Monday, July 9, 2012

Johnny Hebda: Best Broadway Musicals of All Time


Best Broadway Musicals of All Time
Top 100 by Johnny Hebda

It is impossible to make a completely objective list.  But I used the following formula in determining this list.  I am interested to hear your opinions or if you feel I missed a show that should be included or if a show seems out of order.  Here is the formula that I used:

10 things taken into consideration:
1. How Long the Show ran on Broadway/Ticket Sales (20% weight)
1. The Phantom of the Opera
2. Cats
3. Les Miserables
4. Chicago
5.  A Chorus Line
6. The Lion King
7. Oh Calcutta
8. Beauty and the Beast
9. Rent
10. Mamma Mia

2. Awards received (ie. Tonys, Drama Desk, Pulitzer, etc.) (10%)
1. Tony Awards Won: Producers (12)
2. Notable Pulitzer Prizes: How to Succeed.., South Pacific, A Chorus Line, Sunday in the Park with George, Rent, Next to Normal (2 not included for poor showings in other categories)
3. Olivier Awards Won: 5- Guys and Dolls, Sunday in the Park with George, She Loves Me; 4- Hairspray, Billy Elliot, Sweeney Todd, Carousel, Spring Awakening
4. Oscars for Best Picture: West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Oliver!, Chicago      
5. Drama Desk: The Wiz, A Chorus Line, Annie, Sweeney Todd, Evita, The Pirates of Penzance,
6. New York Drama Critics Circle Awards
7.  Outer Critics Circle Awards

3. Revivals on Broadway of Show (10%)
Porgy and Bess (7), ShowBoat (6), Guys and Dolls (5), Brigadoon (4), Carousel (4), Fiddler on the Roof (4), Gypsy (4), Man of LaMancha (4), Oklahoma (4), Pal Joey (4), Peter Pan (4), West Side Story (4)

4. How often it is produced annually (20%)

5. Survey Results among 1500 randomly sampled participants in 3 age categories (10%)
Ages 10-19: 1. Wicked  2. The Wizard of Oz  3. Annie  4. The Phantom of the Opera 5. Les  Miserables
Ages 20-49: 1. The Phantom of the Opera 2. Les Miserables 3. Oklahoma 4. The Sound of Music 5. Grease
Ages 50 +: 1. The Sound of Music 2. The Phantom of the Opera 3. The Wizard of Oz 4. Guys and Dolls 5. West Side Story

6. Whether the musical was made into a Movie (5%)

7. Survey of 500 Theatre & Musical Theatre College Students (5%)
1. Guys and Dolls 2. Oklahoma 3. Gypsy 4. The Phantom of the Opera 5. Wicked

8. Survey of 100 College Professors at High Ranking Theatre Programs (10%)
1. Gypsy 2. Sweeney Todd 3. Sunday in the Park with George 4. A Chorus Line 5. Oklahoma

9. Notable/Memorable Songs/Recognizable Melodies (5%)
1. The Wizard of Oz 2. The Sound of Music 3. Guys and Dolls 4. Grease 5. Annie

10. Survey of 100 Community & Regional Theatre Artistic Directors (5%)
1. The Sound of Music 2. Oklahoma 3. The Wizard of Oz 4. West Side Story 5. Guys and Dolls

And here is the final list...

Top 100 Broadway Musicals of All Time

1. The Sound of Music
2. The Wizard of Oz
3. Oklahoma
4. Guys and Dolls
5. The Phantom of the Opera
6. Gypsy
7. Les Miserables
8. How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
9. Annie
10. Wicked
11. West Side Story
12. Chicago
13. The Music Man
14. Grease
15. A Chorus Line
16. Sweeney Todd
17. Fiddler on the Roof
18. Annie Get Your Gun
19. Singing in the Rain
20. Carousel
21. My Fair Lady
22. 42nd Street
23. Hello Dolly
24. South Pacific
25. Into the Woods
26. Damn Yankees
27. Man of La Mancha
28. Hair
29. Ragtime
30. The King and I
30. The Fantasticks
31. Rent
32. Miss Saigon
33. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
34. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
35. Aida
36. Sunday in the Park with George
37. The Wiz
38. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
39. Bye Bye Birdie
40. The Book of Mormon
41. Evita
42. La Cage Aux Follies
43. The Producers
44. Jersey Boys
45. Oliver!
46. The Lion King
47. Memphis
48. Billy Elliot
50. Avenue Q
51. Thoroughly Modern Millie
52. Company
53. Little Shop of Horrors
54. Parade
55. Hairspray
56. Jekyll and Hyde
57. Spamalot
58. Anything Goes
59. Follies
60. The Light in the Piazza
61. Mamma Mia
62. The Secret Garden
63. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
64. Spring Awakening
65. Big River
66. Pippin
67. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
68. Porgy and Bess
69. The Scarlet Pimpernel
70. The Pajama Game
71. The Drowsy Chaperone
72. Pirates of Penzance
73. She Loves Me
74. 1776
75. Sweet Charity
76. Dreamgirls
77. Sunset Boulevard
78. Blood Brothers
79. A Little Night Music
80. Jesus Christ Superstar
81. Footloose
82. Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels
83. Next to Normal
84. Crazy for You
85. Beauty & The Beast
86. Newsies
87. Camelot
88. Mary Poppins
89. Seussical
90. Once on this Island
91. You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown
92. Brigadoon
93. The Last Five Years
94. Show Boat
95. Side Show
96. Assassins
97.Passion
98. Peter Pan
99. In the Heights
100. Urinetown


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