Best Movie Musicals Since 2002

The American Film Institute (AFI) released an article in 2006 listing the greatest musicals of all-time. While the films on there are fantastic, some I would even call must watches, the most recent films on there are Moulin Rouge (2001) and Chicago (2002). Surely there have been some good musicals since then right? Here are some musicals released since 2002 that the AFI should consider adding to their greatest musicals list (their IMDB links will also be included). In addition to explaining why the movie is great I will also include which song is the must watch performance of the entire film, along with a link to a YouTube video showcasing the performance.

Dreamgirls. Based on the Broadway musical, this 2006 film was a huge success upon its release. Staring Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé, Eddie Murphy, Anika Noni Rose and the acting debut of Jennifer Hudson Dreamgirls follows a girl group as they try to making it big during the 60’s to 70’s. There is a lot of drama, romance and show-stopping performances to satisfy any musical fan. Hudson would win multiple awards, including an Oscar, for her part while Dreamgirls was nominated for others, including three for Best Original Song. Performance to watch: Jennifer Hudson steals the show with the show stopping climatic number “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going”. Many often say that was the moment Hudson earned her Oscar win.

School of Rock. While this 2003 Jack Black film may be considered more of comedy than musical it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be considered; it was the highest grossing musical comedy for nearly 12 years. Nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance Black stars as Dewey Finn a wannabe rock star who takes up a substitute teacher at a prep school. Upon discovering his students are musically gifted Finn decides to turn them into a rock group for the upcoming Battle of the Band contest. Black gives one of the best performances of his career whilst also showcasing the incredible young talent of the students. The film was also turned into a Nickelodeon TV series and a Broadway musical. Performance to watch: “The School of Rock” by Black and the kids during the contest. After everything the bad went thru to get to that point it was a rocking number, pun intended.

Once. One of the best reviewed musicals on this list this 2007 film proved that sometimes the unexpected can lead to something wonderful. Staring Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová as people only addressed as Guy and Girl the two of them make beautiful music together. It is obvious how drawn they are to each other, but sadly they cannot be together. The film won the Oscar for Best Original Song whilst inspiring a Tony award winning musical. Performance to watch: the Oscar winning duet “Falling Slowly” often described as “moving” “touching” and “romantic.”

Rent. Most musically adapted films very rarely cast Broadway, but this 2005 adaption of one of the most beloved shows on Broadway proved that Hollywood should take a second look. With Broadway veterans Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp and Taye Diggs reprising their roles from the original movie as well as Rosario Dawson the film follows a group of New Yorkers as they live their Bohemian lifestyle: including paying their rent, sexuality and AIDS as they celebrate a new decade. Critics were mixed on the film, but fans of the musical loved it. Performance to watch: with so many incredible performances it is hard to decide, but the opening number “Seasons of Love” featuring the entire cast leaves audiences with goosebumps wanting more.

The Greatest Showman. If there is a soundtrack on here that can leave audiences inspired it might be this 2017 musical. Hugh Jackman stars as P.T Barnum a family man who starts a museum and later brings in people considered to be “freaks” to make it more alive; calling it a circus. Also featuring wonderful performances by Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Zendaya, Keala Settle and Rebecca Ferguson (who doesn’t do her own singing) the movie leaves audiences with warmth in their hearts and songs that will be stuck in their heads for weeks. Performance to watch: while the romantic duet between Efron and Zendaya is beautifully choreographed the must listen too song has to go to “This is Me.” Settle’s voice is not only mesmerizing but the message of being true to oneself is inspiring.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Inspired by the 1979 Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler Broadway show this 2007 Tim Burton film was one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year, and showed that musicals have a dark side. Starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman the film follows Depp’s Sweeney Todd as he takes swears revenge on the man who took him from his family; killing anyone who stands in his way with the help of a widowed pie-maker enamored with him. Audiences thought Depp was perfect as the insane Todd and his singing voice surprised many. The film won an Oscar for its Art Direction and was nominated for two Oscars including one for Depp as Best Actor; it did win two Golden Globes for Depp as Actor in a Comedy/Musical and for Best Comedy/Musical. Performance to watch: “Not While I’m Around” is easily the most famous number in the show and the performance by Carter and the young Edward Sanders can give anyone chills.

La La Land. With so many adaptions out there it seemed that original ideas for musicals had died out, until this 2016 film. Staring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in their musical debuts and a soundtrack mostly written by Pasek and Paul the movie focuses on a jazz singer and actress trying to make it big in Hollywood and fall in love. Those who have watched golden age of Hollywood musicals may see similarities in the dancing, singing and love story, but it doesn’t mean the film isn’t original in its own way. Critics and audiences loved it, with many saying the film brought musicals into a light that hadn’t been seen in many years. It cleaned up at the Oscars, even with the Best Picture screw-up, winning for Best Actress for Stone, Cinematography, Director, Production Design, Score and Song. Performance to watch: Ryan Gosling might not be the best singer in the movie, but the duet he has with Stone “City of Stars” is so beautiful it can easily be forgiven.

Les Misérables. After years in developmental hell the long awaited adaption of the 1980 musical of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel was released in 2012. The film follows a prisoner Jean Valjean as he breaks parole and goes on the run whilst taking care of the young Cosette. To say it was a huge hit would be an understatement with incomparable performances (acting and singing) by Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway (who won an Oscar for her role), Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne and more. While some singing wasn’t fantastic (Russell Crowe) the fact that the vocal were recorded on set really sets the film apart from other musicals. The story keeps audiences on the edge of their seat and tears in their eyes. Performance to watch: considering the whole movie is the cast singing it would have been difficult to pick one song, but an absolute must watch has got to be Hathaway as Fantine singing “I Dreamed a Dream”; if one doesn’t cry or feel sadness when Hathaway sings this melancholy number they may want to check their pulse.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast live action adaption. The original AFI list had the 1991 animated film so why shouldn’t a possible expanded list have the 2017 live action version as well? With veteran Broadway/musical actors such as Ewan McGregor, Josh Gad and Audra McDonald performing, as well as surprising singing from Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Emma Thompson Luke Evans and Ian McKellen the adaption of one of Disney’s most beloved movies was embraced by audiences and critics; it currently holds the position of highest grossing musical of all time (animated and live-action). Performance to watch: with many favorites from the original movie returning it is hard to decide what the best song is. However the number audiences might remember the most is Emma Thompson’s take of “Beauty and the Beast”; it is not as well delivered as the Angela Lansbury one we know and love but it is closer to the original than the version sung on the soundtrack by Ariana Grande and John Legend.

The Pitch Perfect franchise. This film series which began in 2012 and has two sequels in 2015 and 2017 respectively gave a whole new perspective to a Capella singing. Each film follows a group called The Barden Bellas as they struggle for redemption and their friendships are tested. With spectacular performances (comedic and singing) by Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Ester Dean, Skylar Astin, Ben Platt, Adam DeVine in the original film and Hailee Steinfeld joining in the sequels the franchise has left a huge mark in the comedy/musical genre; the second film is currently the highest grossing music comedy of all-time, surpassing School of Rock. Performance to watch: regardless if it is the first, second or third one the most entertaining number is usually “The Riff-Off” when the Bellas, their main opposition and other groups singing songs that have to do with a randomly picked category.

Is there a musical missing from this list? Could a yet to be released musical this year (Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s version of A Star is Born) or in the future (the planned adaptions of Wicked and remake of West Side Story) might be included in a revived list? Please comment below, and get your singing voices ready.

Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Movie Review: The King and I

Rodgers and Hammerstein have written fantastic musicals, I know a big understatement on my part. Many incorporated dramatic history into the story, perhaps none more so than this one. First debuting on Broadway in 1951 and based on Margaret Landon’s 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam which was a mix of fiction and true story, it would become a film in 1956. The film version of The King and I would become one of the most successful musicals of all time. I saw a recent Broadway production of the story and it along with the film, definitely leaves you with tears in your eyes and your heart feeling a little heavier. Spoilers as always.

Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr with Marni Nixon doing the singing) a widow school teacher travels with her son Louis (Rex Thompson) to Bangkok, Siam (now Thailand) to become the teacher of the children of the King of Siam, King Mongkut (Yul Brynner who won an Oscar for his part). The two meet the prime minister and the King’s closest friend Kralahome (Martin Benson) who has been told to escort them to the palace where they are going to live; Anna is upset because her contract stated she and her son would get their own home. King Mongkut says he doesn’t remember promising Anna a home and introduces Anna to his wives (no, that is not a misprint) and 15 of his 67 children (once again no mistake there) that Anna will teach, including his eldest son Prince Chulalongkorn (Patrick Adiarte). Despite being upset that the King violated her contract Anna agrees to teach the children, although she does drop hints during her lessons to annoy the King. Anna becomes close with the children as well as the wives, including the head wife Lady Thiang (Terry Saunders) and the latest wife Tuptim (Rita Moreno with Leona Gordon singing); Tuptim however is not happy with her forced marriage as she is in love with one of the men who brought her Lun Tha (Carlos Rivas with Rueben Fuentes singing) and he with her forcing the pair to sneak around at night. The children soon come to care for Anna and Louis, although they do get into arguments when Anna introduces things they have never seen before like snow. The King and Anna also clash, not just over the contract but their cultures as the two have different outlooks over pretty much everything. Anna almost leaves because of it, but Lady Thiang explains that the King is upset because British papers are calling him a barbarian and threatened to take Siam away from him. Knowing the King is many things, but not what the British clam, Anna agrees to help the King prove that they can be European and the two’s walls slowly start to come down. Unfortunately the King’s stubborn ways may cost him greatly. About as far as I should go without giving away the rest of the movie.

If any film has a big clash of cultures it is this one. The King and Anna’s relationship develops as king/servant in his mind to mutual respect; many say love but I’m not completely certain. Deborah Kerr is just stunning to watch as Anna, the strong willed teacher who has to show not just the children and wives but the King that their world is not as big as they think and they have to change. Yul Brynner, who portrayed the King on multiple Broadway productions before and after the film is memorizing as King Mongkut, a man who is stuck in the past and doesn’t understand why the world isn’t like his country; absolutely deserved his Oscar. The rest of the cast is impeccable; Moreno, Saunders, Rivas and Benson sticking out the most in my opinion as do the children, although I admit by today’s standards some roles are considered to be whitewashing so beware. The film doesn’t use every word or every song from the Broadway show which may have done some harm from the critics but otherwise the film was well received. The soundtrack has some of the show’s most famous songs such as “Getting to Know You”, “Shall We Dance”, “It’s a Puzzlement” and “I Whistle a Happy Tune” among others.

The film won five Oscars: Best Actor for Brynner, music, art direction, costume design and sound recording while it was nominated for four others: Best director, cinematography, actress for Kerr and Best Picture. The film has also been listed on three American Film Institute 100 lists: #11 on Best Musicals, #54 on Best Songs “Shall We Dance” and 100 Passions Films #31 for Anna and the King. While the film might take place during the Civil War some of its issues still hit strong points today and I would definitely say this is a must watch for not just musical fans but of movie fans in general.

Movie Review: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

It has been over 10 years since the previous Mamma Mia and took the musical world by storm. Whether it was good or bad people were talking about it; I have often seen it listed as a guilty pleasure film for many. As I mentioned in my review of the first film which you can view here I was looking forward to the sequel but I won’t lie and say I wasn’t concerned that they would mess up with the original story. While the sequel was not perfect and might have messed up the timeline a tiny bit I still very much enjoyed the movie. As this is still in theaters I’m issuing a big spoiler alert. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

Five years after the previous film Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) now runs the hotel after Donna (Meryl Streep) passed away a year ago. She plans a big re-opening of the hotel named after Donna as she prepares along with the staff; including new gloomy manager Fernando Cienfuegos (Andy Garcia), one of her dads/stepfather Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan) who is still grieving Donna’s death and her mom’s closest friend Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters). Sophie expresses her desire to make her mother proud, but she is also upset because two of her dads Bill (Stellan Skarsgård) and Harry (Colin Firth) cannot make it and Sky (Dominic Cooper) has a job offer in New York; further somewhat straining their relationship. Meanwhile while this is happening the audience travels all the way back to 1979 when Donna (Lily James) graduates from Oxford, along with Tanya (Jessica Keenan Wynn) and Rosie (Alexa Davies). After her mother doesn’t show up for her graduation Donna decides to travel to the island of Kalokairi. While traveling there, and after arriving Donna meets three men that would change her life forever: the quirky Harry (Hugh Skinner), the flirty Bill (Josh Dylan) and the handsome Sam (Jeremy Irvine) I probably shouldn’t go into too much more, but I cannot forget the arrival of Sophie’s estranged grandmother Ruby (Cher)

There have been times when movies get a sequel and they are not really necessary. That is what I originally thought when I heard about this film; however those thoughts were quickly erased from my mind a few moments after Lily James came on the screen. She has recently been an actress I have admired over a few of her films and this role is no exception. I’m sure she felt the pressure of portraying a young version of Meryl Streep (arguably the greatest actress alive today) but I thought she absolutely nailed it in terms of acting and singing. I also very much enjoyed the younger versions of the dads. Skinner, Dylan and Irvine are all very good looking men, their singing voices were better than I thought they were gonna be and their acting was pretty spot one with their older selves; I hope their careers continue to grow after this. Wynn and Davies were perfect as Tanya and Rosie; Davies if I may say had me laughing a little too loud in the theater at times. Of course I cannot forget about the original cast members that returned. Seyfried shined once again as Sophie while Streep’s appearance was brief but nonetheless enjoyable. It was great to see Brosnan, Skarsgård and Firth again; and while some singing has improved it is not by much. Baranski and Walters were just as hilarious as in the first film (Baranski has a line that almost had me falling out of my seat) while Cooper did pretty well as Sky; although I admit his singing voice may have gone down since the first film. Garcia was amusing as Fernando but of course a special spotlight was shined on Cher as Ruby. Whether it is her singing or her acting you cannot take your eyes off of Cher. The writing was pretty good, but I was a little annoyed because how Donna met the guys in the film doesn’t seem to line up with how it was in the original show and movie.

The soundtrack for the movie including many more of ABBA’s greatest hits and I think it might actually be better than the first. Favorites from the first film such as “Mamma Mia” performed by James, Wynn and Davies, “Dancing Queen” by the present cast “I Have a Dream” by James “Waterloo” performed hilariously by James and Skinner “The Name of the Game” by James as she expresses her love for Sam and “Super Trooper” by everyone at the end of the film made their way back, songs from the Broadway show that did not make it to the first film such as “One of Us” performed by Seyfried and Cooper on opposite sides of the world and “Knowing Me Knowing You” performed by James and Irvine as the couple breaks up appeared while new songs were added to tell the past story of Donna as well as the present with Sophie and company. Among the new songs were “Fernando” sung brilliantly by Cher, “Why Did It Have to Be Me” by James, Skinner and Dylan, “Andante Andante” by James, “Angel Eyes” and “I’ve Been Waiting For You” by Seyfried, Walters and Baranski and finally “My Love, My Life” by Streep and Seyfried which may or may not leave a tear in your eye.

Regardless of the small inaccuracies I still loved the sequel I did not know I wanted. While you may not have to watch the original film to understand the sequel it does help a little bit. I will definitely by going again and again to see Mamma Mia Here We Go Again.

What Movies are Perfect to watch of the 4th of July?

First and foremost Happy Independence Day to everyone here in the United States. I hope you have a great day no matter what you are doing; hanging by the pool while someone makes burgers and hot-dogs or spending the day inside (hopefully with air conditioning) and watching some patriotic movies. Whether it is something about our founding fathers or a movie that makes you feel patriotic. Today I want to do something a little different today other than a review. I’m gonna give you some movies I feel are perfect to watch whether it’d be today or just to make you proud of waving the American Flag. Here are some of my picks in no particular order. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

1. Yankee Doodle Dandy. This 1942 biographical musical follows the true story of George M. Cohan (James Cagney) as he takes Broadway by storm; although his ego gets in the way a lot. Featuring songs such as “Over There” “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “The Yankee Doodle Boy”. This film means so much to me because it was one of my grandmother’s favorites. Knowing George M. Cohan was so proud of our flag, and he was born on the fourth of July, makes me happy to be a musical fan as well as an American.
2. Air Force One. I did a review for this 1997 film, but let me give you a quick recap. President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) has to rely on his former military training when terrorists, led by Egor Korshunov (Gary Oldman), hijack Air Force One and threaten to kill everyone on board unless their dictator is released. One of my favorite Harrison Ford films outside the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises; this film showed just what would anyone do to protect their family; also who doesn’t cheer a little when Marshall says “Get off my plane.”
3. 1776. Yes another musical but at least it takes place leading up to why we celebrate the fourth of July. This 1972 film, based on the Broadway musical sees the Continental Congress as they make tough decisions; including whether or not independence from England is worth it. Starring William Daniels (yes, Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World) as John Adams, Howard Da Silva as Benjamin Franklin, Ken Howard as Thomas Jefferson and Virginia Vestoff as Abigail Adams this musical gets your feet taping and flag waving.
4. Jaws. Maybe not a movie about war or the American flag, but this 1975 film helped start the phenomenon known as summer blockbusters at the movies. Jaws is about a town being threatened by a great white shark and the three men wanting to put the shark down for good. The film does take place over the Fourth of July weekend, so I guess that counts.
5. A League of their Own. Baseball has often been called the American past-time, and this 1992 film just might be one of the best sports films of all time. Starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, and Lori Petty the film takes a look back at the short lived All American Girls Professional Baseball League which took place during World War II. We watch as the girls have to deal with sexism, getting the public’s attention and proving they can be just as good as the men. A true classic film if I may say so.
6.  Hidden Figures. I don’t want to call this film a surprise hit, but I’ll admit that I did not expect to see this 2016 movie to appear at so many award shows. That being said it is still a fantastic watch. When it looks like the Russians might beat the U.S. to space three brilliant African American women working for NASA step up to make it possible. Staring Taraji P. Henson as mathematician Katherine Johnson, Octavia Spencer as supervisor, and later computer expert Dorothy Vaughen and Janelle Monáe as engineer Mary Jackson. The film also features Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons, Kirsten Dunst and Mahershala Ali as people who either stood in the way or made a path for them to succeed. A movie about change as well as patriotism.
7. The Rocky franchise. I know many will say Rocky IV is the most associated with patriotism, and that may be true, but I think not enough credit is given to the other films (at least the first three in addition to the fourth.) The franchise follows boxer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) as he does from underdog to champion while finding and keeping the love of Adrian (Talia Shire). Everyone loves the underdog story, but I’ll admit the 1985 fourth film in the franchise is probably the more patriotic of the franchise; Rocky fights a Russian boxer named Drago (Dolph Lundgren) on Russian turf after Drago kills Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) in the ring. On a side note I cannot wait to see Creed II this fall.
8. Independence Day. Come on, how was I not going to put this 1996 film on here? When aliens arrive to take over the world, military forces must team up to combat the menace. Starring Will Smith in one of his breakthrough movie roles, Bill Pullman as the president of the United States, Jeff Goldblum and Vivica A. Fox this film showed when a force wants to fight, we are gonna fight back.
9. Captain America: The First Avenger. I had to put one superhero movie on here and this 2011 film might be the most American of them all. The origin of one of the most popular comic book heroes is brought to life as Steve Trevor (Chris Evans) is transformed into Captain America. While starting of as joke, Steve soon proves he has the strength and heart of an American hero as his fights off a secret organization known as Hydra. Admittedly this is the weakest origin film of the Marvel movies, but it was one heck of a start to the Captain America part of the franchise.
10. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Another underdog story, but this time it involves politics. Released in 1939, Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) is taken under the wing of Joseph Paine (Claude Rains) a crooked senator. The simple-minded Smith is at first destroyed by the newspapers and politicians, but after a little help Smith rallies for the people and earns their respect, as well as the respect of the Senate. James Stewart does a phenomenal job and his speech reaffirming what America is truly about is one of the best parts of the movie.

I hope everyone has a great Independence Day. Is there a film missing from my list that is one yours? Please leave a comment of what film and why it is great for the Fourth of July.

Movie Review: Disney’s Newsies The Broadway Musical

For those who can’t get to New York for the Broadway experience many shows film productions (hopefully with the original cast) to give audiences an amazing experience, and this one can be found on Netflix streaming (as of the date of this blog so beware). Based on the Disney 1992 film, as well as the actual 1899 newsboys strike, this show under the Disney name premiered on Broadway in 2012 after a run at the legendary Papermill Playhouse the previous year and was a huge success. The show ran for two years, winning the Tony for Best Choreography and Best Original Score while nominated for six others including Best book, leading actor and musical, before going out on national tour. In 2017 a production was filmed in Los Angeles with much of the original cast coming back and was released in theaters. I had seen the Broadway version of Newsies just after a couple of the original cast members had left, but nonetheless loved it; the guy who played the lead Corey Cott is one of my Broadway crushes and highly recommend watching him live if given the chance. However when I heard about this there was no way me and my theater loving mother were going to miss out on this especially since we are huge fans of Jeremy Jordan who rocketed to super-stardom after this role. Spoilers ahead as usual. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

Jack Kelly (Jordan) is a newspaper delivery boy with a shady past living in New York City along with several other young men in the same profession including his best friend Crutchie (Andrew Keenan-Bolger) who has a limp. Jack hates New York and often dreams of heading out west, specifically to Santa Fe. When buying their papers for the day Jack and Crutchie meet Davey (Ben Fankhauser) and his younger brother Les (Ethan Steiner) who unlike the other Newsies have a family, but need the work. Jack agrees to help them out, for a small portion and introduces them to his friend Medda Larkin (Aisha De Haas) a woman who owns a theater and often hires Jack to paint beautiful backdrops for her shows. Jack also meets Katherine Plumber (Kara Lindsay) a reporter for the New York Sun looking to break out of the society pages and soon becomes smitten with her. The next day New York World publisher Joseph Pulitzer (Steve Blanchard) announced that the price for the Newsies has gone up from fifty to sixty cents which in turn will force them to sell more papers in order to earn the same as before. Outraged Jack, along with Davey, Crutchie, Les and the other Newsies organize a strike with Katherine covering it. However Jack must decide if this is worth it after police show up along with the corrupt and evil warden of the local juvenile center and the protest ends badly. About as far as I should go without giving away the rest of the show.

Let me start off by saying how amazing this musical is. From the writing, acting and especially the choreography, Newsies is an absolutely fabulous show. For anyone that says guys can’t dance and/or do musicals show them this (there is at least one more example but that is another day). To give you just a small idea of how incredible the dancing is picture this: in the climatic number the guys are dancing on very thin newspaper pages and not slipping (for the record do not try it unless you want to break something or fall on your rear end).

Moving on, the acting was just as good as I remembered the show, even with a couple of different actors than in the show I saw. I actually saw Jeremy Jordan in a Broadway production of West Side Story as Tony about two years before he became Jack Kelly. Between this and a movie he did also in 2012 (which I plan on reviewing at a later date) I knew he looked familiar; then I heard him sing and it came back to me. Having just missed him in the original Broadway show I had to see him in the role that launched his career and let’s just say he was nominated for the Tony for a good reason. I am so happy that he has had so much success, not just on Broadway but on television shows such as Smash and Supergirl because he is so talented. Of course every great lead needs a just as good cast and this one doesn’t disappoint. Keenan-Bolger, Fankhauser, Steiner and the other Newsies are amazing singers, actors and dancers and I hope to continue watching them on Broadway. Lindsay is great as Katherine with fantastic vocals and facial expressions as I remembered from the show. I do not think I saw Blanchard as Pulitzer nor Haas as Larkin in the show, but they were still very good to watch.

I cannot forget about the great soundtrack with so many songs that will either have you belting (probably badly), tapping your foot (or trying to recreate the dance) or feeling goosebumps going up and down your arm and/or spine. The first song I want to talk about is the last song before intermission “Santa Fe” which Jordan does brilliantly (as did Cott when I watched the show) as he laments what happened at the protest and vowing to soon leave New York; it takes a lot to deliver the emotion of Kelly as well as maintain the notes. One of the most popular songs is called “Seize the Day” which is the big climatic number in the first act involving the dancing on newspapers; between that and the angelic singing I saw why this number is talked about more than the others. One of my favorite numbers is “Something to Believe In” where Jack and Katherine declare their love for one another despite some huge bumps. Other songs I recommend listening to are “Carrying the Banner”, “That’s Rich”, “The World Will Know”, “Watch What Happens” “King of New York” and “Once and For All”. Once again Newsies: The Broadway Musical is still on Netflix streaming as of this date, but I do not know how long it will be there. Until that date seize the day (so not sorry I did that) and watch this unbelievable musical.

Classic Movie Review: West Side Story

Haven’t done a classic film review in some time and this one definitely fits the bill. Based on the 1957 musical and inspired by the famous Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet, this 1961 musical is one of the most successful not just musicals but movies of all time; it still holds the record for most Academy Awards wins for a musical. If for some reason you haven’t watched West Side Story a spoiler alert is being issued. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

In 1957 Manhattan two gangs run the streets, the American Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. The Jets leader Riff Lorton (Russ Tamblyn with Tucker Smith providing the singing voice for two songs) decides to challenge the Sharks leader Bernardo Nunez (George Chakiris who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this part) to a rumble at the upcoming dance. Riff insists his best friend Tony Wyzek (Richard Beymer with Jimmy Bryant as the singing voice) who left the Jets and has an honest job at a drug store join the Jets at the dance. Tony doesn’t want to, but after he says he feels something important will happen to him agrees to go. Meanwhile on the Sharks side Bernardo’s little sister Maria Nunez (Natalie Wood with Marni Nixon as the singing voice) talks with her best friend and the girlfriend of Bernardo Anita Palacio (Rita Moreno who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for this part) that she does not like the man Bernardo brought to America for her to marry Chino (Jose DeVega). At the dance the gangs refuse to dance with the other. Tony and Maria look at each other from across the dance floor and instantly fall in love. Bernardo warns Tony to stay away from his sister as he agrees to a rumble with Riff. Tony and Maria plan to run away together, but their respective gangs may tear the new couple apart. I probably shouldn’t say any more but considering the material this was inspired by I’m sure it is not hard to figure out.

This is without a doubt one amazing musical is many ways. From the acting, writing, cinematography, songs; OK basically all. Don’t believe me, check out this fact. West Side Story was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 10. Two of them were for acting as already stated, the other eight were for best cinematography, sound, music, film editing, costume, art direction, director and of course the biggest of them all Best Picture (it was nominated for best adapted screenplay and I can’t argue with the one that won). While Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood were not nominated they were absolutely fantastic as the star crossed pair of Tony and Maria; they are often listed as one of the best couples of 1960 movies and musicals which shows how much chemistry they had as well as the incredible writing. George Chakiris and Rita Moreno are also adorable as Bernardo and Anita but they definitely earned their Oscars for their parts. The rest of the cast is just as good, but there is so much more than just the acting and writing. West Side Story has also been listed on five of the American Film Institute 100 Years lists: 100 movies, and the revived list, three songs on the 100 songs, 100 Passions and finally Greatest Movie Musicals.

The songs in West Side Story have gone down as not only some of the best Steven Sondheim numbers, but some of the best songs in musicals (film or Broadway). Here are some standouts: “Something’s Coming” by Tony before he goes to the dance, “Maria” by Tony shortly after he has met and fallen for Maria, “Tonight” by Maria and Tony confessing their love, and then later on a quintet with the Jets, Sharks, Anita, Maria and Tony as they get ready for the rumble, “America” by Anita, Bernardo and other members of the Sharks talking about the good and bad things about living in America for them, “I Feel Pretty” Maria’s number where she is happy to run off with Tony, “Somewhere” Tony and Maria’s somber duet planning to find their place where they can be together, “Cool” the Jets song after the rumble where talks of revenge begin to form and finally “A Boy Like That/I Have a Love” Maria and Anita’s number after Anita catches Maria with Tony. There are more songs, but these are the ones any musical fan knows.

I have heard that Steven Spielberg is doing a remake of the movie and it is supposedly open casting. I won’t lie and say when I heard about this I was a little worried as I love this story (both the movie and the musical which I saw in 2009). However I know Spielberg has way more hits than misses so my concern is not as big, I just hope we have a great cast and writing; I do not know if it will be as good as this one, but I cannot wait to see it. Regardless if you are a musical fan or if you love great movies West Side Story has to be on anyone’s must watch list; I promise you will fall in love just as fast as Tony and Maria with West Side Story.

Movie Review: The Unsinkable Molly Brown

If the title does not sound familiar, maybe the name does as she was one of the survivors of the Titanic. However Molly Brown in this 1964 musical film (based on the 1960 musical of the same name) is not portrayed by Kathy Bates (like the famous 1997 movie but that is another day), but by the lovable Debbie Reynolds who received her only Oscar nomination for this part. While not everything in this movie may be accurate, it is a nice thought. Spoilers ahead as usual. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

After surviving the Colorado River as an infant, a baby is taken in by Seamus Tobin (Ed Begley), who grows up to be tomboy named Molly (Reynolds). Being a determined and stubborn woman Molly travels to Leadville, CO to learn how to read and write as well as find a wealthy man to marry. Along the way she meets the very handsome miner Johnny Brown (Harve Presnell, the only one from the original Broadway cast to reprise his role for the movie). It is obvious how smitten the two are within meeting each other, but Molly leaves in a rush thinking Johnny has bad intentions (which may or may not have been true). Molly soon gets hired as a singer at a local saloon, and Johnny teaches her how to read and write. While they get to know each other they fall deeply in love and marry. Johnny sells his claim to a silver mine for $300,000 but when trying to hide the money Molly accidentally burns it. However by accident Johnny finds the richest gold vein in Colorado and the happy couple (along with Seamus) moves to a beautiful Denver mansion. Unfortunately their unconventional ways turn the “classy” neighbors off of the Browns. This upsets Molly as she wants to bring up her social status, while Johnny would rather go back to Leadville. The two decide to go to Europe and are embrace by the top people of the country; however while Molly can let go of their old lives Johnny cannot and the two have a falling out. Molly travels back to Europe, but soon realizes exactly what she is missing in life and travels back on the Titanic, which well you know that story, Molly is one of the survivors and she and Johnny happily reunite.

Debbie Reynolds was an absolute joy to watch in this movie as she has a very unique voice, not just in singing but talking. She really brought the role to life, telling a lot with one look or speaking very fast. This was my first time watching Harve Presnell in a movie and there were three things I noticed right off the bat: he was very handsome, he had the voice of an angel and the pants he was wearing were we first meet him were a little tight (which my mother did not mind at all). The two have great chemistry together and I liked the happy ending, unlike real life where Molly and Johnny never got back together, but still cared deeply for one another for their children. The writing may not be the best, but the music more than makes up for it.

There are quite a few songs I love in the movie, but three stand out for me. “I Ain’t Down Yet” is Molly’s opening number where she tells anyone within listening range exactly what she wants in life. “Colorado, My Home” is Johnny’s big number where he expresses his love for Colorado. Finally, and my personal favorite from the movie, “I’ll Never Say No” where Johnny tells Molly how he feels about her, promising to never say no to her. If any number is worth listening too it’s that one. If you can find The Unsinkable Molly Brown on TV, most likely Turner Classic, I would highly recommend watching this pretty good musical.

Movie Review: Mamma Mia

If there was such a thing as a guilty pleasure musical, this one has to be at the top of the list. Mamma Mia is a fantastic Broadway musical, telling a story with songs from the legendary group ABBA and in 2008 finally came to the big screen, just maybe not in the way fans of the show expected. As always spoiler alert is on. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

20 year old Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) is getting married on the beautiful Greek island of Kalokairi where her mother Donna (Meryl Streep) owns a villa and doesn’t understand why Sophie is marrying so young. Behind her mother’s back, and inadvertently her fiancé’s Sky (Dominic Cooper), Sophie sends invitations to three men: architect Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), travel writer and sailor Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård) and banker Harry Bright (Colin Firth). After reading her mother’s diary the year she was pregnant, Sophie confide with her friends Ali and Lisa (Ashley Lilley and Rachel McDowall) that she believes one of those three men might be her father and she wants whomever it is to walk her down the aisle. When they arrive Sophie asks them to not tell Donna why they are here or who invited them, saying it is a surprise for her mom, and the guys agree. Donna sees they are there and becomes distraught; confiding in her close friends and former band mates, author Rosie (Julie Walters) and three time divorcee Tanya (Christine Baranski) that she doesn’t know why the men are here nor who is actually Sophie’s father. Soon chaos ensues when all three guys believe they are Sophie’s father and promise to walk her down the aisle, much to her horror. Meanwhile Donna realizes she still has strong feelings for one of the men, Rosie falls for another one of the men while Tanya avoids Pepper (Phillip Michael) one of Sky’s friends who falls hard for her. About as far as I can go without giving away the rest of the movie, but keep an eye out for members of ABBA.

Now I am going to be honest; while the film is not bad, it is not exactly great. Many of the actors in this movie are not trained singers and it shows. Brosnan, Skarsgard and Firth are good actors, but their singing is not good, in Brosnan’s case terrible (sorry but it’s my opinion). Cooper, Walters and Baranski were not fantastic, but they were a lot better than I gave credit for. Seyfried and Streep on the other hand were actually pretty good, not just in acting but in their singing. The film follows the musical very well, not exactly how I remember the show but I knew it wasn’t gonna be word for word. A sequel will be released later this year called Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, I really hope this is gonna be good. I would recommend Mamma Mia for a musical fan, but I wouldn’t put it too high on a watch list.