Broadway is much more than what some people think it is. Its so funny how you ask some people from New York what their favorite Broadway show is and they don’t even know what Broadway is. The first musical I ever watched as a little girl was Annie. I got so obsessed with it that I started getting more interested on these shows that were on this place called Broadway. That’s when me and my dad took a trip to New York for my 10th birthday. We went to see so many musicals like Mama Mia, bring it on, Mary Poppins, Lion King, and Annie. We had so much fun watching these performances plus, exploring the breath taking city of New York. Over the years, I looked into more musicals on youtube like Hairspray, The Heathers, Dear Evan Hansen, Evita, Crazy for you, Catch me if you can, the pajama game, A little night music, Into the woods, Sponge bob, Mean girls, Once on this Island, Miss Saigon, Bonnie and Clyde, Aladin, Kinky boots, rent, Matilda, Charlie and the chocolate factory, and more! Broadway has been a way for me to let go, to get into another character, in their world and simply forget everything else. and here goes my top 10 favorite musicals.
1. Hamilton: Boy, if you don’t know this musical you are completely lost. Broadway star Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote this incredible show over a period of 6 years! The show was inspired by Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. It was first presented in 2015 in a public theatre and then it was translated to the Richard Rodgers theater. It got 16 Tony Award Nominations including best musical. I love everything about this musical. The stage, costumes, songs, and choreographies. It is a hip hop musical, and what is so special about this is that there are almost none like this on Broadway. When I first heard the playlist, I fell in love with it. It may take you some hours to listen the whole playlist but the songs are really, really, really catchy, the rhymes are perfects and the vocals are incredible. The evolution of the characters throughout the show is so good.You never get tired of listening to it and it is just an amazing musical that has a ton of energy and power.
2. An American in Paris: The first time I saw this musical was in London. The show first grabbed my attention because I saw a picture of it online and it showed in the background the location of Paris. (If you didn’t know, I am a huge fan of Paris.) Thats when I started investigating the show online to the point I memorized every song on the playlist. I was so excited because when I went to see the show in London, the original star Leanne Cope was performing in it. The show was inspired by 1951 award winning film, and then it was adapted to being a musical. It was nominated for a Tony Award and it first opened in Broadway in April 2015. This musical starts with Jerry Mulligan an American GI wanting to be a painter in Paris. When suddenly he meets a beautiful, ballerina girl named Lise. The story then starts to get bigger and bigger with romance, art and feelings. The thing I admired the most from this show were their choreographies. It just transmitted you this incredible feeling when you were looking in the stage. And the ending it has was so romantic.
3.Wicked: As you might already know, Wicked has been on Broadway and through many theaters around the world for a really long time. It first opened in 2003 and it has been one of Broadways favorite musicals. This show is told in a different way than the story we all know about Dorothy and Oz. Instead this happens long before Dorothy arrives in Oz. The story begins with a baby girl born in a different way than others. Her name is Elpheba and she is a green rare girl to the people of Oz. All throughout her life she is judged until one day she travels to the Emerald city where she meets a beautiful, bubbly popular girl named Glinda in which throughout the show they develop a unusual friendship.What I admire about the show is the message it gives out. All throughout the story Elpheba is judged but she never stops being her. And that is where the message of the show comes in. That no matter how different you are, you should never stop being yourself. Another thing that is truly incredible are the songs and vocals. So much feelings are given throughout the show in which a person can relate to. And that is the biggest takeaway from this show.
4. Hairspray: This is the kind of musical that always has you with the energy to literally get up and start dancing. This story takes place in 1962, Baltimore. A girl named Tracy Turnblad and her friend Peggy are two obsessive girls over the TV show Corny Collins and obviously hot Link. This story goes developing more when Tracy herself gets into the show with her rival Amber. I love the songs of this musical especially you cant stop the beat and without love. The message about being yourself no matter what is also very inspiring.
5.Sunday in the park with George: This is a play that some people absolutely adore, and for some people its one of the worst musicals. I had the privilege to actually be a part of this show for a musical theater summer camp called Interlochen. At first I thought it wasn’t going to be such a good musical, but if you listen to the songs and to the lines. Your whole thoughts change. The musical has many things that talk about art and what it means to all of us. One of the most amazing things from this musical are its songs. They are really complicated to sing and to play, but in the end its a incredible art work.
Victoria Morales 