I love musicals.

With all my heart.

I love to sing, I love the complexity of the melodies in musicals, I love the stories, I love the over-the-topness.

I love them.

I especially love to learn new musicals.

Recently I was gifted with an Amazon gift certificate (p.s. that is the way to my heart!) and spent days agonizing over which musicals to settle on.

I hope the day never comes that I own all the musical soundtracks that exist. …..

In no particular order (all of these were written and produced in the last 5 or 6 years) …

Spring Awakening

Spring Awakening is a ‘teen angst’ drama set in 1890s Germany with a pop/rock score. Sounds strange, no? But the original cast features Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff (both now of GLEE). How could I resist? Haven’t listened to it yet.

In the Heights

In the Heights is set in (present day) Washington Heights (NY) and has a fantastic latin/hip-hop score. I’ve only listened to the 1st half and I’m already hooked. Makes me want to dance.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Yes. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is based on the 1988 film of the same name (starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin). I haven’t seen that movie, and didn’t know anything about the story. But Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Renee Scott are in the musical and I ADORE them (also Joanna Gleason and John Lithgow who are pretty fantastic themselves). I’ve listened to it all the way through once already and already have a favorite song).

Next to Normal

Next to Normal just won the Pulitzer Prize for drama. Honestly, that’s all I know about it. According to Wikipedia, it follows a family whose mother is dealing with bipolar disorder. So, you know. A real pick-me-up. But I’ve only read good things about it, so I’m excited to listen to it …

What is your favorite musical?

*sidenote: seriously bizarre to load a CD into my iTunes, and one of the artists listed is a girl I understudied in high school. BIZARRE. unreal. impossible*