Musicals we love
Writers celebrate their favourite stage musicals
Musicals we love: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
With all the raw spontaneity of a rock'n'roll gig, this show cuts to the core of sexual identity, love and loss, writes Alexis Soloski
Musicals we love: Into the Woods
Soon to appear in film form with Meryl Streep as the Witch, Sondheim's plainest musical blends adult stories with grim fairytales to spellbinding effect, writes Veronica Horwell
Meine Faire Dame: musicals we love
Forget what you think you know about My Fair Lady – this German version features everything from Mozart to Wham! writes Andrew Haydon
Finian's Rainbow: musicals we love
This quintessentially American show cleverly addresses racism, poverty and chauvinism, writes Stuart Kelly
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: musicals we love
A marvel of gleefully saucy yet wholly innocent farce that leaves you spent from laughter and humming a catchy tune, writes Howard Sherman
West Side Story: musicals we love
With Bernstein's complex score, Sondheim's witty lyrics and Robbins's exuberant dance sequences, this show is near perfect, says Miriam Gillinson
Guys and Dolls: musicals we love
These high-stepping lowlives capture the true spirit of the genre while Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat is surely the greatest showstopper in any musical, writes Kit Buchan
The Producers: musicals we love
Mel Brooks's 1968 film makes even greater sense on the stage – especially with the peerless Nathan Lane in the lead role, writes Ryan Gilbey
Phantom of the Opera: musicals we love
Andrew Lloyd Webber's monster hit has all the subtlety of a plunging chandelier but it will soothe and transport you, says Emma Brockes
Musicals we love: Jesus Christ Superstar
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice created the 20th century's first (and last) great rock opera with flashes of Prokofiev and Stravinsky amid its hosannas – even Shostakovich was a fan, writes Michael Coveney
Musicals we love: Les Misérables
Its storyline is ridiculous, but the glorious melodrama of Les Mis will leave you weeping uncontrollably. And, says Alison Flood, the songs couldn't be more rousing
Musicals we love: The Beggar's Opera
It was the first juke-box musical, filled with highwaymen, thieves, jailers and trollops in bulging corsets – I loved it when I was 10 and I still love it now, writes Laura Barnett
Musicals we love: Oliver!
Poverty, prostitutes, child gangs and catchy songs: Lionel Bart's artful Dickens adaptation doesn't stint on the social commentary, but it still leaves you with a skip in your step, writes Ben Travis
Musicals we love: Newsies
Walt Disney Studios's film about the New York newsboy strikes of 1899 was a flop – but a stage revival nearly 20 years later proved that some still root for the underdog, writes Erin McCann
Musicals we love: Matilda
With Roald Dahl's streak of naughtiness meshed with Tim Minchin's excellent lyrics, Matilda is a match made in an eight-year-old's idea of heaven, writes Catherine Love
Musicals we love: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
I anticipated disaster when I heard that Kneehigh were staging Jacques Demy's vibrant and bittersweet film but the result genuinely changed my life, writes Maddy Costa
Musicals we love: The Book of Mormon
It's not the kind of show you take home to meet your parents, but the sheer joyfulness of this musical makes it special, writes Matthew Caines
Musicals we love: Bugsy Malone
Alan Parker's show is made for kids and shot through with innocence – and that's what makes it truly charming, writes Matt Trueman
Musicals we love: Legally Blonde
Sheridan Smith's luminous portrayal of fashionista turned lawyer Elle Woods transformed a slight screenplay into a stage triumph, writes Nancy Groves
Musicals we love: Sweeney Todd
Stephen Sondheim's serial-killing barber may be an unsavoury hero, but the musical skilfully mixes savagery, tragedy and comedy to create a work of art that leaves one in awe, writes Michael Billington
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