Wicked
This extraordinarily famous musical follows Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda the Good Witch during their time together at school, before the events of the story it is based on, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and its 1939 film adaptation. Wicked premiered in 2003 and had its first U.S. tour in 2005. The original Broadway production won 3 Tony Awards, 7 Drama Desk Awards, 1 Drama League Award, 4 Outer Critics Circle Awards, 1 Eddy Award, and the Grammy for Best Musical Show Album.
The Rocky Horror Show
This cult classic tells the story of completely normal couple named Janet and Brad as they encounter an old castle that is home to a group of aliens led by Dr. Frank-N-Furter, who is working on creating a perfect man. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the 1975 film adaptation, stars Richard O’Brien, the creator of the stage musical, and several members of the original stage cast, including Tim Curry, Nell Campbell, and Patricia Quinn. The original London production won the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, and the film was selected by the Library of Congress to be preserved in the United States National Film Registry for its cultural significance.
The Addams Family
This musical follows the beloved characters from Charles Addams’ comics through a storyline reminiscent of a romcom, all set in a delightfully macabre atmosphere. As the Addams family hosts Wednesday’s boyfriend’s family for the night, secrets are revealed and the bonds of family and love are tested. This playful and touching musical opened on Broadway in 2010 and had a North American tour in 2011. It won Outstanding Set Design at the Drama Desk Awards and the Outer Critics Circle Awards, and Nathan Lane (Gomez Addams) won the Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre.
Beetlejuice
Based on the 1988 film Beetlejuice, this musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a teenager struggling with grief after the death of her mother, and the experiences she has with the Maitlands, a ghost couple who died in the house she just moved into with her father, and a demon named Beetlejuice. It premiered at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. in 2018 before opening on Broadway in 2019. It is currently on a North American tour, which began in December 2022. The Broadway production won Outstanding Set Design at the Outer Critics Circle Awards and the Drama Desk Awards, director Alex Timbers won the Founder’s Award for Excellence in Directing at the Drama League Awards, and Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia Deetz) won Outstanding New York City Stage Debut Performance at the Theatre World Awards.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd, a character that originated in the Victorian era that went on to inspire a 1970 play by Christopher Bond in addition to the musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler. It follows the titular revenge-seeking barber Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett, a pie shop owner who uses some unconventional ingredients. It premiered on Broadway in 1979, and has had three revivals in 1989, 2005, and 2023. The original Broadway production won eight Tony Awards and nine Drama Desk Awards. Both the Broadway and London revivals have won many awards, with the most recent, the 2023 Broadway revival, winning two Tony Awards, three Drama Desk Awards, and one Drama League Award.
Phantom of the Opera
Having premiered on the West End in 1986 and on Broadway in 1988, Phantom of the Opera is the third longest running West End show and the longest running Broadway show in history. It is based on Gaston Leroux’s novel of the same name, and famously contains music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The original Broadway production won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards, and all five of the Outer Critics Circle Awards it was nominated for, including Best Broadway Musical.