Now while I haven’t seen all the big musicals that I have wanted to see just yet, I have still managed to see ones that I would be happy to see over and over again. This is a list of my top five musicals that I have seen and loved in front of my very eyes:

5. The Lion King, Lyceum Theatre – I was completely and utterly blown away by the creativity of this production. I loved the animals (I’ll admit I didn’t even see the actors I truly believed that it was animals performing for me – full credit to the actors for getting the movements right) , the music and of course the heart warming story from the original film. It is a musical that is brilliant for adults and children, never failing in leaving you speechless.

4. Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre – I love anything that offers a new perspective on a classic story and this is what I particularly loved about Wicked. Turning the story of the Wizard of Oz upside down and making the wicked witch a more sympathetic character is an interesting idea that is backed up by some truly fantastic music that is both fun and dramatic to listen to! Spine tingling stuff!

3. Top Hat, UK tour – While I love musicals such as Wicked and Chicago for their more contemporary scores, I have to admit that I particularly love the music of the likes of Irving Berlin and Cole Porter. Top Hat has become a classic stage musical for not only celebrating the fantastic dancing of the era of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers but the music which is simply stylish even now. Some might find the plot and humour a bit dated but for me that just adds to its charm!

2. Cats, London Palladium – this was my first West End experience when I was 11 years old. The first time I went I didn’t fully understand what was happening and why and it wasn’t until I came to see it at the Palladium in December that I was able to appreciate how clever this show was. There is actually quite a lot of variety in the music and the choreography is superb – so it is actually a fun show to go and see.

1. Ghost the Musical – I will be the first to admit that I’m usually quite sceptical about these film to musical adaptations (The Lion King aside) because it feels just like another way to make money out of the film. But I had to rethink that when I went to see this. I couldn’t help but be curious to see how it would work in terms of special effects for Sam Wheat (who as you might have guessed or having seen the film know as a ghost). It was very clever and I couldn’t tell how they did it and along with the emotional score I was very pleased with the outcome – so much so I went to see it on the UK tour as well.

So what are your top musicals to see over and over again live?