Being self-confessed West End Wendys and all round theatre addicts, we were talking about our favourite shows and the musicals that would always have us running to the box office in search of a ticket. We didn't realise how hard it would be to narrow down ten musicals from each of us that have that extra special feeling whenever we see them or listen to the cast recordings. After much deliberation and in alphabetical order we wrote down our choices and compared lists. There were many crossings out and adjustments and we also came up with our five top show tunes too. But weep for the shows we had to leave out and really, really, really didn't want to: Six, Les Miserables, Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, Shirlie Roden's Jeanne, Sister Act... the list goes on and on. Like a lot of people, we don't live near London and trips to the West End are costly. But we visit our local theatre (the Regent in Stoke) as much as we can plus Manchester, Wolverhampton and Birmingham are very do-able. We see as much as our budget allows.
So here you are then, in alphabetical order. Both us seperately made lists of our all time favourite theatre musicals. Lets do it. (the numbers indicate the position of the show on Rob and Ian's personal top tens)
We were lucky to catch the Manchester try-out of & Juliet during the summer of 2019. We knew that it was going to be a great big stonking hit then. A very clever script by David West Read telling the story of Juliet surviving her suicide pact with Romeo and her continuing adventures, set to the iconic pop songs of Max Martin and his many collaberators was a stroke of theatrical genius. And what an original cast they were: Jordan Luke Gage, Miriam Teak-Lee, David Bedella, Melanie La Barrie, Cassidy Janson and Oliver Tompsett. So much talent on the stage. Since that try out season & Juliet has gone on to 'roar' in the West End, on Broadway and in Australia. Its one of those shows which will become a staple of musical theatre in the future. It's on a UK tour in 2024/25. Fuckin' Perfect!
Rob #6 Ian #4
Once again we discovered Back To The Future The Musical during its brief Manchester try out season at the Opera House in early 2020. To be honest, we had seen it advertised around the city months before and didn't have a lot of faith that the creative team would pull it off. However our doubts were silenced when we finally saw the show. Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard had certainly nailed the show in music terms, and the script captured all the beats of the original movie with style. The show is a visual feast too, capturing science fiction on the stage has always been difficult but this time travelling show pulls out all the stops with incrfedible illusions, married with some smart lighting and projection. Roger Bart effortlessly took over the mantle of Doc Brown with Ollie Dobson not phased by Michael J. Fox's iconic turn when bringing Marty McFly to life. Hugh Coles established himself as a massive fan favourite as nerdy George McFly and even got to go to America with the show! For sheer theatrical thrills, this can't currently be beaten. Ian #1
Elton John has lent his talents to theatre on several occasions, and none more successfully than Billy Elliot. Taking its inspiration from the award winning film released in 2000, the stage musical has been the training ground for such talents as Tom Holland and Leyton Williams to name but two. The inspirational tale of a miners son turned ballet dancer during the bitter 1984 miners strike is simply one of beauty against the beast. Most recently revived at the Curve, Leicester the score as stands one of the best Elton John has composed (although we have yet to see his two latest theatre offering The Devil Wears Prada and Tammy Faye). Although the training of the young stars is always a problem with Billy Elliot we are confident this show will 'Shine' for many years to come. Rob #8 Ian #6
Over four decades since the original Liverpool production in 1983, Willy Russell's heart rending Blood Brothers shows no sign of going away. The story of the impoverished Mrs. Johnstone giving away one of her twins to her wealthy employer, only for them to grow up as best friends unaware that they are siblings, is a powerful tale, interwoven with superstition and the spectre of a fatal finale. The gritty characters weave a place in your heart, only to have audiences weeping at the unforgettable lament which ends the show, 'Tell Me It's Not True'. The original Olivier Award winning Mrs. Johnstone Barbara Dickson has been followed by some of the finest names in pop: Kiki Dee, Petula Clarke, Mel C, Helen Reddy and four of The Nolans (Bernie, Maureen, Linda and Denise) to name but a few. There is no show like it on the stage, and the ongoing UK tour which started in 1987 is a testament to the late Bill Kenwright and his love for Willy Russell's masterpiece. Rob #1 Ian #2
This homage to comic book heroes debuted in 2018 to great success, only for it to disappear from The Other Palace and re-appear in 2023 at the Turbine Theatre in an all new production. Like all the best super heroes do. Eugenius tells the tale of Eugene who writes the most fantastic comic book stories and is spotted by a Hollywood talent scout who turns his creations 'Tough Man' and 'Super Hot Lady' into a movie. However the real Evil Lord Hector arrives from deep space intent on destroying his twin brother Tough Man. It's a mad crazy tale of fiction and reality meeting set to the most joyous 1980s inspired rock and pop score. Rob #10 Ian #7
When Everybody's Talking About Jamie opened at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, in 2017 the buzz about it was immediate. Quickly transferring to the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, the story of Jamie New whose ambition was to go to his school prom in a dress resonated with young theatre goers everywhere. Dan Gillespie-Sells (music) and Tom MacRae (book and lyrics) took the inspiration from a BBC documentary about Jamie Campbell and sprinkled it with theatrical sparkle to make one of the standout shows from the past few years. The major themes of the show are anti-bullying and pro-inclusivity, coupled with some amazing drag antics from Jamie and his drag mentor Hugo a.k.a. Loco Chanelle. The feel good elements of the show never lose sight of the message being put across. It will remain in the spotlight for years to come! (And check out the excellent 2021 screen adaptation currently being streamed on Amazon too!) Rob #5 Ian #3
Of all the Andrew Lloyd Webber mega hits, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat remains a bedrock around the world. Its performed in schools, colleges and on major stages. Tim Rice's witty lyrics and Andrew's infectious score never age, just like the Biblical tale being told. Like so many people in the UK, our first experience of the show was Bill Kenwright's epic tour which opened in 1979 and lasted until 2019. 40 years of Technicolor fabulousness. The Really Useful Group's own production boosted the careers of Jason Donovan and Donny Osmond, and the made for TV movie is now a classic. There seems there is no stopping the timeless appeal of Joseph and his brothers. This one is for the dreamers! Rob #4
The mighty Mamma Mia! has been delighting audidences since 1999. The story of Sophie Sheridan searching for her Dad to walk her down the aisle has been reaching into the hearts of both theatre and movie goers. The appeal of the show seems unstoppable. This is mostly down to the enduring appeal of ABBA's arsenal of 1970s hit songs, and it remains a sell out wherever it is presented. Its probably the most romantic, feel good show of them all. There are rumours of a Mamma Mia 3 movie, but nothing will top the original tale of the Donna and the Dynamos reunion. A super trouper of a show. Rob #3 Ian #5
It might surprise some people that the Schönberg and Boublil show to make the list is not the ever popular Les Miserables, but their other magnum opus Miss Saigon. The re-telling of Madam Butterfly arrived in 1989 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and made a musical superstar out of Lea Salonga. Set against the backdrop of the bloody Vietnam War, we follow Kim's struggle to survive after seeing her parents murdered. She meets Chris, an American GI, with whom she falls in love and has a child. But the spectre of her past won't go away as the situation threatens to overwhelm her. The score is lavish and full of musical theatre standards. Despite problematic representations of South Asians to some people, it remains one of the all time great musicals. Rob #9
Hello dearies! Mrs. Doubtfire came to the UK from New York, having had a relatively successful run on Broadway (although plagued by closures due to the Covid situation over there). We caught up with it at the Manchester Opera House in its pre-West End try out, and fell in love with the piece. Gabriel Vick brilliantly channelled Robin Williams interpretation whilst adding his own take on Mrs. Doubtfire's character. The songs are real earworms and the production managed to deliver some in your face musical theatre without ever losing sight of the real heart and the family based story being told. We always judge a piece by the musical content, and the Broadway cast album was enough to confirm to us that we needed to book a ticket pronto for its UK unveiling. Its a fun and heart warming adaptation. We like to think that the late Robin Williams would have approved. Ian #9
Well what is there left to say about Jonathan Larson's Rent? Larson's re-imagning of La Boheme set in 1990s New York and with an amazing rock / pop / gospel score won him a posthumous Pultizer Prize among many, many awards. The show became a cult hit around the world and is still performed regularly as new audiences engage with the world of Roger, Mark, Mimi, Angel and the rest as we look in on one year of their lives. Although 'Seasons Of Love' remains the most recognisable anthem from the show, it is littered with songs which touch the very soul. Having witnessed several productions of Rent with many talented cast members, the show feels like an event each time we see it. We love it way beyond 525,600 minutes. A show that will live forever. Rob #2
Despite the problematic staging (an entire cast on roller skates) Starlight Express is fun all the way. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe created a 'Cinderella' musical of sorts as the underdog steam train Rusty challenges the all poweful diesel locomotive Greaseball and electricity powered Electra to the Railroad Championship of the World. Originally opening at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in 1984 with a gravity defying set which allowed the cast to race from the stage up to the dress circle, it has captured the hearts of generations of theatre goers. A German production in a specially designed theatre in Bochum has been running since 1988 and a brand new London production has been announced for the summer of 2024. Freight is still great as we head into a new era for the show. Rob #7
The late Tina Turner's rollercoaster life is captured in Tina, and what a life it has been. Her relationship with her mentor and husband Ike turned sour amid domestic violence. Finding herself divorced, alone and with no money, Tina rebuilt her career brick by brick and through sheer hard work and talent became the superstar she was destined to be. The show is wall to wall classics: 'Nutbush City Limits', 'Proud Mary', 'River Deep Mountain High', 'What's Love Got To Do With It', '(Simply) The Best'... a history of rock in one performance. An inspiring evening of theatre documenting an icon, audiences have laughed, cried and rocked along to the Queen of Rock and Roll. A show worth shouting about. Ian #8
A musical relatively new on our radar, but when we visited Manchester's incredible Hope Mill Theatre we were sold on the UK premiere of the new musical To Wong Foo. Based on the 1995 movie, the tale of three New York drag queens crossing America in a Cadillac, only to break down in a backwater town, is a riot. The intimate setting of Hope Mill could not have been more perfect for this show, aside from all the obvious high camp moments it has real heart as our three drag queens transform the lives of the people of Snydersville for the better. Unlike its chart hit flashier sister Priscilla, an original score by Lewis Flinn keeps the lives of Noxeema, Vida Boheme and Chi Chi grounded and enriches the characters. Come on back to the UK soon ladies. Ian #10
Top 5 Favourite Show Tunes
Ian:
My Man, Your Boy (Everybody's Talking About Jamie)
Go Eugenius (Eugenius)
Go Go Go Joseph (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat)
What The Hell (Mrs. Doubtfire The Musical)
The Best (Tina The Musical) *we know this wasn't written for the theatre but it's such an iconic song we let it slide*
Rob:
Could We Start Again Please? (Jesus Christ Superstar)
Tell Me It's Not True (Blood Brothers)
I Do (German: Fur Immer) (Starlight Express)
Go Eugenius (Eugenius)
Finale B: No Day But Today (Rent)
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