Musicals
You can’t go wrong with a
trip to the theatre to see a musical! Looking through your programme, the
opening notes to some of the most iconic overtures ever, the cheers, the
laughter, the sadness, the ice cream break in the interval and you always leave
in either tears or with the biggest smile on your face. With Covid and
quarantine the doors of West End and Broadway have closed, shutting some of the
most iconic shows that haven’t closed in for some cases over 30 years!
Sadly, for me this meant
four shows I was meant to see prior to lockdown have been cancelled and
rearranged for this year! The government are currently not giving much hope to
art industries and no help in lifting those curtains. So, I thought I’d look
back on nine of the shows I’ve seen and tell you all about them and remind you
why musical theatre is so important to many of us around the world!
Mamma Mia!
The first show I ever saw
in the West End! This jukebox musical leaves you smiling from ear to ear!
Set in Greece, this show
follows Sophie on a hunt to discover who her father is with the help of her
mothers old diary just days before her wedding…
The show is cheerful;
based on the karaoke classic hits by ABBA. If you’ve not seen the show; you’ve
more than likely seen the film and so you know what you’re missing out on! The
show is so much better though because you’re so engrossed in the music, the
jokes and the pure joy of cheering along to Dancing Queen, Waterloo and S.O.S.
Mamma Mia is a feel-good musical for all the family to enjoy.
The Lion King
My second trip to the West
End took my family to my sisters dream show. No one was more excited that she
was but we all came out singing The Circle of Life!
Most of you probably
already know the story due to the classic Disney film but to sum it up. A
family dispute leads to tragedy and a young lion must learn what the circle of
life really is. Basically, imagine a more family friendly version of Hamlet
with lions and music!
This family show based on
the Disney classic will have you crying and laughing within minutes of each
other, it is such a brilliant retelling of the film. But the thing that is so
good about The Lion King is the art and the movement. You become so enraptured
by the story that you forget that these are people wearing masks because they
embody the characters so well. Plus, if that doesn’t already excite you then
the music of Elton John and Tim Rice is the icing on an already delicious cake!
Aladdin
A recent trip to the West
End, only in 2019. My 18th birthday treat to a show I’d always
wanted to see due to my own love of the animated classic.
Another Disney classic
turned into a brilliant show. This story follows the street rat Aladdin in a
classic tale of rags to riches with the help of a magical Genie and a beautiful
princess named Jasmine.
From the moment it begins
you feel as if you’ve been transported to Agrabah on a magic carpet yourself!
The music, the colour, the glitter, the dancing and THE GENIE! This show is not
complete without the wonderful Genie, his magic is the essence of this magnificent
show. His joy, happiness, enthusiasm and talents is what carries this magical
carpet ride.
Les Misérables
I don’t often cry but this
show had me in tears! The music, the talent and the complete and utter
heartbreak.
Set against the backdrop
of The French Revolution, this show follows the story of the wrongly imprisoned
Jean Valjean as he tries to become a better man while hiding from Inspector
Javert.
This is one of them shows
where you leave the theatre wishing you hadn’t worn mascara. Even if you don’t
love Les Mis you appreciate the work behind it. It’s entirely sung from start
to finish; the members of the orchestras hands must sting by the end of this
show! This show is full of brilliantly created characters that break your heart
from beginning to end. If you have the chance to watch Les Mis, go do it! The
costumes, the set and the music is breath taking.
Blood Brothers
Twin brothers split apart
at birth become best friends and grow up together coming together from
completely different backgrounds.
This is the only show on
this list I’ve seen more than once. Why? Because it was so amazing the first
time, I wasn’t going to turn down the chance to see it again. The music is
brilliant, the comedy leaves you in stitches, the story is breath-taking and it
breaks your heart. But then what else would you expect from a musical based on
a play by Willy Russell?
This Liverpool show about
the working class shows what life was like during the recession in the 1980’s.
The two brothers who grow up apart are brilliantly created and developed
characters. My favourite thing about the show is you watch the characters from
the ages of 7 to late teens, early twenties and they’re still played by the
same actor. This show could have got children to play them in their younger
days but they don’t. There is nothing funnier than watch someone in their
mid-thirties run around as if they were a child playing Cowboys and Indians.
Everybody’s Talking About
Jamie
A musical I’d never heard
of but basically fell in love with by the end of the first song! This musical
based on a true story is about a teenage boy who wants to be a drag queen! It
follows Jamie New as he struggles with bullying and a lack of acceptance in his
pursuit to become a professional Drag Queen.
The loving relationship
between Jamie and his Mom was poignantly portrayed when I went to see it with
the original West End cast and going to see a show I knew nothing about made it
even more exciting. My favourite thing about this show is how relatable it is
as any teenager will love the other school kids and recognise people from their
own school days!
The glitz, glamour,
comedy, heartbreak and amazing soundtrack makes this an epic show that I was so
lucky to see. I was even lucky enough to have seats towards the front of the
theatre. I was meant to see the touring version of this show last year but that
was sadly cancelled due to Covid but as soon as allowed I will be back to see
it once again. Plus, a trailer was recently released for the upcoming film
based on the show so that will definitely be a cinema trip for me!
Summer Holiday
You know the iconic Cliff
Richard song ‘We’re all going on a Summer Holiday, no more working for a week
or two.’ (Admit it, you sang that didn’t you?) Well, that song is the main one
for this show based on a hit movie starring Cliff Richard and Lauri Peters.
This show follows Don and
his three friends as they travel to Athens on a double decker bus. On the way
they have loads of fun travelling and manage to pick up a singing trio and a
runaway singer hiding from an overbearing mother.
The movie is more popular
than the show and I’ve only seen the show go on tour once. But being a big fan
of the film, I had to take a trip to see this show and it didn’t disappoint.
It’s fun, colourful, cheery and all round just puts you in a really good mood!
It’s full of comedic moments and all the songs are really catchy! If you never
get a chance to see the show, watch the film because it’s one of my favourite
classics!
Wicked
The origin story of The
Wicked Witch of The West and The Good Witch, Glinda. This musical based on characters
from the classic ‘The Wizard of Oz’ tells a wickedly brilliant story that is ‘Defying
Gravity’!
This show follows Elphaba
a young lady who is seen as an outcast due to her unusual green skin. We follow
her tale to the University Shiz where she becomes best friends with popular roommate
Glinda and we finally discover what made this witch so Wicked.
This show has always been
incredibly popular and once I heard ‘Defying Gravity’ in Glee it made my want
to see the show even more. The story is clever in the ways in which it weaves
in the original story of ‘The Wizard of Oz’, the music is spectacular and the
characters are brilliant. This backstory adds a whole new layer to a popular
story and reminds us that a book should never be judged by its cover and not
everything is as it first appears. It is one show I dream of going to see
again.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
What could potentially be
my favourite classic musical! This stage show musical based on the 1968 film
starring Dick Van Dyke is delightful, delectable and sweet.
This story follows
inventor Caractacus Potts, his two children Jeremy and Jemima and the wealthy
Truly Scrumptious on a magical adventure in a car that can fly! When Caractacus,
Truly and the children end up in a land where there are no children, it is up
to them to restore the love and kindness in the horrid land of Vulgaria.
This colourful, family
story is full of joy and magic and is fun for all ages. The music is beautiful,
the story is wonderful and the characters are hilarious! It is probably my favourite
musical and it always manage to bring a massive smile to my face!
So that is just nine of my
favourite musicals that I have loved and lucky enough to have seen live on
stage. Hopefully, I’ll make some return trips to the Theatre to rewatch some of
them and there’s definitely many more I want to see. So, fingers crossed this COVID
goes away quickly so I can get back to the theatre!
- Courtney -
