Classicalite's Five Best: Musicals from 1963 (50th Anniversary Edition)

We've all been talking about the 2013 classical anniversary boys (and a few gals).

But 50 years ago was a remarkably ripe season for some of musical theater's richest pickings.

Here, then, are Classicalite's Five Best from 1963...

Oliver!

From the East End of London and English music-hall traditions came Lionel Bart's masterpiece, reaching Broadway's Imperial Theatre on January 6. If it never quite became the iconic show in American that it remains in many other countries, it's still a gem.

Oh, What a Lovely War!

Joan Littlewood's legendary, genre-busting show (in which Bart also had a hand) exploded into the Theatre Royal, Stratford East in March and marched straight on to London's West End.

On the Town

Leonard Bernstein's postcard from New York reached London. Some of his best numbers, with (mostly) subtle allusions to some of Lennie's own favorite composers laced into the show's fabric.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Stephen Sondheim, having played lyricist for Bernstein's West Side Story and Jule Styne's Gypsy, finally had his breakthrough as a composer (and lyricist) with this ribald Roman farce. It hit London in 1963.

She Loves Me

Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick delivered a fabulous romantic comedy the year before they went one better with Fiddler on the Roof. Features the best song about ice cream ever and opened at Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre on April 23.

And, by the way, this was also the year of Cliff Richard's humalong movie musical, Summer Holiday. All together now!