9 Musicals I Never Tire of ...

In addition to being a musical I never tire of, My Fair Lady is also my absolute absolute favourite without any doubt. Not only does it star the indomitable shining star that was Audrey Hepburn (goddess incarnate) but the songs, the costumes, and the London scenery just transport me to heaven. When I lived in London I used to frequent Convent Garden just so I could pay homage. Loverly!

Not only one of the best musicals but also one of the best films ever made. The eponymous title song and the iconic Gene Kelly dancing to Gotta Dance and Broadway Melody just uplift me – he had a pretty cute set of buns too. The scene where they first introduce speech to the previously silent movies with Lina Lamont and her clattering beads still makes me howl every time. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this movie to anyone in an instant.

This one isn’t a movie (although I wish it were) but a stage show. Based on the B movie the Forbidden Planet, this is a kitsch mixture of sci-fi, Shakespeare and rock and roll. Pseudo Trekkie uniforms, ray guns made from paint sprayed salon hairdryers, bouffant hairdos and fabulous songs like "Only the Lonely," "It’s a Man’s World," "Shake, Rattle and Roll," "She’s Not There," and an ingenious script make this one of the best theatre nights out ever. The navigator is watching the radar screen and there’s a beep, beep, beep, then it becomes beep beep, beep beep-, beep beep and back to a single note, of course the line has to be “two beeps or not two beeps?"

Even I fancied Olivia Newton John in those pants and I bet I wasn’t the only girl. All our local shops sold out of skintight leggings and needlework rooms were full of girls making poodle skirts. Even today, it’s timeless when you watch it, so no wonder it's a musical I never tire of.

Nuns, dashing sea captains, children with clothes made from drapes, mountains and Nazis … these are a few of my favourite things. Maybe I’m a flibbertigibbet, a will-o-the-wisp, a clown but I don’t just wait for the holidays for this to appear on TV. I’ve even been on the SOM tour around Salzburg!

Who could resist good ol' backwoods cooking, acrobatic dancing and a prize heifer calf as a reward for a barn raising? I love Howard Keel and even more so when he became Clayton Farlow in one of my other guilty passions – Dallas. This is definitely worth watching!

This may seem a strange choice but I couldn’t leave out my beloved Johnny Depp. He’s sung in other films but none of them really class as a musical but it’s irrelevant ‘cos this film is a cult classic. Boy was he even more gorgeous back then. It’s a crazy movie based on the classic good girl falls for bad boy story with a kicking musical score. Rock and Roll, doo-wop groups, hatchet face and car chases. Everything a good movie needs, so this is easily a musical I never tire of.

I’m glad I went to see the play before I saw the film but no matter -- either is fine, I’m not picky. There’s not many times it’s ok to go out in public in basically just your best underwear and heels, so you have to take every chance you get. I defy anyone not to be feel compelled to do the Time Warp when they hear the music strike up the tune.

I was lucky enough to see the original production with Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford and I don’t think Andrew Lloyd Webber has eclipsed the cast or the story with any of his later productions frankly. To me this will always be his finest 2 hours. Haunting, romantic and sad, it’s better than any chick flick.

Oh boy, I could go on and on and on and on… There are just so many musicals I never tire of! What’s your favourite?

Top Photo Credit: Dally Gilbert