Z's Musical Ranking (Long Post Ahead)
I've never done sth like this before, but with New Experiences™️ under my belt, I thought this might be a fun activity lol
The below list contains my current top 10 musicals I've seen on stage in person - so no pro-shots, movie musicals, or bootlegs slime tutorials will be included on the below.
The list has been curated based on my own preferences (gentle reminder, it's my opinion), and accounts for both the source material as well as the specific staging I had the opportunity to witness - which means that if you've seen something at a different theatre, you may have a different opinion (shocker, I know)
Final disclaimer: I am not above admitting that my standards are astronomically high (for reasons which will be revealed) - the fact that a staging is lower on the list does not mean it's actually bad/worse than the rest - I am simply very opinionated and my musical thatre bar could basically be used by God for pull-ups lmao
With that in mind, let's go
10. Avenue Q (TM im. D. Baduszkowej, Gdynia)
Not much to say about this one beyond the fact that I liked it, and it's probably the last stand-out of the very mediocre run of musicals which haven't made it to the list at all. It's funny, it's colorful, it's catchy, and didn't really leave a bigger mark than that.
9. Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre, London)
It's a timeless classic for a reason, and out of the two stagings I've seen of it, the West End takes the crown by a mile; but even then, I have to say Wicked has not left a lasting impression in my mind. Was it visually stunning and beautifully sung? Sure, but it's not really more than a checkmark on my "Timeless classic, must see" list. Sue me.
8. Fiddler on the Roof (TM im. D. Baduszkowej, Gdynia)
I won't lie, I don't know what exactly to say about this one - it's made its cut not as much thanks to the story itself, as it did because of the absoultely fantastic staging done by the musical theatre in Gdynia (which will reappear on this list a few more times). It's a strong book with a gorgeous score, and it ended up in the right place to get elevated to its current place on the list.
7. Hairspray (TM im. D. Baduszkowej, Gdynia)
Baduszkowa strikes again, this time with a fantastically colorful, addictively upbeat and maddeningly catchy musical. Again, whether the book itself is a particular contender is up to preference, but the execution on stage made me hum You can't stop the beat for weeks after. It's entertainment in its purest form, and I absolutely love it.
6. Mamma Mia (Teatr Muzyczny, Łódź)
Everyone loves ABBA, and if they don't, they're either lying or dying. Mamma Mia is yet another unapologetically fun production that most have seen on the big screen, but even years later the original book still holds it own on stage; pair that with a solidly constructed physical set, tight choreography and polished vocals, and you can't help but make it a hit every time.
Now in this place I must say, that although among numbers 10 to 6 the deciding factors were quite close together, the jump between 6 and 5 (and onwards) is huge - this is where "the best of the mid" turns into "all-stars"
5. Once (TM Roma, Warszawa)
This may come to some (many) as a surprise, but Once deserves it's spot here by all accounts. I think my awe here comes from the simplicity of it all - it's a small stage with an ever smaller cast, bare bones of an already simple set, and a story that drags you in from the first notes and doesn't let go even years later. The end result is an intimate bubble and a front-row seat to a touchingly and beautifully human story of "right person, wrong time". Once showed me that a musical doesn't always have to be a massive stage, a crowd, and an orchestra - sometimes two chairs and a guitar are more than enough to make you feel every single emotion known to mankind; and no, I am definitely not biased because I think that Falling slowly is one of the most hertbreaking songs ever written.
4. Les Miserables (Teatr Muzyczny, Łódź)
Les Mis is a musical that truly proves what it means to be a cult classic, and the Polish production I've seen doesn't fall short of anything you would expect from it (if I may say so). Listen, I really don't know what else to say - it's Les Mis, of course it's in my top 5.
3. Hadestown (Lyric Theatre, London)
Now this is a personal plottwist, because I've been battling the third spot out between this and Les Mis for the better part of the last few days; whether it's the novelty of the experience, the fact that it's a dream come true, or if Hadestown was objectively better - I don't know, but on the third spot it lands. This is a production which I've loved through various recordings for many, many years, so seeing it on stage was truly everything I've wished for and more. If not for the few hiccoughs in the source material (do not kill me, but I think the way of building tension is irregular and falls short at times), it may have made it even higher (although probably not, the top 2 are geniuenly something else).
2. Metro (Studio Buffo, Warszawa)
Now this will not mean anything to vast majority of y'all, which is perfectly understandable but a shame nontheless. Metro is a fully Polish production which has been running for over 30 years, and flopped on Broadway because the American critics couldn't comprehend the Polish Experience (yes, I'm not making it up, this is genuienly what happened). It's my most-watched musical, I've seen it at least 3 times, and it's the first musical I've ever seen. It's loud, it's a little messy, and probably the only show that made my cry real tears every single time. Even if you won't understand the lyrics, I recommend checking out some of the songs - and if you are Polish, just fucking go see it lol.
1. Notre Dame de Paris (TM im. D. Baduszkowej, Gdynia)
Now, if the difference between 6th and 5th place was to be compared to the distance between the bottom of the Challenger Deep to the tip of Mt. Everest, the difference between 2nd and 1st is one to be measured in light years - and this is with no shade to the rest of the list, Notre Dame is simply Just That Good. This musical is the reason I judge musicals like I'm fucking Anubis weighing hearts in the Underworld. At this point it has been on my number 1 spot for so long, I should consider excluding it from the ranking for skewing the data.
I could go on for hours upon hours about this one, but it seriously is the most flawlessly executed musical I have seen to date. The score? Timless. The vocals? Angelic. The story? Devastating (thank you, Victor Hugo). The characters? Fascinating (see previous bracket). The costumes? High fashion. The choreography? Insane, bordering on acrobatic. The fucking set? Painfully jaw-dropping in its restrained magnitude (look for the photos of the three bells specifically, I still haven't found all the pieces of my jaw after it crashed to the floor when I saw them the first time, the impression they make is borderline titanic).
Notre Dame de Paris (and I think it's a good place to mention that it's not the same as The Hunchback of Notre Dame), is, in my books, the musical to end all musicals, ever.
And that's a wrap! If you made it this far - I don't know whether to be flattered or concerned tbh, but thank you for sticking around! I will probably go back to this list if any changes happen, and it could be interesting to look at it in a few years, see how it holds up. I'd say let me know your thought but y'all won't change my mind on any of this sooooooooo
