1. "Once"
I personally love this musical. The plot line and the characters are so unique, and the music is incredibly beautiful. “Once” won 8 Tony Awards, 4 Drama Desk Awards, and a Grammy. I saw this show on the North American Tour in 2013, and I loved every minute of it. The love story is incredibly complex, which is what makes this production so unique.
2. "American Idiot"
This musical was actually the first musical I had ever seen live, so it definitely has a special place in my heart, but all biases aside; this musical is phenomenal. It portrays three young men who all go on to be the three different types of “American Idiot”. The production puts a story to the album that we all know and love, and after watching the production, you’ll never think the same way about the original album.
3. "Xanadu"
After being adapted from the 1980’s cult film, “Xanadu” opened on Broadway in 2007. The production is definitely a unique one. The choreography and score in this are both impeccable. Although the show is somewhat short, it’s still worth watching every minute of it.
4. "If/Then"
This show is one of my favorites. The original Broadway cast includes stars Idina Menzel and Anthony Rapp, who came back together for this production after “Rent” closed. The production shows two different ways that a woman’s life could go after moving to New York City for a new start. I’ve enjoyed this show since I discovered it, and even though it most likely closed as a loss, I definitely recommend giving it a listen.
5. "Hamilton"
“Hamilton” is a wildly popular musical about the United States founding father, Alexander Hamilton written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The production brings both history, and hip-hop onstage in a revolutionary musical. This show is personally my favorite production right now, and I definitely recommend listening to the cast recording if you haven’t already.
6. "In The Heights"
“In The Heights” is another musical written by genius, Lin-Manuel Miranda during his sophomore year in college. This production discusses the life of a group of people living in Washington Heights. “In The Heights” ran for 1,184 shows and is the 82nd longest running show in Broadway history.
7. "Avenue Q"
“Avenue Q” is a funny, quirky musical. The production uses puppets, and essentially bashes the childhood ideas from their parents and from shows like “Sesame Street”. The unconcealed actors holding the puppets portray the anxieties and hardships of becoming an adult in the “real world”.
8. "Wicked"
Stephen Schwartz’s “Wicked” shows the story of the witches from the Land Of Oz before Dorothy. It shows the witch’s different views, their rivalry when they’re both interested in the same person, and their reactions to the corrupt government in Oz. “Wicked” is the 10th longest running show in Broadway history, and it’s an incredibly famous production completely worth the listen.
9. "Beautiful"
Watching this production was actually one of the best experiences I’ve had with a Broadway production, so I had to put it on the list. The musical is jukebox musical about the life of singer-songwriter Carole King. I’ve seen this production twice, and I seem to like it more every time I see it. The production is an eye-opening piece about love, family, and friends, and it’s one of my personal favorite musicals.
10. "Spring Awakening"
This production was actually the first musical that I grew to love, after seeing Jonathan Groff on “Glee” and deciding to research what else he had been in. “Spring Awakening” instantly became one of my favorite musicals, and it hasn’t changed over the past 5 or 6 years. The soundtrack is one of my favorites, and the storyline and relationship between the characters is a surely unique one that can never be forgotten.
