Musical Madness: Top Picks You NEED To See!

Hello Everyone! I have been working on this one for quite some time. It was incredibly difficult to choose a selection of musicals for this blog post as to many, musical theatres is an escape from their reality and from the world around them. So, with everything happening in the world right now I thought I would focus on the one thing I love getting lost in, time and time again…. Musicals! Before I breakdown this blog post I just wanted to give a shout out to everyone who gave me recommendations on musicals and musicals soundtracks! I really enjoyed listening to a few I hadn’t heard of before and listening to some of my favourite again! Also, this was such a trip down memory lane with many of these being covered in stage school! For those of you who would prefer to listen to the music and skip on sitting through hours of screen time keep an eye out on the end of the post for a playlist link!

Now, more than ever it is easier to lose yourself in the world of musicals for the first time or, even the 100^th time with, many ways to access musical theatre from your home and all you need is internet connection. Three ways which involve a subscription with two offering a seven-day free trial is Netflix, Disney+ and broadwayhd.com. While one completely free option being Andrew Lloyd Webber’s YouTube Channel! I currently am subscribed to Netflix and Disney+ while I am about to avail of broadwayhd.com free trial. For anyone with Sky TV, keep an eye on Sky Arts and when they change one of their movie channels to Sky Musicals. Sky Arts have been showing several stage productions of musicals in recent weeks and also ballet versions of musicals too; the Moulin Rouge has been my favourite.  *I am listing the places I found these musicals on in the hope to help our readers who may want to go watch some of the musicals after reading this blog post*

 One beauty about this blog post is once a musical is named it can’t be used in another section. One downside is I had to leave so many out! So, sit back, relax and get ready to lose yourself to the theatre!

 And 5,6,7,8…

5 Musicals to help with your History Lessons: 

 These ones are for those of us who feel they need to learn something new.

• Les Miserables: I adore the musical a lot. I’d suggest the movie version from 2013 which you can find on Netflix or, if you can find the 25^th Anniversary recording watch that one. Or both!

• Evita: The musical that Madonna starred in! It also gave us one of the most memorable musical songs of all time of all time ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’.

• Dream Girls: The movie version from 2006 is loosely based on the stage production of the same name which is based on The Supremes music act. ‘One Night Only’ is my favourite from this one. 

• Michael Collins: This one is especially for my friend Aoife and anyone else who adores Irish History. It tells the story of Michael Collins from the 1916 Rising, the war of Independence and the Irish Civil. Add it to your list to listen to the soundtrack.

• Hamilton: This one, you are going to have to listen to the soundtrack as we patiently await the recorded stage production. Kick it back to the American Revolution and Alexander Hamilton’s life!

10 Family friendly Musical Toppers: 

 Ones for all the family to enjoy or by yourself! There are a mixture of some Golden Oldies and some new additions to the Musical Movie Franchise in this list.

• Newsies: With Disney+ taking over many families lives at the moment we FINALLY have easy access to one of the greatest musical movies ever made. Personal opinion of course but one I would highly recommend to watch at least once. 

• Hairspray: The one musical I cannot watch without getting up out of my seat and dancing around the room too! I challenge everyone to watch it and let me know if you can sit through ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’ without bopping even a little bit!

• Oliver:  This absolute treasure needs to be watched with family and those you love. A classic that everyone has to watch at least once.

• The Sound of Music: Of course this musical classic had to make the list! I think most households in Ireland watch it at least once over the Christmas Season. It may be a long film but it is worth it. Do your family a favour and sit down and watch The Sound Of Music.

• Into the Woods: This one is a bit eerie but, if you have kids who adore the Brothers Grimm version of the fairy-tales or if you yourself adore them, you NEED to watch this. ‘Agony’ to this day I cannot take seriously and always have the biggest smile on my face watching that scene. 

• Fame: The original people. Please don’t kill it by watching the remake.  The original holds a special place in my heart. I will always associate the title track with my mum and dance around the kitchen to it.

• The King and I: A true classic, make sure you watch the 1956 version with the family. I always associate this one with my grandad. It has aged incredibly well and the music is divine.

• The Greatest Showman: The most recent musical extravaganza! If you haven’t seen this movie yet please go watch it after reading this blog post!

• Bugsy Malone: Kids pretending to be in a gang and a speakeasy in the 1920’s with pie guns! Yes please! I remember watching this as a child with my family at least once a week and not fully taking in the setting as much as I do now. Some amazing songs in this one and if you don’t do some fun dance moves to ‘Fat Sam’s Grand Slam!’ I’ll be shocked!

• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang holds the first song we ever learned in stage school, ‘Truly Scrumptious’. Keep an eye on the little ones in your life during the Child Catcher scene because he honestly still gives me the creeps.

5 Golden Oldies that you NEED to see: 

 These are some of the earliest movie memories I have, sitting back with my parents and watching these classics. They are all family friendly too but, if you are not familiar with musicals you might have forgotten about some of these titles. All of the following I have extremely fond memories of and are the reason I fell in love with musicals:

• Fiddler on the Roof
• Oklahoma 
• Singing in the Rain
• My Fair Lady
• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

10 Musical Must Sees:

 This section sums up the musicals I go back to every single time I need to watch a musical. Between DVDs and Netflix I have access to them at all times.

• Moulin Rouge: Arguably one of the best musical movie soundtracks of all time and it holds its own against the older repertoire of musicals. I think most people have watched the Moulin Rouge for its love story but my suggestion is to get lost in its soundtrack.

• Phantom of the Opera: Now I know many people are a fan of the movie version released in 2004 but, my recommendation if you can track it down is the stage production from the Royal Albert Hall that they showed on Sky Arts.

• Chicago: I adore this musical and I have fond memories from stage school with this one. Let’s be real ladies. We all want to perform ‘Cell Block Tango’ at least once in our life with our girlies. 

•  Cabaret: One musical that shaped the definition of an entire decade of musical. Such a fabulous performance by Liza Minnelli in the 1972 movie edition. I think everyone knows or has heard of the title song ‘Cabaret’ because, “Life is a Cabaret, old chum!’. 

• Grease: The live recording featuring Vannessa Ann Hudgens is on Netflix but if you can get your hands on the original movie please do. I like to think that everyone has seen this movie but, if you haven’t, make sure you add it to your list! 

• Labyrinth: David Bowie… that is the reason you NEED to watch this one! Leave all expectations at the door and enjoy it for what it is. 

• The Rocky Horror Picture Show: It would be insane to leave this one out! Watch it and embrace it for all the weirdness it holds. I still need to go to a live movie showing of this. 

• Mamma Mia: ABBA music + a fun story line = a fun musical story time and time again. The stage production of this is meant to be great but the movie wins for me.

• Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street: I adore the movie edition of this dark musical with Johnny Depp and Helena Boham-Carter. The songs I go back to are the ones I giggle at time and time again. Jamie Campbell Bower sings a real treat in this one in the form of ‘Johanna’

• Annie: I couldn’t leave Annie out of this list. Why? Because ‘you’re never fully dressed without a smile’ and it is usually one of the first musical movies children are introduced to. Stick with the original and bypass the remake. Trust me.

5 soundtracks you need to blare: 

Mostly down to the fact they don’t have a recorded version or, the soundtrack is so incredible that YOU need them in your life!

• Wicked: My all-time favourite musical. Everyone is entitled to have their favourite and this one is mine. I don’t have just one favourite here so just go and listen to the entire album.

• Everybody’s talking about Jamie: Story time about this one. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was raving about this one and I will hold my hand up and say I didn’t listen to this soundtrack before December of last year. Oh boy was I missing out so, don’t be stupid like I was. Go stream it now!

• Avenue Q: This one is specially for the grown-ups! I think everyone needs an Avenue Q giggle during this time!  My fondest memory of being at a musical production was when I saw this one live with some of my friends!

• Matilda the Musical: One for the families or, for those who feel like a kid every now and again when it comes to musicals. My favourite from Matilda is ‘When I Grow Up’.

• Andrew Lloyd Webber: Famous Musical Hits: Yes, I am aware this one is technically cheating but, you truly chose between all of Andrew’s greatest hit Musicals! The Album contains 36 songs from 9 Musicals and contains my all-time favourite musical song: ‘Love Changes Everything’ from the musical Aspects of Love.

And we are at the end of this blog post! Cheers to those who read all of it! If you are more of a music listener you can find a selection of my favourite songs from each musical in a playlist here.