15 Musicals You Need To See
Nothing can't be made better with a little song and dance. Musicals come in all types of genres-sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, but always breathtaking. There is something magical about the talent you see on stage and the effort that went into the production. You can tell the time that went into the musical was insurmountable. It is very rare to not find a musical fan (yes, even guys can secretly like them!) and if you are not, go see a production right now! Of course, Broadway in New York City is the ideal place to watch, but not all of us can just go and make that happen. Luckily, musicals tour and are even made into movies so that everyone can enjoy. And as far as movies go, it's like they say about books: the movie is good, but the live production is so much better. Take a look at these 15 musicals and see if they are touring anywhere near you!
15 Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
This one is what they call a “jukebox musical.” A jukebox musical is when the music consists of previously released songs instead of newer works, and that makes sense because this jukebox is playing all Carole King to tell the story of the fabulous performer. This play depicts the true story of the singer-songwriter and her journey into the music industry. Along the way, Carole encounters musical competitions and a complex romance. This is a great throwback with songs you will already know the words to such as “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and of course, “Beautiful.” It opened on Broadway in January 2014 and began touring in September 2015. Also in 2015, it was announced a film was in the works! Produced by Playtone, also known as Tom Hanks' production company, the songs and story will be adapted into a film. Now you can enjoy it from both the live theater and the movie theater!
14 If/Then
This musical tells a unique story-or, to be more accurate, two unique stories. If/Then tells the tale of two different timelines and what happens to the main character, Elizabeth, in two different worlds. The worlds are separated by the choices she makes, and in one universe she is called “Liz” while in the other she is called “Beth.” The role of Elizabeth was originated by musical legend Idina Menzel. (For those of you not in the musical know, that is Elsa from Frozen!) The role is now being played by Jackie Burns as of January 27th, 2016. If/Then is a story of friendship and romance, comedy and tragedy, and some really catchy tunes. Both good and bad happen in both worlds, just like how no one's path is perfect. Each choice Elizabeth makes alters her journey and result in different consequences. While it sounds like it would be a confusing play, it is actually super easy to understand!
13 Kinky Boots
This is a musical based off of a film that debuted in 2005, and the film, in turn, was inspired by a true story. If that does not sell you on it, the music and lyrics were written by the one-and-only Cyndi Lauper! Kinky Boots is about a man named Charlie, born into a shoe-making family. With the business on the way to bankruptcy, Charlie has to think of something fast to save the company. He eventually finds a niche by befriending a drag queen named Lola, who needs stylish women shoe's for a male's size feet. He is inspired to create a line of shoes that are bigger-kinky boots. It takes some time for certain employees to come around, and both the characters and the audience learn a lesson about acceptance. This musical also explores family tensions and gender expectations. And of course, there's a little romance thrown in there too!
12 The Lion King
This legendary musical must be seen to be believed. The way Africa and the animals of the story are portrayed use some really cool special effects. Talk about inventive! A lot of creativity and skill went into this one. You will get lost and second-guess if that's really an elephant on stage after a while! As you may already know, the songs are created by Elton John and Tim Rice. “Circle of Life,” “I Just Can't Wait to Be King,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” and “Hakuna Matata” are epic childhood classics that you will love re-visiting. The story itself is also worth another look: a lion named Simba must take his rightful place as king with a few mishaps and friendships made along the way. You may already know the tale, but we guarantee it has never been told to you as brilliant as this! Definitely check this one out.
11 Matilda
Think more the book by Roald Dahl, not the movie. After all, these characters have British accents! This musical has an incredible cast of children who you will not believe can perform to the ability that they do. Magical and funny, the tale of a mistreated yet brilliant little girl named Matilda will be sure to delight. Matilda is not taken seriously by her parents or her principal, but an inspiring teacher and some special powers help her conquer the unfairness in her life. On Broadway, four little girls share the role of Matilda and trade-off each night. After all, she is the main character but very young! Once again, expect some amazing talent from the children. But the adults in the musical are pretty darn impressive too! Expect a lot of comedy from the Trunchbull specifically, and see if you can notice something interesting about the type of person who plays her! (Hint: Not your typical woman!)
10 The Phantom of the Opera
This one is also a classic, debuting in 1986 and one of the musicals that has a movie-version for your viewing pleasure. Inspired by the French book “Le Fantôme de l'Opéra” by Gaston Leroux, this musical is about a lovely young ingénue named Christine whose vocals mysteriously start to improve due to a secret teacher-a phantom, or what is seemingly a phantom. No one can find who or where this guy is, but he is obsessed with Christine. When the identity of the phantom is revealed, the mystery does not get cleared up and much as it begins to run even deeper. This musical also broke some records too: having brought in $5.6 billion, it “is the most financially successful entertainment event to date” according to Wikipedia. It's also the second longest-running musical of all-time. That just proves how timeless this story is and how it can be enjoyed over and over again.
9 Ragtime
This one has some familiar characters-look out for Harry Houdini, Evelyn Nesbit, Booker T. Washington, J. P. Morgan, Henry Ford, Stanford White, Harry Kendall Thaw, Admiral Peary, Matthew Henson, and Emma Goldman who all appear in the play at one point! Based on the novel of the same name from 1975, this story takes place in New York City where three different groups of people all manage to come together under different circumstances. There is life and death in the first act alone! This play explores race and politics as a musician named Coalhouse Walker Jr. begins a fight against the injustice he faces because of his skin color. There are also Eastern European immigrants who are facing similar prejudices, and a privileged family in the center of it all learning to care for others and their hardships. This musical is definitely dark but has some upbeat music to go along with it.
8 Wicked
This musical is based off the book “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.” It takes the classic story of the Wizard of Oz and turns it on its head. We learn the Wicked Witch's, actually named Elphaba, side of the story and it turns out there is much more to the tale than we saw in the Wizard of Oz film or read about in the book! Elphaba is not evil as much as misunderstood, and even cultivates a friendship with Glinda the Good Witch! In addition, we learn that the Wicked Witch is also capable of falling in love. Everything stays true to the original story while still shedding light on Elphaba's life and the reasoning behind her pursuit of Dorothy. You will absolutely begin to sympathize with the Wicked Witch of the West and root for her too. This role was also originated by musical legend Idina Menzel, the same woman from If/Then.
7 The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is sometimes controversial, but always funny. It was all written by Robert Lopez, Matt Stone, and Trey Parker, the latter two being known for creating a little show called South Park. That is the kind of satirical vibe to expect with this musical. Elder Cunningham just can't seem to grasp how to be a proper Mormon, much to the annoyance of Elder Price. When the two are sent off to Uganda together as missionaries, their faith is put to the test as they must face the poverty of the people who live there. There is some smart commentary on religion, and then just dumb jokes like the fact that there is a character named General Butt F-----g Naked. Without spoiling too much, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham do not technically fail at their mission, although of course there are some misfortunes along the way. You won't regret it.
6 Once
There is only one word to describe this musical: enchanting. Well wait, there are a couple of more words that could apply: beautiful. Stunning. The music in this one will make your heart surge out of your seat. If you have never heard the most famous song “Falling Slowly,” we suggest you go look it up right now! The story is simple but grand. Based off of the 2007 film, this musical is so unique because the cast does not just serve as the characters, but as the musicians for the musical as well. They double as an orchestra. So cool! Once is the story of star-crossed lovers, who are literally referred to as “Guy” and “Girl.” Girl meets Guy, who is performing at a bar. They make musical magic together once they team up, but is their love meant to be? Fun fact: the bar on stage acts as a real bar before the show and during intermission, serving food and drinks.
5 School of Rock
This musical stars a spastic adult with a bunch of little musical prodigies, pretty much. All the children in this one play the instruments by themselves! That means there is really a kid up there shredding on the guitar and blowing your mind. This play is based off the comedy film starring Jack Black, and they always make sure the main actor can live up to the crazy character. If you have not seen the movie, this musical tells the story of a man who sneaks his way in as a teacher to make money and ends up discovering that this prep school is secretly full of talent. He trains them to be a rock band and the kids discover there is more to them than their parents want from them along the way. Definitely check this one out if you want comedy, rock, and a heartwarming story.
4 Aladdin
This musical is also a good throwback with the songs you love from your childhood, such as “Never Had a Friend Like Me” and, of course, “A Whole New World.” Based off of the Disney movie, this play is about a poor man named Aladdin as he tries to win over a princess names Jasmine. However, he discovers he must truly be himself in order to earn her heart. The highlight of this play is the giant tap-dancing genie, who will make your sides hurt with laughter. Another awesome highlight is the magic carpet-we still can't figure out how they pulled it off, but they really seemed to hover over the stage! The only difference from the movie is that there is no friendly monkey named Abu, but three silly best friends instead who are loyal to Aladdin to the end. Check this one out for magic, laughs, and a great time!
3 A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder
Taking place in the 1900's, a man named Monty recounts his story to you on the night before his scheduled execution. And deservedly so: Monty goes and strategically murders all who are in line for the earldom of Highhurst when he discovers he is ninth in line after his mother's death. This is a selfish dream of Monty's, as he is used to his poverty getting in the way of his wishes. Add in a love triangle and this musical is full of drama! There are a lot of twists and turns to this one, and it is actually based off of the 1907 novel “Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal” by Roy Horniman. While this musical sounds dark (you are literally warned at the beginning of the play that it is disturbing!) it is critically acclaimed, having won “Best Musical” among four other Tony's in 2014. So it is def worth a watch!
2 RENT
This musical broke barriers when it first came out in 1996. And good news-there is a movie adaption with almost all of the original cast! And for the third time, the amazing Idina Menzel stars. RENT covers a group of friends who are dealing with the AIDS epidemic-heavy stuff, but this musical manages to be both funny and heartwarming among the tragedy. The main characters are a nerdy filmmaker named Mark, a former drug addict rock star named Roger, Maureen, and Joanne, who are complete opposites who manage to be in love, a tall, smart man named Collins, a beautiful-but-troubled exotic dancer named Mimi, and an adorable drag queen drummer named Angel. Angel, Collins, Mimi and Roger all suffer from HIV, and Mimi deals with a drug addiction. Like we said: heavy stuff, but still has jokes! This play has been referred to as a “rock opera” for its original, head-banger music and grungy style.
1 Hairspray
It will be a big surprise if you have not heard of this one-there are two movie versions! And one stars Zac Efron! If that will not convince you to give it a try, we do not know what will! Hairspray is about a girl named Tracey who is a little on the heavier side, but can still dance among the best of them. This takes place in the early 60's, where hairspray and variety shows rule the scene. Tracey angers some by becoming a dancer on the Corny Collins Show, but ultimately wins tons of fans. This musical talks about racial tensions as there is a special day where black people get to dance on the show-but no other day. Tracey finds herself among the fight for justice with some old and new friends, and a hot love interest to boot! Like we said about the Trunchbull in Matilda, see if you can notice something interesting about the person who plays Tracey's mother!