tick, tick…BOOM!
Director: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Writer: Steven Levenson
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens, Robin de Jesús, Joshua Henry, Judith Light
Lin-Manuel Miranda, in his directorial debut, crafts a love letter to the life of Jonathan Larson, a brilliant playwright lost too soon. Based on Larson’s semi-autobiographical musical of the same name, Andrew Garfield immerses himself as Jonathan Larson during a period of his life where he’s struggling to finish a musical and his relationship with his girlfriend (Alexandra Shipp) is on the rocks. What’s even more impressive is that Garfield learned how to sing for this role, and you’d never know based on how well his performance is. The rock music is catchy and foreshadows the type of music found in Larson’s most famous musical, Rent. While this musical focuses on Larson before he turns 30, it serves as an inspiration for other creatives struggling to make their big break and how to keep going in the midst of it. — Meredith Loftus
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Director: David Dobkin
Writer: Will Ferrell and Andrew Steele
Cast: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, Graham Norton, Demi Lovato, Pierce Brosnan
Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams are the musical comedy duo we didn’t know we needed! Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is about two best friends who dream of winning the Eurovision Song Contest and becoming global stars. While Lars (Will Ferrell) has his eyes on the prize, Sigrit (Rachel McAdams) is secretly in love with her best friend. Together, the two face on stage mishaps and high stakes that threaten to shake their bond and their chances to win.
In addition to being a fun musical, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga also acts as a loving tribute to ABBA, since the band famously won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 and went on to superstardom; the movie features their winning performance and includes “Waterloo” in a musical medley midway through the film. The ABBA connection doesn’t stop there: Mamma Mia! star Pierce Brosnan also stars in the movie as Lars’ disapproving father. — Meredith Loftus
The Get Down
Created by: Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis
Cast: Justice Smith, Shameik Moore, Herizen F. Guardiola, Skylan Brooks, Tremaine Brown Jr., Jaden Smith, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jimmy Smits, Giancarlo Esposito
Set in the Bronx in the 1970s, The Get Down tells the story of the rise of “MC Books,” AKA Zeke Figuero (Justice Smith), a young poet and budding hip-hop star. He teams up with aspiring DJ Shaolin Fantastic (Shameik Moore) and his best friends to form the rap group “The Get Down Brothers.” But Zeke’s first love Mylene (Herizen F. Guardiola) has disco dreams of her own, and their careers (and the city’s seedy underbelly) may end up pulling them apart. With fresh, original tunes that feel plucked from music history, The Get Down is every bit as lush, grand, and colorful as you might expect from a Baz Luhrmann production. — Mary Kate Carr
The Prom
Director: Ryan Murphy
Writer: Bob Martin & Chad Beguelin
Cast: Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose, Kerry Washington, Jo Ellen Pellman
Ryan Murphy brought the Broadway hit musical to Netflix with an all-star cast. When their Broadway show gets canceled after only one night, Broadway legends Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden) decide that they need to do something for a good cause in hopes to revitalize their images. When they hear of a girl named Emma (Andrew Pellman) not being allowed to go to her Prom because she’s gay, the gang of actors (including Nicole Kidman and Andrew Rannells) head to the Midwest to right a wrong. There may have been ulterior motives to get them to do the right thing, but if they’re not careful, they may just find themselves invested in these kids and wanting to do the right thing for the actual right reasons. — Jennifer McHugh
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Created by: Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna
Cast: Rachel Bloom, Vincent Rodriguez III, Santino Fontana, Donna Lynne Champlin, Pete Gardner, Vella Lovell, Gabrielle Ruiz, David Hull, Scott Michael Foster
Ambitious and hilarious, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend expertly parodied every possible genre of music and musical theater over its four-season run. When Rebecca (Rachel Bloom) runs into her first love Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III) in New York City, she’s set on a journey of romance and self-discovery that brings her to West Covina, California (which happens to be where Josh lives). Throughout the series, Rebecca sings and dances her way from being a romantic ingénue to a troubling anti-hero and back again. The denizens of West Covina are rounded out by Broadway powerhouses and brilliant comic actors who sell every number. Add in a surprisingly refreshing mental health message, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is arguably the best musical TV show of all time. — Mary Kate Carr
Hairspray
Director: Adam Shankman
Writer: Leslie Dixon
Cast: Nikki Blonski, John Travolta, Michelle Pfieffer, Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes, Queen Latifah, Christopher Walken
How often can you say that a remake of a film is better than the original? Well, what about a film version of a musical remake of a classic 1980s film? Because that’s what Hairspray, the 2007 musical film directed by Adam Shankman, is, and it remains beloved by theater kids and general audiences to this day. An adaptation of the stage musical based on John Waters’ 1988 satirical comedy, the film follows Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonski), a young woman in 1960s Baltimore who just wants the chance to dance on her favorite local television program. When she gets her big break and her appearance stirs things up in her community, she’s thrown into the adventure of a lifetime, where she just might meet her soulmate. Dotted with performances from Zac Efron, Michelle Pfieffer, and a hilarious John Travolta in drag, Hairspray is a staple of the musical canon, and one of the best feel-good films to come out of Hollywood since the turn of the century. And really, who can resist tapping their toes to “Good Morning, Baltimore”? —Maggie Boccella
Les Misérables
Director: Tom Hooper
Writer: William Nicholson, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schoenberg, Herbert Kretzmer
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen
The world-famous musical finally came to the screen in 2012. This globally loved classic is based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. It is the story of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) who is a prisoner on the run from police inspector Javert (Russell Crowe) after stealing a loaf of bread. When he finds himself as a caretaker of a daughter, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) who had been orphaned, his life has new meaning and his only mission in life is to give her the kind of life he never had. The musical debuted in France in 1980, in London, in 1985, and on Broadway in 1987. It was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and won 8 including Best Musical of the year. The film was nominated for 8 Academy Awards, winning 3, including Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Anne Hathaway. — Jennifer McHugh
Annie
Director: John Huston
Writer: Carol Sobieski
Cast: Aileen Quinn, Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Ann Reinking, Tim Curry, Geoffrey Holder, Edward Herrmann
If you need to wash the taste of the disastrous 2014 remake out of your mouth, you can’t go wrong with John Huston’s 1982 adaptation of the Broadway hit Annie. The show’s songs are iconic, and even if you’re sick of hearing “The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow,” young breakout star Aileen Quinn is very charming. Seeing Albert Finney and Carol Burnett interact is never a bad thing, but it's Tim Curry that steals the film with his eccentric performance as the con artist Rooster. Adults may roll their eyes at the melodramatic story, but Annie is the perfect way to get kids interested in musicals. — Liam Gaughan
White Christmas
Director: Michael Curtiz
Writer: Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, Melvin Frank
Cast: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger
This is a must-see every Christmas, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be Christmastime to enjoy this classic. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye star as two army veterans who have made their living post World War II as a singing duo. When they have a run-in with a female singing duo (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen), it seems they have met their match. The four journey to Vermont to perform and have some snow for the holidays when they are surprised to run into their old army general (Dean Jagger) running an inn. The foursome makes it their mission to pack the inn and help out their favorite old man. It’s a sweet story filled with dancing and beautiful music that is sure to put a smile on your face. — Jennifer McHugh
Shrek the Musical
Director: Michael John Warren
Music: Jeanine Tesori
Lyrics & Book: David Lindsay-Abaire
Cast: Brian d’Arcy James, Sutton Foster, Daniel Breaker, Christopher Sieber, John Tartaglia, Haven Burton
It’s always risky taking an animated film and transforming it to live-action, especially on stage. Shrek the Musical exceeds expectations in a musical that’s fun for the whole family. When Shrek the Ogre (Brian d'Arcy James) is tasked with rescuing Princess Fiona (Sutton Foster) from a tower for Prince Farquaad (Christopher Sieber), his adventures along with his sidekick Donkey (Daniel Breaker) are filled with comedy. The original music is super catchy especially “I Know It’s Today” sung by young Fiona, teen Fiona, and Fiona concurrently. The musical premiered on Broadway in 2008 after an out-of-town tryout in Seattle. It closed in 2010 and this filmed performance with the Original Broadway Cast popped up on Netflix in 2013. — Jennifer McHugh
My Fair Lady
Director: George Cukor
Writer: Alan Jay Lerner
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Gladys Cooper, Jeremy Brett
My Fair Lady is considered among the greatest movie musicals of all time (and for good reason). Adapted from the play Pygmalion, this Best Picture winner tells the story of Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) and her transformation from a lowly flower girl into a presentable lady of high society. When she overhears an arrogant phonetics professor (Rex Harrison) claim he could teach her to speak “properly,” she takes him up on his challenge. As her voice becomes more genteel, Eliza also finds her own voice in the process and takes charge of the life she wants. The costumes are lavish; the music is infectious, and the humor carries you through nearly three hours. It has stood the test of time and has stayed with audiences (like the rains in Spain). — Meredith Loftus
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Director: Mel Stuart
Writer: Roald Dahl
Cast: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear, Julie Dawn Cole
Don’t you dare let your kids watch that terrible Johnny Depp adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic—1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is the way to go. The film toes a devilishly fun line between delightful and terrifying, largely thanks to Gene Wilder’s lead performance, but it’s tame enough to prevent any serious traumatization. Besides, the off-kilter nature will make your kid think he or she is in on some sort of secret. It’s a strange film to be sure, but it has a big heart. And Dahl himself wrote the screenplay, so this is definitely the version you’ll want to go with. – Adam Chitwood
Source - https://collider.com/best-musicals-on-netflix/
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