Is it all the Rodgers and Hammerstein ones, individually and collectively, for the twilight my family happened to be in Missoula Montana (I was 12?) the night Hammerstein died, so all the songs came through the car radio against the backdrop of the purple mountains? Is it the Fantasticks, which seemed so meaningful the year I was a freshman in college? And ran for so many weeks & years that the New Yorker took to running quotes from, I think, “Portrait of an Artist…” instead of a description? Is it Gypsy, where I worked as a stage hand one summer and memorized every song (ya gotta bump it with a trumpet)?… But I think my all time favorite is The Music Man, with its so-American combination of blarney, plainness, envy (“he left River City… the Liberry building… but he left all the BOOKS to her!”) and romance.

Impossible - Impossible - I can’t pick my favourite. I loved them all, and I have to agree with the selection of everyone who has posted ahead of me. Nothing like a Broadway musical. However, to play along with the friendly challenge here, I would have to pick, “Where’s Charlie”. Just loved Ray Bolger and many times I would hum, “Once In Love With Amie”. L. R.

Loved a seldom seen musical - Fiorello! Has anyone seen it in the last 10 years?

Oh please! King and I, West Side Story, South Pacific. Nothing comes close…those were the days.

Candide, Candide, CANDIDE!!!!!!!!! First I heard the origianal cast recording and I was truly a changed person. Then I went to Hal Prince’s WONDERFUL revival, and he finished the job.

At age 6 I saw my first Broadway show - 1949. The King and I - with Yul Brynner - I still have the playbill. And all of the playbills from the hundreds of shows I’ve seen. Filed in boxes by decade. Ethel Merman, Zero Mostel - on and on and on.

My mother took me to see ” Call Me Madam” when I was seven years old. I loved every minute and became a life-long Ethel Merman fan. But, South Pacific is my favorite musical, esquisite music and the story sill resonates today. Reba McIntire was brilliant as Nellie Forbish, but sometimes, when I am sad, I listen to Mary Martin. No one ever sang with such warmth.

Loved them all but still adore “Annie Get Your Gun” as I was in my senior year high-school production. I was A Capella choir for 4 years and we also did “Where’s Charley?” and Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Trial by Jury”. Those were the days! I do get chills whenever I hear anything from “Phantom” as it was my late husband’s favorite and he would actually cry during the overture. That man had music in his soul! I still love musicals and wish there were more repros of the oldies!

Definitely “Hair”. I was just a bit too young to be a hippie in the late sixties, having been born in the late fifties, and curses, I’m Canadian, so I didn’t really have a war to protest. But boy did I have a crush on Berger.

I was about 9 years old when my mother received a “complete cast recording” of South Pacific (Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza) in a gift box containing twelve 78 rpm records. The magic of hearing that musical rings in my ears to this day. The very first musical I ever saw was “Damn Yankees,” with the incomparable Gwen Verdon. High school brought our teen-voice production of “Bye-Bye Birdie.” The first love of my life and I fell in love to the music of “Camelot.” We had all the sheet music for all the musicals in the bench in front of the family piano, and thus began a lifelong passion for all kinds of music. I still sing today in a 60-voice chorale that performs everything from Mendelssohn to Mercer - and this year’s spring repertoire includes a medley of songs from “The Music Man.” Where would we be without the unmitigated joy of music in our lives?

South Pacfic was the first Broadway Musical I saw along with eight members of my B Natuaral piano club at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis—as a pre-teenager; still can remember the thrill of the timpani during the overture and the red velvet curtain opening—over 50 years ago.

I went to a girl’s boarding school in England and after “lights out” we would sing the tunes from South Pacific. On vacation my mother would take my younger sister and me and wait in line for seats in the “Gods” (top of the theatre)at half price. We saw The King and I and Kiss me Kate with the divine Howard Keel. Also Julie Andrews in Pajama Game. Great memories!

As a young girl, I belonged to the Girls Club in Hollywood. The directors and counselors there were were so good at teaching us about and encouraging our love of the great musicals of the day. We would put on 2 or 3 shows a year, more in the summer. One of my favorites that I have not seen listed here is “Bye Bye Birdie”, with it’s songs “Telephone Hour” and “Kids”. Also loved “Damn Yankees” (‘Whatever Lola Wants’ and ‘You Gotta Have Heart”) , “My Fair Lady” (Wouldn’t it be Loverly’), “South Pacific” (‘Honey Bun’), “The King and I” (‘Getting to Know You’). Oh, I feel a song coming on right NOW!!! Thanks for a fun ride down memory lane.

I dont think its a comedy but I went to see ”Fiddler on the Roof”on Fri night here in Blackpool UK. It was my 2nd time seeing it. Last time I saw it in London in 1970. I just love it. The music is fabulous, and always brings a tear to my eyes ! Veronica.

7 Brides For Seven Brothers and Paint Your Wagon. Two of the most under appreciated musicals I can think of. If someone really tries to imagine these stories as really happening.. especially Paint Your wagon, it’s great fun. It’s about time a web site like this was born…thanks, be seein ya