Since the age of eight years old, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to see Broadway plays every year for my birthday and as Christmas presents from my aunt. As I’ve gotten older and seen more plays than I can count on my fingers, I definitely have some favorites. From the costumes, to stage design, the music, and everything in between, these are the plays that have stuck with me the most. I’ve enjoyed these broadway musicals so much that I often find myself listening to the soundtracks as if I’m back in the theatre actually seeing the musicals.
- Wicked
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I don’t think there are enough words to describe how much I love this musical. Wicked is one of the longest-running musicals on broadway. This musical tells the story of what happens before The Wizard of Oz. Elphaba and Glinda two witches, one good and one bad struggle with getting alone due to their different personalities. This is one of my all-time favorite musicals, the storyline is deep but easy to follow, the music is amazing, and so are the costumes and set designs.
- The Lion King
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The Lion King the musical follows the same story as the movie that was created by Disney. This is definitely one that people of all ages can enjoy as everyone is pretty much familiar with the movie, to begin with. One of my favorite aspects of this musical was the costumes, they are absolutely outstanding. They consist of bright colors with African tribal prints, some of the masks incorporated into the animal costumes were able to move up and down adding a magical element to the musical. I also liked how during certain scenes the actors in animal costumes walked up and down isles, really making the audience feel like they’re a part of the show. Both the movie and musical are special in their own way.
- Dear Evan Hansen
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A Tony award-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen definitely can hit close to home and bring out emotions in people. I know I found myself crying at certain points throughout the musical when I saw it. Evan Hansen befriends his fellow classmate, Connor Murphy who ends up taking his own life. After the death of Connor, Evan pretends that he was best friends with Connor in order to try and make his family feel better and grow closer with them, which later leads to a spiral of events. This musical touches on the subject of suicide and as well as anxiety and issues that teens can relate to. This is definitely worth the watch.
- Come From Away
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Come From Away is not your normal musical; it’s based on a true story. Come From Away tells the story of how on 9/11, planes landed in Gander, Newfoundland, and the residents had to take 7,000 people under their wing and host them due to the US airlines being closed. The musical highlights the lives of various people that were on the plane and those that lived in Gander while they tell their stories. Although I was not that old when 9/11 occurred I was definitely able to feel all the emotions that were put into the production of this musical. One of the most unique things about this musical is that there are only twelve actors/actresses telling the stories of different people compared to other musicals that have hundreds of cast members. This musical is amazing and I highly recommend it.
- Mamma Mia
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Although Mamma Mia is no longer on Broadway it still remains one of my favorites to this day. Mamma Mia is one of my favorite movies so you can only imagine how much I enjoyed the musical. Mamma Mia is based off of songs written by ABBA which helped to create the story line for the movie/musical. From the songs to costumes and set designs there isn’t much that you can’t like about this musical. This musical puts an emphasis on love, friendship and everything in between. Its such a feel good musical that just makes you wanna jump out of your seat and dance along to all the songs.
If you’ve never seen a Broadway musicl or haven’t seen any of the ones I mentioned, I highly suggest you do so—they’re very much worth watching. Enjoy!