The Top 5 Musicals of the 21st Century

I inherited a love for musical theater from my mother. I still remember the first musical that I attended, at six years old. Phantom of the Opera, off-Broadway. I loved the drama, the lights, the feeling of excitement before the curtain went up! Many of my favorites are old classics - but I recently got to thinking about some of the newest additions to the world of Broadway and musical theater.

We all know the names of the most prominent and greatest renowned Broadway shows - Annie, Fiddler on the Roof, Hello! Dolly, Cabaret, Chicago... But what about some of the newbies?

As an avid musical theater afficiano, I took it upon myself to do some research (An excuse to buy tickets to Jersey Boys? Yes, please!) and to recall upon some of the shows I have seen in the past ten years in order to figure out exactly what Broadway in the twenty-first century has to offer! Here, I have compiled what I consider to be, in no particular order, the five greatest musicals of the twenty-first century.

Wicked

Wicked is perhaps the most well-known musical of the 21st century, written in 2003, and based off a novel written to provide an innovative backstory to the classic film, The Wizard of Oz.

The plot of the musical centers around the unlikely friendship of Elphaba (who later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (who becomes the Good Witch of the North.) The story is told through the point of view of both these young witches in the familiar Land of Oz. On a deeper level, the musical really focuses on the nature of good and evil.

If the secret to making it big on Broadway truely lies with having a spectacular cast, then this may be the key to Wicked's success. With the lovely and talented Idina Menzel headling as Elphaba, and Kristen Chenoweth providing the bubbly, blonde character of Glinda, Wicked began it's run with an all-star cast that threw the musical into instant fame and popularity.

Nominated for ten Tony awards (of which it won three,) as well as six Helpmann awards, and even a Grammy - Wicked has accrued a popularity that makes it a posterchild for modern Broadway.

Hairspray

Hairspray is another recognizable name on Broadway. Set in the 1960's, with powerful and catchy music reminescent of that era, it is easy to believe that this muscial has been around for quite some time - when, in fact, it made its first Broadway run in 2002.

The plot centers on chubby teenager, Tracy Turnblad, who just wants to dance but is discriminated against for her hefty build. She finds herself fitting in with the african american students at her school, dancing with them despite the social taboo. When she wins a role on a local TV dance program, she works to integrate the show, causing much controversy. The underlying message of this musical follows the social injustices that plagued American in the 1960's.

My favorite song from this musical would have to be "Good Morning Baltimore," which stands out to me among many clever hits. Hairspray ranks among my favorites because it maintains a strong sense of humor throughout, while still approaching a serious topic such as racial discrimination during the civil rights era.

This musical is truly spectacular, and due to the 2007 film adaptation, has garnered much success and attention. It was nominated for thirteen Tony's in its first run on Broadway, and won eight of those nominations, as well as setting a new record with eleven nominations from its West End run in London.

Grey Gardens

Grey Gardens, a musical much less well-known than the previous two, premiered originally as an off-Broadway musical in 2006, and made a run on Broadway later that same year.

The Tale of Two Edith's - This musical focuses on the lives of Edith Bouvier Beale - or Big Edie - and her daughter, Edith Bouvier Beale (Little Edie.) The name of the musical is adopted from the name of the Bouvier's mansion in New York, and the storyline follows both women as they progress from rich aristocrats into, for lack of a better description, crazy cat ladies.

The musical takes part in two parts. The first part showcases the Bouvier's glory days, set in the 1940's, and the second part shows their life in the 70's. A dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship at it's finest - the decay of these two characters is fascinating to watch. It won three out of ten Tony nominations in 2007.

Perhaps part of my obsession with this musical stems from my love for the 1940's era, or maybe it is my connection to that "crazy cat lady" phenomenon, but I would have to say that not only does this musical rank in my top five 21st century musicals, but in my top five musicals of all time!

Light in the Piazza

Light in the Piazza is a very sophisticated musical, first premiering on Broadway in 2005. It is set in Italy in the 1950's. The main character, Clara Johnson, is in an American woman touring through Italy for the summer, where she falls in love with Italian Fabrizio Naccarelli. But Clara is not who she seems to be.

I was most impressed by this musical because it differs so greatly from other modern Broadway shows and has a large focus on classical music and more of an opera feel. The score from this musical is spectacular - a full orchestra, and a very romantic sound.

It was nominated for eleven Tony's, of which it won six.

Jersey Boys

Jersey Boys began its Broadway stint in 2005.

Jersey Boys follows the story of Franki Valli & the Four Seasons and their rise to fame. Ripe with the iconic music of Franki Valli & the Four Seasons, this musical was like sitting in a jukebox and watching a documentary about the rock and roll superstars. The musical is split into four "seasons" and each section is narrated by a different member of the band.

Perhaps as a huge fan of Franki Valli & the Four Seasons, I was a little biased towards this musical. Jersey Boys is the original Franki Valli & The Four Seasons, reincarnated. (I could only assume, as they stopped touring and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before I was born... Although my mother, who has, in fact, seen Franki Valli perform live, assured me that Jersey Boys is as close as you could get to the real thing.)

This musical won a Grammy and four out of eight Tony nominations, including "Best Musical."

Honorary Mentions...

The following musicals were also spectacular, but did not quite make the cut-off for my Top 5...

• In the Heights
• Caroline, or Change
• The Book of Mormon
• Young Frankenstein
• Sister Act

So what do you think? What are YOUR favorite broadway musicals of the past ten years? Did any of your favorites not make the list?