I’ve seen my fair share of theatre and since I am a musical theatre fan, I thought it would be fun to look back on the shows I’ve seen and rank them.
I am choosing only to rank the professional productions I have seen and not include school or community theatre productions. That way it is a fair comparison. Also, all of these shows had amazing casts, so even if a show is ranked low, it is never because the cast did a poor job.
10. Tootsie
Tootsie is honestly the worst show I’ve ever seen. Again, it is not the cast’s fault and they were trying their absolute best, but the material they were given could never be saved. It was honestly a miserable experience of feeling utterly bored and increasingly desperate for it to end. I’m pretty confident that this show will forever be in last place even as I see more musicals because it is genuinely that bad.
9. Moulin Rouge
While Moulin Rouge was entertaining, I was also very disappointed by all of the changes they made from the original film, especially to the plot. It is a cash-grab spectacle instead of a compelling show and I honestly recommend that you watch the movie instead.
8. The Lion King
I’m sad to say that The Lion King is ranked so low but compared to other shows I have seen, it just doesn’t keep up. There is a lot of good in this show, but the Disney side of it was the ultimate letdown. In complete honesty, the Tales of The Lion King at Disneyland was a better adaptation of the film than this was.
7. Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon was the first professional production I saw. It is a great, although depressing, show. I must admit that of all the shows on this list, my view for this show was the worst and that did affect the ranking a bit.
5. Beetlejuice / Six (tie)
Yes, a tie! My experience with both Beetlejuice and Six were very similar; ultimately being a very fun time. They aren’t your typical musicals with Beetlejuice being a raunchy horror comedy and Six being a pop concert history lesson. But I tend to lean towards those shows over the stereotypical song styles and jazz hands.
3. The Band’s Visit / Hamilton (tie)
Not one tie, but two! Trying to put either of these shows above the other never felt accurate to me, so a tie is the most fitting. Both shows are incredible and I would definitely see both again. Each of these shows is a very different experience, but both left me deeper in love with theatre.
2. Sylvia
Sylvia was the risk that really paid off during my trip to London. It was such a pleasant surprise of a show and I sincerely hope it comes back to stages in the UK and abroad.
1. Hadestown
Not going to lie, seeing your all-time favorite musical can be daunting because you just want it to be as good as you think it is. And I was so relieved that Hadestown really is as good as I thought and so much better. I’ll never forget the awe I felt watching Wait For Me.
What show has been your favorite to see live? Let me know with a comment!
Boy- ranking professional shows is difficult. Saw a lot in person already- meaning outside of local and school
1. Les Mis/Wicked- tie for favorite; if I was to not include local/school, saw Wicked 5x and Les Mis 4x
*Hard to rate the others I saw, but aware of some that are low on the list*
Addams Family, La Cage, Porgy and Bess—–least favorites; all seemed to have a song problem (meaning disliking them)