When I saw this challenge circulating on social media, I knew it would be a fantastic start to the year on the blog, as a way to re-introduce myself to all of you!
Naturally, getting this list down to only ten shows was extremely difficult and took a lot of time…
But I finally got there and am ready to share them with you, in the order they came into my life!
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Phantom is based on Gaston Leroux’s novel of the same name. It tells the story of ballet chorus girl Christine Daae, who becomes an overnight opera sensation thanks to the help of a mysterious teacher. This ‘Angel of Music’ is actually the man known as ‘The Opera Ghost’, a damaged genius who lives in the catacombs beneath the opera house. As Christine enjoys great success and finds new love, the Phantom goes into a jealous rage, wreaking havoc on the entire company.
WICKED
Wicked is a musical based off of Gregory Maguire’s novel of the same name and is a prequel to L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz. Elphaba, a social outcast due to her green skin, is paired to room with blonde society girl, Galinda. The two women go from disgruntled roommates to unlikely best friends. The story follows the two women as they reach adulthood while navigating Oz’s political climate; and eventually they grow into the iconic characters we recognize: The Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda the Good.
NEWSIES
In 1989, the New York City newspaper tycoons decided to raise the price they charged the newsboys for their papers. The young kids, who had very few rights as workers to begin with, take a stand and go on strike, demanding a place at the table.
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
Newly engaged sweethearts Brad and Janet start off on a trip to visit their old friend and mentor Dr. Everett Scott. When their car breaks down during a thunderstorm, they seek shelter at a castle belonging to the mysterious Dr. Frank N Furter. They soon discover that the doctor is celebrating his newest project, that he has made a man (with blond hair and a tan), who is to be born that very night - and Brad and Janet find themselves trapped to bear witness to this once in a lifetime event.
SHE LOVES ME
This musical takes place in a perfume shop in the 1930s and follows two co-workers, Georg and Amalia. The two argue constantly at work, but secretly they have responded to each other’s anonymous ‘lonely hearts’ advertisement in the newspaper and spend the show trying to find the identity of their mysterious soulmates.
BAT OUT OF HELL
Bat Out of Hell is a futuristic, rock and roll love story. The island of Manhattan, renamed Obsidian, has floated out to sea and is now under the reign of Falco, a dictator intent on ‘revitalizing’ the city. Living in the subway tunnels underneath the city are a group of genetically-altered teens, known as the Lost, who are frozen at the age of eighteen. When Strat, the wild rebel leader, meets Falco’s sheltered daughter, Raven, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday; the stars align and they fall head first into the wonder of first love.
WAITRESS
Waitress follows the story of Jenna Hunterson, a waitress and pie maker, who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant while stuck in an unhappy marriage. When a pie baking contest comes to a nearby town, she realizes that she has a chance to build a better life for herself and her unborn child.
THE LAST SHIP
Set in the shipbuilding community of Wallsend in Tyne and Wear, UK, The Last Ship tells the story of a community that rallies together as their livelihood is threatened when the shipyard is at risk of being shut down. Having left town seventeen years ago to avoid being locked into a life in the shipyard, Gideon Fletcher returns to lay his past to rest. Once home, he encounters more ghosts than expected as family and community tensions are on the rise. While the strike rages on, Gideon is once again faced with a decision between family and duty, and a life outside Wallsend.
BANDSTAND
Young musician Donny Novitski struggles to find work and peace after returning home from serving in World War ll. When he hears about a nation-wide songwriting competition, he is inspired to assemble a band of veterans. The group of vets from The Donny Nova Band, along with Julia Trojan (whose husband died in action). They band together to win the contest and to get back the life they had before. Along the way, their friendships and their music help them to begin to heal, preparing them to start anew.
COME FROM AWAY
Come From Away is set in the days following the 9/11 attacks and tells the true story of what happened in Gander, Newfoundland. When U.S airspace had to close, thirty-eight planes were diverted to the small Canadian town as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon. The residents took in 7,000 stranded travellers (more than the population of their town) until they could safely return home.
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