He complained to much about all of the changes to his score and Broadwayifying it all, i.e. change from black comedy to slapstick. Michael Kunze, the original book and lyric writer had nothing to do with the Broadway version at all, neither did the director Roman Polanski.

Okay.... Despite the flaws of character development....I still love Phantom of the Opera, it was THE musical made me want to be a performer. The story it's self, is a great one and the score just leaves me speechless. In fact, POTO made me love real opera. And of course it's also the only other musical I like from ALW, that being Jesus Christ Superstar...I also like Jekyll and Hyde.(Sorry Salome)

Phantom of the Opera was the first show that I started listening to incessantly. My Dad got me the highlights recording when I was nine and I fell in love with it. I think I still love it, now and again. though not as much as Les Mis.

1. The Phantom of the Opera: The only ALW show I like, and I don't care what anyone says (that means you Pink Floyd) but I think it's great.
2. Jekyll and Hyde: I can understand the hate, but oh well.
3. Young Frankenstein: Sure, the music & lyrics aren't perfect, but for those who say it's "un-memorable" need to listen to some of today's garbage. And it's supposed to be fun, not Sondheim.
4. Wicked: The only things that really bother me about this show is that it's not that faithful to the book, "Wonderful" and The Wizard are horrificly under-rated, and that every yuppie in my school thinks they are amazing theatre historians just because they saw it...

I know that's not even close to ten, but oh well.

Well, one thing... it's an individual cut song:

"The Hills of Tomorrow" from Merrily We Roll Along. It was used in the original production as part of a framing device, but it was cut from later revisions. But I liked it.

I have changed the topic title from "musicals you are ashamed to admit to liking" to "Guilty Pleasures" and edited my original post so that it is a little less long winded than before.

I don't find it emotionally crippling that I like shows that aren't generally well regarded - and I did not intend for the topic to come across that way.

If anything, I intended it to provoke light and friendly discussion of musicals that your head tells you are not perfect and yet they get to your heart on some level. I hope that the edits I've made better reflect my original intent here.

I will proudly say that I am a Wicked fangirl. I love the show, lyrical clunkers and all. Is it the best show ever? Of course not. Does For Good make me cry like a baby? Yes.

its makes me cry..for other reasons.

You and me both.

If you mean the original films, they are both fantastic, and nothing to be ashamed over.

I think she means the horrible stage adaptations.

I don't really have a guilty pleasure show, but I do have a performer I feel VERY guilty for liking. James Barbour. Yes I said it...I like [listening to] James Barbour *feeling icky*. His voice is beautiful, but his unfortunate predilection for underager girls...is not so beautiful . I have a feeling that all the musicals that he'd ever been in were scrambling to take long hot showers after his dirty little secret came out and he got arrested...Especially Beauty and the Beast...