30 famous musicals from film, Broadway and TV | Blog
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Musical Movies
1. West Side Story
When it comes to classic musicals, you don't become more popular than West Side Story. It was set in 1957 and set in New York City, this version of the Romeo and Juliet love story has been adapted into two musicals. The first film, released in 1961, is the most successful in terms of most Academy Awards for a musical, and the 2021 Steven Spielberg adaptation has already been awarded a number of nominations for the upcoming Oscar season.
2. Singing in the rain
Ask any musical theater lover about the movie from 1952 and Singin"In the Rain with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds will likely be on their list of best musical comedies ever made. The film is about the three 20th century Hollywood actors as they make the transition from silent films to "talkies." While the film only had limited success when it was first released, the movie was one of the first 25 films to be added to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 1989.
3. Guys and Dolls
In 1955, the Guys and Dolls movie was based on the original 1950 Broadway musical and features legendary entertainers Marlon Brando Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, and Vivian Blaine. The movie follows the overlapping tales of two characters who are at the centre of a bet on gambling and the women that they love and is set in Depression-era New York.
4. The Sound of Music
5. Brigadoon
A different Gene Kelly classic, Brigadoon tells the story of two American travelers who, when visiting Scotland, in Scottish highlands, discover a village that only appears only once every 100 years. The 1954 film is inspired by the first Broadway production that ran in 1947.
6. Grease
Nothing says the late 1970s better than John Travolta and his slicked-back hair. The film was inspired by the 1971 theater show which also featured Olivia Newton John as a co-star. Danny and Sandy's romance earned the film the title of the highest-grossing musical movie to date at the time its debut, and the soundtrack went on to become the 2nd highest-selling album of the year in 1978.
7. A Star Is Born
Although you may be aware of the movie featuring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born has seen previously seen three different movie versions before. The 1976 film starred Barbra Streisand, and the 1954 film featured Judy Garland playing the lead. However, all these films wouldn't have happened without the original 1937 film which introduced the concept of a musical movie that tells the story of a wannabe actress and the once-promising movie actress who is instrumental in launching her career.
8. Moulin Rouge!
9. The weather is threatening to be stormy.
The 1943 musical film Stormy Weather is said as one of the most impressive on-camera showcases of African American theatrical performers in an era where Hollywood's diversity was almost non-existent. The film is loosely based on the story of the lead man Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and his passion for the performing arts.
10. Mary Poppins
The sole Disney film that has received an Best Picture Oscar nomination during the lifetime of Walt Disney, Mary Poppins remains among the top beloved musicals for people of all ages. The story of a dysfunctional London family and the out-of-the-ordinary Nanny that they hire was the highest-grossing film of 1964. It also won Julie Andrews the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1965.
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Broadway Musicals
11. Hamilton
12. Hello, Dolly!
Everybody loves an unusual love story. The musical show Hello, Dolly! delivers exactly that. The musical follows the adventures of matchmaker Dolly as she travels across the state of Yonkers to find a match for the famous Horace Vandergelder. It was made into a movie in 1969, which culminated with the awarding of three Academy Awards, including Best Score of a Musical Picture.
13. The Book of Mormon
14. Dream Girls
Following the story of three girls from Chicago that dream of becoming famous musicians, Dream Girls is among the very few musicals to feature a predominantly Black actor. It's been nominated numerous times for Tony Awards and was adapted into a feature-length film in the year 2006 starring Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy.
15. Les Miserables
16. Shuffle Along
Shuffle Along was the first all-Black Broadway show (both on the stage and in the crew) that was originally staged in 1921, and is credited with inspiring the 1920s and 1930s Harlem Renaissance. The adaptation of 2016 focused on the challenges the show's original team of producers faced as well as the impact that the show had on race and Broadway.
17. The Producers
Written and originally produced with Mel Brooks, The Producers was made into play for stage in the wake of the popularity of the 1967 film. The plot follows two producers of theater who attempt to make money by selling interest in a terrible Broadway production and then for the production to become an outstanding hit. The musical won a record-breaking twelve Tony Awards, and the film was revamped in the year 2005.
18. Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess was among the many musicals to debut in the 1930s and was taken from a novel of the same name in 1925. It was premiered in Boston and featured music composed written by George Gershwin, before moving to Broadway in 1935. It is a story about a disabled Black beggar Porgy and his efforts to rescue Bess from her lover , as well as drug dealer who reside in the urban slums of Charleston.
19. Chicago
The most renowned musicals that is still playing present on Broadway today includes Chicago and is an examination of the 1920s' gangs in the city and the rise of the celebrity criminal. The original play was written in 1926, the musical was launched in 1975, and then re-introduced to Broadway in 1996, making the longest running musical revival and American musical in Broadway time.
20. My Fair Lady
While most of us may already be familiar with the 1964 Audrey Hepburn film, the My Fair Lady musical was first introduced in 1956 with an adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 1913 novel, Pygmalion. Julie Andrews starred as Eliza Doolittle, her Cockney flowergirl who takes the lessons of a speech coach, Henry Higgins, in the first production. The production won six Tony Awards and has seen multiple revivals throughout theaters all over the world.
Musical TV Shows
21. Glee
Anyone who is a musically obsessed Millennial likely was watching Glee in an early stage in their teens. The comedy-drama musical TV show run from 2009 to 2015 and featured New Directions, a high school glee team which participated in show choirs as well as dealt with the constant drama that teenage life brings. The first season alone received nominations for 19 Emmys and Four Golden Globes, and countless other honors.
22. Schmigadoon
23. Galavant
Galavant was a musical fantasy comedy tv show, described by stars on the show as "the kid that grew up in Monty Python and The Princess Bride." In the two seasons, each episode follows the adventures of a knight Galavant who is looking for his happily ever after as he tries to take on the wicked King Richard. The many twists and turns in Galavant's journey are performed with a soundtrack of musical numbers and funny choreography.
24. Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist
Another musical comedy series that has landed on television screens has been Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Featuring a star-studded cast this show is about the software engineer Zoey who discovers she has the ability to see the most intimate thoughts of others through songs.
25. Encore!
Encore! is one for people who are nostalgic. The reality program, presented by Kristen Bell and Will Gluck brings together the casts from high school musicals and has the performers re-create their performances frequently decades after the fact (the oldest reunion was a 1977 cast from Anything Goes!). It's heart-warming and a great weekend-afternoon watch for fans of musical theatre.
26. Smash
Another fantastic musical TV program was Smash, a fictional look at an New York community theater and attempts to develop a new Broadway musical. It ran from 2012 to 2013, and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography. The show was also nominated for an award like a Golden Globe and Grammy Award.
27. Fosse/Verdon
Fosse/Verdon is a biographical miniseries that looks at the romantic and creative lives of director-choreographer Bob Fosse and dancer Gwen Verdon. It stars Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams The series received 17 Emmy nominations. Michelle Williams receiving the Emmy and Golden Globe for Best Actress.
28. Rise
Looking at the true-life story of drama teacher Lou Volpe, Rise was inspired by the 2013 book Drama High. The show follows the dramatized story of the drama course in Harry S Truman High School in Pennsylvania and the teacher who hopes to reinvent their productions of drama.
29. Soundtrack
Soundtrack, although canceled after just one episode It was a dramatic examination of the relationship between an extended family, with songs and choreography used throughout to express their emotions. Every episode is focused solely on two people, with various musical numbers depicting their thoughts and feelings.
30. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
Based on the classic High School Musical films This Disney+ show is a mockumentary-style musical drama which follows a group of teenagers looking to stage the production High School Musical: The Musical. In subsequent seasons, the high schoolers putting on different performances, thanks to their supportive teacher.
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