Musical revivals are fun for so many reasons. They can either bring back a classical show in its original staging, which gives younger generations a chance to experience a classic production (like 2011’s Anything Goes revival), or they can update it for today’s audience and put a fresh spin to it (like the 2013 revival of Pippin). With the current revival of Spring Awakening, a show that completely changed my freshman year of high school, and a Broadway season full of revivals in general, I’ve been thinking a lot about the musicals I’d love to see get another chance on Broadway in both traditional and innovative productions. Here are 8 musicals that I think should be revived soon:

1. Brigadoon

Written by songwriting duo Frederick Lowe and Alan Jay Lerner, Brigadoon is a fantastic standard musical of the 1940s but probably not their most remembered. (After all, these two are responsible for My Fair Lady.) Since then, Brigadoon has only been revived twice – the last time being all the way back in 1980. It’s time to bring back this Scottish tale. Scotland was in the spotlight after their big Independence Referendum in September of 2014 – plus, I can just picture Aaron Tveit playing Tommy and breaking hearts night after night as he tries to stay with Fiona.

2. Oklahoma!

While I would love for Brigadoon to be revived in a traditional sense, Oklahoma! is due for a fresh revamp. It’s another musical that was written in the 1940s, and yes, it’s probably been done by every high school in the nation at some point. But check out Bard College’s production that was just done this summer: they completely stripped down the show and made it less about the frills and more about the simple book and lush score. With a completely different take on the show, the production brought in a whole new audience that fell in love with its simplicity, just as audiences did back in the 1940s.

3. A Chorus Line

I have personally been amazed at the choreography that has been featured in recent musicals like An American in Paris and Newsies. I would love to see another dance-based musical that features the newest crop of Broadway’s triple threats and that can incorporate a newer style of choreography that has been implemented in today’s shows. However, I would still need to have that fantastic kick line that closes the show and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

4. The Light in the Piazza

When it premiered in the 2000s, The Light in the Piazza changed my concept of what musical theatre could be. Adam Guettel’s influence from Stephen Sondheim is evident in the rich score that echoes Italian arias. It’s been only nine years since the show has graced Broadway but I think it’s time to bring it back. It’s a thrilling score for classical singers and an emotional story that you can’t help but get pulled into.

5. Urinetown

To me, Urinetown only gets better with age. The satirical script was written in the beginning of this century but its message is even more universal today. With the average citizen’s growing skepticism and mistrust of the government, Urinetown is the perfect theatrical parallel to today. While that might sound a bit darker than previous musicals listed, I think that just makes it perfect to be produced now.

6. Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson

I think Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson closed too early. It has a fantastic contemporary score and the history nerd in me loves all of the references to that crazy president of ours. However, I think it can also be perfect for today just like Urinetown is. It examines America’s political system (albeit back in 1820) and the bizarre celebrity status we give politicians. With the 2016 election just around the corner, the show is another excellent parallel to today’s political circus.

7. [title of show]

[title of show] speaks to me on a whole other level as someone that wants to put their full faith in a career with no guarantee of success. That sounds sad, but the humor of the show can get anyone through the ups and downs of creating art. [title of show] is incredibly witty and there’s no way you’re not going to hum the chorus of “Die, Vampire, Die” after hearing it once. [title of show] should be brought back as it was so the newest crop of theatre artists can experience a show that lets you know it’s okay to be only nine people’s favorite thing.

8. Starmites

Hear me out before you do a double take at the screen and say, “But I’ve never heard of this musical?” My friends don’t believe me when I say that Starmites is deserving of a Broadway revival but it could be so good today! It was originally produced in 1989, and to be honest, it could have really benefitted from today’s technology. With the idea of comic book heroes and a bizarre contraption that can beautify someone, this show needs to be done with today’s technical advancements. Plus, the music is catchy and the script is just downright fun.

These are my top 8 shows (but definitely not all of them!) that I’d like to see revived in the near future. What musicals do you want to see brought back to Broadway?

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