7 Must See Musicals ...

Let’s start from the very beginning, that’s a very good place to start. When most people think of must see musicals, they think of actresses like Judy Garland and Julie Andrews. There is no mistake that both these ladies are movie (and music) royalty. One of Julie Andrews' most acclaimed performances is as Maria in The Sound of Music. This film follows Maria as she leaves her convent to become a nanny for an Austrian Naval officer in the 1930s. It is filled with love, comedy, drama, and adorable children singing - everything a good musical should have!

The Wizard of Oz is one of the most well known musicals of all time. Judy Garland is incredible as Dorothy, and Toto is pretty adorable too. This film was groundbreaking in its time since it was one of the first to use Technicolor, but it started out with sepia. With all of the Wizard of Oz pop culture and new movies still being created off this story line, it is obvious that this film will be around for a while.

For me, any movie that includes Audrey Hepburn is a "must see." To prepare for the role of Eliza Doolittle, Hepburn engrossed herself in music, taking more singing lessons than most of us take in a lifetime. She was ecstatic to be singing in a musical, then they dubbed her. Don’t worry about all the Oscars this movie won, or the costumes, or the incredible story line, see this movie because of the effort that Audrey Hepburn put into it.

This movie is a Christmas tradition in our home. It has everything the traditional 1950s musical should have: singing, dance numbers, and a ridiculous love story. Bing Crosby is just as incredible in this film as he is in any other musical he made. Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen do not disappoint either. After seeing this movie, it just might become a yearly tradition in your home too.

Ok, so I am pretty embarrassed to admit it, but I just saw this Rogers and Hammerstein movie for the first time last week. I was completely surprised by the storyline, the acting, and the musical numbers. It is definitely an iconic musical set in the South Pacific during WWII. The movie covers all the usual WWII story lines, but adds in some relevant racial issues of the time as well. The movie is beautiful in looks alone, but the music and the message behind it make this one something not to be missed.

Oh goodness, when I think of this movie and all the incredible singing and dancing, I want to get up and dance and sing myself. We will save everyone involved the embarrassment of witnessing that and just say this musical is incredible. During the film, Debbie Reynolds commuted from her parents' home to the set at 4:00 am every morning and got dancing lessons from Fred Astaire, while the star, director, and choreographer, Gene Kelly, danced through a 103 degree fever! Now that is some good old fashioned Hollywood movie making!

Disney musicals could have a list of their very own. Any musical that had Alan Menken and Howard Ashman working together is a Disney Classic and a massive must see. These two worked on the songs for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin together before Ashman’s death in 1991. Of course, we cannot leave The Hunchback of Notre Dame or Tangled out of any Disney musicals list either. Oh, there are just too many to name!

Goodness, there are some fantastic musicals out there. This list spans the decades from the 1950s to present day and is sure to leave out a few favorites. What are some of your favorite musicals that everyone should see once in their lives?