Broadway in Baltimore, as it belongs

I woke up this morning to a very pleasant surprise. The list of shows for next year's Broadway in Baltimore series at the Hippodrome is out and for the first time, I'm actually excited about every single show. My Playbill holder runneth over!

Typically there are one or two shows each season (usually a play) that don't really pique my interest, but not this time. While musicals are still my favorite, I'm even looking forward to the plays (Twelve Angry Men and Doubt) that are on the schedule. I honestly believe the only way it could be better is if Les Miserables was included. And, considering the fact that Les Mis is no longer touring, I think we really lucked out.

In case you haven't seen it yet, here's the lineup:
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Sept. 19-Oct. 1)
Twelve Angry Men (Oct. 24-Nov. 5)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Nov. 21-Dec. 3)
Wicked (Jan. 24-Feb. 18)
Monty Python's Spamalot (March 6-18)
Sweet Charity (with Molly Ringwald)
Doubt (May 1-13)

In addition, there are three non-subscription shows also included:
Mamma Mia! (Aug. 29-Sept. 10, 2006); Altar Boyz (Nov. 7-12); and Annie (Dec. 12-17). We'll definitely go to Mamma Mia! (for the upmteenth time... I love it!) and Annie is a possibility as well.

So while I'm talking about great theater, here's my list of my favorite Broadway shows of all time.

1. Les Miserables (This story is timeless and I can listen to the music over and over. It really doesn't get any better than this.)
2. Mamma Mia! (While people complain that the plot is thin, I think the writers did a remarkable job creating a story out of a series of songs. I only wish Movin' Out had been done so well.)
3. The Life (This was a short-lived Broadway musical focused on Times Square prostitutes in the 1980s. The soundtrack is incredible.)
4. Fiddler on the Roof (This is the first Broadway musical I ever saw. From then on, I was hooked.)

Honorable mentions go to Hairspray, Oklahoma, Little Shop of Horrors, The Lion King, Evita, and Chicago, and to a lesser extent, The Producers, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the Sound of Music, Phanton of the Opera, and Music Man.

Feel free to respond and tell me your favorites.