As a proud, card-carrying musical theatre geek, I've had my share of Les Misérables sing-a-longs. And Wicked. And Spring Awakening. And... okay, you get the idea. Those shows rightfully have huge fan bases and have enjoyed long runs on Broadway. It's always fun to belt out "On My Own" with your friends, but there's nothing quite like falling in love with a new show for the first time. Here are five lesser-known musicals that deserve as much attention as Broadway's biggest blockbusters:

1. Merrily We Roll Along:

Stephen Sondheim's last collaboration with Hal Prince (the duo that produced shows like Company and Sweeney Todd) failed miserably on Broadway when it premiered in 1981, lasting about two weeks before it closed. The show, told in reverse chronological order, suffered from poor design and seemingly pessimistic themes. Not exactly promising. However, Sondheim's brassy, lively score (exemplified by a brilliantly orchestrated overture) sounds fresh and exciting, even in 2016. The story follows three New York writers, Frank, Charley, and Mary as they navigate relationships with each other and with their other colleagues. It deals with themes like friendship, disappointment, and always trying to be better. The 2012 Encores! cast recording features Colin Donnell (Anything Goes, Violet) as Frank, Celia Keenan-Bolger (The 25th Annual Putnam ..., Peter and the Starcatcher) as Mary, Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights, Hamilton) as Charley, and Elizabeth Stanley (Company, On the Town) as Gussie Carnegie, an aspiring star who becomes Frank's wife. Notable numbers include Miranda utilizing his rap skills on the tongue-twister "Franklin Shepard, Inc." and Stanley delivering an old-school diva moment in "Gussie's Opening Number."

2. Urinetown:

Yes, "urine" as in "pee." Bear with me. Urinetown takes place in a dystopian society where a huge water shortage has pushed the government to put a price on going to the bathroom. Not exactly your typical subject matter for a musical. But Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann turn it into an in-your-face comedy chock-full of high-brow humor as well as plenty of potty jokes. The perfect example of this blend is the name the company in charge of the new public toilets, called Urine Good Company. Musical theatre aficionados will appreciate the parodies of other beloved shows, like a Fiddler on the Roof-esque beginning to the second act, and a downright spoof of "Cool" from West Side Story, titled "Snuff that Girl." Notable numbers include the pseudo-gospel romp "Run, Freedom, Run!" and "Cop Song," Officer Lockstock's account of just a few of the people he has sent to the mythical Urinetown.

3. The Most Happy Fella:

Frank Loesser is probably best known for Guys and Dolls, but his most ambitious work comes from this musical about a grape farmer named Tony Esposito and his relationship with Rosabella, a young waitress. He leaves her a note at the restaurant where she works, and she decides to meet him. However, he isn't quite what she expected (think of it as old-timey catfishing). The score is Loesser's most lush and operatic, with many soaring solos and duets for the main couple ("Mamma, Mamma", "Please Let Me Tell You", "My Heart is So Full of You"). He also shows versatility in his writing, including a hoedown ("Big D") and a good ol' Broadway ballad ("Joey, Joey, Joey"). The characters all get a moment to shine, which really helps the audience understand their motives and relationships with other characters. Notable numbers include Rosabella's first aria, "Somebody, Somewhere," her friend Cleo's bemoaning over service work, "Ooh! My Feet!" and "Song for a Summer Night," which includes some of the most beautiful vocal harmonies of the whole score.

4. In the Heights:

This show is probably the best-known of the ones I'm going to mention. But with all the (deserved) hype surrounding Hamilton, I think we should give Lin-Manuel Miranda's first Broadway musical some more love as well. This love letter to Washington Heights centers around Usnavi, who came to the US as a baby, and his yearning to go back to the Dominican Republic, where he is from originally. Heights broke new ground as the first (successful) show to incorporate hip-hop and rap into a Broadway musical. Miranda also uses Latin rhythms and melodies to weave an energetic, fresh portrait of Northern Manhattan and its inhabitants. The show also helped launch the careers of not only Miranda, but Karen Olivo (who won a Tony as Anita in West Side Story), Mandy Gonzalez (currently Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton), Christopher Jackson (George Washington in Hamilton), and Joshua Henry (most recently Noble Sissle in Shuffle Along). Notable numbers include "No Me Diga," where the ladies at the salon indulge in the latest gossip, and "The Club," the first 30 seconds of which are bound to get you shaking it like you're in a salsa club in Washington Heights.

5. The Full Monty:

Another show where the subject matter may throw you off: a bunch of down-on-their-luck guys hatch a plan to become male strippers. While that's essentially what the plot is, the show also touches on themes of overcoming insecurity, friendship, and what it means to be vulnerable. The show is based off of a British movie of the same name, but the setting has changed to Buffalo, New York to Americanize the story. This is David Yazbek's first score for Broadway (he also wrote Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), and he definitely makes an impression with songs that are at times funny ("Life with Harold", "The Goods") and genuinely touching ("You Rule My World [Reprise]", "You Walk With Me"). Notable numbers include "Big Black Man", a super-funky tune where Andre DeShields' character auditions for the other guys, and "Big-Ass Rock," a darkly comic song where Jerry and Dave, the main characters, convince their friend Malcolm not to commit suicide.