My Favourite Musicals

As much as I would like to include more of the classics, such as Rodgers & Hammerstein (The Sound of Music, The King and I etc.), I've only seen the film adaptations and perhaps studied and sung a few numbers in Mrs. Lawman's singing classes, haven't actually seen these musicals on stage, so I can't really write about them properly.

1. Les Miserables (Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil)

My, and Britain's, all-time favourite musical. It premiered 6th October, 1985. 25 years! Plus I like the fact that its anniversary is a day before my birthday (I'm not 25 though). Okay that's not why Les Mis tops the list. Hugo's story is moving; the music is exactly what is should be, somewhere between classical and pop. And I love the use of motifs. Favourite production has to be the "dream cast" of the 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Especially Lea Salonga's Eponine. Okay yes she's my favourite musical theatre actress and I'm biased. But her rendition of "On My Own" was truly inspirational. In my opinion her rendition surpasses all others, even Lea Michele's on Glee.

Salonga made an equally show-stopping Fantine when she returned to the Broadway revival a couple of years ago. She's been booked to sing the role of Fantine in this year's 25th Anniversary Concert (3rd October at the O2 Arena) - I was so pleasantly surprised and pleased when I found out. And then all my hopes and dreams of watching her perform live were shattered when I went to book the tickets...all the cheapest tickets were gone within the first hour! Now I'm praying for some kind of miracle.

2. Miss Saigon (Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil)

Another Schonberg/Boublil classic. Unforgotten moment would be the one when a helicopter lands on stage. The musical which made Lea Salonga a star. She became the first actor to win multiple awards (Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World) for a single role. Not to mention this was her West End/Broadway debut, at the tender age of 18. Favourite song would be "Sun and Moon" - simple melody and orchestration but very beautiful.

I saw the Japanese production two years ago in Tokyo. Obviously not the same but still it was pretty good. Plus the role of the Engineer is always a crowd-pleaser.

3. Candide (Leonard Bernstein)

Technically an operetta. Neither an opera nor a musical. Anyway, I've seen two student productions of Candide, one at The University of Manchester, and the other at Royal Northern College of Music (right across Booth Street West from UoM). Haven't seen a professional production yet, but I absolutely adore Kristin Chenoweth's performance as Cunegonde in the concert version with the NY Phil and Marin Alsop. She can really pull off the comedic effects and sing all those coloratura at the same time. The Overture is great in its own right, and has joined the standard orchestra repertoire. Voltaire's story is satirical and witty, and Bernstein has kept to it.

4. West Side Story (Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim)

A Bernstein/Sondheim classic. The story never fails - it's Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The music, the choreography... and my favourite moment has to be the end when a distant mezzo-soprano voice chants "Somewhere". The film adaptation (starring Natalie Wood as Maria) is also a classic in its own right.

5. The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)

Lloyd Webber is usually not my thing. Too cheesy for my taste. But I remember when I saw Phantom for the first time (Broadway in July '05), when the Overture began, I was like "wow - I want to learn to play the organ!".

Totally hated the film adaptation though. Yes, Gerard Butler was hot and made Phantom more like McSteamy than a psychotic murderer. But the singing was awful! That statement applies to the pretty girl who played Christine as well.