Based on the eponymous novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has just recently past its seventh Broadway anniversary and has set numerous records during its phenomenal run so far (and it doesn’t look set to slow down any time soon).

The show is a prequel shedding light on the life of the Wicked Witch of the West, characterizing her as a misunderstood and persecuted victim during the Wizard of Oz’ corrupt rule.

Even just seeing the title sets Abba songs off in your head. The show opened in London’s West End in 1999, but toured all around America before reaching Broadway in 2001.

It’s not, as you would expect, autobiographical of Abba, but the hit songs peppered throughout have made it one of the most popular musicals ever. Set on a gorgeous Greek island, the plot follows Sophie as she tries to find her real father (out of a possible three) while in the process of getting married.

A relatively new musical, Jersey Boys opened on Broadway in 2005 and went on to tremendous success the next year.

The show charters the rise and fall of The Four Seasons band during the 60s, with each act narrated by a different member of the band. They’re one of the biggest selling acts of all time and were more famous than the Beatles before they turned up, and their story is an enthralling one (regardless of whether you’re a fan of the music).

Billy Elliott the Musical cost over twice as much to produce than the 2000 film on which it is based. Nevertheless, after opening in 2005 on the West End, the roaring success saw productions premiering around the world shortly after.

The titular character is Billy Elliot, a child growing up in Northern England during the miner’s strikes of 1984. Billy develops a love of ballet, much to the chagrin of his family, as the plot follows his struggle to find acceptance and success. Despite the very localized plot and references, the show has been a hit with audiences the world over.

Chicago is one of the most popular on Broadway, and is one of the longest running shows of all time (and the number one longest-running musical revival). Based on the 1924 novel of the same name, the story has been reincarnated numerous times on film and on stage.

A vaudevillian tale of cold-blooded murder, fame and jazz. The two lead characters, Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, find themselves on death row after killing their partners. Seeing a chance to escape their fates through fame, they compete against each other for the attention of the press and their shared lawyer as all characters try to manipulate the situation for their own gain.

The longest running production in Broadway history (and second longest in the West End), Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera is the most financially successful single entertainment event in the World.

Completely deformed since birth, a nameless man terrorizes the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with the House’s chorus singer Christine and tutors her musically, all the while trying to win her lead production roles. When Christine’s childhood friend appears as a love interest, The Phantom attempts to kidnap her.

An innovative musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film, featuring actors in full costume and gigantic puppetry.

The musical follows the plot of the Disney film closely, albeit with some extraordinary stage effects and costume design (including 18 foot giraffes). The score also features some of the hit music which featured in the film, along with a few additions.

Promises, Promises is the musical adaptation of the 1960 film The Apartment and features award-winning music by Burt Bacharach. It first hit Broadway in 1968 and is only now returning after forty years.

Set in 60s Manhattan, the musical focuses on Chuck Baxter, a city slicker who is keen to advance in his career. In exchange for promotion, he lends executives his apartment for their extramarital affairs, but things go awry when his love interest, Fran Kubelik, becomes the mistress of one of his bosses. Despite it sounding racy, it’s suitable for kids.

Having just passed its 400 performance mark and first anniversary on Broadway, Memphis hit the big stage in 2009 after touring the States for six years.

The musical is loosely based on the career of Dewey Philips, a white radio DJ who was amongst the first to play black music during the 50s and a black club singer trying to make it into the big time. The 50s Memphis music era makes for a great setting, and amongst the score are songs penned by David Bryan, founding member of Bon Jovi.

Since its original Broadway production in 1957, West Side Story has been revived a few times on both sides of the Atlantic. It continues to be a success in New York, despite receiving massively varying reviews from the critics. The Broadway production is due to close in January 2011.

West Side Story can be thought of as a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, mirroring the plot of Shakespeare’s iconic play but set in NYC during the 1950s.

Dirty Dancing opened in Sydney in 2004, receiving such a great reaction after a number of sell-out runs that it came to the West End in 2006 (and went on to garner the highest pre-sell in history with $12m worth of tickets).

A coming of age tale which sees Frances “Baby” Houseman fall in love with her dance tutor. Naturally, the film version featured a large amount of dancing (nearly a third of the film involved choreography) and the stage version reflects this, including all the hit songs from the movie. It’s a hit with the female demographic, but has never enjoyed much widespread interest from males.

We Will Rock You is the longest-running show in the massive Dominion Theater at the heart of London’s West End. Following on from a history of successful jukebox musicals, the show was written by Ben Elton in collaboration with the surviving members of Queen.

The show features music from Queen yet takes place in a dystopian future where conformity rules. The music produced by the world’s dominating corporation is all computer generated, leading to a group of rebels attempting to free the masses with rock and roll. Critics slated the plot almost universally, however it has become one of the best-loved shows still being performed.

2010 marks the 25th anniversary of Les Miserables, the world’s longest running musical show and surpassed its 10,000th performance mark at the beginning of the year.

The musical is based on the 1862 French novel by Victor Hugo, albeit with a few differences. The plot focuses on the gritty reality ex-convict Jean Valjean finds himself in upon emerging from prison – spanning 25 years, the struggles of an intertwining cast of characters play out as Jean tries to reinvent himself with interesting results.