My Fair Lady – Broadway's Best Shows

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, here are some of our very favorite love songs from the musical theater canon. Enjoy!

‘Some Enchanted Evening’ from South Pacific

This Rodgers & Hammerstein classic embodies the essence of love at first sight. Its lush melody and romantic lyrics perfectly capture the magic of falling in love. ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ earns its spot for its enduring popularity and its ability to evoke the wonder of romance.

‘Tonight’ from West Side Story

In this poignant duet, Tony and Maria express their love despite the tensions surrounding them. Leonard Bernstein’s sweeping score and Stephen Sondheim’s heartfelt lyrics make this a Broadway classic. The song was originally written as a solo for Tony, but Sondheim and Bernstein later decided to turn it into a duet to heighten the emotional impact of the scene. ‘Tonight’ is noted for its emotional intensity and its status as a quintessential Broadway love ballad.

‘You Matter to Me’ from Waitress

In Sara Bareilles’s musical adaptation of Waitress, Jenna finds solace from her abusive marriage with love interest Dr. Pomatter. With the tender lyrics of ‘You Matter to Me,’ the two affirm their love for each other and relish in finding a partner to requite their affection. It’s a beautiful moment of vulnerability and calm amid a tumultuous journey for our protagonist.

‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ from My Fair Lady

Eliza Doolittle’s joyous declaration of love and newfound freedom is captured beautifully in this Lerner and Loewe masterpiece. It is theatrical lore that Julie Andrews, who originated the role of Eliza on Broadway, recorded the song in one take, despite having a cold at the time. The recording went on to become a bestseller and a treasured classic.

‘As Long As You’re Mine’ from Wicked

This haunting duet between Elphaba and Fiyero in the smash hit Wicked represents the intensity and passion of forbidden love. Stephen Schwartz’s evocative lyrics and soaring melody make it unforgettable for its contemporary appeal and its portrayal of love amidst adversity. Idina Menzel and Norbert Leo Butz, as Broadway’s original Elphaba and Fiyero, respectively, enter the canon of musical theatre love songs with this number.

‘Changing My Major’ from Fun Home

In Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron’s adaptation of the Alison Bechdel memoir graphic novel, Alison’s sexual awakening is depicted with this euphoric tune. She bashfully declares her fascination with Joan, as Tesori’s anthemic melody and Kron’s authentic lyrics beautifully convey the rush of emotions, and the freedom of her self-discovery. It’s both a song about love of another, and also about self-love and finding courage in your own identity. Alison’s vulnerability and newfound understanding of both herself and her feelings for Joan make it a powerful and relatable number.

‘Seasons of Love’ from Rent

This iconic anthem celebrates love in all its forms, urging us to measure our lives in the love that surrounds us. Jonathan Larson’s poignant lyrics and memorable melody have made it an enduring favorite for all theatre kids. Larson is said to have written ‘Seasons of Love’ in just one night, capturing the essence of the show’s themes in a burst of creativity. The act two opener is listed for its universal message and its significance in the modern Broadway repertoire.

‘So in Love’ from Kiss Me, Kate

Cole Porter’s sultry jazz waltz is a declaration of passion and desire. Its sophisticated lyrics and lush melody make it a standout in the Great American Songbook. ‘So in Love’ was famously covered by jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald, whose rendition became a jazz standard in its own right. This song is remembered for its timeless elegance and its portrayal of love’s intoxicating allure.

‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ from Jesus Christ Superstar

Mary Magdalene’s soul-searching ballad in the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice rock opera is a poignant exploration of love and devotion. Its questioning melody and introspective lyrics resonate deeply across generations since the musical’s 1971 debut. Yvonne Elliman, who originated the role of Mary Magdalene on Broadway, was initially reluctant to sing the song due to its religious themes, but was convinced when Webber performed it for her in his flat. She ultimately delivered a captivating performance that became a highlight of the show, with its emotional depth and its unique perspective on love.

Broadway’s Best Shows for Fans of the Barbie Movie

By Katie Devin Orenstein

If you had a blast with Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and the rest of the Barbie movie crew, here are some Broadway musicals of yesteryear that might suit your fancy! Some even served as inspiration for director Greta Gerwig’s take on the classic doll brand.

Legally Blonde

What could be more Barbie than a musical all about how you can be smart and independent and wear bright pink at the same time? Legally Blonde, based on the movie of the same name, takes aim at dumb blonde stereotypes, and puts female empowerment and solidarity front-and-center. It’s so much better than getting the guy.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

If you’re looking for a whip-smart, funny show that pushes back against the objectification of women, look no further than The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which ran on Broadway for four years starting in 1978, and was also made into a movie starring Dolly Parton. Its songs are by the late Carol Hall, one of Broadway’s very few female composer-lyricists.

Singin’ in the Rain

Director and co-screenwriter Greta Gerwig cites the vividly Technicolored, dance-heavy Singin’ in the Rain as one of her main inspirations for the tone and visuals of Barbie. The 1954 film was written by Broadway stalwarts Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who turned it into a stage musical in 1985. You can clearly see the influence on the set design, lighting, and even the tailoring of Ryan Gosling and the Kens’ costumes from the classic Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse dream ballet:

Avenue Q

Avenue Q uses puppets and upbeat songs to teach the lessons Sesame Street forgot to include, like how to pay your bills, or how to handle romantic rejection, or what people really use the Internet for. Like Barbie, it uses the aesthetics of childhood to explore how scary adulthood can be sometimes.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

This show is a frothy, comedic romp about two female cabaret performers going after what they want, whether that’s men or money – this is the musical that gave us “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Notably, the show’s book is co-written by Anita Loos, who also wrote the bestselling novel on which the show is based, and who was the very first female screenwriter in Hollywood.

Megan Hilty performs “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend”

My Fair Lady

Who are you, if you’re someone else’s creation? George Bernard Shaw first explored this idea in his 1913 play Pygmalion. In 1957, Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe turned Pygmalion into the musical My Fair Lady. If you enjoyed watching the human and doll men in Barbie flail and flounce and postulate, you’ll like My Fair Lady’s take on gender relations, when upper-class Henry Higgins bets his friend he can turn poor flower girl Eliza Doolittle into a fine lady by teaching her a refined accent, without any regard for her own agency. A musical about patriarchal men wrecking their own lives by hewing too close to patriarchy…delicious.

Rex Harrison blusters his way through “A Hymn to Him”

Dames At Sea/Grease

Dames At Sea and Grease both take satirical aim at the gender norms of the 1940s and 1950s, respectively, very similar to how Barbie tackles today’s cognitive dissonance about how feminism apparently won, while the patriarchy remains in subtler ways. John Travolta as Danny in Grease gets a shoutout in Barbie, and these two shows share the movie’s blunt, on-the-nose sense of humor.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

As the title suggests, this musical is one big existential crisis. With bright costuming reflecting Pedro Almodovar’s original film, this 2011 musical has an energetic score by Tony winner David Yazbek. If you loved Barbie’s ability to take cracks at depression and ennui without minimizing the issue, this might be your new favorite cast album.

Laura Benanti performs one of musical theater’s best panic attack arias, “Model Behavior”

Evening Primrose

If you loved a movie about dolls, how about a musical about mannequins? In all seriousness, this rare gem, a one act musical by Stephen Sondheim written for television in the 1960s, shares many of the same themes as Greta Gerwig’s vision for Barbie – the desire of an object, or an objectified person, to be real. Gerwig is a known Sondheim fan (see: the Merrily sequence in Ladybird) and there’s a chance she was inspired by this show, about department store mannequins who come alive at night, and the human who discovers them, and tells them about the outside world.

Kelli O’Hara sings “Take Me to the World” from Evening Primrose:

Into the Woods

America Ferrera and Margot Robbie’s conversations in Barbie are so reminiscent of the Baker’s Wife-Cinderella dynamic in Into the Woods, each one jealous of the other’s dilemma. This musical is famous for its childhood stories turned to adulthood seriousness.