History FanPreferredCouple / Theatre

* ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'': Elphaba/Glinda is more popular than the other couples, including the canon Fiyero/Elphaba.

* Death and ''Theatre/{{Elisabeth}}'', the OfficialCouple of that musical, isn't as popular as Death/Rudolf - the latter has more works on Website/ArchiveOfOurOwn and general fan content/discussion than the former. [[note]]Okay, Death/Rudolf is canon to an extent, but still...[[/note]] Franz Joseph/Elisabeth, who are ''canonically married'' is even worse off, with a measly eleven [=AO3=] fics.

* Death and ''Theatre/{{Elisabeth}}'', the OfficialCouple of that musical, isn't as popular as Death/Rudolf - the latter has more works on Website/ArchiveOfOurOwn and general fan content/discussion than the former. [[note]]Okay, Death/Rudolf is canon to an extent, but still...[[/note]] Franz Joseph/Elisabeth, who are ''canonically married'' is even worse off, with ''zero'' [=AO3=] fics.

* ''Film/{{Hairspray}}'': Also, the almost BelligerentSexualTension of [[RunningGag Corny Collins and Amber competing in hogging cameratime]] has made Corny/Amber surprisingly popular.

** Enjolras/Grantaire is a very popular pairing despite it being one-sided admiration in the book and stage versions.
** Valjean remains a CelibateHero throughout all versions of the story, but that doesn't stop the numerous fanfics that pair him with [[RescueRomance Fantine]] [[YaoiFangirl or]] [[FoeYay Javert]].

* ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'':
** Elphaba/Glinda is somewhat more popular then the other couples, though Fiyero/Elphaba has its own large number of shippers.
** One could see Elphaba/Glinda/Fiyero as a kind of fan preferred {{OT3}}.

* ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' presents Christine and Raoul as the true romance, but a vast majority of "phans" prefer the Phantom and Christine to Christine and Raoul, despite the former man being a CrazyJealousGuy. This may have been due to the show [[/RelationshipCompression compressing]] Raoul and Christine's relationship and downplaying many of his flaws while Christine and the Phantom get five entire duets to themselves.

* ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'': A vast majority of "phans" prefer the Phantom and Christine to Christine and Raoul... one of these phans is Creator/AndrewLloydWebber [[AuthorAppeal who made the broadway adaptation]].
** The sequel ''Theatre/LoveNeverDies'' written by Webber [[Main/DerailingLoveInterests derails Raoul]] into an alcoholic, emotionally neglectful husband just to raise the possibility that the Phantom and Christine can be an official couple. [[spoiler: It's revealed that she always loved the Phantom more all along, and they are the official couple at the end.]] The fact that this one is usually treated with FanonDiscontinuity ''despite'' fans agreeing with the ship really says a lot.
** Comparing the book to the theatre and film adaptations, the main consensus of fans preferring Christine being with the eponymous CrazyJealousGuy over her childhood sweetheart Raoul, is simply because the Phantom is just more interesting than Raoul. Fans of the book will know this is far from true, as Raoul is actually a very flawed, complex and endearing character in the text while he’s a completely FlatCharacter in the stage adaptation. It also doesn’t help Raoul and Christine’s relationship suffers from RelationshipCompression, as they spend less time together in the musical than they do in the book — only having a couple of songs together, compared the five duets Christine and the Phantom sing together.

* ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'': A vast majority of "phans" prefer the Phantom and Christine to Christine and Raoul... one of these phans is Creator/AndrewLloydWebber who made the broadway adaptation.

** Comparing the book to theatre and film adaptations, the main consensus of fans preferring Christine being with the eponymous CrazyJealousGuy over her childhood sweetheart Raoul, is simply because the Phantom is just more interesting than Raoul. Fans of the book will know this is far from true, as Raoul is actually a very flawed, complex and endearing character in the text while he’s a completely FlatCharacter in the stage adaptation.

* ''Theatre/{{Cats}}'': Pairing together Rum Tug Tugger and Mr. Mistoffelees is popular in the fandom.

* Tracy/Seaweed from ''Film/{{Hairspray}}'', rather than Tracy/Link, particularly due to the 2007 film, where Link's role of actually helping Tracy is cut and it's generally felt he did nothing to earn Tracy in the end other than feel sorry about his actions.
** Also, the almost BelligerentSexualTension of [[RunningGag Corny Collins and Amber competing in hogging cameratime]] has made Corny/Amber surprisingly popular.

* Kendra/Archie are this in ''Theatre/{{Thirteen}}''.

* Although Scorpius/Rose seemed the most popular of the next generation character ships for a time, it was soon '''vastly''' overshadowed by Scorpius/Albus after the release of ''Theatre/HarryPotterAndTheCursedChild'', which contained so much dialogue of affection and care for one another that many readers genuinely thought it was headed towards a romantic relationship, with many popular websites such as the Guardian and Vox accusing the play of queerbaiting.
* ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'': A vast majority of "phans" prefer the Phantom and Christine to Christine and Raoul... one of these phans is Creator/AndrewLloydWebber who made the broadway adaptation.
** The sequel ''Theatre/LoveNeverDies'' written by Webber [[Main/DerailingLoveInterests derails Raoul]] into an alcoholic, emotionally neglectful husband just to raise the possibility that the Phantom and Christine can be an official couple. [[spoiler: It's revealed that she always loved the Phantom more all along, and they are the official couple at the end.]] The fact that this one is usually treated with FanonDiscontinuity ''despite'' fans agreeing with the ship really says a lot.
** Comparing the book to theatre and film adaptations, the main consensus of fans preferring Christine being with the eponymous CrazyJealousGuy over her childhood sweetheart Raoul, is simply because the Phantom is just more interesting than Raoul. Fans of the book will know this is far from true, as Raoul is actually a very flawed, complex and endearing character in the text while he’s a completely FlatCharacter in the stage adaptation.
* Creator/GeorgeBernardShaw was annoyed by fans of his play ''Theatre/{{Pygmalion}}'' trying to ship Eliza Doolittle and Professor Higgins, and [[WordOfGod adamantly declared]] that the two would never be more than friends (and not very close friends, at that) and declared that, after the events in his play, Eliza Doolittle eventually marries Freddy and they open a flower shop together. He wrote an [[http://www.bartleby.com/138/6.html essay]] about that, which was included in the 1916 print edition of the play. The musical ''Theatre/MyFairLady'', made after Shaw's death, has an ending that implies much more strongly that the two of them do get together. As ''Pygmalion'' was written in 1913 and the first film adaptation was made in 1938, this particular FanPreferredCouple is OlderThanTelevision.

** Elphaba/Glinda is somewhat more popular then the other couples, though Fiyero/Elphaba has its own large number of shippers though.

* Kendra/Archie are this in ''Theatre/{{Thirteen}}''.
* Tracy/Seaweed from ''Film/{{Hairspray}}'', rather than Tracy/Link, particularly due to the 2007 film, where Link's role of actually helping Tracy is cut and it's generally felt he did nothing to earn Tracy in the end other than feel sorry about his actions.
** Also, the almost BelligerentSexualTension of [[RunningGag Corny Collins and Amber competing in hogging cameratime]] has made Corny/Amber surprisingly popular.
* ''Theatre/StarlightExpress'' fans are more likely to pair Electra's minions with each other or with other trucks than with Electra himself. [[PsychoLesbian Wrench/Volta]] and [[CampGay Purse]]/[[AmbiguouslyGay Caboose]] are probably the two most popular ships.
* There aren't that many Alfred/Sarah shippers out there. Most ''Theatre/TanzDerVampire'' fans seem to prefer Sarah with Krolock, and a strong number like to pair Alfred with Herbert. Anyone who's seen the film beforehand ships Krolock/Professor with renewed vigour, some fans going so far as to state that 'Gott ist tot' is aimed at the Professor, not Sarah.
* Roughly 90% of what little ''[[Theatre/CompanySondheim Company]]'' fanfiction there is seems to pair Bobby/Joanne, despite the fact that Joanne is married to Larry. The fact that one of the key scenes in the show has Joanne propositioning Bobby probably helps.
* ''Film/IntoTheWoods'' fans love to pair up Cinderella and the Baker. The show basically invites this, since by the end [[spoiler: he's been widowed, she's been abandoned, and they're about to move in together with three kids]], but nothing in the script suggests more than a platonic relationship.
* In ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'', while many do support Hamilton being with his real-life wife Eliza, most fanfiction focuses on [[HoYay Hamilton/John Laurens]] instead.
* Death and ''Theatre/{{Elisabeth}}'', the OfficialCouple of that musical, isn't as popular as Death/Rudolf - the latter has more works on Website/ArchiveOfOurOwn and general fan content/discussion than the former. [[note]]Okay, Death/Rudolf is canon to an extent, but still...[[/note]] Franz Joseph/Elisabeth, who are ''canonically married'' is even worse off, with ''zero'' [=AO3=] fics.
* A lot of fans of ''Theatre/BeMoreChill'' gravitate towards Jeremy/Michael instead of the OfficialCouple, Jeremy/Christine. While it would be hard to find someone who actually doesn't like Christine, we see Michael and Jeremy hang out far more often, they're already best friends (as opposed to Jeremy just admiring Christine from afar), and Michael himself has been [[WordOfGod confirmed]] to be pining for Jeremy throughout the story.
* ''Theatre/{{Cats}}'': Pairing together Rum Tug Tugger and Mr. Mistoffelees is popular in the fandom.

* In ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'', it's fairly common to ship Hamilton's son Philip with Burr's daughter Theodosia, usually on the grounds that it'd be hilarious, considering Burr and Hamilton's relationship.

* Roughly 90% of what little ''Theatre/{{Company}}'' fanfiction there is seems to pair Bobby/Joanne, despite the fact that Joanne is married to Larry. The fact that one of the key scenes in the show has Joanne propositioning Bobby probably helps.

** Comparing the book to theatre and film adaptations, the main consensus of fans preferring Christine being with the eponymous CrazyJealousGuy over her childhood sweetheart Raoul is because the Phantom is just more interesting than Raoul. Fans of the book will know this far from true, as Raoul is a very flawed complex and endearing character in the text while he’s unfortunately a FlatCharacter in the stage adaptation.

* ''ThePhantomOfTheOpera'': A vast majority of "phans" prefer the Phantom and Christine to Christine and Raoul... one of these phans is Creator/AndrewLloydWebber who made the broadway adaptation.

* Death and ''Theatre/{{Elisabeth}}'', the OfficialCouple of that musical, isn't as popular as Death/Rudolf - the latter has more works on ArchiveOfOurOwn and general fan content/discussion than the former. [[note]]Okay, Death/Rudolf is canon to an extent, but still...[[/note]] Franz Joseph/Elisabeth, who are ''canonically married'' is even worse off, with ''zero'' [=AO3=] fics.

* ''ThePhantomOfTheOpera'': A vast majority of "phans" prefer the Phantom and Christine to Christine and Raoul.
** The sequel ''Theatre/LoveNeverDies'' [[Main/DerailingLoveInterests derails Raoul]] into an alcoholic, emotionally neglectful husband just to raise the possibility that the Phantom and Christine can be an official couple. [[spoiler: It's revealed that she always loved the Phantom more all along, and they are the official couple at the end.]] The fact that this one is usually treated with FanonDiscontinuity ''despite'' fans agreeing with the ship really says a lot.