Post by Jester on May 8, 2012 7:10:57 GMT -5
Inspired by a chitchat I had with Tafkawakawakawaka *does Pac Man noise* I thought I'd make a thread for our favourite musicals.
Shallst we include both stage and film?
Talking film mine would be;
- Gene Kelly's best film hands down. The film features so many great numbers, most of which were taken from previous MGM films For me the humour is as crisp and relevant today than it's ever been. Kelly and Donald O'Connor carry the film, O'Connors brilliant "Make em Laugh" being a stand out number.
Best Tracks you ask? Why-
. "Singin' in the Rain" The amazing title track that has such a great history to it; Kelly being incredibly ill when filming, the whole one take myth, the use of milk rather than water for the rain etc.
. "Make em Laugh" Just hilarious and brilliantly acted out by O'Connor. To not laugh during this number is a crime. Plus the message of the song is as relevant as it'll ever be.
. "Good Morning" A lovely number that's brought to life with a truly amazing tap sequence. Debbie Reynolds holds her own rather well here for someone who wasn't previously a tap dancer.
Gotta appreciate the balls of this film. Where on earth did it even come from? Well, the stage, but the point is it's simply crazy. Transvestite aliens? Yes please. All characters have their fantastic moments, from Susan Sarandon's slow seduction, to Meat Loaf's insane cameo, everyone has their moment. BUT Tim Curry steals the show with a performance I honestly think has yet to be beaten. His Doctor Frank-N-Furter is one of the most iconic performances ever.
Stand out tracks-
. "Sweet Transvestite" ... Come on. There is something weirdly sexy about this number. The way Curry curls his lips, the sneer, the light in his eyes, how he prances about with such balls. Man, I love this number. It's completely topped off with one of it's final lines, "I see you shiver in antici... (long pause) pation!" BAM!
. "Touch A Touch Me" Young kinda hot Susan Sarandon throwing herself onto naked Rocky, the perfect man? Wow. Her seduction complete. Excellent number about being naughty.
. "Time Warp" We all know it. We all love it. We know all the moves. Nuff said.
. "Science Fiction/ Double Feature" There is something just so lovely about this song. It feels like a late 60's folk song. Beautiful wacky lyrics.
Another Gene Kelly masterpiece. Like "Singin' in the Rain" I don't think this film is dated at all. Such a beautiful movie about love and set in the worlds most romantic city (unless you've watched "Taken"... In which Paris is the Sex Slave central. No romance about that... Or is there?).
A stand out moment for me is the pure magic of the dance sequence between Kelly and Leslie Caron with the river Seine smoky and foggy in the background. A really touching moment (and one I paid ode to in The Long Coats Part 3. Extra points if you find it Daz.)
Stand out tracks-
. "I got Rhythm" I've heard a lot of people sing this song, but no one sings it like Kelly. From that opening whistle, his cheeky approach and gorgeous tone ooze through. EVERYONE knows this song. The dance sequence is something else. I'll attach a youtube clip for you all because it must be seen. Kelly is something else, and that smile is to die for-
(NOTE: I love the character to his tapping, but this is not his best dance sequence by miles. That honour would have to go to the long ass sequence "Gotta Dance!" at the end of "Singin' in the Rain")
People say Madonna can't act. She can't. But she can sing. Out of her acting career she's only hit gold twice; once was back in the 80's with "Desperately Seeking Susan" in which she was great. The second time was "Evita". Madonna fought like a champ for this role, despite wide protest. She moves me to tears more than once, so screw anyone that says she can't act. She can.
"Evita" followed the life of Eva Perón, from a lower class poor ass kid to the first lady of Argentina. Eva's life was tragically cut short when she died of cancer aged 33.
This musical adaptation of the stage show took a lot of liberties in some of the facts from Eva's life, but ultimately it shows a story of a woman who came from nothing and ruthlessly worked her way up to the very top. In all honesty, this story mimics Madonna's own; A small town farm girl who dropped out of college, ran away to New York with just $35 in her pocket and worked her way to the very top.
Stand out tracks-
. "Don't cry for me Argentina" centre piece of the entire show and film and probably the most recognised song. Moving, stirring, simply epic. Oh and fun fact, a young Billie Piper is an extra in the crowd.
. "Rainbow High" fucking love this song. Fast, furious and catchy. The song cover's a montage of Evita travelling and changing costume more times than even Cleopatra (fact; Evita holds the record for most costume changes).
. "You Must love Me" an original piece written for the film, this song breaks my heart. Evita is dying this point so Madonna sings it soft, weak and desperate. It's pretty moving, always leaves tears in my eyes. Madonna recently performed a truly stunning performance of this song on her last world tour in 2008/2009.
Although the film is different in a lot of aspects to the stage show, both are pretty amazing. The biggest change of all would be swapping Nationalities; Sally Bowles originally English was Americanised and brought to life by the brilliant Liza Minnelli. Vise Versa for the male lead who was originally American but was changed to a Brit for the film.
Another difference would be that Cabaret isn't really a musical. I've placed it here because the case can be argued either way, but I personally don't see it as a musical. The film features very little of the stage show's music, and songs aren't sung to move the plot along, as typical of musicals, but rather are sung within the world of the film, to an in-film audience. To explain further, songs are sung on stage in The Kitkat club, except "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" which is sung at a garden party.
The year is 1931. The plot revolves around Sally Bowles, a complete fuck up young young who dreams of the big time (not so different from Eva Perón). Sally is confided to singing Cabaret numbers in a dodgy Berlin club (The Kitkat Club), run by the Emcee who is played to near perfection by Joel Grey. The arrival of an English writer Brian Roberts, who befriends Sally, prompts a love affair between the two. This is further complicated when Sally begins to see a Millionaire Maximilian von Heune who begins a bisexual relationship with both Sally and Brain. The show builds to an end when Sally reveals she is pregnant but is unsure who is the father. Brain proposes a marriage, but Sally rejects, preferring to follow her dream of making it big. She ends up having an abortion.
Powerful sub plots play out showing the gradual rise of the Nazi Party in Berlin...
Btw, a certain member seems to disagree with my love of Cabaret, so I shall include this- The film currently holds a 97% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Stand out tracks-
"Maybe This Time" Such an important song. Sally sings hesitantly about allowing herself to think that in this relationship she can actually be happy. Builds to a brilliant and stirring conclusion. Although, it's much more powerful in the stage show.
"The Money Song" Money makes the world go 'round. A song written for the film and later added to the stage show by popular demand. This song is simply brilliant.
"Tomorrow Belongs to Me" I have always said that this moment in the film is one of the most powerful scenes in film history. I'd even go as far as saying it's more powerful than it's stage counterpart. It's chilling, and it for shadows the greatest crime to humanity the world has ever seen. I swear to you know, I'm actually fighting back tears thinking about it.
Let me set the scene. A garden party, all seems innocent. A young innocent faced lad stands up and begins to sing a song about the beauty of nature, surely? But gradually the camera pans out to reveal the true sinister nature of the song and the scene.
I'll attach a youtube clip, but this clip really needs to be seen with the rest of the film to have strong effect.
I'm honestly shaking. You may think I'm being a tad dramatic but this clip shows how easy it is to be hypnotised by patriotism and the pride behind that young lad's face gives me goosebumps.
Honourable mentions;
. Chorus Line
. All That Jazz
. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
. Kiss me Kate
. Little Shop of Horrors
. The Blues Brothers (<3)
I've spent far too long listing just the films. I'll list my favourite stage musicals below and at some point list the reasons why I love them and the stand out songs.
Musicals-
1. Cabaret
2. Blood Brothers
3. Avenue Q
4. Sweet Charity
5. Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Disney films
-
1. The Lion King
2. Mulan
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. Enchanted
5. Alice in Wonderland
Before any of you say anything, "Enchanted" is a great film. It's a tongue in cheek semi-spoof of Disney films, so I appreciate the humorous self awareness of it all.
Shallst we include both stage and film?
Talking film mine would be;
1. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
- Gene Kelly's best film hands down. The film features so many great numbers, most of which were taken from previous MGM films For me the humour is as crisp and relevant today than it's ever been. Kelly and Donald O'Connor carry the film, O'Connors brilliant "Make em Laugh" being a stand out number.
Best Tracks you ask? Why-
. "Singin' in the Rain" The amazing title track that has such a great history to it; Kelly being incredibly ill when filming, the whole one take myth, the use of milk rather than water for the rain etc.
. "Make em Laugh" Just hilarious and brilliantly acted out by O'Connor. To not laugh during this number is a crime. Plus the message of the song is as relevant as it'll ever be.
. "Good Morning" A lovely number that's brought to life with a truly amazing tap sequence. Debbie Reynolds holds her own rather well here for someone who wasn't previously a tap dancer.
2. Rocky Horror Picture Show (<3) (1975)
Gotta appreciate the balls of this film. Where on earth did it even come from? Well, the stage, but the point is it's simply crazy. Transvestite aliens? Yes please. All characters have their fantastic moments, from Susan Sarandon's slow seduction, to Meat Loaf's insane cameo, everyone has their moment. BUT Tim Curry steals the show with a performance I honestly think has yet to be beaten. His Doctor Frank-N-Furter is one of the most iconic performances ever.
Stand out tracks-
. "Sweet Transvestite" ... Come on. There is something weirdly sexy about this number. The way Curry curls his lips, the sneer, the light in his eyes, how he prances about with such balls. Man, I love this number. It's completely topped off with one of it's final lines, "I see you shiver in antici... (long pause) pation!" BAM!
. "Touch A Touch Me" Young kinda hot Susan Sarandon throwing herself onto naked Rocky, the perfect man? Wow. Her seduction complete. Excellent number about being naughty.
. "Time Warp" We all know it. We all love it. We know all the moves. Nuff said.
. "Science Fiction/ Double Feature" There is something just so lovely about this song. It feels like a late 60's folk song. Beautiful wacky lyrics.
3. An American in Paris (1951)
Another Gene Kelly masterpiece. Like "Singin' in the Rain" I don't think this film is dated at all. Such a beautiful movie about love and set in the worlds most romantic city (unless you've watched "Taken"... In which Paris is the Sex Slave central. No romance about that... Or is there?).
A stand out moment for me is the pure magic of the dance sequence between Kelly and Leslie Caron with the river Seine smoky and foggy in the background. A really touching moment (and one I paid ode to in The Long Coats Part 3. Extra points if you find it Daz.)
Stand out tracks-
. "I got Rhythm" I've heard a lot of people sing this song, but no one sings it like Kelly. From that opening whistle, his cheeky approach and gorgeous tone ooze through. EVERYONE knows this song. The dance sequence is something else. I'll attach a youtube clip for you all because it must be seen. Kelly is something else, and that smile is to die for-
(NOTE: I love the character to his tapping, but this is not his best dance sequence by miles. That honour would have to go to the long ass sequence "Gotta Dance!" at the end of "Singin' in the Rain")
4. Evita (1996)
People say Madonna can't act. She can't. But she can sing. Out of her acting career she's only hit gold twice; once was back in the 80's with "Desperately Seeking Susan" in which she was great. The second time was "Evita". Madonna fought like a champ for this role, despite wide protest. She moves me to tears more than once, so screw anyone that says she can't act. She can.
"Evita" followed the life of Eva Perón, from a lower class poor ass kid to the first lady of Argentina. Eva's life was tragically cut short when she died of cancer aged 33.
This musical adaptation of the stage show took a lot of liberties in some of the facts from Eva's life, but ultimately it shows a story of a woman who came from nothing and ruthlessly worked her way up to the very top. In all honesty, this story mimics Madonna's own; A small town farm girl who dropped out of college, ran away to New York with just $35 in her pocket and worked her way to the very top.
Stand out tracks-
. "Don't cry for me Argentina" centre piece of the entire show and film and probably the most recognised song. Moving, stirring, simply epic. Oh and fun fact, a young Billie Piper is an extra in the crowd.
. "Rainbow High" fucking love this song. Fast, furious and catchy. The song cover's a montage of Evita travelling and changing costume more times than even Cleopatra (fact; Evita holds the record for most costume changes).
. "You Must love Me" an original piece written for the film, this song breaks my heart. Evita is dying this point so Madonna sings it soft, weak and desperate. It's pretty moving, always leaves tears in my eyes. Madonna recently performed a truly stunning performance of this song on her last world tour in 2008/2009.
5. Cabaret (1972)
Although the film is different in a lot of aspects to the stage show, both are pretty amazing. The biggest change of all would be swapping Nationalities; Sally Bowles originally English was Americanised and brought to life by the brilliant Liza Minnelli. Vise Versa for the male lead who was originally American but was changed to a Brit for the film.
Another difference would be that Cabaret isn't really a musical. I've placed it here because the case can be argued either way, but I personally don't see it as a musical. The film features very little of the stage show's music, and songs aren't sung to move the plot along, as typical of musicals, but rather are sung within the world of the film, to an in-film audience. To explain further, songs are sung on stage in The Kitkat club, except "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" which is sung at a garden party.
The year is 1931. The plot revolves around Sally Bowles, a complete fuck up young young who dreams of the big time (not so different from Eva Perón). Sally is confided to singing Cabaret numbers in a dodgy Berlin club (The Kitkat Club), run by the Emcee who is played to near perfection by Joel Grey. The arrival of an English writer Brian Roberts, who befriends Sally, prompts a love affair between the two. This is further complicated when Sally begins to see a Millionaire Maximilian von Heune who begins a bisexual relationship with both Sally and Brain. The show builds to an end when Sally reveals she is pregnant but is unsure who is the father. Brain proposes a marriage, but Sally rejects, preferring to follow her dream of making it big. She ends up having an abortion.
Powerful sub plots play out showing the gradual rise of the Nazi Party in Berlin...
Btw, a certain member seems to disagree with my love of Cabaret, so I shall include this- The film currently holds a 97% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Stand out tracks-
"Maybe This Time" Such an important song. Sally sings hesitantly about allowing herself to think that in this relationship she can actually be happy. Builds to a brilliant and stirring conclusion. Although, it's much more powerful in the stage show.
"The Money Song" Money makes the world go 'round. A song written for the film and later added to the stage show by popular demand. This song is simply brilliant.
"Tomorrow Belongs to Me" I have always said that this moment in the film is one of the most powerful scenes in film history. I'd even go as far as saying it's more powerful than it's stage counterpart. It's chilling, and it for shadows the greatest crime to humanity the world has ever seen. I swear to you know, I'm actually fighting back tears thinking about it.
Let me set the scene. A garden party, all seems innocent. A young innocent faced lad stands up and begins to sing a song about the beauty of nature, surely? But gradually the camera pans out to reveal the true sinister nature of the song and the scene.
I'll attach a youtube clip, but this clip really needs to be seen with the rest of the film to have strong effect.
I'm honestly shaking. You may think I'm being a tad dramatic but this clip shows how easy it is to be hypnotised by patriotism and the pride behind that young lad's face gives me goosebumps.
Honourable mentions;
. Chorus Line
. All That Jazz
. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
. Kiss me Kate
. Little Shop of Horrors
. The Blues Brothers (<3)
I've spent far too long listing just the films. I'll list my favourite stage musicals below and at some point list the reasons why I love them and the stand out songs.
Musicals-
1. Cabaret
2. Blood Brothers
3. Avenue Q
4. Sweet Charity
5. Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Disney films
-1. The Lion King
2. Mulan
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. Enchanted
5. Alice in Wonderland
Before any of you say anything, "Enchanted" is a great film. It's a tongue in cheek semi-spoof of Disney films, so I appreciate the humorous self awareness of it all.
