As a theatre super nerd and a person hoping to pursue a career in acting in the field, I tend to spend a great deal of my time reading, listening to, and discovering new plays and musicals. That being said, I have put together a list of my top 5 favorite musicals to share with you all in hopes that you might recognize one of these five, or find a new musical to become a fan of! Keep in mind that these are in no particular order.
1. Hamilton
Does this even need an explanation? Hamilton tells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton and his life and relationships and achievements. The hip-hop/rap style of music makes it quite different than most of the shows currently on Broadway. Many people, even those who aren’t musical theatre fans, have expressed their love for Hamilton. Even if you don’t think you will like it, just take a listen to the soundtrack and try it out. You might be surprised and start asking yourself, "What did I miss?" (Yes, that was a Hamilton reference.)
2. Dear Evan Hansen
This is the most recent Broadway show I've discovered and I've fallen in love with it. Dear Evan Hansen is fairly new, only opening on Broadway in December of 2016. I discovered this show through another theatre friend of mine and I've lost count of the number of times I've listened to the entire soundtrack. Without revealing too much, Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of a boy named Evan Hansen, a high school senior who suffers from social anxiety and tries to continue to legacy of a fellow classmate after said classmate's death. If you're interested in learning more, I highly recommend taking a look at the show and listening to the soundtrack. It is a beautiful story and draws you in with every song.
3. Rent
This is a show that you've probably heard of, or at the very least, heard the song "Seasons of Love." If you haven't, I'm not quite sure where you've been. That being said, this show focuses on a small group of friends and artists living in New York and trying to make a successful life, all while fighting the surrounding battle with HIV/AIDS. This is a show you cannot watch without becoming attached to the characters and the story and you will spend the entire show rooting for the characters to succeed and find the happiness they are searching for.
4. Kinky Boots
I actually discovered this show via the soundtrack and became immediately obsessed. The soundtrack was in my car, on my phone, on my computer, and everywhere else I could possibly play it. I was constantly listening to the music and decided then that I needed to see this show. Shortly after discovering the show, I had the honor of seeing Kinky Boots at the Fox Theater in Atlanta and I fell even more in love with that before. It tells the story of a man, Charlie Price, who tries to save his father's shoe factory after he inherits it. He is only able to do so with the help of his drag queen sidekick, Lola. One of my favorite quotes from the show is, "you change your heart when you change your mind." This show ultimately teaches acceptance and that even if you don't appear to be the same on the outside, you probably have more in common with others than you know.
5. Hedwig and the Angry Inch
I will preface this by saying Hedwig is not a show for everyone. It is not your average Broadway musical and it is probably a show that you will either fall in love with or have absolutely no desire to see again. Hedwig and the Angry Inch tells the story of a transgender German rock singer who is backed by the band, The Angry Inch. I first discovered Hedwig when I stumbled across a Youtube video of Neil Patrick Harris (who previously played Hedwig on Broadway) performing a song from the show on The Tony Awards. I absolutely loved the song and began researching a bit more about the show. Soon after, Darren Criss, who I'm a big fan of, took on the role of Hedwig on Broadway. I listened to the entire soundtrack and read more about the show and became obsessed. It's more of a punk/rock and roll style show which is not something that I thought I would enjoy as much as other shows, but I'm glad Hedwig proved me wrong. Even if you're on the fence about this one, I would recommend you listening to the soundtrack and at least giving it a try.
All five of these shows are very similar in some ways but very different in others. While there are so many musicals out there that I absolutely adore, this list captures the best of the best for me. Even if you aren't sure about musicals or don't feel like any of these are your cup of tea, I advise you to give the soundtracks a listen and it might open you up to a whole new world of musicals you haven't discovered yet.
