Eleven O'Clock Number

THE MARTIN GUIDE TO MUSICALS (THE ONES IN THIS BOOK, ANYWAY)

well u asked for this so here we are. here's what u should know about the musicals allison and toby should be watching. this is long and stuff so just skim over what u cba to read. if u would like a link to any of the musicals below, i will endeavour to find u one. just ask. (people in brackets: composers / lyricists, **: my personal favourites). 

1. THE WIZARD OF OZ (harold arlen, e.y. harburg)

a classic, obviously. fair warning: you're probably ruined for it forever once you've watched wicked, because that changes shit up for you REAL good. still, very good. judy garland ayyyy

rad songs: over the rainbow, if i only had a heart/a brain/the nerve

rad casts: this was actually only made into a stage musical in 2011, over here in the uk, by andrew lloyd webber (rolls eyes into oblivion). there was a bbc tv show to find the dorothy to star in it (IT WaS CALLED OVER THE RAINBoW anD IT WAS SO GOOD IM NOT GOING TO LIe) and yeah. but now it's closed. which is sad. however, the original london cast with danielle hope (who i love to bits js) and michael crawford was very good, as well as the same cast with danielle's successor, sophie evans (WHAT A CUTIE). alternatively, nothing's wrong with just sticking to the movie.

2. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (alan menken, howard ashman, tim rice)

basically the best disney stage musical lbr also their most successful probably because it didnt involve people having to pretend to be mermaids on stage (heavily side-eyes the broadway version of the little mermaid)

rad songs: belle, gaston, something there, beauty and the beast, home

rad casts: original broadway cast with susan egan as belle and terrence mann as the beast knows where it's at. and i thought i'd mention the one time john barrowman played the beast during the london west end run. beautiful

3. SISTER ACT (alan menken, glenn slater)

i love myself a bit of whoopi, but honestly the stage version of the film is literally one of my favourite fucking things and it's so JAZZY and man just watch it it's so good and the soundtrack literally cheers you up so much

rad songs: fabulous, baby!, take me to heaven/take me to heaven (reprise), do the sacred mass, i could be that guy, sunday morning fever, raise your voice

rad casts: nothing beats the original london cast starring patina miller and sheila hancock. nothing.

4. SWEET CHARITY (cy coleman, dorothy fields)

pretty cute. really funny in places. good musical man

rad songs: if my friends could see me now, rhythm of life, big spender

rad casts: i haven't seen anything other than my school's amateur production and the film version starring shirley maclaine and shirley maclaine is god so

5. **CHICAGO (john kander, fred ebb)

literally one of the best musicals u will ever watch in ur LIFE it is fucking supreme. i cant even begin to express my love for chicago. i love it so much

rad songs: and all that jazz, when you're good to mama, roxie, funny honey, cell block tango, mr. cellophane, razzle dazzle, class, nowadays