Fun fact about me: I LOVE musical theater.

Seriously. I was a theater kid in high school and my affinity for the art form *peers over glasses* has only grown since then. Although I don’t perform anymore, I still love seeing a great show whether it’s at a local theater or a stage production on Netflix. And on days like today I’m just in the mood for a theater jam session on Spotify.

So without further ado, here’s a list of recent musicals that tug at my theater-loving heartstrings:

1. Hamilton (duh!)

When I first heard the Hamilton soundtrack it blew me away.

U.S. history and Hip-Hop? You’ve got to be kidding, right?

Wrong.

Lin-Manuel Miranda created a masterpiece with Hamilton and I don’t think I’ll ever stop geeking out over it. I memorized the first three numbers word-for-word and my family thinks I’m crazy. They’re not as entertained as I am when this little ginger tries to rap.

2. The Greatest Showman

After reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, I had a love-hate relationship with the circus. In fact, just a few days ago I started crying thinking about the abuse those sweet creatures endure. It’s a terrible industry. That being said..

I am OBSESSED with this musical.

I’m bracing for the backlash, but I wasn’t impressed with Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables so I didn’t really know what to expect from him in The Greatest Showman.

Needless to say, all my wildest dreams came true. I fell in love with Hugh Jackman for the first time and I fell in love with Zac Efron all over again. Efron’s dynamic with Zendaya was so heart-warming and I haven’t stopped singing “Never Enough” since.

3. Newsies

I know this one isn’t all that ‘new.’ But it’s sort of new to me. I watched the Netflix version for the first time recently and I adore it. And my sister has been blasting the soundtrack for the past two weeks. So it’s top-of-mind at the moment.

I have a bit of a journalism background so Newsies struck a chord with me. I can’t help it… I get emotional when those boys fight for their rights and “Seize the Day.”

4. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again

I just saw the movie this week (PTL for MoviePass amiright?) and it was so fun! I liked this one even better than the original Mamma Mia. It felt a little more natural. The musical numbers weren’t quite as forced.

The casting was perfect and Colin Firth shone like the sun as always.

I was laughing out loud and trying desperately not to sing along so as not to bother the other people in the theater. How people can build a story around so many random ABBA songs, I will never know. But I never want them to stop.

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The bottomline: Musical theater is still thriving and I’m here for it.

Whether it’s the classics or the new trendy stuff, I’ll always be down for a dorky musical discussion. So send me your favorites!