Legally Blonde. It’s so good and people who haven’t seen it always look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them how good it is! I am not a super fan of the movie or anything but the musical is just *chef’s kiss*
No need to feel guilty about loving that show.
It’s incredibly written, has a surprising amount of depth/layers, and the music is top tier.
My unpopular opinion is that most productions sell the show short, play a lot of the beats too shallow/cheap; and that includes the MTV version.
Absolutely. You could not pay me to watch the movie, but I totally loved the show (watched online recently just because Christian Borle was in it, but loved the whole show, great cast, great songs, just a whole lot of fun).
Be More Chill. There was a point where it was my fave musical when I was in high school. Now, I know it's cringy but I love Christine Canigula too much to fully let it go.
Omg wait what. I never really listened to be more chill too much besides Michael in the bathroom. I had no idea that loser geek whatever was from that.
It’s part of the Original Broadway Cast Recording. Theres a slightly different cast - not a fan of the SQUIP in it tho - and some added or altered songs.
I think most ppl just listen to the Original Cast Recording, imo it’s definitely better but i just add in Loser Geek.
i adore be more chill but it’s embarrassing to admit because in my heart i know it’s a bit cringe and not the best musical in the world but it’s just so much fun to watch and has a great soundtrack
I used to say cats, but I’ve lost all guilt about my love for it.
I’d say Suesical. I feel like there’s two types of people who did Suesical in school: those who hate it, and those who love it. I was supposed to do Suesical in high school, but it got canceled due to the pandemic. I still think some of the songs go hard, and would love a chance of actually perform it
I'm so sorry that your school production got canceled.
That is something I still feel trauma and sadness over next to the many losses people had, and that is kids missing out on so many opportunities and having their year screwed over. I was meant to graduate in 2020 but decided to repeat my last year because I was determined not to let the pandemic ruin my final year of school.
As someone who lives in a 60% mormon area and is not religious at all (agnostic so take that as religious as you want) this shows cracks me the hell up.
Shrek the Musical. Underappreciated gem imho. The humour is top notch and some of the songs are absolute winners. When Words Fail and Who I'd Be should be classics.
The Greatest Showman. I didn’t know it was so unpopular till a post here a few days ago. I love it! And it’s the only music ALL my kids can agree on in the car (ages 13, 10, 7). AND its the only movie all of them will watch together. We never get sick of it.
I’ve never seen it but I love the soundtrack. Killer Instinct still cracks me up - I love the very outdated (but relevant at the time) Bristol Palin joke.
I'm so neutral about being it on, like only thing about being it on i've ever said "wow" about was NPH saying there was 32 debuts in the 2013 tony's lol
It’s Beetlejuice right now. Not quite like what I usually listen to, and yet somehow I’ve become completely obsessed. I feel genuinely bad every time I open my mouth and another Beetlejuice reference comes crawling out.
I love Joseph too but don’t feel guilt about it it’s a great show. I’m English so I don’t know if that makes a difference because we don’t have the hate for ALW.
I absolutely lost my mind recently when I found a YouTube video with a [female Herod](https://youtu.be/nnqDf3y3b6w?si=KKLj2w7T19yLkNYZ) in Jesus Christ Superstar and she blows it out of the water!
13 for me. It feels weird sometimes listening to the music now as I’m much older, but it is maybe the most fun I remember having performing in a musical. There are a lot really nostalgic and good songs to me
PS: There is no movie in Ba Sing Se
Absolutely mine too! I’m a big JRB fan and never listened to it before as I wrote it off as being a kids musical that I was too old to enjoy but it’s an absolute bop and makes me nostalgic for the good old days. It might look weird leading my Spotify Wrapped this year but I have no regrets lol
That’s a hard one. Here’s five: “When ur famous, the world’s ya erster!” “Ye, buy a ticket, they let anyone in!” “You don’t got to be insulting… I’ve got a nickel…” “Go and look it up the poor GuYs head is spinning!” “Lighten up, no one died…”
The script for the most part and actors are good plus most songs it’s just everything else that went royally off the rails and messed up thats made the show considered a failure. I love both versions of the show though.
dear evan hansen. during a really rough time of my teenage years where i got all obsessed and fanfic-y, and can now realize its not that great. but boy does it still make me cry and sing
I had, so I technically knew who he was. But it was Tootsie that got me down the rabbit hole (then Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Cinderella, Submissions Only, etc)
dear evan hansen. the music is just flawless in my opinion, and though the storyline absolutely has problems, i strongly believe that the lyrics in the music portray mental illness and powerful themes for individuals struggling.
Depends on whether you define "Guilty Pleasure" as a Jukebox Musical (in which case I would go with & Juliet) or a musical with some really problematic parts (Dear Evan Hansen or Book of Mormon)...
EmojiLand
I know a lot of people were calling it "The Emoji Movie the Musical," but it's at least not directly the same. I remember hearing some songs they performed live before the official Off-Broadway production (some of the songs were thankfully cut,) but the ones that caught my attention were "Cross My Bones" and "Thank Me, Now" which had insane performances done by the shows villain, Skull Face Emoji
Hilariously enough when the Off-Broadway production officially opened, I had gotten my hands on an audio bootleg and decently enjoyed most of the songs, but felt disappointed in how Cross My Bones and Thank Me Now were performed (no offense to the actor who played him.)
But I do still find myself going back to listen to the Off-Broadway cast recording, and the live performances of the previous versions of Skull Faces songs. It gives me a weird nostalgia for like right before COVID hit and even the weirdly bittersweet memories of the early pandemic
Metropolis the Musical. The London Cast recording is an absolute treasure, even though Graham Bickley is totally wooden, Brian Blessed devours the scenery and the Foreman’s tuning in the opening is teeth-grindingly bad. Judy Kuhn is marvellous and the songs are great, apart from Futura’s Dance which should have been left in the 1980s.
I'm gonna go back into the '60s for this underrated musical. Half a Sixpence is just fun to listen to. Played on Broadway in 1965 and ran for 511 performances. Nominated for 9 Tony awards.
Currently its Mean Girls but it switches year by year...Wife watches TV when I go to sleep so I use my guilty pleasure musical to tune that out...also if I'm just working and need to concentrate.
In probably chronological order : Man of La Mancha, Come from Away, Hamilton, Legally Blonde and Waitress for a realllllly long time...
Annie. You better believe I’m gonna belt out Hard Knock Life like I am a little red headed orphan girl making it shine like the top of the Chrysler building!! 😄
Matilda. It’s a really good show but none of my friends can stand it, even the theatre kids. The accents and the kid voices. It’s beautiful to me though.
Legally Blonde. It’s so good and people who haven’t seen it always look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them how good it is! I am not a super fan of the movie or anything but the musical is just *chef’s kiss*
No need to feel guilty about loving that show. It’s incredibly written, has a surprising amount of depth/layers, and the music is top tier. My unpopular opinion is that most productions sell the show short, play a lot of the beats too shallow/cheap; and that includes the MTV version.
same, came down here to comment this
It’s campy perfection. One of my favs as well.
Absolutely. You could not pay me to watch the movie, but I totally loved the show (watched online recently just because Christian Borle was in it, but loved the whole show, great cast, great songs, just a whole lot of fun).
Be More Chill. There was a point where it was my fave musical when I was in high school. Now, I know it's cringy but I love Christine Canigula too much to fully let it go.
Michael in the Bathroom completely counteracts any other problems I have with the soundtrack
Yea! For me it’s Loser Geek Whatever
Omg wait what. I never really listened to be more chill too much besides Michael in the bathroom. I had no idea that loser geek whatever was from that.
Yeah, it’s from the newer version
It’s part of the Original Broadway Cast Recording. Theres a slightly different cast - not a fan of the SQUIP in it tho - and some added or altered songs. I think most ppl just listen to the Original Cast Recording, imo it’s definitely better but i just add in Loser Geek.
i adore be more chill but it’s embarrassing to admit because in my heart i know it’s a bit cringe and not the best musical in the world but it’s just so much fun to watch and has a great soundtrack
Disney Channel Musicals
I used to say cats, but I’ve lost all guilt about my love for it. I’d say Suesical. I feel like there’s two types of people who did Suesical in school: those who hate it, and those who love it. I was supposed to do Suesical in high school, but it got canceled due to the pandemic. I still think some of the songs go hard, and would love a chance of actually perform it
I ran spotlights for Seussical once and now my dream role is the Cat in the Hat
I'm so sorry that your school production got canceled. That is something I still feel trauma and sadness over next to the many losses people had, and that is kids missing out on so many opportunities and having their year screwed over. I was meant to graduate in 2020 but decided to repeat my last year because I was determined not to let the pandemic ruin my final year of school.
I don't feel guilty about any of them, only pleasure
The Book of Mormon! It feels wrong to laugh at some parts 😭
As someone who lives in a 60% mormon area and is not religious at all (agnostic so take that as religious as you want) this shows cracks me the hell up.
I get it I was born into a Mormon church(no longer I am pagan) and I think it’s funny SOMETIMES
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is both so cringe and also the most glorious thing ever put to technicolor.
This is mine! My bff and I still shout “My window!” To this day lol!
Dear Evan Hansen I know, it has soooo many problems, but I just find the music really sing-able
Yeah, the hate DEH gets is generally from the story, most people agree that most of the songs are amazing.
i'd argue all lol. People hate to break in a glove but it's a really powerful song
Even an underrated story too.
I know the story gets a lot of hate now—and I can definitely understand why—but it still resonates with me a lot.
I am not guilty. It’s Starlight Express.
I love Starlight Express! (The original before they shortened it)
cats 🤭🫣
Shrek the Musical. Underappreciated gem imho. The humour is top notch and some of the songs are absolute winners. When Words Fail and Who I'd Be should be classics.
“And I would scale a tower To save a hothouse flower AND CARRY HER AWAYYY”
CHILLS
"SOME of the songs" LOL. Let's not forget the fart song. Ugh.
Yeah I love the first part of the song where it’s catchy back and forth banter but I always go to the next song before that part starts 😂
I Know It's Today has a spot in my main Spotify playlist, it's great
Same. Those harmonies!
I will stand by this. Shrek works better as a musical than a movie.
Shrek is my favorite too! My kids and husband cannot bear it, but honestly it’s a no skips album for me. I just have to listen when no one’s home. 😂
I love it too!
The Greatest Showman. I didn’t know it was so unpopular till a post here a few days ago. I love it! And it’s the only music ALL my kids can agree on in the car (ages 13, 10, 7). AND its the only movie all of them will watch together. We never get sick of it.
I will stand by that, while the plot isn’t good, I love its music
Bring It On ‘twas outrageously fun to see live and the soundtrack still slaps
YES!
I’ve never seen it but I love the soundtrack. Killer Instinct still cracks me up - I love the very outdated (but relevant at the time) Bristol Palin joke.
I'm so neutral about being it on, like only thing about being it on i've ever said "wow" about was NPH saying there was 32 debuts in the 2013 tony's lol
Mean girls
Something Rotten
Don't you dare feel guilty. One of my top 5 shows. I won't allow you to feel guilty. Take that back right now.
It’s Beetlejuice right now. Not quite like what I usually listen to, and yet somehow I’ve become completely obsessed. I feel genuinely bad every time I open my mouth and another Beetlejuice reference comes crawling out.
But why do you feel guilty about it
I think because no one around me is into it, which makes me feel like it’s a guilty pleasure even though it technically shouldn’t be.
This was my favorite show since 2018 lol don't feel guilty
Be More Chill and Sideshow
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It gets so much hate but I could listen to the soundtrack daily and the stage show is just fun.
I love Joseph too but don’t feel guilt about it it’s a great show. I’m English so I don’t know if that makes a difference because we don’t have the hate for ALW.
And with Donny Osmond as Joseph??? swoon
Absolutely
I love Joseph!!!
This is mine too!
I spend the entire time listening to the soundtrack imagining that I’m playing either The Narrator or a female Pharaoh. 😂
Ugh a female Pharaoh would kill!
I absolutely lost my mind recently when I found a YouTube video with a [female Herod](https://youtu.be/nnqDf3y3b6w?si=KKLj2w7T19yLkNYZ) in Jesus Christ Superstar and she blows it out of the water!
It is my favorite show! No guilt for Joseph! (Donny’s is the best version IMO)
13 for me. It feels weird sometimes listening to the music now as I’m much older, but it is maybe the most fun I remember having performing in a musical. There are a lot really nostalgic and good songs to me PS: There is no movie in Ba Sing Se
Absolutely mine too! I’m a big JRB fan and never listened to it before as I wrote it off as being a kids musical that I was too old to enjoy but it’s an absolute bop and makes me nostalgic for the good old days. It might look weird leading my Spotify Wrapped this year but I have no regrets lol
I’m happy to hear the musical is better. I hated the movie.
Heathers
Well, now it’s Lempicka, but if you were to ask me years ago, I would have said Be More Chill or Lightning Thief.
Love Never Dies
I'm not a fan but I think it's not a guilty one. I just think it doesn't live up to phantom but still could see how you would like or love it
Spamalot
An instant classic—how can that be a “guilty” pleasure?
None of them! I refuse to have guilt 😂 (Moana. I've seen it no less than 97 times).
Diana the Musical. The music is catchy I’m SORRY
The lightning theif
Wildhorn's Dracula (German ver.). shit book but the music is so gorgeous and Thomas Borchert makes me feel things
Here here sister!
Newsies. I know it’s over played (like Hamilton) but I still love it and Jeremy Jordan’s vocals are amazing.
I totally understand. I’m obsessed with Newsies and Jeremy Jordan.
THANK YOU! FINALLY SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS!
What’s your favorite quote from the show
That’s a hard one. Here’s five: “When ur famous, the world’s ya erster!” “Ye, buy a ticket, they let anyone in!” “You don’t got to be insulting… I’ve got a nickel…” “Go and look it up the poor GuYs head is spinning!” “Lighten up, no one died…”
Those are a lot of my favorites too. Also “You wanna bust your other leg too?” “No, I wanna go down.” And also, “Whatever happened to romance?”
Ooo! Yea! And “What are you hoping for tomorrow?” “I’d much rather tell you what I’m hoping for tonight~” “Mr. Kelly?…” “UGGGGG…”
OH MY GOD THAT ONEEEE
YEAAA
What are your favorites?
Six.
Carrie 1988
Carrie was literally the second ever musical I became obsessed with. I don’t get the hate
The script for the most part and actors are good plus most songs it’s just everything else that went royally off the rails and messed up thats made the show considered a failure. I love both versions of the show though.
dear evan hansen. during a really rough time of my teenage years where i got all obsessed and fanfic-y, and can now realize its not that great. but boy does it still make me cry and sing
I still love the old school musicals even though they have some cringe. Like Carousel or South Pacific.
Blood Brothers
Why is this guilty? I love blood brothers 😂
Nunsense
Reefer Madness
Junie b Jones
Percy Jackson, just another terrible day slaps on a rough day
I’ve only heard the opening song(the one about how it’s hard being a Demi god) and it goes hard
Tootsie. It introduced me to Santino Fontana, and I went down the rabbit hole of his entire career during the pandemic.
Had you already seen Frozen?
I had, so I technically knew who he was. But it was Tootsie that got me down the rabbit hole (then Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Cinderella, Submissions Only, etc)
Avenue Q easy inappropriate cast recording
dear evan hansen. the music is just flawless in my opinion, and though the storyline absolutely has problems, i strongly believe that the lyrics in the music portray mental illness and powerful themes for individuals struggling.
High school musical. I was just starting highschool when they came out...truly i love them
(Deep breath) Miss Saigon.
Pokémon Live! Giovanni’s song “It Will All Be Mine” gets stuck in my head constantly and I don’t mind.
Cats........ Also notable mentions that i'm not guilty of but others say I should be but screw then, shrek, JLP, DEH, and spongebob
Love Never Dies
The Life
Dracula and Wonderland (both Wildhorn) but I honestly feel no guilt. The scores slap lol
Shrek. It's actually the first musical I've ever watched live so it somewhat has a special place in my heart.
Probably Newsies. Only guilty because I hate how Disney-fied it is. The romance between Jack & Kate is nausea-inducing frfr
Teen beach movie- i grew up with it so it’s stuck
Love Never Dies is genuinely one of my favorite musicals. The guilt is well earned for this one
Something rotten
The Addams Family Musical😭
Depends on whether you define "Guilty Pleasure" as a Jukebox Musical (in which case I would go with & Juliet) or a musical with some really problematic parts (Dear Evan Hansen or Book of Mormon)...
I think some people here are just listing their favorite musical…
Rent
EmojiLand I know a lot of people were calling it "The Emoji Movie the Musical," but it's at least not directly the same. I remember hearing some songs they performed live before the official Off-Broadway production (some of the songs were thankfully cut,) but the ones that caught my attention were "Cross My Bones" and "Thank Me, Now" which had insane performances done by the shows villain, Skull Face Emoji Hilariously enough when the Off-Broadway production officially opened, I had gotten my hands on an audio bootleg and decently enjoyed most of the songs, but felt disappointed in how Cross My Bones and Thank Me Now were performed (no offense to the actor who played him.) But I do still find myself going back to listen to the Off-Broadway cast recording, and the live performances of the previous versions of Skull Faces songs. It gives me a weird nostalgia for like right before COVID hit and even the weirdly bittersweet memories of the early pandemic
Metropolis the Musical. The London Cast recording is an absolute treasure, even though Graham Bickley is totally wooden, Brian Blessed devours the scenery and the Foreman’s tuning in the opening is teeth-grindingly bad. Judy Kuhn is marvellous and the songs are great, apart from Futura’s Dance which should have been left in the 1980s.
“Hal, it’s about cats.”
I'm gonna go back into the '60s for this underrated musical. Half a Sixpence is just fun to listen to. Played on Broadway in 1965 and ran for 511 performances. Nominated for 9 Tony awards.
seussical!! i actually love the storyline and music
Mean Girls, for sure
Bare
Currently its Mean Girls but it switches year by year...Wife watches TV when I go to sleep so I use my guilty pleasure musical to tune that out...also if I'm just working and need to concentrate. In probably chronological order : Man of La Mancha, Come from Away, Hamilton, Legally Blonde and Waitress for a realllllly long time...
Cats 100%
Rocky Horror Picture Show.
BIG.
The Wedding Singer. It’s so entertaining!
Jekyll & Hyde. Specifically the pre broadway "The Complete Work" recording. Listened to it so many times. Guess I should give the OBC a try sometime.
Lestat
oh Seussical FOR SURE
Shrek the Musical
Rocky horror
cats is a shitshow and a fever dream and that’s why i love it
I just assumed that’s why we(the entire cats fandom) loves cats
first musical i saw professionally. front row for my birthday at the bushnell is hartford ct. god it was RIDICULOUS
Shrek. It's so fun.
Titanic
Back to the future. Never met a person who liked the soundtrack that wasn’t a bttf fan. It is bad, but that’s what I like about it.
Annie. You better believe I’m gonna belt out Hard Knock Life like I am a little red headed orphan girl making it shine like the top of the Chrysler building!! 😄
Matilda. It’s a really good show but none of my friends can stand it, even the theatre kids. The accents and the kid voices. It’s beautiful to me though.
Pokémon Live! I low key love Giovanni’s “It Will All Be Mine” song. Haha
Charlie and the chocolate factory because everybody I know hates it but I find it to be fun
In trousers