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 18^th 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 -