I love that you remembered how we watched Fidler on the Roof together. I know that your father never liked My Fair Lady, so he probably did not show it too much to you. I always loved it.
My list would include Yankee Doodle Dandy, Orchestra Wives, Sun Valley Seranade (love Glenn Miller) Mary Poppins (can't have enough Julie Andrews), and the 2001 Moulin Rouge. I could also get behind Swing Time since "The Way You Like Tonight" is an all time favorite song.
Ah, Sun Valley Serenade! Awesome recall on that one. I find myself singing "It happened in Sun Valley" to myself a lot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFfzbZKMdmU. Let's also not forget the appearance of Dorothy Dandridge and the Nicholas Brothers.
Hard to gripe about a list that correctly includes Chicago and West Side Story at the top (and Singin' in the Rain, albeit too low). Given the tilt toward recent films, I'm surprised La La Land didn't make your list (best song: Audition. City of Stars won the Oscar and it's not one of the four best songs in its own movie). The Blues Brothers needs to be in there somewhere. Much respect for Sweeney Todd. And in the interest of boosting an older one that may have slid under your radar, check out "High Society": Bing Crosby AND Frank Sinatra AND Grace Kelly AND Louis Armstrong AND a Cole Porter score. (Best song: Well, Did You Evah! laps the field.)
Blues Brothers for sure! That is a musical and is one of my all time favorite films, even though it exists in a genre I don't really care for. Does the South Park movie count as a musical?
Man, I haven't seen "Robin & the Seven Hoods" in forever. And as a two-time G&Der myself and former Nathan Detroit, I couldn't co-sign "Guys & Dolls" more.
I couldn't fit "Guys & Dolls" on the list I just posted, but it's a great one. And "Luck be a Lady Tonight" was the first song my voice teacher had me sing in public.
Ok, ok; I'm willing to let some things slide, but The Muppet Movie (the original) is the best Muppet Movie.
Love the inclusion of Chicago; it absolutely deserves a high billing. I'm curious how close the recent movie version of In the Heights was? For me that was the best movie musical since Chicago.
Came here via your dad, so I am obviously old, but while The Muppets was an absolute delight (a blessing on Jason Segel’s head!), the original Muppet Movie is even better.
Oh, and as a former Fagin myself (HFHS, 1979!), “Pick” and “Reviewing” are both Fagin songs.
My list would have "Singin' in the Rain" #1 and include an Astaire-Rogers, maybe "Swing Time". "Grease" is great and "Oliver" way better than I expected. I liked the movie version of "Chicago" but I had seen it on Broadway (with Bebe Neuwirth) so it felt slightly inferior. BTW, have you ever seen the original, non-musical "Little Shop of Horrors"? Fascinating cheapo B-movie and one of my guilty pleasures.
I am very jealous you have gotten to seen "Chicago" on Broadway. I have not seen the non musical Little Shop yet! Thank you for making me aware of this. I know what I am watching tonight !
I share your affection for Oliver! the musical. As a young boy I might have been influenced by a certain attraction to Nancy. As for best song, I think Who Will Buy is neck and neck with “Situation”.
As a fan with a preference for the old Hollywood films I recommend the Maurice Chevalier/Jeanette MacDonald musical Love Me Tonight, directed by Rouben Mamoulian. This is a film that invents musical film-making and will forever change your perception of it's stars. Superb supporting performances by Myrna Loy, charlie Ruggles, Charles Butterworth and others make this a delight.
I'm personally fond of the Robert Morse/Rudy Vallee How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying and am compelled to point out that Duck Soup is a musical as well as a political satire. Best song? If You Think This Country's Bad Off Now Just Wait Till I Get Through With It.
Yet another who arrived here via your father, who I've read for years, so I'm also among the olds. And as someone who's both seen and performed in a bunch of musicals, this was like catnip for me.
Some solid choices here, and I like that you've either been exposed to or sought out some of the oldies. I'd have "Singing in the Rain" higher. "Chicago" is a solid choice among newer ones, although as with another commenter, I've seen it on stage both on Broadway and in Toronto, and those resonate with me more.
My own list would include "The Music Man". And my number one with a bullet would be "Holiday Inn". Yes, it's problematic now (including one scene you'll never see when it airs on TV), but it's a product of its time, it has both Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, and it's pretty much the perfect Hollywood movie musical. And it's vastly superior to "White Christmas" (which would be my sister's number one).
Liz, I have been reading your dad's work for 25 years and that's how I came to this post, but coincidentally I just rewatched Chicago last night and was reminded how good it is. I 100% agree that "We Both Reached for the Gun" was the best song/scene and I am stunned in retrospect that Renée Zellweger didn't win an Oscar for her performance.
A Hard Days Night by the Beatles. Fantastic flick, and how can you top the music?
"He's very clean." 😊
I love that you remembered how we watched Fidler on the Roof together. I know that your father never liked My Fair Lady, so he probably did not show it too much to you. I always loved it.
My list would include Yankee Doodle Dandy, Orchestra Wives, Sun Valley Seranade (love Glenn Miller) Mary Poppins (can't have enough Julie Andrews), and the 2001 Moulin Rouge. I could also get behind Swing Time since "The Way You Like Tonight" is an all time favorite song.
Ah, Sun Valley Serenade! Awesome recall on that one. I find myself singing "It happened in Sun Valley" to myself a lot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFfzbZKMdmU. Let's also not forget the appearance of Dorothy Dandridge and the Nicholas Brothers.
Hard to gripe about a list that correctly includes Chicago and West Side Story at the top (and Singin' in the Rain, albeit too low). Given the tilt toward recent films, I'm surprised La La Land didn't make your list (best song: Audition. City of Stars won the Oscar and it's not one of the four best songs in its own movie). The Blues Brothers needs to be in there somewhere. Much respect for Sweeney Todd. And in the interest of boosting an older one that may have slid under your radar, check out "High Society": Bing Crosby AND Frank Sinatra AND Grace Kelly AND Louis Armstrong AND a Cole Porter score. (Best song: Well, Did You Evah! laps the field.)
You had me at Frank Sinatra! The rest of my family likes "La La Land" but I could never get into it.
Blues Brothers for sure! That is a musical and is one of my all time favorite films, even though it exists in a genre I don't really care for. Does the South Park movie count as a musical?
No "Guys & Dolls" or "Robin & the Seven Hoods?"
Embarrassingly, I have not seen either one of those movies. I'll need to check them out!
I was about to weigh in w/ G&D. My Dad loved it and I grew up on it. I'll still watch it any time it's on.
Yikes!
Man, I haven't seen "Robin & the Seven Hoods" in forever. And as a two-time G&Der myself and former Nathan Detroit, I couldn't co-sign "Guys & Dolls" more.
I couldn't fit "Guys & Dolls" on the list I just posted, but it's a great one. And "Luck be a Lady Tonight" was the first song my voice teacher had me sing in public.
Ok, ok; I'm willing to let some things slide, but The Muppet Movie (the original) is the best Muppet Movie.
Love the inclusion of Chicago; it absolutely deserves a high billing. I'm curious how close the recent movie version of In the Heights was? For me that was the best movie musical since Chicago.
Came here via your dad, so I am obviously old, but while The Muppets was an absolute delight (a blessing on Jason Segel’s head!), the original Muppet Movie is even better.
Oh, and as a former Fagin myself (HFHS, 1979!), “Pick” and “Reviewing” are both Fagin songs.
My list would have "Singin' in the Rain" #1 and include an Astaire-Rogers, maybe "Swing Time". "Grease" is great and "Oliver" way better than I expected. I liked the movie version of "Chicago" but I had seen it on Broadway (with Bebe Neuwirth) so it felt slightly inferior. BTW, have you ever seen the original, non-musical "Little Shop of Horrors"? Fascinating cheapo B-movie and one of my guilty pleasures.
I am very jealous you have gotten to seen "Chicago" on Broadway. I have not seen the non musical Little Shop yet! Thank you for making me aware of this. I know what I am watching tonight !
Cabaret needs to be here somewhere.
I love the passion that comes through your writing!
Sorry, Liz -- it's The Music Man. Period. End of discussion.
Mary Poppins is the big miss here for me. All time classic movie that also has a number of fantastic songs.
My Fair Lady and La La Land are the only other two that come to mind that would potentially make a top 10 list for me.
I share your affection for Oliver! the musical. As a young boy I might have been influenced by a certain attraction to Nancy. As for best song, I think Who Will Buy is neck and neck with “Situation”.
As a fan with a preference for the old Hollywood films I recommend the Maurice Chevalier/Jeanette MacDonald musical Love Me Tonight, directed by Rouben Mamoulian. This is a film that invents musical film-making and will forever change your perception of it's stars. Superb supporting performances by Myrna Loy, charlie Ruggles, Charles Butterworth and others make this a delight.
I'm personally fond of the Robert Morse/Rudy Vallee How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying and am compelled to point out that Duck Soup is a musical as well as a political satire. Best song? If You Think This Country's Bad Off Now Just Wait Till I Get Through With It.
Yet another who arrived here via your father, who I've read for years, so I'm also among the olds. And as someone who's both seen and performed in a bunch of musicals, this was like catnip for me.
Some solid choices here, and I like that you've either been exposed to or sought out some of the oldies. I'd have "Singing in the Rain" higher. "Chicago" is a solid choice among newer ones, although as with another commenter, I've seen it on stage both on Broadway and in Toronto, and those resonate with me more.
My own list would include "The Music Man". And my number one with a bullet would be "Holiday Inn". Yes, it's problematic now (including one scene you'll never see when it airs on TV), but it's a product of its time, it has both Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, and it's pretty much the perfect Hollywood movie musical. And it's vastly superior to "White Christmas" (which would be my sister's number one).
Liz, I have been reading your dad's work for 25 years and that's how I came to this post, but coincidentally I just rewatched Chicago last night and was reminded how good it is. I 100% agree that "We Both Reached for the Gun" was the best song/scene and I am stunned in retrospect that Renée Zellweger didn't win an Oscar for her performance.