Musical Theatre Big Three Quiz
Answer the following questions about the Big Three musicals. Each question has one correct answer.
When people talk about musical theatre’s biggest giants, they don’t just mean shows that sold a lot of tickets. They mean productions that changed the game-shows that rewrote the rules, defined generations, and still pack theaters decades later. The big three musicals aren’t just popular. They’re cultural landmarks. And if you’ve ever sat in a Broadway or West End audience, you’ve probably felt their weight in the air before the first note even played.
The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera is a gothic romance musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, and a book by Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe. Also known as Phantom, it premiered in London’s West End in 1986 and opened on Broadway in 1988.
It’s not just the longest-running musical in history-it’s the only one to hit 13,000 performances on Broadway and over 14,000 globally. That’s more than 35 years of nightly chandeliers dropping, masked figures appearing in mirrors, and audiences holding their breath during "The Music of the Night."
What made it stick? The score. The costumes. The spectacle. But mostly, it was the story-a lonely genius trapped in the shadows, obsessed with a young soprano who doesn’t see him as a monster, but as a man. It’s Shakespearean in its tragedy, wrapped in velvet and fog machines. Even people who hate musicals admit they’ve cried at this one.
It’s the show that turned musical theatre into a global brand. Before Phantom, musicals were seen as fun, lightweight entertainment. After Phantom, they became events. People bought tickets years in advance. They traveled across continents to see them. It didn’t just run-it became a destination.
Les Misérables
Les Misérables is a sweeping historical musical based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, with music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil, and a book by Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel.
It opened in London in 1985, two years before Phantom, and quickly became the emotional powerhouse of the stage. It doesn’t have a chandelier or a ghost. It has a barricade. A single word: "Do You Hear the People Sing?" And it doesn’t end with a kiss-it ends with a sunrise and a promise.
Les Misérables is the musical that made audiences feel the weight of history. It’s about poverty, justice, revolution, and redemption. It’s about Jean Valjean, a man who spends his life running from his past and trying to become good. It’s about Javert, the lawman who can’t accept mercy. It’s about Cosette, Marius, Eponine-the kids caught in the middle.
It’s also the musical that made the revolving stage famous. The set turns slowly, like time itself, pulling you from one scene to the next. The songs don’t just tell the story-they become the story. "I Dreamed a Dream" isn’t a solo. It’s a cry from the dark. "One Day More" isn’t a finale-it’s a storm gathering before the storm.
It’s been translated into 22 languages. It’s been performed in prisons, schools, and refugee camps. It’s the musical that doesn’t ask you to escape reality. It asks you to face it.
Cats
Cats is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on T.S. Eliot’s poetry collection "Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats," with lyrics by Trevor Nunn and additional material by Richard Stilgoe.
Cats opened in London in 1981 and on Broadway in 1982. It ran for 18 years in London and 18 years on Broadway. That’s longer than most people’s careers. And it did it without a plot.
No, really. There’s no traditional story. No villain. No love triangle. Just a bunch of cats-realistic, fur-covered, makeup-smeared cats-gathered on a junkyard for one night to decide which one gets to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn.
It’s pure spectacle. The choreography by Gillian Lynne turned dancers into felines with impossible flexibility. The costumes took 400 hours to make per cat. The lighting? Designed to make the stage look like a moonlit alley. The music? Jazzy, rhythmic, and unforgettable. "Memory," sung by the aging Grizabella, became a global hit. Even people who’d never seen the show knew the tune.
Cats didn’t win Best Musical at the Tonys. Critics called it shallow. But audiences didn’t care. They came for the cats. They came for the movement. They came because it felt like magic. It was the first musical designed not to tell a story, but to create a feeling. And it worked.
Why These Three? And Not Others?
You could argue for Hamilton. Or Wicked. Or Rent. All huge. All important. But none of them changed the industry the way these three did.
Hamilton brought hip-hop to Broadway. Wicked gave us a new kind of villain. Rent spoke to a generation. But Phantom, Les Mis, and Cats? They didn’t just speak to a generation-they created a new kind of theater.
They were the first to use massive budgets, international marketing, and global licensing as standard practice. They turned musicals into franchises. They made it possible for shows to tour the world for decades, not just run for a year.
Before them, musicals were local. After them, they were global. You could see Phantom in Tokyo, Les Mis in São Paulo, and Cats in Seoul-all on the same night, with the same costumes, the same music, the same tears.
What They Have in Common
They all premiered between 1981 and 1988. That’s not a coincidence. That was the golden age of the megamusical.
They all used technology to enhance emotion-not replace it. Projections, revolving stages, fog, lighting-they weren’t gimmicks. They were tools to make the story feel bigger.
They all had scores that stayed in your head for days. Not just catchy tunes-songs that carried emotional weight. You don’t just hum "Memory." You feel it.
And they all had characters you couldn’t forget. The Phantom’s pain. Valjean’s redemption. Grizabella’s loneliness. These weren’t cardboard heroes. They were broken, beautiful, and real.
Where to See Them Today
Phantom is still running in London’s Her Majesty’s Theatre. Les Misérables returned to Broadway in 2023 after a five-year break and is now on tour across North America. Cats had a major revival in 2016 and is still performed by regional theaters, schools, and community groups worldwide.
You won’t find them on Netflix. You won’t find them on TikTok. You have to be there. In the dark. With the lights down. With strangers holding their breath beside you. That’s the point.
These aren’t just shows. They’re experiences that outlast trends, technology, and even time itself.
Are the big three musicals still popular today?
Yes. Phantom still runs in London after more than 35 years. Les Misérables returned to Broadway in 2023 and tours globally. Cats is performed constantly by schools, community theaters, and amateur groups. Their music, costumes, and stories remain iconic.
Why is Cats considered one of the big three if it has no plot?
Cats succeeded because it created an immersive experience, not a narrative. Its choreography, design, and music-especially "Memory"-made it unforgettable. It proved musicals could thrive on emotion and spectacle alone, changing how theaters thought about storytelling.
Is Hamilton part of the big three?
No. While Hamilton revolutionized modern musical theatre with its hip-hop style and diverse casting, it hasn’t yet reached the longevity or global saturation of Phantom, Les Mis, or Cats. It’s a cultural phenomenon, but the "big three" are defined by decades of continuous performance and worldwide influence.
Which of the big three is the most financially successful?
The Phantom of the Opera holds the record as the highest-grossing musical of all time, with over $1.4 billion in ticket sales worldwide. Les Misérables is second, with more than $1 billion. Cats earned over $3 billion in total revenue when adjusted for inflation and global touring.
Can I see these musicals outside of Broadway and London?
Absolutely. Phantom has toured over 30 countries. Les Misérables has had productions in Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, and Johannesburg. Cats has been performed in more than 30 languages and is one of the most frequently licensed musicals for amateur groups worldwide.
