Once Upon a Mattress (2005 TV version) – This is an adaptation of “The Princess and the Pea,” and it’s on the light and fun side. The plot is simple, but the somewhat exaggerated behavior of the characters is amusing and keeps the musical going.
Notable songs: “Shy,” “Nightingale Lullaby”
South Pacific (1958 movie) – This was better than I thought it would be. The story is about Seabees and Navy nurses on an island in the South Pacific during World War II. There’s love, espionage, malaria, and the mysterious island of Bali Ha’i. Some of the visuals were . . . interesting – a few times when the characters were singing (usually about Bali Ha’i or love) colored mist would descend over everything, which mainly made me question if my computer monitor had suddenly broken. I’m not quite sure what effect they were going for, but whatever it was, I didn’t get it. Additionally, a number of the main actors don’t sing their parts. It’s more noticeable for some of them than others.
Notable songs: “Bali Ha’i,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair”
The Sound of Music Live! (2013 live TV production) – Basically any production of The Sound of Music is going to be compared to the 1965 movie (which I’ve seen multiple times). For this version, Carrie Underwood was cast as Maria. She can sing, but she’s not an actress, and unfortunately, through no fault of her own, every time she appears the first thing you think is, “that’s not Julie Andrews.” The von Trapp kids worked well together, and the producers stayed true to the original Broadway musical. (The 1965 movie is pretty close, but it moves some of the songs around and cuts a couple.) Worth a watch just for the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical numbers.
Notable songs: Basically all of them (“The Sound of Music,” “Maria,” “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” “The Lonely Goatherd,” “So Long, Farewell,” “Edelweiss”)
The Phantom of the Opera (2004 movie) – Solid adaptation. None of the actors were amazing, but they all performed well. I do disagree with some of the director’s choices to value cinematic spectacle over atmosphere and storytelling; there are a couple big scenes that are filmed more to show off camera angles and sets than to tell the story. Yes, this is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, but we don’t need Starlight Express levels of spectacle. Starlight Express is a musical about trains performed entirely on roller skates. There’s lots of strobe lighting and neon and it would not be out of place to have a disco ball hanging from the theater ceiling.
Notable songs: Also a lot – “Think of Me,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “The Music of the Night,” “Notes/Prima Donna,” “All I Ask of You,” “Masquerade”
Newsies (1992 movie) – All I knew about this musical before I watched it was the song “Seize the Day.” It’s based on the New York City newsboys strike of 1899, and it’s a pretty standard Disney happy-ending-type movie, but I liked it anyway. When Newsies was originally released, it did not do well, but later gained popularity and was adapted for Broadway. Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, etc.) did the score and 18-year-old Christian Bale stars as Jack Kelly.
Notable songs: “Carrying the Banner,” “Santa Fe,” “Seize the Day”
Another decent set of musicals. Nothing earth-shattering, nothing that made me want to gouge my eyes out, which is always a good thing.
South Pacific (1958 movie) – This was better than I thought it would be. The story is about Seabees and Navy nurses on an island in the South Pacific during World War II. There’s love, espionage, malaria, and the mysterious island of Bali Ha’i. Some of the visuals were . . . interesting – a few times when the characters were singing (usually about Bali Ha’i or love) colored mist would descend over everything, which mainly made me question if my computer monitor had suddenly broken. I’m not quite sure what effect they were going for, but whatever it was, I didn’t get it. Additionally, a number of the main actors don’t sing their parts. It’s more noticeable for some of them than others.
Notable songs: “Bali Ha’i,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair”
The Sound of Music Live! (2013 live TV production) – Basically any production of The Sound of Music is going to be compared to the 1965 movie (which I’ve seen multiple times). For this version, Carrie Underwood was cast as Maria. She can sing, but she’s not an actress, and unfortunately, through no fault of her own, every time she appears the first thing you think is, “that’s not Julie Andrews.” The von Trapp kids worked well together, and the producers stayed true to the original Broadway musical. (The 1965 movie is pretty close, but it moves some of the songs around and cuts a couple.) Worth a watch just for the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical numbers.
Notable songs: Basically all of them (“The Sound of Music,” “Maria,” “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” “The Lonely Goatherd,” “So Long, Farewell,” “Edelweiss”)
The Phantom of the Opera (2004 movie) – Solid adaptation. None of the actors were amazing, but they all performed well. I do disagree with some of the director’s choices to value cinematic spectacle over atmosphere and storytelling; there are a couple big scenes that are filmed more to show off camera angles and sets than to tell the story. Yes, this is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, but we don’t need Starlight Express levels of spectacle. Starlight Express is a musical about trains performed entirely on roller skates. There’s lots of strobe lighting and neon and it would not be out of place to have a disco ball hanging from the theater ceiling.
Notable songs: Also a lot – “Think of Me,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “The Music of the Night,” “Notes/Prima Donna,” “All I Ask of You,” “Masquerade”
Newsies (1992 movie) – All I knew about this musical before I watched it was the song “Seize the Day.” It’s based on the New York City newsboys strike of 1899, and it’s a pretty standard Disney happy-ending-type movie, but I liked it anyway. When Newsies was originally released, it did not do well, but later gained popularity and was adapted for Broadway. Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, etc.) did the score and 18-year-old Christian Bale stars as Jack Kelly.
Notable songs: “Carrying the Banner,” “Santa Fe,” “Seize the Day”
Another decent set of musicals. Nothing earth-shattering, nothing that made me want to gouge my eyes out, which is always a good thing.
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