Musicals

1. In this musical, a character proposes that he and a young woman move to Marseille to escape the turmoil surrounding them, but she refuses because she wants to stay with her people. That woman is introduced in the song “I Feel Pretty,” while another character sings a duet about their love titled “Tonight.” The protagonist sings “Maria” after meeting his love interest, who is the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. That protagonist, Tony, tries to stop a conflict between the Sharks and the Jets but ultimately kills Bernardo after Bernardo kills Riff. Based on Romeo and Juliet, for ten points, name this Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim musical about warring gangs in New York City.
ANSWER: West Side Story

2. A hidden trapdoor, a masked figure, and a crashing chandelier are key elements of this musical, which features the song “The Point of No Return.” One of its most famous duets includes the lyrics “say you’ll share with me one love, one lifetime.” This musical’s title character lives beneath a Paris opera house, where he lures a young singer to his lair while singing “The Music of the Night.” The protagonist, Christine Daaé, ultimately rejects the title character in favor of her lover Raoul. Adapted from a novel by Gaston Leroux, for ten points, name this Andrew Lloyd Webber musical featuring the song “The Phantom of the Opera.”
ANSWER: The Phantom of the Opera

3. In this musical, a professor places a bet with his friend Colonel Pickering and then performs an experiment in which he transforms a lower-class woman into someone fit to attend an embassy ball. That woman sings about her frustration with the professor in “Just You Wait” and later charms the crowd with her pronunciation in “The Rain in Spain.” She later becomes frustrated when the professor fails to acknowledge her contributions to his success, leading her to consider marrying Freddy Eynsforth-Hill instead. For ten points, name this Lerner and Loewe musical in which Henry Higgins trains the Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle, based on Pygmalion.
ANSWER: My Fair Lady

4. In this musical, a narrator addresses the audience throughout the story, portraying both a crowd member and an omniscient observer of the events unfolding. One song in this musical opens with the lines “It won’t be easy, you’ll think it strange,” while another song features the lyrics “Oh what a circus, oh what a show.” In the first act, the protagonist rises from a struggling actress to become a powerful political figure after marrying the President of Argentina, Juan Perón. Featuring the song “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” for ten points, name this Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical about the life of Eva Perón.
ANSWER: Evita

5. This musical features a character who warns that the world is changing and that long-standing customs are beginning to disappear, a theme emphasized in the opening number, “Tradition.” In another scene, that character’s second daughter, Hodel, sings “Far From the Home I Love” as she follows her radical student fiancé Perchik to Siberia. The protagonist’s third daughter, Chava, falls in love with a Russian man, Fyedka, which leads to her being disowned. At the end of the musical, the Jewish protagonist and his family are forced to leave their village of Anatevka due to a pogrom. For ten points, name this musical featuring the song “If I Were a Rich Man,” centered on the milkman Tevye.
ANSWER: Fiddler on the Roof

6. This musical’s plot revolves around a competition overseen by a wise elder, who must choose a winner among a group of unusual candidates. The competitors introduce themselves through various solos, including one performed by a rebellious character known as the “curious cat.” The title creatures include Mr. Mistoffelees, Rum Tum Tugger, and Old Deuteronomy, who ultimately chooses a formerly disgraced feline after she sings “Memory.” Based on poems by T.S. Eliot, for ten points, name this Andrew Lloyd Webber musical about a tribe of cats.
ANSWER: Cats

7. The second act of this musical opens with a wedding procession featuring “Sunrise, Sunset,” while the first act contains a humorous number in which a matchmaker attempts to find husbands for three sisters. The protagonist spends much of the musical speaking to God and discussing his struggles, including his poverty and his daughters’ unconventional marriage choices. This musical is set in a small Jewish village in Tsarist Russia, where the protagonist ultimately leaves with his family after their community is forcibly displaced. For ten points, name this musical featuring Tevye, the song “If I Were a Rich Man,” and a titular musician balancing precariously.
ANSWER: Fiddler on the Roof