Music is the universal language, and when combined with the visual medium, it can often create something quite special. The musical genre has certainly had its ups and downs over the years following its heyday throughout the 1950s and 60s, but you can always count on a resurgence following a fallow period. And of course Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Second Golden Age throughout the 1990s was defined by adding a musical element back into its films. So if you’re looking for something to sing along to, tap your feet to, or maybe just something to make you feel happy, below we’ve assembled a list of the best musicals on Netflix right now.


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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/