Top 25 Movie-Musicals. April 2, 2008

As I’ve said before, musicals have been turned into movies several times…And while some turn out amazing…some don’t.

Tonight, however, I’m going to show you an article on EW.com I found that has the Top 25 best movie-musicals of all time.

Cool, right?

Well, I definitely agree with some on the list…and some, really, are they really considered musicals?

Please go check out this list! There are some interesting ones I’ve never heard of but you may have heard of them… But of the ones I know of, here are some notable movie-musicals I found from the list:

#25: Once.

This show is beautiful.. I fell in love with it quickly after watching it over this past winter break. It’s amazing how simple the storyline is too. The production crew had a VERY small budget (during the special features part on the DVD I found out they only used 1 camera to shoot the film!), and worked it well. The story revolves around a street musician (played by Irish musician Glen Hansard) and how he meets a girl (played by his actual longtime friend/musician Marketa Irglova) who changes his life forever. She basically gives him a push to kickstart his professional music career…By performing with him. The song “Falling Slowly” won the Academy Award this year for the best song! Go Glen & Marketa!  =)  The movie is mostly made up of Glen & Marketa singing their songs… If you want to see a “new” take on musical theatre in movies….Check this one out!

((Here’s a video of Glen & Marketa singing “When Your Mind’s Made Up”:))

#23: “The Music Man”

LOVE  this musical. In fact, this was the first show I was in my freshman year of high school. Wow… That feels like yesterday, yet it was almost 7 years ago!! Crazy huh?!  I think so. Anyway, this musical revolves around a traveling salesman, Harold Hill. The one stop he makes in River City, Iowa, changes his life when he meets a reserved, quirky librarian, Marian. Hill starts up a “boys band” in town. While his main intentions were to take the profits and run, he actually changes his mind when he falls in love with Marian. He decides to actually start the boy band and actually stay in town for once instead of running away. If you’re looking for an upbeat, feel-good musical, please check this musical out! You won’t regret it.

((Here’s a clip of Robert Preston singing “Ya Got Trouble”:))

#17 “Chicago”

Oh.My.Gosh. When this movie came out, it was MAYHEM. EVERYONE was at the movies seeing this when it came out in 2002. I remember seeing the play afterwards and it being very different from  the movie. Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones definitely shined as Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly. I was amazed by Renee, in particular. Renee has a pretty darn good singing voice , and it was really wonderful to see her shine on stage as the woman who kills the man she was having an affair with and gets all of the attention while in jail. If you haven’t seen this movie…where have you been?! Go watch it now!

((Here’s the cast singing “Cell Block Tango”:))

#4: “Cabaret”

Another classic musical. This was the show I did my senior year of high school… I was the “accordian player” in the opening number “Willkommen.” I love this show. It brings together raw, sultry songs; beautiful legato songs; comedic moments and very dramatic moments; and of course, several unforgettable moments in history when the Nazi’s were still in Germany. The character of Sally Bowles is strong, yet weakened with emotion at the same time. The title song, “Cabaret” is a showstopping, unforgettable power song she sings, and Liza Minnelli certainly takes the cake in this #4 movie musical.

((Speaking of Minnelli…here she is singing “Cabaret”:))

#2: “West Side Story”

This musical is another one that I must say, is unforgettable, and brings me nostalgia. This was my first high school play. My high school does summer shows and this was the summer before my freshman year. I’ll never forget that show, ever. My cast formed such a wonderful bond it was indescribable… And we ended up winning an award for our show afterwards! This show is classic: a more modern take on Romeo and Juliet where the character Tony falls in love with Maria. The only problem is: they’re both in separate “gangs”: the Jets and the Sharks. The story ends with a dramatic death scene and the power of love is projected to Maria’s peers during her final speech. Please go see this film! This one was especially beautifully done.

((Here’s Tony & Maria singing the classic song “Tonight”:))

And the #1 movie is!!!

“The Wizard of Oz.” 

This is like the “classic” of all classics. Judy Garland. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” I only found out this past year through doing a project on this movie for my English class that there were political themes behind the film that you may not realize until you actually sit and watch the movie. This movie is also very highly regarded in the homosexual community, making Dorothy a symbol. This movie, if you haven’t seen it yet, revolves around Dorothy who in a tornado gets sent to Munchkinland. She meets the Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion and together they go on a quest to find the Wizard so they can achieve their hopes and dreams. This movie is VERY well done…The filming, the songs, the actors… This is quite the must see.

((Here’s the classic song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”!))

I’m so happy I found this list. There are so many movie musicals that yes, while I do say in my theory that movie musicals kind of represent a lack of creativity in the theatre and movie departments…When done beatifully, it is the exception.

Bloggers: What’s your favorite movie musical of all time & why?

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(Pictures courtesy of ew.com)

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