As of December 2010, as reported by Playbill.com; this is the most recent list I can find.
This play-by-play will go as follows: italicized titles will be ones I'm familiar with (I've read the script and/or heard the score). Bolded titles will be ones I've seen performed. Underlined titles will be ones that I was involved in sometime during my school theatre career of yore. Expect much commentary. And titles I have nothing to do with will not be listed here. Numbers pertain to their place on the Playbill list.
PLAYS
2. A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. I feel like when I say that oh, I know this play, I should be doing the smug Roxy Richter voice/face. That's how intimate I've been with this play. It was my first (and really my only, excepting in-class monologues) Shakespeare, though the language was toned down for schoolkids; I was Robin Starveling, because, why not? And I played her as a 1970s groupie (obviously a la Almost Famous; I even had the furry leather coat), despite the fact that the rest of the production ended up being styled a la the vague 1700s/1800s (we were planning some weird decade mash-up; the fairies, who wore whatever they wanted, danced to songs of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s randomly throughout the play, so it was a concept that made sense, but time constraints made us go for the Generic High School Period Piece look). And I have many feelings about this time. Some less-fond memories, but some fond ones, too.
3. You Can't Take It With You by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. My high school did this play, though I wasn't in it; I did hang out backstage, though, so I'm fairly familiar with it.
7. The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Which I read for class and saw, but have not been involved in, unless you count that time my friend and I learned the ridiculous "Hold It In" song from Speech & Debate (and even then, I played Gay Abraham Lincoln, so it doesn't count).
8. Our Town by Thornton Wilder. Seen it several times. Did tickets for it once. Didn't really care that much. (It's sappy. And me and sappy don't get on too well.)
MUSICALS
1. Beauty and the Beast by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice, and Linda Woolverton. Obviously. And I'm underlining one whole word to represent the time that I accompanied an entire musical revue on the piano and played this opening number. (I still can't hear "Belle" without my fingers wanting to jump around frantically playing chords.)
2. Seussical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Seen it more times than I really should have seen it, all amateur (which isn't the source of my distaste; I just don't like the material).
3. Grease by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Which I've seen professionally, and I also regret this.
4. Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim. Seen it at schools, seen a tape of the original cast. Was in another school musical revue doing the prologue from this (as the Witch, as per she doesn't actually have to sing ever in that number). Yep.
6. The Wizard of Oz by John Kane, Howard Arlen, E. Y. Harburg, Herbert Stothart, Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allen Woolf. I guess. I know the music. I know the movie.
7. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown by Clark Gesner. Seen it amateur, yep.
8. The Music Man by Meredith Wilson. I know the music. I know the movie.
9. Once Upon a Mattress by Mary Rodgers, Marshall Barer, Jay Thompson, and Dean Fuller. Oh, this experience. I don't ever need to see this play again (even the 2004 movie is only worth turning on to hear Zooey Deschanel sing, and barely worth that since she sings other places). But I have good memories, despite the fact that I really don't like the material that much if I think about it too hard. I do like that it's a play about sex, though. I, being the token chorus whore, was of course the kitchen wench, which I'm sure I've mentioned. And because I'm me, there were ~18 pages of text about my character and how she was a lady and a kitchen wench because of her affair with the king and a magic spell and… yes. It was insane, but a brilliant exercise in headcanon and extrapolation.
10. Thoroughly Modern Millie by Jeanine Tesori, Dick Scanlan, and Richard Morris. This was my very first Broadway show, so it holds many fond memories, as I've before said. And I feel like I can never actually see it again, because I'm afraid it wouldn't measure up. And that would be disappointing.
Okay, I'm actually shocked that Bye Bye Birdie isn't on this list. Seriously shocked.
–your fangirl heroine.
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Tags: a midsummer night's dream, beauty and the beast, grease, into the woods, once upon a mattress, our town, playbill.com, seussical, the crucible, the music man, the wizard of oz, theatre thursday, thoroughly modern millie, top 10/11, william shakespeare, you can't take it with you, you're a good man charlie brown
