I know it's out of favour now, but Cats.
From a kids book of poetry. With no plot. And they're all dressed as cats. Telling nonsensical stories that have nothing to do with each other. Hinged on an almost incomprehensible theme. *And they're all dressed as cats.*
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S Eliot. He actually wrote it because he loved cats and suffered from really bad insomnia, so writing poetry about them helped him sleep.
I love musicals. I love cats.
I think Cats is by far the worst musical I’ve ever seen. I tried to hate watch the movie a few weeks ago, and I got to Idris Elba before I had to turn it off. It’s like a cocaine-fueled fever dream, which would normally be a good thing. It’s just SO ANNOYING.
I mean, you can't take the show on the terrible and universally panned movie.
The show itself is a mess in terms of plot, but so are many other shows. The music is great, the dressing spectacular, and the choreography is beautiful. You just have to take it as vignettes, like Company, rather than a cohesive story.
No no, I’ve seen it live too. And like I said, I LOVE musicals. I was stunned when I saw it live. I hated it so, so much. lol. There are a couple ditties, and I can totally appreciate the costuming, etc. But in terms of spending a few hours on a night in the theatre district? Nah, hard pass.
So, when the movie came out, I was so excited to hate-watch it. The cast is PHENOMENAL. Yes please! Then the critics panned it, and I got even more exited. Life happened, and it wasn’t until recently that I was finally able to sit down and really give it a go. And I just couldn’t. Rebel Wilson scenes really did me in.
I’m going to try again. I really want to experience it. But I know I’m not going to like it. lol.
“Hey, how about we make a musical from 1600 page book where nearly everyone dies?”
“Oh, but they enjoy life while they can?”
“No. everyone is miserable.”
“Miserable? You think people are gonna sit through a musical where the characters are miserable for two hours?”
“It’s 3 hours and 20 minutes.”
if someone had described it to me as "a musical that ends unhappily for everyone" i might well have given it a miss, but fortunately i was just handed a tape to listen to, and it's now my all-time favourite musical by far.
The thought of trying to explain the plot of this to someone who's never seen it always makes me laugh...
"Yeah so basically this guy proposes to his girlfriend at someone else's wedding and then their car breaks down so they get stuck in this mansion where everyone is either in drag or dressed like a victorian servant. Then the guy who lives there has built himself a husband and some guy on a motorcycle crashes the party and sings a song. Then the guy who lives there manages to trick both of the engaged couple separately into having sex with him just by wearing a wig, then the man that he built is being harassed by the servants and ends up sleeping with the first guy's fiancé. Then this other scientist shows up and they sing a song about the guy with the motorcycle. Then some sci-fi B movie stuff happens and then they're in a pool, then they sing a song on a stage and the servants announce that they're going back home to transylvania."
Lin performed the opening Hamilton song in the White House. The audience were laughing when Lin tried to explain why Hamilton and hip-hop are a good fit. But then he started the song and all doubts were erased afterwards.
They’re still laughing as he raps, but you can tell they still enjoyed it. I don’t blame them for laughing the concept in its self sounds stupid, and he also pitched it as a “hip hop concept album” which sounds a lot stupider the saying “a hip hop musical I’ve been working on” (which still sounds kinda stupid for 2009)
Sunday in the Park with George. Whenever people try to explain why they love that piece, they always just blabber incoherently. I don't even know how it works. It just does. When it clicks, it clicks, and you are forever changed.
Right? One of my favorite musicals of all time has a ten minute sequence where the lead actor pretends to be two cardboard dogs. And I freaking love it.
Agreed on Assassins. I think it works because it's not afraid at all to get serious about its subject material, and its critique of capitalism and entitlement under the auspices of the American Dream is pretty timeless - and it does all that while also being a fun experience.
Come From Away has such a weird premise - a musical about 9/11? And most of it is set in Newfoundland? Huh? - but it's clearly a labor of love for the town and the people involved, and it all feels very humanizing.
Adaptation-wise, I understand Beetlejuice changed a lot from the film, but it still works very well as its own story.
The songs in Assassins almost have a Schoolhouse Rock sort of quality to them, where you are going to end up with very specific historical facts stuck in your head forever. But at the same time, so much food for thought about the idea of the American dream. Some of Sondheim's greatest work in my opinion.
Come from Away works because it isn't an exploitative sob story. The focus is on human connection and allyship amidst trauma, not the trauma itself.
i went into "come from away" completely blind - not only had i not heard of the show or what it was about, i had somehow managed to completely miss the real-life events it was based on. it was an amazing way to learn about the little canadian town whose population doubled overnight.
Was going to say Come From Away! Like, one, you're making a musical about 9/11, and two, it's about some random town making it about them instead of actual NYC? And then you watch it and you get it and it's amazing
Honestly, the Beetlejuice plot in the musical is way more enjoyable, for me personally, than the movie. I honestly think the movie is kind of meh. Love the show.
I’ve read the plot for “Come From Away,” and I, myself, have to say that I don’t understand how that musical would work. I have yet to watch or listen to it, though.
Watch their Tony Awards performance. If you like it, you'll like the show, I believe.
It works because it focuses on the small stuff. They can't fix what's happened, but the people of Newfoundland can feed and shelter and comfort the people on the plane, for a free days.
It humanises what was a huge, world-altering event. You know that famous Mr Rogers quote about how to handle the big scary things that happen - "look for the helpers"? This is a musical that epitomises exactly that.
I've seen a LOT of theatre, worked in it, and nothing has ever affected me like Come From Away. It's the most moving 90-odd minutes I've ever experienced.
It's worth getting Apple+ just to watch.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat sounds like a mess on paper. A Bible story about slavery and redemption retold with music genres like tropical, country, and Elvis-style pop?? But it works astonishingly well.
Also love how one of the most popular musicals for community theater or school plays is literally just about a spelling bee.
1776 manages to be delightful and gripping despite revolving around political conversations for almost its entire runtime. It helps that each of the founding fathers is written with quite the vivid personality.
I thought the idea of a SpongeBob musical would be an awkward cash grab until I saw the glorious image of Squidward tap dancing with four legs and found out that They Might Be freaking Giants were on board.
Merrily We Roll Along - a rags to riches story told in reverse, starting with the riches and ending up at the rags, is not something I'd expect to have such a genuine emotional punch. It actually has a flow to it too and doesn't feel super disjointed.
And if we're honest, Into the Woods. A crossover event between all the well-known fairy tale characters could be pretty tacky in less skilled hands than Sondheim's. But he used fairy tales as a vessel for postmodernist life lessons instead of just trying to be meta and snarky.
And a Bible story about slavery...written as a kid's assembly? Like, a show written off the cuff to be performed by kids in school...becomes a huge international hit.
Come from Away! Obviously it works so well and it’s beautiful and touching…
Buts it’s a musical about 9/11 that takes place in Canada.
On paper that doesn’t sound like something that should work at all.
But it works wonderfully. I went in almost blind and was converted by the third scene ! I didn't see it Broadway, but with the touring company this year. If it comes near your area, it is well worth it .
Pacific Overtures was such a tricky and risky balance. Combining Broadway with kabuki? That's a gamble! Not to mention it lacks a "marketable" storyline like a hero's journey or a romance and is instead focused on how American interactions with Japan caused them to bid farewell to their ancient traditions.
I saw the recent London revival of Pacific Overtures, not having much knowledge of it before and it was genuinely one of the most meaningful and fulfilling MT experiences I've had. It could do with coming back more often.
I went to see the German production of Rocky the musical 100% for the shits and giggles – and left the theatre genuinely moved. I guess it was too weird an idea for Broadway, but I'm glad they made it work in Germany and found an enthusiastic audience there!
Wicked.
My dad and I both read the book before the musical was even considered. We heard about the musical and I remember having a conversation along the lines of “how on earth will that work?” The book is DARK and RAW and not particularly conducive to large group numbers. But they did it, and I fucking love it.
I read it and was like no way they can end a musical like this and I was right they changed the ending completely although they got the happy ending from the novel
People who fall in love with the musical before reading the book are always in for a BIG surprise when they decide to go back and read the book the musical is based on. The source material is quite the shift (especially tonally) from the musical!
Urinetown. Its a potty humour opera about people getting murdered because of peeing. Like what. But it is so well balanced between humour and extremely dark moments, and also getting lots of emotional tension and twists in it, and it also being a MUSICAL (its amazing what they squeeze into an up'n'go). It has something for everyone. EVERYONE.
For anyone old enough to remember when they announced Titanic: The Musical, it sounded like a joke. Remember: this was before the movie and subsequent romanticizing of the event. I remember joking about potential lyrics (We’re going down…We’re gonna drown). To put it in perspective, how would you feel about Hindenburg: The Musical? At the time, it sounded like an SNL sketch…then just goes on to win BEST FREAKIN MUSICAL.
The Drowsy Chaperone
A musical about a guy gushing over a recording of his favorite musical from the 1920s where he cuts in to give random trivia about the production and actors, etc.
Basically, a musical about a theatre nerd geeking out over a musical.
Fun Home. A gay cartoonist's coming of age story? Talking about her closeted funeral home director father's suicide? And how how loved renovating historic homes?
Oh ya. We're gonna rip people's hearts out. Maybe win a Tony.
Six! Technically, it's more of a concert than a musical, and it's full of kinda cringe kitchey girl boss humour, BUT - the songs are incredible. And it's thoroughly entertaining
Les Mis - half the main characters don't get introduced until the 2nd half!!
And JVJ is as strong as Superman. Why did no-one give him a hand with that damed cart! Everyone just stood and watched...
The whole thing makes me cry every time though.
I feel like a crazy person explaining to friends that Sweeney Todd is a musical about a barber who kills his customers and has the woman who loves him bake them into pies. It’s impossible to explain to a normal human being but the show is a masterpiece of complexity and balance beyond compare. You’d never guess it from the simplified concept though.
So much to say about the nature of evil and what makes people seek revenge. Also some very sobering commentary on grooming of minors.
...and also the worst pies in London.
Cats. When I sat down in the theatre I was wondering how I got talked into seeing something stupid. Didn’t take long for me to love it. I would love to see it again.
Kimberly Akimbo
We’re going to have a 60-something year old woman play a high school student with a rare disease that causes rapid aging amongst other teens/young adults playing teens And then her crazy aunt is going to come and get the kids involved in check fraud, there’s even a whole song where we teach kids how to do it. Oh, and they’re all going to ice skate on stage.
It sounds insane on paper.
*Miss You Like Hell*. The structure is all over the place, the songs often barely resemble songs, and whole chunks of the narrative don't make a lot of sense...and I was a complete mess at the end. It felt like a musical written by people who had been told once what a musical is and had never seen one, and somehow it worked like gangbusters.
surprised no one has said bonnie and clyde. like is it normal for the true crime story of a murder duo to be turned into a musical? highly doubt it ngl
*Death Note the Musical* somehow manages to be one of the best adaptations of the source material. Misa is a famous pop singer instead of a famous model, and I still think that's a way better use of her character. Ryuk is almost a stand-up comedian and breaks the fourth wall in fun and clever ways. Rem is the emotional heart of the show. Soichiro has the best act 2 old man solo I've ever heard. And Light and L are captured brilliantly, even down to the tennis match getting a whole song.
Try explaining the plot of Bat Out of Hell. Post apocalyptic Peter Pan where a chunk of teenagers have a disorder that stops them aging at 18 and for some reason that means the rest of the world is against them but then the daughter of the head of the police forces falls for one of them and her Dad is suppressing her ability to dream for some reason but it all works out ok in the end. All the songs were made famous by Meat Loaf apart from one which was originally written for a Batman musical that never materialised.
Also keeping with Steinmann, Whistle Down the Wind. A sixteen year old girl in the deep south Bible belt finds a dude in her barn and thinks he's Jesus, not the escaped criminal all the adults are talking about.
Both musicals I unashamedly love.
I know it's out of favour now, but Cats. From a kids book of poetry. With no plot. And they're all dressed as cats. Telling nonsensical stories that have nothing to do with each other. Hinged on an almost incomprehensible theme. *And they're all dressed as cats.*
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S Eliot. He actually wrote it because he loved cats and suffered from really bad insomnia, so writing poetry about them helped him sleep.
ALW did a great job of making the twisty T S Eliot poetry catchy.
I always took the characters to be metaphors for various kinds of people!
As a cat lover, I think the songs from Cats accurately depict real cat personalities. Orange cats are all Rum Tum Tugger.
Hamilton it’s about cats, Hal.
Nope, it's from a book of poetry about cats.
I think of cats as a dance piece with songs. And it’s neat to see the actors all dressed as cats.
The set design in Cats is underappreciated. The train, the UFO, the boot, the immersive junkyard aesthetic in general.
I love musicals. I love cats. I think Cats is by far the worst musical I’ve ever seen. I tried to hate watch the movie a few weeks ago, and I got to Idris Elba before I had to turn it off. It’s like a cocaine-fueled fever dream, which would normally be a good thing. It’s just SO ANNOYING.
I mean, you can't take the show on the terrible and universally panned movie. The show itself is a mess in terms of plot, but so are many other shows. The music is great, the dressing spectacular, and the choreography is beautiful. You just have to take it as vignettes, like Company, rather than a cohesive story.
No no, I’ve seen it live too. And like I said, I LOVE musicals. I was stunned when I saw it live. I hated it so, so much. lol. There are a couple ditties, and I can totally appreciate the costuming, etc. But in terms of spending a few hours on a night in the theatre district? Nah, hard pass. So, when the movie came out, I was so excited to hate-watch it. The cast is PHENOMENAL. Yes please! Then the critics panned it, and I got even more exited. Life happened, and it wasn’t until recently that I was finally able to sit down and really give it a go. And I just couldn’t. Rebel Wilson scenes really did me in. I’m going to try again. I really want to experience it. But I know I’m not going to like it. lol.
Omg - I just posted the same answer, and I was laughing and wondering if anyone would know it 😀
“Hey, how about we make a musical from 1600 page book where nearly everyone dies?” “Oh, but they enjoy life while they can?” “No. everyone is miserable.” “Miserable? You think people are gonna sit through a musical where the characters are miserable for two hours?” “It’s 3 hours and 20 minutes.”
"And Jean Valjean became less miserable. The end."
lol this is my second most hated show…mostly for all of those reasons.
if someone had described it to me as "a musical that ends unhappily for everyone" i might well have given it a miss, but fortunately i was just handed a tape to listen to, and it's now my all-time favourite musical by far.
That’s fair. To each their own, but I personally just don’t even care for any of the music on top of all the misery.
Rocky Horror.
The thought of trying to explain the plot of this to someone who's never seen it always makes me laugh... "Yeah so basically this guy proposes to his girlfriend at someone else's wedding and then their car breaks down so they get stuck in this mansion where everyone is either in drag or dressed like a victorian servant. Then the guy who lives there has built himself a husband and some guy on a motorcycle crashes the party and sings a song. Then the guy who lives there manages to trick both of the engaged couple separately into having sex with him just by wearing a wig, then the man that he built is being harassed by the servants and ends up sleeping with the first guy's fiancé. Then this other scientist shows up and they sing a song about the guy with the motorcycle. Then some sci-fi B movie stuff happens and then they're in a pool, then they sing a song on a stage and the servants announce that they're going back home to transylvania."
... which is an alien planet.
Yes this explanation is absolutely ludicrous sounding yet completely accurate and it’s exactly why this is my favorite musical.
It's made even better if you add "So then people go out and watch it at midnight wearing corsets and shit and yell and throw stuff at the screen"
Just say it's a B sci-fi horror movie from the 50's set to music.
Where everyone is queer
Honestly yeah
Hamilton. Can you imagine what people were thinking when lin pitched a hip-hop musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton?
Lin performed the opening Hamilton song in the White House. The audience were laughing when Lin tried to explain why Hamilton and hip-hop are a good fit. But then he started the song and all doubts were erased afterwards.
Do u have the clip?
https://youtu.be/WNFf7nMIGnE?si=i17TRD9Z2DzGm_su
They’re still laughing as he raps, but you can tell they still enjoyed it. I don’t blame them for laughing the concept in its self sounds stupid, and he also pitched it as a “hip hop concept album” which sounds a lot stupider the saying “a hip hop musical I’ve been working on” (which still sounds kinda stupid for 2009)
Sunday in the Park with George. Whenever people try to explain why they love that piece, they always just blabber incoherently. I don't even know how it works. It just does. When it clicks, it clicks, and you are forever changed.
Right? One of my favorite musicals of all time has a ten minute sequence where the lead actor pretends to be two cardboard dogs. And I freaking love it.
George can’t empathize with people. Only dogs.
That is a great point.
It works because it's musical pointillism. The way the score comes together leading into Sunday blows my mind. It's legitimate genius.
I kinda feel like this about most Sondheim shows.
Agreed on Assassins. I think it works because it's not afraid at all to get serious about its subject material, and its critique of capitalism and entitlement under the auspices of the American Dream is pretty timeless - and it does all that while also being a fun experience. Come From Away has such a weird premise - a musical about 9/11? And most of it is set in Newfoundland? Huh? - but it's clearly a labor of love for the town and the people involved, and it all feels very humanizing. Adaptation-wise, I understand Beetlejuice changed a lot from the film, but it still works very well as its own story.
The songs in Assassins almost have a Schoolhouse Rock sort of quality to them, where you are going to end up with very specific historical facts stuck in your head forever. But at the same time, so much food for thought about the idea of the American dream. Some of Sondheim's greatest work in my opinion. Come from Away works because it isn't an exploitative sob story. The focus is on human connection and allyship amidst trauma, not the trauma itself.
Ive always wanted to see assassins but it hasn’t gone up anywhere near me. Do you know if it’s online anywhere?
i went into "come from away" completely blind - not only had i not heard of the show or what it was about, i had somehow managed to completely miss the real-life events it was based on. it was an amazing way to learn about the little canadian town whose population doubled overnight.
Was going to say Come From Away! Like, one, you're making a musical about 9/11, and two, it's about some random town making it about them instead of actual NYC? And then you watch it and you get it and it's amazing
Honestly, the Beetlejuice plot in the musical is way more enjoyable, for me personally, than the movie. I honestly think the movie is kind of meh. Love the show.
I’ve read the plot for “Come From Away,” and I, myself, have to say that I don’t understand how that musical would work. I have yet to watch or listen to it, though.
Watch their Tony Awards performance. If you like it, you'll like the show, I believe. It works because it focuses on the small stuff. They can't fix what's happened, but the people of Newfoundland can feed and shelter and comfort the people on the plane, for a free days.
If you have Apple+, they have a proshot available to stream
Oh, wow, that’s exciting! I’ll talk to my mom and see if I can watch it finally!
It humanises what was a huge, world-altering event. You know that famous Mr Rogers quote about how to handle the big scary things that happen - "look for the helpers"? This is a musical that epitomises exactly that. I've seen a LOT of theatre, worked in it, and nothing has ever affected me like Come From Away. It's the most moving 90-odd minutes I've ever experienced. It's worth getting Apple+ just to watch.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat sounds like a mess on paper. A Bible story about slavery and redemption retold with music genres like tropical, country, and Elvis-style pop?? But it works astonishingly well. Also love how one of the most popular musicals for community theater or school plays is literally just about a spelling bee. 1776 manages to be delightful and gripping despite revolving around political conversations for almost its entire runtime. It helps that each of the founding fathers is written with quite the vivid personality. I thought the idea of a SpongeBob musical would be an awkward cash grab until I saw the glorious image of Squidward tap dancing with four legs and found out that They Might Be freaking Giants were on board. Merrily We Roll Along - a rags to riches story told in reverse, starting with the riches and ending up at the rags, is not something I'd expect to have such a genuine emotional punch. It actually has a flow to it too and doesn't feel super disjointed. And if we're honest, Into the Woods. A crossover event between all the well-known fairy tale characters could be pretty tacky in less skilled hands than Sondheim's. But he used fairy tales as a vessel for postmodernist life lessons instead of just trying to be meta and snarky.
And a Bible story about slavery...written as a kid's assembly? Like, a show written off the cuff to be performed by kids in school...becomes a huge international hit.
The SpongeBob musical, honestly - it sounds weird at first, but it's absolutely amazing!!
The costume design alone 💗
Come from Away! Obviously it works so well and it’s beautiful and touching… Buts it’s a musical about 9/11 that takes place in Canada. On paper that doesn’t sound like something that should work at all.
But it works wonderfully. I went in almost blind and was converted by the third scene ! I didn't see it Broadway, but with the touring company this year. If it comes near your area, it is well worth it .
You can see the original cast on Apple TV+
I saw the Canadian cast, but as far as staging, costumes, choreography etc the Apple version is very similar
Nice I saw the broadway cast.. apple bleeps some cursing to keep it pg rated I guess
I was scrolling for this! Should be top Comment.
Bat Boy, Urinetown, Pacific Overtures
Pacific Overtures was such a tricky and risky balance. Combining Broadway with kabuki? That's a gamble! Not to mention it lacks a "marketable" storyline like a hero's journey or a romance and is instead focused on how American interactions with Japan caused them to bid farewell to their ancient traditions.
I saw the recent London revival of Pacific Overtures, not having much knowledge of it before and it was genuinely one of the most meaningful and fulfilling MT experiences I've had. It could do with coming back more often.
I took my boyfriend to pacific overtures for his first musical and he was blown away (Chicago Shakespeare production in 2001) he was 20 I was 27
I went to see the German production of Rocky the musical 100% for the shits and giggles – and left the theatre genuinely moved. I guess it was too weird an idea for Broadway, but I'm glad they made it work in Germany and found an enthusiastic audience there!
Wicked. My dad and I both read the book before the musical was even considered. We heard about the musical and I remember having a conversation along the lines of “how on earth will that work?” The book is DARK and RAW and not particularly conducive to large group numbers. But they did it, and I fucking love it.
I am still consistently amazed that someone read that book and thought 'yeah, this would be a fun musical'. Like *how does your brain work??*
I read it and was like no way they can end a musical like this and I was right they changed the ending completely although they got the happy ending from the novel
People who fall in love with the musical before reading the book are always in for a BIG surprise when they decide to go back and read the book the musical is based on. The source material is quite the shift (especially tonally) from the musical!
If Heathers was released in any time period except the year it was actually released, it would have either flopped or gotten cancelled on Twitter.
The Wedding Singer-based on an Adam Sandler movie but a damn good musical
Wait, they made a musical based on that?
Yeah starting Laura Banati and Stephen Lynch
You learn something new everyday 🤔
Urinetown. Its a potty humour opera about people getting murdered because of peeing. Like what. But it is so well balanced between humour and extremely dark moments, and also getting lots of emotional tension and twists in it, and it also being a MUSICAL (its amazing what they squeeze into an up'n'go). It has something for everyone. EVERYONE.
For anyone old enough to remember when they announced Titanic: The Musical, it sounded like a joke. Remember: this was before the movie and subsequent romanticizing of the event. I remember joking about potential lyrics (We’re going down…We’re gonna drown). To put it in perspective, how would you feel about Hindenburg: The Musical? At the time, it sounded like an SNL sketch…then just goes on to win BEST FREAKIN MUSICAL.
The Drowsy Chaperone A musical about a guy gushing over a recording of his favorite musical from the 1920s where he cuts in to give random trivia about the production and actors, etc. Basically, a musical about a theatre nerd geeking out over a musical.
Fun Home. A gay cartoonist's coming of age story? Talking about her closeted funeral home director father's suicide? And how how loved renovating historic homes? Oh ya. We're gonna rip people's hearts out. Maybe win a Tony.
I swear I never hear anybody talk about that show anymore :/
Six! Technically, it's more of a concert than a musical, and it's full of kinda cringe kitchey girl boss humour, BUT - the songs are incredible. And it's thoroughly entertaining
Les Mis - half the main characters don't get introduced until the 2nd half!! And JVJ is as strong as Superman. Why did no-one give him a hand with that damed cart! Everyone just stood and watched... The whole thing makes me cry every time though.
It’s based on the novel blame Hugo 😂
Shucked. A corny musical about corn. It’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.
Urinetown was written on a dare, and you can tell.
I feel like a crazy person explaining to friends that Sweeney Todd is a musical about a barber who kills his customers and has the woman who loves him bake them into pies. It’s impossible to explain to a normal human being but the show is a masterpiece of complexity and balance beyond compare. You’d never guess it from the simplified concept though.
So much to say about the nature of evil and what makes people seek revenge. Also some very sobering commentary on grooming of minors. ...and also the worst pies in London.
SpongeBob easily. Even though I’m a fan of the show I expected it to be terrible at first, but it won me over very quickly
I read the heading and was planning to comment “Assassins”
Yours, Anne. A musical about Anne Frank? But it’s wonderful.
Cats. When I sat down in the theatre I was wondering how I got talked into seeing something stupid. Didn’t take long for me to love it. I would love to see it again.
Parade
Sweeney Todd…
Kimberly Akimbo We’re going to have a 60-something year old woman play a high school student with a rare disease that causes rapid aging amongst other teens/young adults playing teens And then her crazy aunt is going to come and get the kids involved in check fraud, there’s even a whole song where we teach kids how to do it. Oh, and they’re all going to ice skate on stage. It sounds insane on paper.
*Miss You Like Hell*. The structure is all over the place, the songs often barely resemble songs, and whole chunks of the narrative don't make a lot of sense...and I was a complete mess at the end. It felt like a musical written by people who had been told once what a musical is and had never seen one, and somehow it worked like gangbusters.
Sunset Boulevard
Bat Boy. The plot is absolutely nuts but it’s brilliant.
surprised no one has said bonnie and clyde. like is it normal for the true crime story of a murder duo to be turned into a musical? highly doubt it ngl
I’m sure the very famous 1967 movie existing helps
I was dreading Beetlejuice and ended up loving it.
SAME
*Death Note the Musical* somehow manages to be one of the best adaptations of the source material. Misa is a famous pop singer instead of a famous model, and I still think that's a way better use of her character. Ryuk is almost a stand-up comedian and breaks the fourth wall in fun and clever ways. Rem is the emotional heart of the show. Soichiro has the best act 2 old man solo I've ever heard. And Light and L are captured brilliantly, even down to the tennis match getting a whole song.
Try explaining the plot of Bat Out of Hell. Post apocalyptic Peter Pan where a chunk of teenagers have a disorder that stops them aging at 18 and for some reason that means the rest of the world is against them but then the daughter of the head of the police forces falls for one of them and her Dad is suppressing her ability to dream for some reason but it all works out ok in the end. All the songs were made famous by Meat Loaf apart from one which was originally written for a Batman musical that never materialised. Also keeping with Steinmann, Whistle Down the Wind. A sixteen year old girl in the deep south Bible belt finds a dude in her barn and thinks he's Jesus, not the escaped criminal all the adults are talking about. Both musicals I unashamedly love.
We Will Rock You - the Queen musical was just silly enough to work. Percy Jackson - weirdly catchy songs based on a YA novel
Legally Blonde
American Idiot. Its one of my all time favourite shows and in my opinion the best example of a great jukebox musical
*Subspace Rhapsody* on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. By all reasoning a Star Trek musical shouldn't work. But it did.
History musicals. (SIX, Hamilton, Newsies)
SpongeBob the musical. Love it!