"The Lion King," based upon the Disney movie of the same name, was created and directed by Julie Taymor, master of mask and puppetry. The pageantry and magic of the onstage transformation of humans into animals as well as the fanciful costuming add to the wonder and excitement of this show. "The Lion King" has not only played Broadway, but expanded its reach as a world tour, with long running productions in major cities world-wide.
"Wicked" not only racked up the Tony Awards, but also received a Grammy for its musical score. This musical is based on the book by Gregory Maguire, which follows the imagined adventures of the Wicked Witch of the West, a character from "The Wizard of Oz." Accolades for this show from sources like "Variety" and "Entertainment Weekly" include reference to it as "a cultural phenomenon" and "the best musical of the decade." This musical has also performed in London, Osaka, Brisbane, Oberhausen and on other stages around the world.
"Phantom of the Opera" was created by legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and legendary director Harold Prince. Based upon a 19th century story, "Phantom of the Opera" is probably best known as a silent movie starring Lon Chaney. This musical first played to sold out audiences in London in 1986, and, since hitting the stage at the Majestic Theater in New York in 1988, has gone on to collect Tony, Drama Desk and Los Angeles Drama Critics Awards.
Relatively new on the scene, "Rock of Ages" is a musical that brings back popular music from the 1980's in a story about falling in love and becoming a rock star. The performance is staged to remind audience members of attending a rock concert, with beer sellers circulating throughout the audience during each performance. This hit show took its time arriving on the Broadway stage, having premiered in Los Angeles in 2008 and played Off-Broadway in New York in 2008. Originally opening in 2009 at the Brooks Atkinson Theater, the show is scheduled to re-open on March 24, 2011 at the Helen Hayes Theater.