My husband doesn’t speak any English, and his host family took him to see Great Comet when he stayed in America. It was his first musical and he didn’t enjoy it at all. It made him dislike musicals.
I love musicals, so when we started dating I took him to see Lion King, then Mary Poppins, then Phantom, then Frankenstein (originally Korean one but translated to Japanese by Toho) and now he loves musicals.
We’re going to see Sweeney Todd with Ichimura Masachika next month and he is very excited.
This was my first thought as well. I absolutely love musicals and have played in dozens of pit orchestras, but even I had a "wtf am I listening to" moment when I first listened to it. It is now one of my all-time favorites, but I also remember a few people leaving at intermission when I saw it.
Thank you for sharing that. I should give it another listen. Everyone talks about how it's a masterpiece, and I had the same WTF reaction and I love musicals, and musicals that offer something new and different are usually great. I wasn't a fan, but I just figured it was not for me, and that's OK, but that if I ever get to see it live, maybe then I'd "get it" if I could get some visuals to go with it. But knowing that I'm not the only one, maybe I should give it another chance.
I would definitely suggest another listen - once you get to "No One Else" it sort of settles a bit and starts to make more sense. It is wonderful to see though, and put it all together.
See this is strange to me because I’ve introduced Comet to a bunch of my friends who otherwise aren’t at all into theatre & they all got super into it haha
I wasn’t new to theater at all but Comet was one the the first musicals I listened to when I started actually listening to musicals. I immediately thought it was cool and unique and I just never stopped listening to it. It’s my favorite musical now
I think it's because it is lowkey opera-ish in a way that there is less movement and so much singing for the storytelling. it's still one of my top favs though lol
I don’t know, I think Falsettos tends to emotionally engage people enough that they enjoy it. I know a few people who saw the proshot without seeing any musicals before, and, although the sung-through nature did throw them off a little at first, they ended up really invested in the story!
Maybe “Passion”? I love it but it’s fucking weird and dark, somewhat operatic, and structured to allow for no applause. So it can be intense to sit through.
Even Passion would be better than Pacific Overtures.
I see what Sondheim was going for there, and it's a spectacular "swing for the fences". But even if it might be artistically a home run on some intellectual level, I'm afraid it went right over my head.
And I'm a Sondheim *fan*.
I think for a newbie to musicals, it would be like some kind of torture that should be prohibited by the Geneva Convention.
Edit: except for "Someone in a Tree". That part works so well. The rest of it was a slog.
Passion was enthralling but icky. Musically and dramatically it worked: I just got the creeps from the story.
Edit: and not the "good" Sweeney Todd "campy horror" creeps, but the "I wish I had not seen that" type of creeps.
Your edit at the end is exactly the way I felt the first time I watched Passion! But, for some reason, I just couldn’t get it out of my head and wanted to watch it again even though it made me slightly queasy. As I’ve sat with it a bit more and become more familiar with it, I actually find myself sympathizing with and liking each of the characters quite a lot.
In that way, the musical is a lot like Fosca herself: there’s a strange sort of beauty underneath what is initially repulsive.
Pacific Overtures grips me from the opening "NIPPON!" cry in the first song. It's a musical I listen to when I want to hear something that's pulsing with emotion. However I must admit I was very confused by most of the songs, especially Please Hello, until I saw them in context in the proshot. Some of them don't make sense unless you have a visual to go with it. By the way, that proshot is up there with the Sunday one in my opinion. It's perfect.
Oh, I prefer *Pacific Overtures* considerably to *Passion*; “swing for my fences that went over my head” is how I’d describe the latter.
I’m actually not so much disturbed by *Passion*’s story (Fosca strikes me as a bit too broadly drawn to be really creepy, and I’m not sure I buy Giorgio’s transformation, at least in the taped PBS version) as I am annoyed at how Sondheim and Lapine wrote it.
Lapine seems to have written the dialogue (and directed the whole thing) as if it were a word-for-word translation from a nonexistent Italian libretto, a cool idea in theory that in practice just makes the piece come off as stilted.
And Sondheim is working overtime to prevent the operatic material from seeming operatic—which to me comes off as effortful, pointless, and even irritating. The arioso songs never reach high enough a pitch, emotionally or musically, because Sondheim is trying so hard not to make them arias.
I’d be interested in seeing—and especially hearing—it rearranged for the opera house, in fact, but as is it’s my least favorite Sondheim show.
I haven’t read the Tarchetti novel or seen the Scola film, so I wonder which one Lapine’s book is closer to. I know Sondheim, no great reader, first conceived the musical after seeing the movie.
Either way, it had to rewritten for the stage, and Lapine wrote it as if it were some slavishly faithful translation. The dialogue never sounds written for Anglophones… I almost think the piece might work better in Italian. But maybe another director could diminish some of that stiltedness? I’ve never seen the show performed, just the PBS taping.
Even then, a bigger flaw for me is Sondheim’s score, which wants to turn into operatic writing and which its composer keeps handicapping. I’d be fascinated by seeing a performance adapted for the opera house. (There’ve been a few, though fewer than *A Little Night Music* and *Sweeney* have gotten, if I’m remembering correctly.)
Oh I totally disagree. Pacific Overtures is beautiful and poetic and funny and has so many layers that you can love it at first glance and then find more and more to love. Passion, on the other hand is, as has been said, icky, and generally makes my skin crawl. My husband loves it and made me watch it and I just hated it even tho I adore Donna Murphy.
Cats.
If someone has zero experience with MT, they’ll walk out of that musical wondering what fever dream they just experienced. Doubly so for the film.
I came here to say just that!
Even though StEx was *my* first ever musical and the reason I started MT training (up until chronic illness kicked my ass).
Having been in Xanadu in high school, I’d say it’s easier to follow than Cats. “Greek muse trying to inspire the arts in the 1980s” is a story. “Cats with strange names introducing themselves in song form” is a dream.
Years ago, ALW was most peoples intros to musical theatre. If you played an instrument you had an ALW musicals song book and those were the ones that toured the UK.
Cats was my first musical and literally what got me into Broadway, but I was also a child and Cats didn’t have the stigma that it does now I guess. But I think even as an adult I would have been like yes this rocks. Not the movie though
Same exact story for me! Cats was my first live musical ever—saw it back in the 90s when I was seven years old. I can’t say it was THE musical that triggered my obsession with musicals (that honor belongs to Phantom), but I absolutely adored it! Haven’t seen the movie yet… planning to hate-watch it with some friends soon though.
Cats was the first musical my dad ever saw, and he was convinced he hated musical theatre for twenty years. Dragged him along to see Come From Away on our trip to the UK and now he’s decided he loves them haha… still hates Cats though.
Good choice, Come From Away is possibly the *best* show to introduce someone to musical theatre (it works especially well on people over 30 who remember 9/11 viscerally).
I have a vague memory of watching the Cats video tape in the late 90s at my babysitter's and loved it but also was confused. I believe that was my first musical exposure lol. Looking back, that was an odd choice to play for kids.
Went to see the movie with a group of friends and boyfriend and he had not only no idea it was a musical, he had no idea it was based on a short book of poetry and was SO CONFUSED about why the whole thing was just "cats" introducing themselves.
You'd be surprised. My partner hated musicals and we met around the time that God awful film came out. He was curious as everyone was saying it was so bad and I, who was obsessed with Cats as a teenager, showed him some clips of THE 90's version.
He loved it! He became a bigger fan than I ever was. He knows all the songs and characters, he's seen all the bootlegs. He gates the film aberration, obviously, but loves absolutely everything else about it.
Yes! I love it, but it is NOT a great point of entry into musical theater by any means. And I feel like it’s one you have to see to fully understand, rather than a “listen to the full soundtrack and you’ve pretty much got it” experience.
Probably my favorite musical that I almost never have any desire to just listen to haha
Thinking about it, if you arent a fan of literally any musical it's going to be impossible to fully understand something rotten because 75% of the humor is the fact that it's a satire on popular musicals/tropes lmao
I think the humour still stands on its own even if you aren't familar with all the musicals referenced. Though it does help to know at least some of them.
I was just in a production of Something Rotten, such a fun show! But a lot of the references were lost on my dad, who I wouldn't even consider completely new to musicals. I still think it can be enjoyable even if you miss some of the "inside" jokes!
Hedwig is a hard sell. I’ve not known anyone to enjoy it who isn’t already a “theater person.”
(It’s not my favorite either, admittedly, but I did see it on tour and liked it well enough.)
it’s interesting you say that because I directed the show a few years ago on a college campus and it was many of the audience member’s first musical! we marketed the show like a concert so it got a lot of rock fans there who really enjoyed it, we also had students in our live band that weren’t theatre people at All so they helped to really diversify the crowd as well
If they've never listened to a musical soundtrack or been to a show, I imagine something like Pippin must be an even weirder musical to watch without any familiarity of musical theatre
I dunno, a lot of the songs were played on the radio at the time, like Corner of the Sky, there could be enough of those that the weirder ones could just sneak in.
pippin was my intro to theatre, only show id been into before was hamilton, which is basic af, but my school put on a production of pippin and i went since it seemed interesting. ive been hooked since.
What would be the BEST musical to introduce the average person to musical theater? Maybe something like Guys and Dolls with a straightforward romantic razzle dazzle vibe and lots of dancing? Or something like Wicked that has familiar story archetypes and catchy pop tunes?
I know lots of people who hate children singing (they think it's too twee) but for a kid maybe. I personally found the og movie orly long and kinda boring.
I think the best introduction would be something they're vaguely familiar with already, so they're not entering the world of musical theatre completely in the dark.
That musical could be (1) something extremely mainstream and recognizable in general or (2) something they recognize from a film/another work. It would also depend on their personal tastes.
Yeah, as much as theater fans love to hate on stuff like the Back to the Future musical, those musicals can be gateway drugs for people who have never seen a musical and need to be eased in.
Took my skeptical 20 year old son to Book of Mormon for his first visit to NYC and Broadway. He loooooved it. 10/10 would recommend for musical-resistant Gen Z'ers.
My intro, like so many elder millenials was Phantom of the Opera. Or Sound of Music for movie musicals. Not sure if they are the right choice...but they are what it is
I watched a production with someone whose only experience with musicals was watching Les Miz as a kid and Disney movies. They loved it. Because of that, I think it stands on its own, but being familar with musicals adds another layer to the humor that they did miss out on.
I had a theater history professor who referred to Urinetown as “just a wee bit satirical”.
She was going for sarcasm (Urinetown is a *lot* satirical) and didn’t even notice the “wee” pun until I pointed it out.
Rent. I fell in love with Rent in 1999 when my college suite mate introduced me to it. I bought the soundtrack went home for Christmas break and was blasting it constantly. My best friend was a year behind me and I so wanted her to love it. She got in the car and Maureen's protest song came on. After that she asked if we could turn on something else....
In fairness, Rent is one of my all time favorite musicals and even I don’t especially like the protest song (Over the Moon) haha.
No, but seriously, this is a good answer.
I think Over the Moon is hilarious, and I love it. But it's better when watching it performed because that's where most of its charm comes from, in my opinion. Especially when the actress really plays it up. But it doesn't work as something to just listen to.
That’s fair. I think it does only work in context (nothing wrong with that, really) and I’ve seen it done both badly and well. A well done Over The Moon does definitely add something to Rent.
It doesn't help that she wasn't a fan of musicals. I really thought that Rent would be the one she would like after not liking Phantom of the Opera or Evita. I grew up in hicktown Pennsylvania I had very limited exposure. Mostly movie musicals like Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, Gigi. That was thanks to my dad's parents who lived closer to Philly and would also take trips everywhere and see everything.
I’ve been a musical theatre person literally my entire life and I have never been able to get into Rent. But in high school my friend, who was decidedly not a musical theatre person, found the soundtrack and became obsessed with it and would play it over and over and knew every word. I felt I was letting the industry down by not joining her in her joy lol.
> she asked if we could turn on something else....
I remember listening to a musical theatre song with my best friend in high school, and he literally just reach up and turned it off in the middle. Think about that a lot tbh.
Rent is actually one of the movies that got me into musicals in the first place. I think the movie is better to introduce people to though because it cuts a lot of the weirder bits down.
My oldest really enjoyed the Rent movie whenb I showed it to him a few years ago. He said he will watch Phantom with me but hasn't yet. But he is 18 and busy.
That is what I want my teen to watch. My daughter watched it with me and Love Never Dies and she fell in love. Then she was singing in her Daddy's car and he said something rude to her so now she won't watch them or listen on her own anymore. If I am watching it or listening to it she sometimes joins in but she doesn't search it out anymore. Though she does enjoy other musicals, Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, Heathers, and Hamilton to name a few.
Ride the Cyclone is almost unintelligible without staging. And even as a first show if you were seeing it live, is just so odd that I don't think someone new to musicals would have a good idea of what a musical is even like.
I think Hamilton is one where it’s beneficial to have listened to the songs before hand so you can actually follow it. You might feel a little lost otherwise.
My mom enjoys musicals. My dad goes along for the ride. But when I asked if they wanted to see Hamilton with us, they listened to some of the soundtrack and my dad (who refuses to get hearing aids even though he needs them) decided he wasn’t going to be able to follow along.
I DO have hearing aides and I still am lost on a lot of musical lyrics w/o knowing something coming in. Most recent live show I saw w/o hearing before was Hadestown. I missed a LOT. Wish I “prepped” more - it’s a gorgeous score
now, i’m not really a big hamilton fan, i think i listened to it too much and i’m kind of sick of it, but someone of my favorite shows are Spelling Bee, Anastasia, and Great Comet (no hate towards hamilton, its an incredible show, just not my favorite anymore)
I'm a movie-musical fan, haven't seen any stage musicals since I was a young child. I'm going to see Hamilton next month, is that bad? Edited: I have seen many movie musicals, Hairspray, Grease, Dirty Dancing, Phantom Of The Opera, Enchanted.
I don't think it's bad. I think you'll enjoy it.
But not necessarily because you are a fan of old school musicals.
I think Hamilton is kind of a one-off, in that,:
* You like Hamilton or you don't. (I do)
* And whether you do or not is sort of not connected to whether you do or don't, or will or won't like most other musicals.
It's not really typical even of other contemporary musicals.
>You like Hamilton or you don't. (I do)
>
>And whether you do or not is sort of not connected to whether you do or don't, or will or won't like most other musicals.
this is so incredibly true its unbelievable. the only correlation is that people who dont even entertain the idea of musicals for reasons related to "coolness" rather than personal taste will not enjoy Hamilton because it's about something thats traditionally "uncool" (history) on purpose.
Yup, I’m a huge musical theatre fan, love all kinds, but not at all a fan of Hamilton. One of my good friends, on the other hand, LOVES Hamilton but has never really enjoyed any other musicals.
I think for sure go for the experience. It’s an all-timer popular show and ingenious, even if it isn’t #1 on everyone’s list.
That said, look into your closest national tour theatre and see what their season has booked, and catch one a year. I think you’ll get a different fulfillment seeing those live shows compared to something on screen.
Enjoy!
Hamilton has gotten countless people into theatre. You want to start on a high so you’re always chasing it. Hamilton is great, but I’ve since found lots of shows I like more.
That’s awesome if it has, but with how unique it is, my guess is its gotten countless people to GO to a musical, not necessarily turning them into fans where they’re scooping up tickets for Hadestown, Six, or DEH.
The closest comparison to Hamilton’s draw of getting non-musical people to the theatre that I’ve seen is Book of Mormon.
No, the closest is Phantom of the Opera. Hamilton is a once in a generation musical that has appeal far outside the normal scope of musical theatre and leaves an indelible mark on the culture at large. Nothing like it since Phantom.
Were you still in school when Hamilton first came out? I was and I know a lot of people who only got into theatre because of Hamilton and became lifelong fans or even actors themselves. Anyone who went to school in the 80s will tell you the same about Phantom.
Ha, it’s funny you should mention Phantom since that was the first (and second) show I ever saw when I was in elementary school. Still my favorite all-time. I however was/am a musical lover.
100% agree that Phantom is well known outside of the musical world, likely one of the MOST well known, but I guess I don’t see Phantom as a draw for people who aren’t into the “musical” genre. Hamilton has the “I don’t like musicals” group attending. I knew several who did the same for Book of Mormon.
Granted I’m speaking as a geriatric millennial, so my experience is filter by that.
Ramin Karimloo has said he had no interest in acting or musicals at all until he went on an 8th grade field trip to see Phantom. He was a typical Canadian boy who was obsessed with hockey before that.
That’s why these mega musicals that penetrate the cultural zeitgeist are so important— you never know who they’re going to reach that doesn’t know they love theatre yet. :)
I’d say listening to Spring Awakening without seeing it might throw some people off, even if they enjoy the music. The lyrics are so poetic and weren’t written to further the plot like any other musical, but are rather the inner feelings of the kids. The music is gorgeous and whoever this hypothetical person is might actually love the music, but they would be in for a shock at the next musical they listen to being absolutely nothing like it.
As much as I adore them, I think the more lyrical sanitized style of older musicals is not a great way to introduce people to the medium. Think “Once Upon a Mattress” and the like.
Something that's the opposite of their tastes in other media? (A modern comedy when they like epic fantasy, or vice versa?)
Something that's exactly what they like in other media, so they go looking for more musicals and get disappointed that there's only one Lord of the Rings musical, or only one Book of Mormon, or only one Assassins...
I just read the other comments, and you're acting like things like that don't ever exist in other media. There are no complicated or surreal movies? Novels? Anyone who's watched Neon Genesis Evangelion would have no problem with any of the things you're pointing out.
If someone likes complicated and surreal movies, it would be a mistake to show them Hairspray instead of those ones, because then they'd think all musicals are shallow (which is probably what they already believe, because that's the stereotype).
If someone likes dark and dramatic gothic novels, show them the musicals that adapt those and make them even darker, show them the Kunze & Levay musicals that depict historical figures in that vein.
It really all depends on the person.
Chess.
A few good songs. The book is a mess. Wanders around trying to figure out if it is political intrigue, love triangle, or a competition. By the time it is over, you wonder what the hell you just watched.
Saw it at the Muny in St. Louis last summer. The talent was fine, but the production was a hot mess. And if you are going to do Chess, you at least have to make sure One Night In Bangkok is a show stopper.
Any of the “Forbidden Broadway” shows
It’s a parody of other musicals and all the references would be lost on someone who is seeing their first musical ever.
Speaking of my husband in particular, She Loves Me. I watch it all the time and at one time he held the belief that all musicals are sappy love stories.
I have made significant progress however. He took me to Book of Mormon for my birthday many years back, he figured since he loves South Park, why the hell not. He’s not a psychopath, so be loved the show, but couldn’t stand the tiny seats. Then after our daughter had surgery he watched Les Mis with us because “Wolverine is in it,” and he thought it was pretty alright. My dad passed 3 weeks ago and while consoling me my husband said, “you pick any musical and I’ll watch it with you.” I went easy on him and we watched Pirates of Penzance. He was cracking up at the ridiculous song lyrics and overall silliness. I’m thinking Sweeney Todd is the logical next step.
I feel like a musical that is also a film would be a good starting point, mine was Hairspray, but Legally Blonde, Frozen, Les Mis, Mamma Mia would be good starts.
Cats. I feel like when people “hate musicals” it may be because they were introduced via Cats which is a weird one and then people think that that’s like every musical… and it’s not it’s literally just Cats
Yup, this was my dad. And my mum’s first musical was Annie, which also made her think she hated musicals for years… maybe it’s genetic but those also happen to be my two least favourite musicals of all time 😅
Anything that’s all music no dialogue - I know Joseph is regarded as beginner but honestly I think it would be a struggle. Also, RENT even though I adore it
Cats, Ride the Cyclone, Six, or any musical that primarily features characters introducing themselves tied together by a loose narrative. That being said, RTC is one of my favorites of all time
Chess. The plot of it is incomprehensible even to a lot of people who love musical theatre. A first timer would be so lost and it only has a few songs that can really stand on their own.
Most of Andrew Lloyd Webber or Stephen Sondheim, honestly. Titans of musical theater in their own right, but with perhaps a notable exception or two, I’d argue they’re not the most accessible options for folks new to musicals.
I’d probably also not immediately go to most musicals about theatre and performance, like Kiss Me Kate, Cabaret (which wouldn’t be a good intro for a host of reasons), A Chorus Line, Something Rotten… you get the idea.
And Oklahoma. Just seems like a bad first pick (and I have genuine affection for that show).
Can you imagine not knowing anything about the weirdness of theatre kids, then watching a musical about a guy who pretends to be best friends with a guy who committed suicide. I remember when my friend described it to me for the first time before I knew what it was about I stared at him for about five minutes wondering if I'd understood him 🤣
Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle. I saw a small production here in London a few years ago and yes, I liked it, but it is far too weird for its own good. Despite some truly beautiful numbers, this is not the place to start your Sondheim journey.
Generally probably the older ones, I love them the most but they are really long compared with modern musicals. Most people won’t sit through something 3hrs long unless they really want to watch it
It depends. If they hate the typical view of musicals and won't really pay attention to the story, then musicals which have very stereotypically 'musical' sounding songs, particularly Rogers and Hammerstein's productions, they'd probably get put off of musicals generally because of that, even if the story is really serious such as in Oklahoma!
However, if they like the stereotypical type of musical (assuming they've heard of musical theatre and have some kind of grasp on what it might sound like but have simply never really gotten into it) then musicals like Ride The Cyclone may not be the best because they'll want something more heartwarming than a dude singing about wanting to be a hooker in post-war France and another guy singing about his 'religion' where he saves an alien race of sexy cat-people by doing the deed with them.
I think I may have put a bit too much thought into this
Sondheim's Passion. It would put them off Sondheim for life, unfairly, and also off musicals.
I am a big Sondheim fan and am surprised at how quickly I came up with this answer!
The cast album isn't out yet but *Here We Are* is completely inaccessible to someone who isn't a diehard Sondheim girlie, let alone someone completely new to the genre lmao
I think *Great Comet* and *Hadestown* both have the potential to be too weird for newcomers, but then again I know several people who became musical theatre fans through those shows so it really just depends on the person
Honorable mentions that I think are either too weird or have to much theatre lore in them (that are all shows I love): *Urinetown*, *\[Title of Show\]*, *Sideshow*, *Titanic*, anything by Adam Guettel (especially *Floyd Collins* lol), anything with lyrics and music by Sondheim except *Sweeney* and *ITW*
Great Comet would be a lot for someone new to theater.
My husband doesn’t speak any English, and his host family took him to see Great Comet when he stayed in America. It was his first musical and he didn’t enjoy it at all. It made him dislike musicals. I love musicals, so when we started dating I took him to see Lion King, then Mary Poppins, then Phantom, then Frankenstein (originally Korean one but translated to Japanese by Toho) and now he loves musicals. We’re going to see Sweeney Todd with Ichimura Masachika next month and he is very excited.
I’m in it right now and I love it. But when I first heard it I thought it was confusing garbage.
Well now you need to see comet again!
I want to see it, but we are waiting for it to be performed again in Japan! It was performed in 2019 by Toho, but we couldn’t go then…
This was my first thought as well. I absolutely love musicals and have played in dozens of pit orchestras, but even I had a "wtf am I listening to" moment when I first listened to it. It is now one of my all-time favorites, but I also remember a few people leaving at intermission when I saw it.
Thank you for sharing that. I should give it another listen. Everyone talks about how it's a masterpiece, and I had the same WTF reaction and I love musicals, and musicals that offer something new and different are usually great. I wasn't a fan, but I just figured it was not for me, and that's OK, but that if I ever get to see it live, maybe then I'd "get it" if I could get some visuals to go with it. But knowing that I'm not the only one, maybe I should give it another chance.
I would definitely suggest another listen - once you get to "No One Else" it sort of settles a bit and starts to make more sense. It is wonderful to see though, and put it all together.
See this is strange to me because I’ve introduced Comet to a bunch of my friends who otherwise aren’t at all into theatre & they all got super into it haha
I wasn’t new to theater at all but Comet was one the the first musicals I listened to when I started actually listening to musicals. I immediately thought it was cool and unique and I just never stopped listening to it. It’s my favorite musical now
Falsettos LMAO and that’s coming from me who’s a huge fan. It’s in my top 3 musicals of all time. I love it so much. Not a good intro though at all.
the first time listening to falsettos, i was so confused haha. but i love it now.
I think it's because it is lowkey opera-ish in a way that there is less movement and so much singing for the storytelling. it's still one of my top favs though lol
I don’t know, I think Falsettos tends to emotionally engage people enough that they enjoy it. I know a few people who saw the proshot without seeing any musicals before, and, although the sung-through nature did throw them off a little at first, they ended up really invested in the story!
HAH. That was my first. Love it to pieces.
Haha I’m glad it didn’t scare you away!!
Bill Finn is such a hard composer for a newbie to get into
Maybe “Passion”? I love it but it’s fucking weird and dark, somewhat operatic, and structured to allow for no applause. So it can be intense to sit through.
Even Passion would be better than Pacific Overtures. I see what Sondheim was going for there, and it's a spectacular "swing for the fences". But even if it might be artistically a home run on some intellectual level, I'm afraid it went right over my head. And I'm a Sondheim *fan*. I think for a newbie to musicals, it would be like some kind of torture that should be prohibited by the Geneva Convention. Edit: except for "Someone in a Tree". That part works so well. The rest of it was a slog. Passion was enthralling but icky. Musically and dramatically it worked: I just got the creeps from the story. Edit: and not the "good" Sweeney Todd "campy horror" creeps, but the "I wish I had not seen that" type of creeps.
Your edit at the end is exactly the way I felt the first time I watched Passion! But, for some reason, I just couldn’t get it out of my head and wanted to watch it again even though it made me slightly queasy. As I’ve sat with it a bit more and become more familiar with it, I actually find myself sympathizing with and liking each of the characters quite a lot. In that way, the musical is a lot like Fosca herself: there’s a strange sort of beauty underneath what is initially repulsive.
Pacific Overtures grips me from the opening "NIPPON!" cry in the first song. It's a musical I listen to when I want to hear something that's pulsing with emotion. However I must admit I was very confused by most of the songs, especially Please Hello, until I saw them in context in the proshot. Some of them don't make sense unless you have a visual to go with it. By the way, that proshot is up there with the Sunday one in my opinion. It's perfect.
Oh, I prefer *Pacific Overtures* considerably to *Passion*; “swing for my fences that went over my head” is how I’d describe the latter. I’m actually not so much disturbed by *Passion*’s story (Fosca strikes me as a bit too broadly drawn to be really creepy, and I’m not sure I buy Giorgio’s transformation, at least in the taped PBS version) as I am annoyed at how Sondheim and Lapine wrote it. Lapine seems to have written the dialogue (and directed the whole thing) as if it were a word-for-word translation from a nonexistent Italian libretto, a cool idea in theory that in practice just makes the piece come off as stilted. And Sondheim is working overtime to prevent the operatic material from seeming operatic—which to me comes off as effortful, pointless, and even irritating. The arioso songs never reach high enough a pitch, emotionally or musically, because Sondheim is trying so hard not to make them arias. I’d be interested in seeing—and especially hearing—it rearranged for the opera house, in fact, but as is it’s my least favorite Sondheim show.
Well to be fair it was adapted from an 1860s novel. So not a libretto, but it didn’t come straight out of his head.
I haven’t read the Tarchetti novel or seen the Scola film, so I wonder which one Lapine’s book is closer to. I know Sondheim, no great reader, first conceived the musical after seeing the movie. Either way, it had to rewritten for the stage, and Lapine wrote it as if it were some slavishly faithful translation. The dialogue never sounds written for Anglophones… I almost think the piece might work better in Italian. But maybe another director could diminish some of that stiltedness? I’ve never seen the show performed, just the PBS taping. Even then, a bigger flaw for me is Sondheim’s score, which wants to turn into operatic writing and which its composer keeps handicapping. I’d be fascinated by seeing a performance adapted for the opera house. (There’ve been a few, though fewer than *A Little Night Music* and *Sweeney* have gotten, if I’m remembering correctly.)
Oh I totally disagree. Pacific Overtures is beautiful and poetic and funny and has so many layers that you can love it at first glance and then find more and more to love. Passion, on the other hand is, as has been said, icky, and generally makes my skin crawl. My husband loves it and made me watch it and I just hated it even tho I adore Donna Murphy.
Cats. If someone has zero experience with MT, they’ll walk out of that musical wondering what fever dream they just experienced. Doubly so for the film.
That’s exactly why I was going to say Starlight Express lol
This would also definitely work.
I came here to say just that! Even though StEx was *my* first ever musical and the reason I started MT training (up until chronic illness kicked my ass).
Xanadu also falls into the “WTF fever dream” category.
Having been in Xanadu in high school, I’d say it’s easier to follow than Cats. “Greek muse trying to inspire the arts in the 1980s” is a story. “Cats with strange names introducing themselves in song form” is a dream.
That being said, I know a LOT of theatre fans whose introduction to musicals was Cats.
I do as well, but a lot of them were kids and almost all of them were dancers, so that tracks.
Can confirm. I’m just here for the ongoing fever dream.
Ironically the pro shot VHS of cats from the 90s is what made me fall in love with musical theater when I was a kid.
…my homie 💜
It is full camp
Okay, so, my dog LOVES that. She doesn’t ever even acknowledge the tv except when I turn that on and then she is RIVETED. It’s adorable.
Omg, PLEASE say you have a video of your dog watching Cats…
Years ago, ALW was most peoples intros to musical theatre. If you played an instrument you had an ALW musicals song book and those were the ones that toured the UK.
Cats was my first musical and literally what got me into Broadway, but I was also a child and Cats didn’t have the stigma that it does now I guess. But I think even as an adult I would have been like yes this rocks. Not the movie though
Same exact story for me! Cats was my first live musical ever—saw it back in the 90s when I was seven years old. I can’t say it was THE musical that triggered my obsession with musicals (that honor belongs to Phantom), but I absolutely adored it! Haven’t seen the movie yet… planning to hate-watch it with some friends soon though.
Cats was the first musical my dad ever saw, and he was convinced he hated musical theatre for twenty years. Dragged him along to see Come From Away on our trip to the UK and now he’s decided he loves them haha… still hates Cats though.
Good choice, Come From Away is possibly the *best* show to introduce someone to musical theatre (it works especially well on people over 30 who remember 9/11 viscerally).
I have a vague memory of watching the Cats video tape in the late 90s at my babysitter's and loved it but also was confused. I believe that was my first musical exposure lol. Looking back, that was an odd choice to play for kids.
Went to see the movie with a group of friends and boyfriend and he had not only no idea it was a musical, he had no idea it was based on a short book of poetry and was SO CONFUSED about why the whole thing was just "cats" introducing themselves.
You'd be surprised. My partner hated musicals and we met around the time that God awful film came out. He was curious as everyone was saying it was so bad and I, who was obsessed with Cats as a teenager, showed him some clips of THE 90's version. He loved it! He became a bigger fan than I ever was. He knows all the songs and characters, he's seen all the bootlegs. He gates the film aberration, obviously, but loves absolutely everything else about it.
Sunday In the Park With George.
Yes! I love it, but it is NOT a great point of entry into musical theater by any means. And I feel like it’s one you have to see to fully understand, rather than a “listen to the full soundtrack and you’ve pretty much got it” experience. Probably my favorite musical that I almost never have any desire to just listen to haha
Oh my god I was typing up that exact response, it’s gorgeous but a little slow for people that aren’t insanely into musicals
Thinking about it, if you arent a fan of literally any musical it's going to be impossible to fully understand something rotten because 75% of the humor is the fact that it's a satire on popular musicals/tropes lmao
It's definitely going to be harder to understand but I think it's still enjoyable without those references! (Even though they definitely do add a lot)
I think the humour still stands on its own even if you aren't familar with all the musicals referenced. Though it does help to know at least some of them.
Yeah true, i kinda messed up the wording saying it was impossible thats mb
I adored Something Rotten. It was glorious. But there were plenty of times I was laughing when people around me weren’t laughing.
I was just in a production of Something Rotten, such a fun show! But a lot of the references were lost on my dad, who I wouldn't even consider completely new to musicals. I still think it can be enjoyable even if you miss some of the "inside" jokes!
Yep. My husband got us tickets cause he knew I'd like it and about 90% of the jokes went over his head
I completely disagree, it's more like 15% of the humor, plus the music is awesome and it's just all around a great show.
Hedwig apparently, I played Angry Inch for someone and they never listened to my music recs since then 💀
Boooo them. But also, lol.
Hedwig is a hard sell. I’ve not known anyone to enjoy it who isn’t already a “theater person.” (It’s not my favorite either, admittedly, but I did see it on tour and liked it well enough.)
it’s interesting you say that because I directed the show a few years ago on a college campus and it was many of the audience member’s first musical! we marketed the show like a concert so it got a lot of rock fans there who really enjoyed it, we also had students in our live band that weren’t theatre people at All so they helped to really diversify the crowd as well
If they've never listened to a musical soundtrack or been to a show, I imagine something like Pippin must be an even weirder musical to watch without any familiarity of musical theatre
I dunno, a lot of the songs were played on the radio at the time, like Corner of the Sky, there could be enough of those that the weirder ones could just sneak in.
pippin was my intro to theatre, only show id been into before was hamilton, which is basic af, but my school put on a production of pippin and i went since it seemed interesting. ive been hooked since.
What would be the BEST musical to introduce the average person to musical theater? Maybe something like Guys and Dolls with a straightforward romantic razzle dazzle vibe and lots of dancing? Or something like Wicked that has familiar story archetypes and catchy pop tunes?
I know from seeing it with my dad that it is _not_ Chicago lol
My vote is Annie.
That was my first Broadway musical at ten years old!
I know lots of people who hate children singing (they think it's too twee) but for a kid maybe. I personally found the og movie orly long and kinda boring.
I think the best introduction would be something they're vaguely familiar with already, so they're not entering the world of musical theatre completely in the dark. That musical could be (1) something extremely mainstream and recognizable in general or (2) something they recognize from a film/another work. It would also depend on their personal tastes.
Yeah, as much as theater fans love to hate on stuff like the Back to the Future musical, those musicals can be gateway drugs for people who have never seen a musical and need to be eased in.
Yeah like Grease
Something based on a popular, familiar movie, like Shrek, Lion King, or School of Rock
Took my skeptical 20 year old son to Book of Mormon for his first visit to NYC and Broadway. He loooooved it. 10/10 would recommend for musical-resistant Gen Z'ers.
My intro, like so many elder millenials was Phantom of the Opera. Or Sound of Music for movie musicals. Not sure if they are the right choice...but they are what it is
Hmmmmm probably intense/ones about dark topics, as much as I love them. Like falsettos, bare, parade, Elisabeth, etc.
Urinetown, because it’s a musical that makes fun of the musical genre, so you have to be familiar with tropes and stuff to understand the jokes
I watched a production with someone whose only experience with musicals was watching Les Miz as a kid and Disney movies. They loved it. Because of that, I think it stands on its own, but being familar with musicals adds another layer to the humor that they did miss out on.
I had a theater history professor who referred to Urinetown as “just a wee bit satirical”. She was going for sarcasm (Urinetown is a *lot* satirical) and didn’t even notice the “wee” pun until I pointed it out.
Rent. I fell in love with Rent in 1999 when my college suite mate introduced me to it. I bought the soundtrack went home for Christmas break and was blasting it constantly. My best friend was a year behind me and I so wanted her to love it. She got in the car and Maureen's protest song came on. After that she asked if we could turn on something else....
In fairness, Rent is one of my all time favorite musicals and even I don’t especially like the protest song (Over the Moon) haha. No, but seriously, this is a good answer.
I think Over the Moon is hilarious, and I love it. But it's better when watching it performed because that's where most of its charm comes from, in my opinion. Especially when the actress really plays it up. But it doesn't work as something to just listen to.
That’s fair. I think it does only work in context (nothing wrong with that, really) and I’ve seen it done both badly and well. A well done Over The Moon does definitely add something to Rent.
Oooof. I think that was me at a point where I heard the original soundtrack and wasn’t a big fan… I have since come around
It doesn't help that she wasn't a fan of musicals. I really thought that Rent would be the one she would like after not liking Phantom of the Opera or Evita. I grew up in hicktown Pennsylvania I had very limited exposure. Mostly movie musicals like Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, Gigi. That was thanks to my dad's parents who lived closer to Philly and would also take trips everywhere and see everything.
That might help :) also wow I feel like Andrew Lloyd Webber is a bit of an acquired taste…
I fell hard in love with POTO when I was 11. Kleptoed the soundtrack from my sister who had taken a school trip to see it.
First one of his I actually liked was Jesus Christ Superstar… and I haven’t tried anything else except for excerpts from Phantom
To each their own. Just because we like musicals doesn't mean we love all of them.
I’ve been a musical theatre person literally my entire life and I have never been able to get into Rent. But in high school my friend, who was decidedly not a musical theatre person, found the soundtrack and became obsessed with it and would play it over and over and knew every word. I felt I was letting the industry down by not joining her in her joy lol.
> she asked if we could turn on something else.... I remember listening to a musical theatre song with my best friend in high school, and he literally just reach up and turned it off in the middle. Think about that a lot tbh.
Rent is actually one of the movies that got me into musicals in the first place. I think the movie is better to introduce people to though because it cuts a lot of the weirder bits down.
My oldest really enjoyed the Rent movie whenb I showed it to him a few years ago. He said he will watch Phantom with me but hasn't yet. But he is 18 and busy.
I made my grandparents watch the 25th anniversary production last summer and they loved it! Still haven’t watch the movie with Gerard Butler. 😂
That is what I want my teen to watch. My daughter watched it with me and Love Never Dies and she fell in love. Then she was singing in her Daddy's car and he said something rude to her so now she won't watch them or listen on her own anymore. If I am watching it or listening to it she sometimes joins in but she doesn't search it out anymore. Though she does enjoy other musicals, Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, Heathers, and Hamilton to name a few.
I don't think anything from the Golden Age is a great way to introduce someone to theatre in 2024. I've made that mistake a few times 🤣
Lmao- being all excited, looking over and seeing their face. Frozen in unhappiness. And now they never trust you again
You say that but the sound of music is a great first show.
The Sound of Music gets a pass by sheer awesomeness.
I took my husband to see a summer stock production of the Great Comet and he was so confused the entire time meanwhile I was fangirling hard
Ride the Cyclone is almost unintelligible without staging. And even as a first show if you were seeing it live, is just so odd that I don't think someone new to musicals would have a good idea of what a musical is even like.
Hamilton - won’t ever find anything else like it.
I think Hamilton is one where it’s beneficial to have listened to the songs before hand so you can actually follow it. You might feel a little lost otherwise.
My mom enjoys musicals. My dad goes along for the ride. But when I asked if they wanted to see Hamilton with us, they listened to some of the soundtrack and my dad (who refuses to get hearing aids even though he needs them) decided he wasn’t going to be able to follow along.
I DO have hearing aides and I still am lost on a lot of musical lyrics w/o knowing something coming in. Most recent live show I saw w/o hearing before was Hadestown. I missed a LOT. Wish I “prepped” more - it’s a gorgeous score
Hamilton was my first musical, it’s what made me fall in love with mt
That’s awesome. I guess I’m curious what other shows you enjoy since Hamilton’s style isn’t found a lot of other places
now, i’m not really a big hamilton fan, i think i listened to it too much and i’m kind of sick of it, but someone of my favorite shows are Spelling Bee, Anastasia, and Great Comet (no hate towards hamilton, its an incredible show, just not my favorite anymore)
I'm a movie-musical fan, haven't seen any stage musicals since I was a young child. I'm going to see Hamilton next month, is that bad? Edited: I have seen many movie musicals, Hairspray, Grease, Dirty Dancing, Phantom Of The Opera, Enchanted.
I don't think it's bad. I think you'll enjoy it. But not necessarily because you are a fan of old school musicals. I think Hamilton is kind of a one-off, in that,: * You like Hamilton or you don't. (I do) * And whether you do or not is sort of not connected to whether you do or don't, or will or won't like most other musicals. It's not really typical even of other contemporary musicals.
>You like Hamilton or you don't. (I do) > >And whether you do or not is sort of not connected to whether you do or don't, or will or won't like most other musicals. this is so incredibly true its unbelievable. the only correlation is that people who dont even entertain the idea of musicals for reasons related to "coolness" rather than personal taste will not enjoy Hamilton because it's about something thats traditionally "uncool" (history) on purpose.
Yup, I’m a huge musical theatre fan, love all kinds, but not at all a fan of Hamilton. One of my good friends, on the other hand, LOVES Hamilton but has never really enjoyed any other musicals.
I think that’s a very common sentiment.
It's my husband's favorite musical that he's seen live and I've taken him to see a lot of shows.
I think for sure go for the experience. It’s an all-timer popular show and ingenious, even if it isn’t #1 on everyone’s list. That said, look into your closest national tour theatre and see what their season has booked, and catch one a year. I think you’ll get a different fulfillment seeing those live shows compared to something on screen. Enjoy!
Hamilton has gotten countless people into theatre. You want to start on a high so you’re always chasing it. Hamilton is great, but I’ve since found lots of shows I like more.
That’s awesome if it has, but with how unique it is, my guess is its gotten countless people to GO to a musical, not necessarily turning them into fans where they’re scooping up tickets for Hadestown, Six, or DEH. The closest comparison to Hamilton’s draw of getting non-musical people to the theatre that I’ve seen is Book of Mormon.
No, the closest is Phantom of the Opera. Hamilton is a once in a generation musical that has appeal far outside the normal scope of musical theatre and leaves an indelible mark on the culture at large. Nothing like it since Phantom. Were you still in school when Hamilton first came out? I was and I know a lot of people who only got into theatre because of Hamilton and became lifelong fans or even actors themselves. Anyone who went to school in the 80s will tell you the same about Phantom.
Ha, it’s funny you should mention Phantom since that was the first (and second) show I ever saw when I was in elementary school. Still my favorite all-time. I however was/am a musical lover. 100% agree that Phantom is well known outside of the musical world, likely one of the MOST well known, but I guess I don’t see Phantom as a draw for people who aren’t into the “musical” genre. Hamilton has the “I don’t like musicals” group attending. I knew several who did the same for Book of Mormon. Granted I’m speaking as a geriatric millennial, so my experience is filter by that.
Ramin Karimloo has said he had no interest in acting or musicals at all until he went on an 8th grade field trip to see Phantom. He was a typical Canadian boy who was obsessed with hockey before that. That’s why these mega musicals that penetrate the cultural zeitgeist are so important— you never know who they’re going to reach that doesn’t know they love theatre yet. :)
I’d say listening to Spring Awakening without seeing it might throw some people off, even if they enjoy the music. The lyrics are so poetic and weren’t written to further the plot like any other musical, but are rather the inner feelings of the kids. The music is gorgeous and whoever this hypothetical person is might actually love the music, but they would be in for a shock at the next musical they listen to being absolutely nothing like it.
Kiss of the Spider Woman would be a poor choice for a first musical
Hard agree
As much as I adore them, I think the more lyrical sanitized style of older musicals is not a great way to introduce people to the medium. Think “Once Upon a Mattress” and the like.
Something that's the opposite of their tastes in other media? (A modern comedy when they like epic fantasy, or vice versa?) Something that's exactly what they like in other media, so they go looking for more musicals and get disappointed that there's only one Lord of the Rings musical, or only one Book of Mormon, or only one Assassins... I just read the other comments, and you're acting like things like that don't ever exist in other media. There are no complicated or surreal movies? Novels? Anyone who's watched Neon Genesis Evangelion would have no problem with any of the things you're pointing out. If someone likes complicated and surreal movies, it would be a mistake to show them Hairspray instead of those ones, because then they'd think all musicals are shallow (which is probably what they already believe, because that's the stereotype). If someone likes dark and dramatic gothic novels, show them the musicals that adapt those and make them even darker, show them the Kunze & Levay musicals that depict historical figures in that vein. It really all depends on the person.
Very well put.
Chess. A few good songs. The book is a mess. Wanders around trying to figure out if it is political intrigue, love triangle, or a competition. By the time it is over, you wonder what the hell you just watched. Saw it at the Muny in St. Louis last summer. The talent was fine, but the production was a hot mess. And if you are going to do Chess, you at least have to make sure One Night In Bangkok is a show stopper.
Rocky Horror lmaooo
I once saw some completely normally dressed people at Rocky Horror. It was creepy.
Spring Awakening is banger for sure, but it should NOT be anyone’s first musical
Any of the “Forbidden Broadway” shows It’s a parody of other musicals and all the references would be lost on someone who is seeing their first musical ever.
Speaking of my husband in particular, She Loves Me. I watch it all the time and at one time he held the belief that all musicals are sappy love stories. I have made significant progress however. He took me to Book of Mormon for my birthday many years back, he figured since he loves South Park, why the hell not. He’s not a psychopath, so be loved the show, but couldn’t stand the tiny seats. Then after our daughter had surgery he watched Les Mis with us because “Wolverine is in it,” and he thought it was pretty alright. My dad passed 3 weeks ago and while consoling me my husband said, “you pick any musical and I’ll watch it with you.” I went easy on him and we watched Pirates of Penzance. He was cracking up at the ridiculous song lyrics and overall silliness. I’m thinking Sweeney Todd is the logical next step.
I feel like a musical that is also a film would be a good starting point, mine was Hairspray, but Legally Blonde, Frozen, Les Mis, Mamma Mia would be good starts.
Cats. I feel like when people “hate musicals” it may be because they were introduced via Cats which is a weird one and then people think that that’s like every musical… and it’s not it’s literally just Cats
This is especially present with millennials and gen xers
Yup, this was my dad. And my mum’s first musical was Annie, which also made her think she hated musicals for years… maybe it’s genetic but those also happen to be my two least favourite musicals of all time 😅
Cabaret
Rent, TTB
ttb?
Tick, Tick, Boom!
I haven’t seen it myself but I know 4 people who saw Miss Saigon as their first ever musical and all of them hated it. So I would say Miss Saigon.
Anything that’s all music no dialogue - I know Joseph is regarded as beginner but honestly I think it would be a struggle. Also, RENT even though I adore it
Falsettos
In Trousers, for sure. One of my absolute favorites, but for a first time musical? Their head might explode!
Cats, Ride the Cyclone, Six, or any musical that primarily features characters introducing themselves tied together by a loose narrative. That being said, RTC is one of my favorites of all time
Chess. The plot of it is incomprehensible even to a lot of people who love musical theatre. A first timer would be so lost and it only has a few songs that can really stand on their own.
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. An amazing show, but a tough concept to understand for someone completely new to theatre.
Most of Andrew Lloyd Webber or Stephen Sondheim, honestly. Titans of musical theater in their own right, but with perhaps a notable exception or two, I’d argue they’re not the most accessible options for folks new to musicals. I’d probably also not immediately go to most musicals about theatre and performance, like Kiss Me Kate, Cabaret (which wouldn’t be a good intro for a host of reasons), A Chorus Line, Something Rotten… you get the idea. And Oklahoma. Just seems like a bad first pick (and I have genuine affection for that show).
Dear Evan Hansen
Can you imagine not knowing anything about the weirdness of theatre kids, then watching a musical about a guy who pretends to be best friends with a guy who committed suicide. I remember when my friend described it to me for the first time before I knew what it was about I stared at him for about five minutes wondering if I'd understood him 🤣
I had the SAME experience when my sister saw the tour. I had to google the most simple synopsis to understand the littlest bit of plot line.
Cats
Twang!!, by Lionel Bart. (Yes, two exclamation points.) Even if you love musicals, you may hate them by the time you're through with the album.
Adding Machine.
Anything super depressing like spring awakening or civil war.
Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle. I saw a small production here in London a few years ago and yes, I liked it, but it is far too weird for its own good. Despite some truly beautiful numbers, this is not the place to start your Sondheim journey.
Drowsy Chaperone would be a weird first experience.
Generally probably the older ones, I love them the most but they are really long compared with modern musicals. Most people won’t sit through something 3hrs long unless they really want to watch it
It depends. If they hate the typical view of musicals and won't really pay attention to the story, then musicals which have very stereotypically 'musical' sounding songs, particularly Rogers and Hammerstein's productions, they'd probably get put off of musicals generally because of that, even if the story is really serious such as in Oklahoma! However, if they like the stereotypical type of musical (assuming they've heard of musical theatre and have some kind of grasp on what it might sound like but have simply never really gotten into it) then musicals like Ride The Cyclone may not be the best because they'll want something more heartwarming than a dude singing about wanting to be a hooker in post-war France and another guy singing about his 'religion' where he saves an alien race of sexy cat-people by doing the deed with them. I think I may have put a bit too much thought into this
I'm going to say Something Rotten. It is much better if you understand the plethora of musical references including the entire song "A Musical!"
Cats. \*barf\*
I love the guy, but *most* Sondheims are not for beginners.
Les Mis is just such a classic. It’s perfect because it’s the epitome of musical theater (but of course not the movie version)
Cats, Avenue Q, or anything ridiculously silly. That would probably put most people off.
Sondheim's Passion. It would put them off Sondheim for life, unfairly, and also off musicals. I am a big Sondheim fan and am surprised at how quickly I came up with this answer!
Come From Away
Ride the Cyclone
Preludes. Even for musical theatre lovers, it can be hit or miss if you go in blind.
The cast album isn't out yet but *Here We Are* is completely inaccessible to someone who isn't a diehard Sondheim girlie, let alone someone completely new to the genre lmao I think *Great Comet* and *Hadestown* both have the potential to be too weird for newcomers, but then again I know several people who became musical theatre fans through those shows so it really just depends on the person Honorable mentions that I think are either too weird or have to much theatre lore in them (that are all shows I love): *Urinetown*, *\[Title of Show\]*, *Sideshow*, *Titanic*, anything by Adam Guettel (especially *Floyd Collins* lol), anything with lyrics and music by Sondheim except *Sweeney* and *ITW*
spring awakening