9 Broadway Musicals I Wish I Saw During Their Original Run

They're classic pieces for a reason.

The magic of theater is that productions and/or casts only last in a limited run.

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By that virtue, there are productions you will miss.

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Whether it's because of means, geography, or just simply not being born or old enough.

Here are the productions I wish I could have witnessed in their original run.

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1. Spring Awakening

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I was 10 when this show debuted on Broadway, so there was no way I was going to be able to see it. But I wish time worked differently and I would have been old enough because I think it would have hit me in the way it hit everyone else who saw it. And to see the performances by Jonathan Groff (Tony nominee) and John Gallagher Jr. (Tony winner) and the rest of the cast would have been extraordinary.

2. Funny Girl

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Beyond it being a legendary production that catapulted Barbra Streisand to superstardom, it was the only time Barbra Streisand starred on Broadway. So, yeah, this one is a no brainer.

3. Cats (?)

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Not because I think Cats is a masterpiece, but because I want to know if I would have the correct reaction, or get swept up in the madness that was, and is, Cats. And I think that's a question we all need answered for ourselves.

4. Dreamgirls

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The original Effie was Jennifer Holliday and the original Deena was Sheryl Lee Ralph. Stacked cast. And I love musical casts that are stacked. I would also like to be in the room when Jennifer Holliday is singing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" because I feel like my face would be blown off.

5. Chicago

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As most musical theater fans did, I watched Fosse/Verdon, which gave everyone serious FOMO because we can no longer witness the genius of Gwen Verdon. I want to be witness to it (both her work onstage, and the uncredited work she did off stage), and also the legendary Chita Rivera!

6. Once

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I am not generally a fan of the movie-to-musical adaptation. This is the exception to that rule. One, because it already has music in it and they're great songs, so you don't have to worry about writing a score to fit a movie. Two, the cast plays their own instruments and it actually works.

7. The Color Purple (2015 Revival)

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The Color Purple was a good show when it debuted, but the 2015 revival, directed by John Doyle, breathed new life into the material. And Cynthia Erivo is a huge reason why. To go on the journey through her to get to that powerhouse of an 11 o'clock number in "I'm Here" is something I wish I had seen.

8. Rent

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I mean it's Rent. A cultural phenomenon from an artist lost well before his time that helped spark a new idea of what a Broadway show could be.

9. Any Original Sondheim Production

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Yes, this is kind of a cop-out answer, but also, where's the lie? I'll go down the list: West Side Story, Gypsy, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, Assassins, and that's not all of them.

What Broadway shows do you wish you could have seen?