David Yazbek is a composer who really got my attention about 15 years ago, not just for his wonderfully melodic musicals and his sharp, often hilarious, lyrics, but for the fact he is not afraid to create musicals that have a touch of the great musical comedies of the 40s and 50s. That is not to say that his style and musicals are dated. His work is contemporary, but it brims with the musical comedy joy that seems to be void in much of Broadway's current market (It's okay to laugh and to enjoy a great melody, people).
The Disney Animated Musicals That Still Need to Be Made
With the recent hoopla surrounding Disney’s announcement that Gigantic, based loosely on the Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale, will have a score by Frozen’s Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, I began thinking, what other fairy tales, folk tales and mythological stories would be the perfect fodder for an animated musical courtesy of Mickey Mouse. After pouring through lists of titles, these are the animated film musicals I would love to see happen.
The Top-Ten Musical Theatre Villains of Broadway
Broadway musicals are often full of happy characters who cannot wait to sing their heart out or tap a little routine for you. The generalities people attach to Broadway as a happy place of song and dance are often, just that, generalities. Those of us who truly love the art form know differently. Musicals are often filled with complex characters without altruistic motives. Today's blog entry celebrates those dastardly characters of musical theatre who help us see the other side of things: the dark side of the moon so to speak. How we revel in their malicious and sinister dealings.
Top-Ten Underappreciated Movie Musicals
Most of us who love musical theatre cultivated our appreciation for musical storytelling by watching old Hollywood musicals. Let's face it: seeing a Broadway show is expensive and we had to get our song and dance fix somewhere. So, though we prefer live theatre, we found solace in the worlds of MGM, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, and Gene Kelly. Some movie musicals were spectacular: The Wizard of Oz, The Bandwagon, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Singin' in the Rain and My Fair Lady come to mind. The same titles are always given as "the classics" of the Hollywood Musical, but there are other titles that are solidly entertaining and worth your time. Here is my list for the Top-Ten Underappreciated Movie Musicals that you should make a point to see.