7 Recent Movie Musicals You Should Watch!

la-la-land-audition-14_zps6jksi1x1As expected I totally loved La La Land, although I was a little bit scared that I might have been disappointed with my total love for musicals. As you will already know if you follow my blog I am very big on not only movie musicals but also going to the Theatre and have seen a lot of musicals on stage.

I am therefore a little bit annoyed and sick of people saying that La La Land has saved the musical genre, as we have actually had some fantastic musicals released to film in the past few years. The problem is though the fans of musical films seem to be few and far between now. The hype around La La Land will leave people disappointed I am sure, especially if they don’t usually like musicals.

Don’t get me wrong though as I am happy that it will help increase awareness of the genre, but I really do think that we should be thankful for some of the films we have had released over the past few years. The films I have picked in the list are from the past four years. So while we don’t get as many musical films out each year, we do still get a steady flow. I have tried to vary my choices on different types of music to really help show that no matter your music tastes you will be able to find a musical that suits your tastes.

I guess the biggest problems seem to be the adaptations from more well known stage shows, as they seem to be quite tricky to do! As I guess some scenes, songs and moments just work better on stage and don’t transfer to the screen in the best possible way. Sometimes the casting causes issues as well, but we have to just deal with that as well!

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2014 at the Theatre

In 2014 I managed to go and see 15 musicals and plays on stage in both the North East (Sunderland Empire or Theatre Newcastle) as well as trips to London to see them in the West End. I also caught Monty Python and a concert of Elaine Paige. It has been an incredible year for going to see plenty of shows and live acting. I honestly didn’t realise I had seen so many until getting ready to do this blog post.

Along with seeing an absolute icon in Elaine Paige in her farewell concert, I also managed a last-minute trip to see the legend of Angela Lansbury on her return to the West End after 30 years in Blithe Spirit. But it doesn’t stop there, I got to meet one of my favourite actors Bill Nighy after the incredible Skylight and an added bonus of Carey Mulligan! What a day that was.

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From Stage to Screen Blogathon – Everything I’ve Seen

When I came across this fantastic Blogathon idea by Rachel over at Rachel’s Theatre Reviews and Rosie over at The Rosebud Cinema. It was something that I just had to get involved with, because as well as loving the cinema and films I have a passion for the theatre and seeing shows. This is something which I have now properly been doing for the past 10 years, yes realising that has made me stop and think, so it seems to be a perfect time to put together this blog post. I am going to look at all of the different shows I have seen on the stage and then also seen the film version.

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Rock of Ages (UK Tour) Review

Rock of Ages is the 80s jukebox musical which is also absolutely hilarious from start to finish. With so many classic rock songs packed into the show it really is a fantastic experience. You will be stamping your foot, nodding your head and eventually getting up to dance and jump about.

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7 Catherine Zeta Jones Songs

We all know that Catherine Zeta Jones won an Oscar for her role as Velma Kelly in Chicago and the big number is All That Jazz, she has appeared on Broadway and won a Tony Award so I decided to do a little 7 Things list and find 7 songs Catherine Zeta Jones has sung. Some you probably have heard, others you might not have known about. She also released some songs in the UK years and years ago now before she became a Hollywood star!

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My Musicals Obsession

If you follow my blog or have come across it before you will know that I really do love musicals and have quite an obsession with them. This blog post is inspired by the latest release of Les Mis. I saw it at the cinema on Friday night and since Saturday morning I have listened to the soundtrack over and over again, think I’m up to my 10th listen now and I am going to see the film again at the cinema tomorrow night.  This then got me thinking to how much I obsess over movie musicals! I mean I loved The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins growing up but my big musical obsession really started with Chicago, yes 10 years ago now. I actually watched it over and over again, you know the times when it finishes and then you just watch it from the start again. I loved everything about it (and still love it) I know every single word of it and have now since it 3 times on the stage as well.

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Rock of Ages (2012) Review

Sherrie was just a small town girl . . . living in a lonely world and Drew was just a city boy . . . Ok you see where I am going with that, don’t stop believing!

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Films I am looking forward to in 2012

Some of the choices will be obvious, while others may seem a little strange. But I promise I have my reasons for wanting to see the following 14 films next year! Doesn’t seem like many, but I am sure a few little gems will be released and take me by surprise. But let’s take a small look at the films I am most looking forward to in 2012 . . .

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Billy Elliot Takes 15 Tony Award Nominations

I know its not movies . . . but I love Broadway.

2009 Tony Award Nominations are :

Billy Elliot, The Musical is leading the way at this year’s Tony Awards after scooping 15 nominations – tying with The Producers for the most nominations ever garnered by one show.

The production, based on the 2000 film about a coal miner’s son who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, will go up against Next To Normal, Shrek The Musical and Rock Of Ages in the coveted Best Musical category at the 63rd annual prizegiving, which honours the best on Broadway.

Sir Elton John, who has been nominated for the show’s original score, says of the nomination: “It’s been an amazing experience. It’s made an incredible impact on my life.”

The drama 33 Variations was nominated for Best Play, competing against God of Carnage, Dividing the Estate and Reasons to be Pretty.

Meanwhile, Hollywood actors James Gandolfini and Jeff Daniels, who both star in God Of Carnage, have been pitted against each other for the Leading Actor In A Play award.

Their co-stars Marcia Gay Harden and Hope Davis will battle it out in the Leading Actress In A Play category, which also includes veteran actress Jane Fonda for her role as a dying musicologist in 33 Variations.

The winners will be announced on 7 June at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

The main list of nominees is as follows:

Best Play:

Dividing the Estate – Horton Foote

God of Carnage – Yasmina Reza

Reasons to be Pretty – Neil Labute

33 Variations – Moises Kaufman

Best Musical:

Billy Elliot

Next to Normal

Rock of Ages

Shrek the Musical

Leading Actor in a Play:

Jeff Daniels – God of Carnage

Raul Esparza – Speed-the-Plow

James Gandolfini – God of Carnage

Geoffrey Rush – Exit the King

Thomas Sadoski – Reasons to be Pretty

Leading Actress in a Play:

Hope Davis – God of Carnage

Jane Fonda – 33 Variations

Marsha Gay Harden – God of Carnage

Janet McTeer – Mary Stuart

Harriet Walter – Mary Stuart

Leading Actor in a Musical:

David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, Kiril Kulish – Billy Elliot

Gavin Creel – Hair

Brian d’Arcy James – Shrek the Musical

Constantine Maroulis – Rock of Ages

J. Robert Spencer – Next to Normal

Leading Actress in a Musical:

Stockard Channing – Pal Joey

Sutton Foster – Shrek the Musical

Allison Janney – 9 to 5

Alice Ripley – Next to Normal

Josefina Scaglione – West Side Story

Score:

Billy Elliot

Next to Normal

9 to 5

Shrek the Musical.

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