The musical is a special theatrical genre. Having appeared in the 20s of the last century, it combined drama, music, and dance and immediately won over audiences of all ages. Every year, dozens of new musicals are born in different countries. Some of them close after a few shows, and others go on for years, inspiring creators to release slots for real money, write books, and even film movies based on their plots. Here are four best musicals of all time.
My Fair Lady
One of the first musicals to gain worldwide recognition is “My Fair Lady,” based on Bernard Shaw’s play “Pygmalion.” After its premiere in 1956, the play was immediately beloved by both theater critics and regular audiences. The story of the daring flower girl Eliza Doolittle, who got into the house of the distinguished professor of phonetics Henry Higgins and became charmingly ladylike, won many prestigious theater awards. The screen version of “My Fair Lady” also didn’t take long to wait: in 1965, the film was released, which took the results of the year “Oscar” in the “Best Film” category. This musical is now considered a classic of musical theater.
The Sound of Music
With the musical “The Sound of Music” by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, the active development of family musical productions began. The plot centers on a young novice, Maria, who takes a job as governess at the mansion of a captain, a widower, to raise his seven children. It premiered in 1959, and even 60 years later, “The Sound of Music” is one of the most popular musicals in the world. As with “My Fair Lady,” the incredible success among audiences led to the musical being made into a film adaptation.
Singin’ in the Rain
“Singin’ in the Rain” is another of the world’s top musicals. Unlike “My Fair Lady” and “The Sound of Music,” which were screened after gaining popularity on stage, the musical “Singin’ in the Rain” was originally a movie. It’s called a kind of “autobiography of Hollywood,” as the action takes place in the era of transition from silent to sound cinema, and the main characters have to adjust to the new conditions. The stage version of “Singin’ in the Rain” premiered in London in 1983 and on Broadway in 1985.
Cabaret
Under the frivolous title “Cabaret” lies a far from frivolous story, which proves that the musical isn’t always fun. The literary basis was Christopher Isherwood’s novel “Goodbye to Berlin” and the play “I Am a Camera” by John Van Druten. The plot of the musical is set in Germany in the early 1930s, when the Nazis began to gradually come to power. The main characters are trying to live in a fatally changing world order, each in his own way. The premiere of the musical “Cabaret,” which today is considered one of the most famous musicals in the world, was held in 1966 on Broadway, and six years later the musical was screened. The movie “Cabaret,” with Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey, in the main roles became a true legend of cinematography. In 1993, an updated version of the musical was presented in London and then in New York.
