Broadway Musicals: Long-Running Classics

Mamma Mia! . . . . . Chicago . . . . . A Chorus Line . . . . . Les Misérables . . . . . The Phantom of the Opera
They’ll have their names carved in the sidewalk before they’re through, if they don't already. These are the enduring shows that broke box office records and changed the way people thought about musicals. Some are a little hokey, some are dated, some closed and came back to Broadway, but they’re all classics in the Musical Theatre. Here’s why:

Mamma Mia! -- Rating: 2 hearts
One of the first of what we call “Jukebox musicals”, this Abba fueled tuner is slim on the story, loosely based around a former hippy whose daughter wants her unknown father to walk her down the aisle. But this show is so full of energy, show-stopping numbers and sight gags that even the snobbiest of theatre-goers can’t help humming along to “Dancing Queen” by the end. After 9/11, it offered the escape New Yorkers needed to bounce back from the devastation.
* Mamma Mia! opened at the Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre on October 5, 2001. Nominated for five 2002 Tony Awards, the show has gone to productions all over the world. For up-to-date information on the Broadway cast, visit http://www.mamma-mia.com.

Chicago -- Rating: 3 hearts; HIPSTER FRIENDLY
One sexy “skin” musical. That’s what one of my former professors calls this sexy sub-genre of musical theatre that features the killer legs, provocative dances and spicy songs that you know from the movie starring Catherine Zeta Jones and Queen Latifah. But seeing this story come alive in front of you with a rotating cast of some of the hottest performers, including Usher last year, is an opportunity not to be missed. Chicago recently celebrated its 10th anniversary on Broadway. See how good it still looks!
* It opened November 14, 1996 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre before moving to the Shubert Theatre and finally settling in at the Ambassador Theatre. Check out the rotating cast at http://www.chicagothemusical.com.

A Chorus Line -- Rating: 2 hearts
It’s hard not to love the simple set up of this dance-loving musical. Show business is hard, and these characters prove it with their heart-breaking speeches, unbelievable dancing and compelling songs. These diverse characters and their stories about making it on Broadway offer something for everyone from the young and idealistic to the jaded among us. Once the longest running-musical on Broadway, A Chorus Line closed after almost 15 years on Broadway in 1990 and returned this season in an almost identical production.
* It reopened on October 5, 2006 at the Schoenfeld Theatre and was nominated for two 2007 Tony Awards. For more information about this historic show, visit http://www.achorusline.com.

Les Misérables -- Rating: 3 hearts; MOM FRIENDLY
It’s easy to see why this show was such a long-running hit and why it still appeals today: the music is incredibly moving; the struggle of the downtrodden in the face of injustice is dramatic; the sets are ginormous, and they move; there are gun battles; the lovers are appropriately attractive; and the names are French. Like A Chorus Line, “Les Mis” closed not so long ago and came back last season with a cast of Broadway favorites and a lot of buzz about the whether this was indeed a revival or simply a remounting of the original conception.
* It reopened on November 9, 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre. For more information about this show and its history, visit http://www.lesmis.com.

The Phantom of the Opera -- Rating: 3 hearts; MOM FRIENDLY
Ah, Phantom, for which countless high school choir students from around the country put on their Sunday best and clutter up the 44th Street sidewalk around 7 pm nearly every day. If you’ve never seen this Andrew Lloyd Weber spectacular, you’re missing an integral part of musical theatre history as well as a lesson in how to incorporate synthesizer music into your love ballads. There are some incredibly beautiful musical moments in this, the longest-running Broadway musical. The classic love story also features some fantastic bits of stagecraft that will have your family marveling about how they put it all onstage.
* Phantom began its reign on January 26, 1988 at the Majestic Theatre. For more information on this historic event, visit http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com.

For most of us, Phantom or Les Mis are the first musicals we've seen. Which one of these musicals was your "first"?