I don't know where to begin when I say I LOVE musicals. Right after Sugarland, musicals are my favorite things to listen to. I listen to cast recordings from several Broadway musicals daily, so I thought it would be fun to see if I could narrow it down and pick my top 10 cast recordings.
It was surprisingly both difficult, yet easy. Here are my current top 10 favorite cast recordings!
1. "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"
This one takes the number one spot because not only was it the first cast recording I ever heard, but it was the first one where I learned every single song. This musical was played a lot in my house because, although not in the original cast, Donny Osmond (who my mom adores) was cast as Joseph once. So, this musical was a big part of my childhood.
2. "Hamilton: An American Musical"
"Hamilton: An American Musical" is such an amazing musical. I have never seen it, but I hope to one day. I love this musical so much because every time I listen to it, I either discover something new or I am affected differently from one of the many songs. Recently, I took a class that gave me a new view of this musical, and I can't wait to listen to it 100 times through this perspective.
3. "Waitress"
I love this musical because I actually saw it on Broadway with the original cast! It was fantastic, it made me cry, but I still loved it. I love this cast recording so much because there is a song for really any mood you're in.
My favorite song from it is "She Used To Be Mine". It is a song that tugs at your heartstrings, but it is a beautiful song. However, if you're looking for a quirky and cute song, I highly recommend "I Love You Like a Table".
4. "Six"
This musical has been my current obsession! I probably listen to this cast recording at least 25 times a day. This musical is a modern-day retelling of the six wives of Henry VIII performed as a pop concert. Like "Hamilton: An American Musical", I like this musical because I learn something new. I did not know anything about Henry VIII's wives, but now I can't stop researching them!
This musical is currently playing in London and in Chicago.
5. "Something Rotten!"
"Something Rotten!" was the first musical I ever saw on Broadway and it was the greatest thing I have ever seen, well, at the time. I also saw this musical with the original cast and I was captivated by everything this musical had to offer. It was so great that I started to listen to the cast recording the moment I got home, and I haven't stopped since, specifically the song "A Musical."
Just do yourself a favor and listen to that song; the first lines will instantly make you laugh and you'll be laughing the entire time. Bonus points if you get all the references in this song.
"Something Rotten!" has funny and energetic songs that tell the story of a playwright (played by Brian D'Arcy James) who wants to be the best but is competing with the town rock star: Shakespeare.
6. "Dear Evan Hansen"
This cast album is great. Ben Platt, who plays Evan, has such a great voice. The first time I heard him sing "Words Fail", I cried a little. You can really feel the emotions of this song when Ben Platt sings it.
7. "Shrek the Musical"
I would not call this musical groundbreaking or life-changing. To be honest, I add this my top 10 because the songs just make me laugh. "Shrek", the movie, is great, and the fact that there is a musical production of it just makes me laugh. Brian D'Arcy James, from "Something Rotten!", is the actor who plays Shrek, and Sutton Foster plays Princess Fiona. They have great comedic timing with one another in both the musical's production and in the musical.
If you want to see it, watch it on Netflix!
8. "Les Misérables"
This musical is a classic. I have this on my list because of it being a classic. No matter the cast or the production, I will always love it. The music is moving and beautiful.
9. "Anastasia"
I love this cast album because it tells the story that I grew up watching on VHS as a child, but this time with more songs and storytelling! Listening to the cast album always makes me want to see the show but also watch the movie.
10. "Annie"
Finally, "Annie"! I love this musical because, like the first musical on the list, I grew up with this. When I was eight years old, I would sing the song "Tomorrow" all the time. When I took dance lessons, my class danced to "It's A Hard-Knock Life." When I stayed home sick from school, I would watch the Disney version of "Annie". "Annie" is such a wonderful musical.