightened, and they renew their vows with more maturity.
Why it's important: The Fantasticks is the longest running musical of all time, with the original production running for more than 17,000 performances. What's also interesting about The Fantasticks is that it has never been on Broadway. Both the original production and the revival have only ever been off-Broadway. It also exemplifies a minimalist style and a return to commedia dell'arte and other old theatre traditions.
Number of performances: 17,162
Revivals: 2006 (off-broadway)
16. Cabaret (1966)
Music: John Kander
Lyrics: Frank Ebb
Book: Joe Masteroff
Brief Summary: Set in 1931 Berlin as the Nazis are rising to power, it is based in nightlife at the seedy Kit Kat Klub, and revolves around the 19-year-old English cabaret performer Sally Bowles and her relationship with the young American writer Cliff Bradshaw. The B-line plot involves the doomed romance between German boarding house owner Fräulein Schneider and her elderly suitor Herr Schultz, a Jewish fruit vendor. Overseeing the action is the Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Klub.
Why it's here: Cabaret serves an ominous metaphor for the political developments in Germany during the Nazi era. The character of the Emcee exemplifies the seedy underbelly of the culture Sally Bowles adores and also the escalating menace of the Nazi party. Additionally, the movie made based on the musical with Joey Grey and Liza Minnelli has become a movie ingrained in American culture.
Number of performances: 1,165
Revivals: 1987, 1998, 2014
Awards: Best Musical (1967), Best Revival of a Musical (1998)
15. Hair (1968)
Music: Galt MacDermot
Lyrics and Book: James Rado and Gerome Ragni
Brief Summary: Hair tells the story of the "tribe", a group of politically active, long-haired hippies living a bohemian life in New York City and fighting against conscription into the Vietnam War. Claude, his good friend Berger, their roommate Sheila and their friends struggle to balance their young lives, loves, and the sexual revolution with their rebellion against the war and their conservative parents and society. Ultimately, Claude must decide whether to resist the draft as his friends have done, or to succumb to the pressures of his parents -- representative of conservative America -- to serve in Vietnam, compromising his pacifistic principles and risking his life.
Why it's here: Hair introduced the idea of incorporating rock music with Broadway musicals. Even now, its commentary on race, nudity, sexual freedom, drug use, pacifism, environmentalism, religion, and astrology come across as daring to modern audiences, even though the musical was written more than 50 years ago. The musical features nudity, which even now is not commonplace on the Broadway stage, although it has occurred, like in Spring Awakening; even today, the nude scene is still controversial to audiences. Hair also breaks the fourth wall, allowing performers to communicate directly with audience members. Additionally, it utilized a fully integrated cast and inviting the audience on stage.
Number of performances: 1,750
Revivals: 1977, 2009
Awards: Best Revival of a Musical (2009)
14. Jesus Christ Superstar (1971)
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: Tim Rice
Brief Summary: The musical tells the story of the last seven days of Jesus Christ’s life. As the show opens, apostle Judas Iscariot is growing concerned that Jesus’ followers will be perceived as a threat to the occupying Roman Empire. Indeed, priests Caiaphas, Annas and more gather and agree that Jesus and his movement must be crushed. An exalted Jesus arrives in Jerusalem only to find the temple filled with unsavory merchants and money lenders. Overrun by a flood of people needing his help, he tells them to heal themselves, and his confidante Mary Magdalene has to calm him down. Judas, fearing the movement is getting out of Jesus’ control, goes to the Romans and tells them Jesus will be in the Garden of Gethsemane the following night. He receives 30 pieces of silver as payment. At the Garden, Judas arrives with Roman soldiers and identifies Jesus by kissing him on the cheek. Jesus is arrested and condemned to death on the cross.
Why it's here: Outside of popularizing the concept of a rock musical alongside Hair, this is also a very interesting interpretation of a religious musical. Jesus Christ Superstar was certainly not the first musical based on religious stories and is not the last, but it is unique because much of the story shared focuses on Judas instead of Jesus, something not seen much anywhere in Western literature or theatre. The musical has been called "blasphemous" by some religious groups, but it continues to be a staple of religious musicals.
Number of performances: 711
Revivals: 1977, 2000, 2012
13. Chicago (1975)
Music: John Kander
Lyrics: Frank Ebb
Book: Frank Ebb and Bob Fosse
Brief summary: Nightclub sensation Velma murders her sister and husband, and Chicago's slickest lawyer, Billy Flynn, is set to defend her. However, when Roxie also winds up in prison, Billy takes on her case as well -- turning her into a media circus of headlines. Neither woman will be outdone in their fight against each other and the public for fame and celebrity.
Why it's here: Chicago holds a lot of accolades in regards to its run on Broadway: it's the longest running revival of a musical and the longest running American musical. The story itself is a satire of corruption and the idea of "celebrity criminal." Chicago also serves as a prominent example of Bob Fosse's choreography style and Brechtian theatre design.
Number of performances: 936
Revivals: 1996 (longest running revival; 7,830 performances as of September 22, 2015)
Awards: Best Revival of a Musical (1997)
Around AZ: Phoenix Theatre (September 9 - October 4)
12. A Chorus Line (1975)
Music: Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics: Edward Kleban
Book: James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante
Brief Summary: The musical, set on the bare stage of a Broadway theatre during an audition for a musical, centers on seventeen Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The musical provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers.
Why it's here: A Chorus Line is another in a long line of musical about Broadway but it was the first to really delve into the psyche of the dancers in the ensemble. It's an emotional show that describes a very human struggle. It's also done on a bare stage with minimal costuming, serving as an example of the more artistic, expressive, almost experimental musicals that became popular during this time period. The show didn't rely on big names to get people in; it relied on a simple human story and became one of the longest running musicals of all time.
Number of performances: 6,137
Revivals: 2006
Awards: Best Musical (1976)
11. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979)
Music and Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Book: Hugh Wheeler
Brief Summary: Set in 19th century England, the musical tells the story of Benjamin Barker, hiding under the name Sweeney Todd, who returns to London after 15 years' imprisonment on trumped-up charges, to take revenge on the judge who banished him.
Why it's here: Along with Evita, Sweeney Todd introduced the concept of dark musicals with big spectacle and large production value, which became the standard on Broadway for many years to come, paving the way for musicals like Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera.
Number of performances: 557
Revivals: 1989, 2005
Awards: Best Musical (1979)
Around AZ: Mesa Encore Theatre (May 20 - 29), Actor's Youth Theatre (School Edition; February 18 - 27)
10. La Cage Aux Folles (1983)
Music and Lyrics: Jerry Herman
Book: Harvey Fierstein
Brief summary: The musical focuses on a gay couple: Georges, the manager of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and Albin, his romantic partner and star attraction, and the farcical adventures that ensue when Georges's son, Jean-Michel, brings home his fiancée's ultra-conservative parents to meet them.
Why it's here: La Cage Aux Folles was the first musical to bring a story about homosexuals into society en masse. It's depiction of Albin and Georges as loving fathers departed from stereotypes about gay families at the time. "I Am What I Am" became an anthem form a people being discriminated against. Also, every Broadway production has won Best Musical or Best Revival. It is one of the only two musicals to win Best Revival of a musical twice, along with The King and I.
Number of performances: 1,761
Revivals: 2004, 2010
Awards: Best Musical (1984), Best Revival of a Musical (2004, 2010)
Around AZ: Fountain Hills Theater (January 22 - February 7)
9. Les Miserables (1987)
Music: Claude-Michel Schonberg
Lyrics: Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel (French lyrics) Herbert Kretzmer (English adaptation)
Book: Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil (French) Trevor Nunn and John Caird (English adaptation)
Brief summary: Set in early 19th-century France, Les Miserables tells the story of Jean Valjean, a French peasant, and his quest for redemption after serving nineteen years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread for his sister's starving child. Valjean decides to break his parole and start his life anew after a kindly bishop inspires him by a tremendous act of mercy, but he is relentlessly tracked down by a police inspector named Javert. Later, Valjean and a slew of characters are swept into a revolutionary period in France, where a group of young idealists make their last stand at a street barricade.
Why it's here: Les Miserables is nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. In modern society, when someone thinks of a musical, their first instinct jumps to one of four musicals: Wicked, Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. Even though it originally opened to negative reviews, it is now a fan favorite musical and the West End production is now the second longest running musical in the world after The Fantasticks.
Number of performances: 6,680
Revivals: 2006, 2014
Awards: Best Musical (1987)
8. Phantom of the Opera (1988)
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: Charles Hart
Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe
Brief Summary: The central plot of the Phantom of the Opera revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé, who becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius.
Why it's here: Phantom of the Opera is the longest running musical on Broadway; that's something important to know. It's been seen by millions of people between West End, Broadway, and international and regional productions. It's also a technically dazzling musical, furthering the high production value standards started by Evita and Sweeney Todd during the 70s.
Number of performances: 11,506 as of September 22nd, 2015
Awards: Best Musical (1988)
7. Smokey Joe's Cafe (1995)
Music and Lyrics: Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Brief summary: It's a revue musical without a unifying theme. Showcases the songs of Leiber and Stoller, which were popular during the 1950s and 1960s.
Why it's here: Although it may not be the most popular jukebox musical, it was the first long running one. It legitimized the idea of a jukebox musical, which paved the way for popular shows like Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, Beautiful and Motown.
Number of performances: 2,036
Around AZ: Desert Foothills Theater (April 1 - 17)
6. Rent (1996)
Music, Lyrics and Book: Jonathan Larson
Brief Summary: Rent tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and friends struggling to survive and create a life in New York City's East Village in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS
Why it's here: Rent speaks honestly about HIV/AIDS at the height of the epidemic in New York. Rent has gained a large following of fans, akin to a cult phenomenon like Little Shop of Horrors. These megafans of Rent call themselves RENT-Heads. The musical also pops up in many mainstream entertainment platforms, such as TV shows like The Simpsons, Friends, and Bob's Burgers.
Number of performances: 5,123
Awards: Best Musical (1996)
5. The Producers (2001)
Music and Lyrics: Mel Brooks
Book: Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
Brief Summary: The story of the Producers concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich by overselling interests in a Broadway flop. Complications arise when the show unexpectedly turns out to be successful.
Why it's here: In 2001, The Producers won the most ever Tony Awards for one show (12); it is also tied for the most nominations for one show (15) with Billy Elliot. The Producers is an example of a modern musical comedy, including devices like ridiculous accents, caricatures of homosexuals and Nazis, and many show business in-jokes.
Number of performances: 2,502
Awards: Best Musical (2001; 12 awards won that year)
Around AZ: Greasepaint Youtheatre (October 16 - 25)
4. Avenue Q (2003)
Music and Lyrics: Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
Book: Jeff Whitty
Brief summary: Avenue Q tells the story of a recent college graduate trying to find his way in the world. Set in New York City all the way out on "Avenue Q", Princeton struggles to find his purpose while meeting friends, finding love, losing love, and finding it again, along the way.
Why it's here: I'm not a Wicked fan. I appreciate it, but I'm not a fan. So I think it is so cool that for Wicked -- a cultural phenomenon -- to be beat out for Best Musical by a musical about raunchy puppets is absolutely incredible. Outside of that accomplishment, Avenue Q -- along with the Producers -- helped to pave the way for a modern era of musical comedies. Especially with Avenue Q, the jokes are adult and more like something heard on South Park or in stand up comedy, than what is typically considered "musical comedy." Avenue Q helped usher in a new Broadway audience ready for musicals like The Book of Mormon. Also, it uses puppets, which is a pretty unique Broadway device.
Number of performances: 2,534
Awards: Best Musical (2004)
Around AZ: Phoenix Theatre (June 8 - July 10), Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts (Broadway Back Together; February 20)
3. Wicked (2003)
Music and Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz
Book: Winnie Holzman
Brief summary: Wicked tells the story of two unlikely friends, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda the Good, who struggle through opposing personalities and viewpoints, rivalry over the same love-interest, reactions to the Wizard's corrupt government, and, ultimately, Elphaba's public fall from grace.
Why it's here: I don't know if you've heard of Wicked. It's just like this little indie musical that someone named Adele Dazeem starred in one time. Haha funny funny, not really. Wicked is the musical for people who don't know musicals. Wicked is currently playing at Gammage and I know so many people who have gone to see it who don't even really like musicals. Like with Les Miserables, the sheer cultural force of Wicked is enough to land it on this list. Also, Wicked is frequently alluded to in other musicals, such as Shrek, and popular culture.
Number of performances: 4,957 as of September 22nd, 2015
2. next to normal (2009)
Music: Tom Kitt
Lyrics and Book: Brian Yorkey
Brief Summary: The story of next to normal concerns a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effect that her illness and the attempts to alleviate it have on her family.
Why it's here: Like many of its musical predecessors, next to normal took on a subject matter that hadn't really been touched by a musical: mental illness. next to normal examines many topics surrounding mental illness -- specifically bipolar disorder -- such as grieving a loss, suicide, drug abuse, ethics in modern psychiatry, and the underbelly of suburban life. It expanded the scope of topics musicals can touch in the modern era.
Number of Performances: 733
Around AZ: Nearly Naked Theatre (June 4 - 25)
1. Fun Home (2015)
Music: Jeanine Tesori
Lyrics and Book: Lisa Kron
Brief Summary: The story concerns Alison Bechdel's relationship with her gay father and her attempts to unlock the mysteries surrounding his life.
Why it's here: Fun Home is an important musical for two key reasons. First, it is the first musical to feature a lesbian protagonist. In the past, Broadway has included gay male protagonists, but this is the first time a gay female was the leading character. Additionally in this realm, it's pretty astonishing for a successful musical to feature a child singing about lesbian urges. Also, Fun Home is significant because it is the first musical to win the Tony Award for Best Musical featuring an all-female writing team.
Number of Performances: Around 180 so far
Awards: Best Musical (2015)
Honorable mentions:
Follies, Into the Woods (Fountain Hills Youth Theatre Feb 12-23, Desert Stages July 8 - August 8)
, Kiss Me Kate, Company (ASU Lyric Opera Sept 25 - Oct 4)
, Spamalot (Mesa Encore Theatre March 4 - 13)
, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Arizona Broadway Theatre April 15 - May 8)
, Ain't Misbehavin', Crazy for You, The Wiz, Pippin, Rock of Ages ( Arizona Broadway Theatre May 27 - June 19)
, Man of La Mancha (
Theater Works Oct 9 - 25)
, Mary Poppins (Don Bluth Front Row Theatre Oct 1 - Nov 7, Hale Centre Theatre Oct 15 - Nov 28, Musical Theatre of Anthem April 28 - May 8, Starlight Community Theatre Dec 4 - 13)
, Annie (Gammage May 4 - 8, Musical Theatre of Anthem Dec 3 -13, Desert Stages Nov 13 - Dec 20)
, Hello Dolly! (Scottsdale Musical Theatre Company Feb 3 - 6)
, Grease (ASU Lyric Opera Theatre Jan 15-17)
, 42nd Street (Gammage April 5 - 10)
, Miss Saigon, Jersey Boys, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof (Arizona Broadway Theatre Feb 26 - March 26, Mesa Encore Theatre Nov 6 - 22)
, Young Frankenstein, Mamma Mia, Cinderella, Peter Pan (Queen Creek Performing Arts Center April 15 - 18)
, Book of Mormon (Gammage Oct 20 - Nov 8)
, Chess, A Little Nights Music, Godspell (Ghostlight Theatre Oct 1 - 11, Zao Theatre Feb 5 - 20)
, Aida, Hairspray, Cats, Dreamgirls, Kinky Boots, Billy Elliot, South Pacific, Evita (Phoenix Theatre Feb 24 - March 20)
Be sure to tell me what you think I missed below or on Facebook!
