Top Musicals On Broadway

Broadway is busy. No, let’s rephrase that, Broadway is booming! I wasn’t too wild about the Tony’s this year, and felt it didn’t really represent the excitement of Broadway, as the other Tony’s in previous years have.

Anyway, if you feel the same, don’t let that put you off. There’s some truly stunning new and revival shows that will leave you spellbound.

Top five Broadway shows that are unmissable

Hamilton

Hamilton isa sung- and rapped-through musical about the life of American. Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, with music, lyrics, and book by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

It is inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by historian Ron Chernow.

The show includes hip-hop, rhythm and blues, pop music and traditional-style show tunes in its musical repertoire.

With the show that never bothers to inhale – there’s no time for that – some of the great tunes are:

“History has its Eyes on You”, “Satisfied”, “My Shot”, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells your Story?” and the song that sums it up: “Non-Stop”.

The show has a $30-million advance, which was last heard of with “The Book of Mormon” (which, by the way, didn’t make the list but has been a perennial favorite), and always a great buzz about it.

Hello Dolly

This revival of a smash-hit show (which was a hit in the late 60s) returns with a massive star in its cast – Bette Midler, who won the Tony (but was unable to sing the title song at the Tony’s because of some obscure clause in her contract, or something).

Listen up now, y’all, that Tony was awarded to Bette with good cause. She is totally amazing, and now “owns the show”.

If you know Bette, you would always have known that she would make an awesome Dolly – and boy oh boy, she sure does! It was a role that Barbra

Streisand made famous in the movie and she was terrific in it. Nothing, though, can compare to Bette! Get to see it without fail.

Show-stoppers include the title song, “It takes a Woman”, “Before the Parade Passes By”, “Elegance” “So long Dearie, coz Dearie Said So long, So Long Ago”.

Groundhog Day

Adapted from the movie of the same name, this tells the story of a man who lives the same day over and over until he learns the errors of his ways, and remedies the situation.

This to me, was the most unlikely adaptation of a movie, but it’s pulling in the crowds, no doubt due to the success of the movie.

It has some great numbers – the title song, “There Will be Sun”, “Stuck” and “Night Will Come”.

Dear Evan Hansen

Another Tony award winner (six Tony’s!), and very rightly so. This brand new, original musical is an absolute gem and tells the story of a suicide at school.

Topical, and totally terrific, this has struck a note (pun intended) with especially young audiences. They resonate with the subject matter and the magnificent performance from handsome lead actor Ben Platt

Who leads an equally handsome cast. All the members, including Platt, are Broadway newbies.

The Music and lyrics are by Benj Paek and Justin Paul, who also wrote the lyrics to movie hit “La La Land”. Unforgettable songs include “For Forever” (which is hopefully how the show will run), “Hashtag youwillbefound”, “Waving Thru a Window” and “Anyone Have a Map?”

My advice: If there’s one show you see, let it be this!

Aladdin

This Disney classic was a wonderful movie, and is equally a great show. Terrific for the whole family, great tunes include “A Whole New World”, “One Jump Ahead” and “Friends Like Us”.

So, according to Bette, don’t let the parade pass you by, and get on down to Broadway!