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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to start a thread for us to discuss our favourite musicals?

221 replies

CharleyDavidson · 28/10/2016 20:10

I spend a fortune each year on my favourite hobby and scour the 3 or 4 local ish theatres to see what's out there.

I have this week just discovered Rent and was blown away by the performance of Layton Williams. Singing, dancing, back flipping and doing the splits - all in three inch heeled red boots! Just wow. The ticket price was worth it for that itself!

So, what are your favourites (so I can find some new ones to watch)...?

OP posts:
JuddNelsoninTheBreakfastClub · 29/10/2016 22:48

I also remembered I saw Oliver in London years ago, Barry Humphries ( Dame Edna) played Fagan, he was brilliant. Also My Fair Lady, Dennis Waterman played Eliza Doolittle's father, think it was the one that Martine McCutcheon was in before she had to pull out due to illness. A friend of mine lived in London in the 90s, used to go down a lot and get cheap tickets. Haven't been down in years as she doesn't live there anymore, would love to go on a trip again and see a show!

Eightiesmate · 29/10/2016 22:59

I had the pleasure of playing Felicia in The Witches of Eastwick locally. Absolutely loved it, it's a fantastic musical, so very funny and poignant in places.

FlyingGaribaldi · 30/10/2016 10:47

What do the Wicked lovers like so much about it? I saw it and there are three good songs, and the rest of it seemed very forgettable musically, and visually, and the storytelling seemed very garbled with the fairytale elements sort of mashed up with very high-school drama stuff, and the characters not particularly memorable, other than the two leads....? I see it inspires major devotion, but while I get the love for other musicals I'm not personally wild about, I didn't grasp at all why Wicked inspired so much emotion.

Balletgirlmum · 30/10/2016 11:08

I like Schwartz's score,there are comedy moments interspersed with some very moving moments. I like the message it gives out & depending who you see performing there can be quit a bit of sexual tension (Rachel Tucker for example).

Boolovessulley · 30/10/2016 11:18

Going to see Mary Poppind next
I think.
My top 3 are:
Annie
Les mis
Legally blonde.

Crispsheets · 30/10/2016 11:28

Witches of Eastwick is excellent

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 30/10/2016 11:30

I didn't know the plot (or much of the music) of Wicked before I went, so I got really into the story. It helps that I like the Wizard of Oz too, and all the little references are clever. I saw it with Rachel Tucker, Lee Mead and Louise Dearman and it was really really good.

It's not a soundtrack I tend to listen to much though for some reason.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 30/10/2016 11:31

Mary Poppins is really good, I was surprised how much I enjoyed it!

Top Hat was really good too - the music, the dancing and very funny.

Original poster
CharleyDavidson · 30/10/2016 21:03

Poor DH gets dumped by me all the time as I waltz off to go and watch some show or other. He came along to Little Shop of Horrors (as he liked the film) and it just confirmed that it's just not for him. He'd rather stick a fork in his eye, apparently, than go and watch more musicals! Whatever. He can babysit then! :)

I've just booked a ticket for a brand new musical. I hope it's going to be good. It's called Junkyard and it says it is "A brilliantly honest and witty new musical from Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, This is England ’90, National Treasure), with a score by Academy award-winning composer Stephen Warbeck (Shakespeare in Love, Wolf Hall)."

I've gambled the princely sum of £10 on 2 tickets for the open final dress rehearsal to see if it's any good. :)

OP posts:
morningtoncrescent62 · 30/10/2016 21:35

We had an excellent touring production of Billy Elliot The Musical last month - I think it's still making its way around the country. I'd never seen it before, and I absolutely loved it. I don't think I'd quite put it on my list of all-time favourites which are:

Cabaret
Assassins
West Side Story
Evita
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Les Mis
Chess
Fiddler on the Roof

Oh dear, now I've started thinking about it, there are loads of others coming to mind.

I just looked up Junkyard on google, CharleyDavidson - it does look interesting, but it's not due to show anywhere near me. The last new musical I saw at final dress rehearsal prices was Mama Mia and look what that went on to do!

dontevenblink · 30/10/2016 22:27

cremebrulee I saw the 25th anniversary screening of Miss Saigon at the cinema recently too and it was brilliant! We were all clapping at the end Grin Jon Jon Briones did a great engineer I thought, a bit more gritty than others. I've seen it twice, once in West End and then a touring production. I now live in rural New Zealand though so my choices for musicals are very slim now Sad I was very excited to find out our locaI independent cinema sometimes shows things, so am going on my own when I can!

I did see a great production of Avenue Q here a couple of years ago though, I saw it in the West End originally and it was hilarious (beware of empty seats next to you though, I ended up with one of the puppets next to me at one point in the show!).
I took my mum to see Billy Elliot about 10 years ago and thought that was great. My all time favourite is Les Mis though, I have lost track of the amount of times I saw that. I used to come down on the train at weekends when I was at uni and stay with friends and go and get the £10 seats to whatever looked good. I even converted DH by taking him to see Les Mis. Someone else mentioned Lord of the Rings, we were blown away by that.

As I am now way to far away from decent theatre I have to content myself with soundtracks. I was listening to Rent a lot and watched the live recording and really got into that. I've now become a total Hamilton addict now, it's amazing! Ds2 (4) goes around singing 'I am not throwing away my shot' I've played it so much BlushGrin Has anyone got the book of the Hamilton musical? I was wondering about asking for it for Christmas...

Dd1 (8) loves Matilda and is very disappointed it hasn't come to New Zealand. She knows all the words. She's recently started listening to Wicked. I like some of the songs but not all.

Sorry that was long, I could go on about musicals all day...

FluffyPineapple · 30/10/2016 22:37

I have two teens who are fanatical about musicals so I can say we have seen them all - That solves Birthday and Christmas presents :)

My least favourites so far have been Wicked - DS (aged 9) absolutely loves it (for some strange reason?)

Miss Saigon I cant stand. Have seen it 3 times and fell asleep 3 times - DD 14 absolutely lives for it! ??

Kiss of the Spider Woman - I thought was a complete waste of money and time. DS 16 thinks it is the best thing since sliced bread!

It goes to show nobody can really make a recommendation. Each to their own....

FluffyPineapple · 30/10/2016 22:40

Oops! I forgot to state my favourites. There are so many I have thoroughly enjoyed. If I'm pushed I would say my favourites to date are Billy Elliott, Legally Blonde, We Will Rock You and Les Mis

TSSDNCOP · 30/10/2016 22:45

I am not a musical fan awaits flaming but I saw Matilda on Broadway last night. The impact it had on DS9 was lovely to see - he was rapt. Worth every single penny.

LittleWingSoul · 30/10/2016 22:45

My DD8 just finished a 3 night run of Sweeney Todd in a local am dram group - so proud of her! It was brilliant, and even my musical-hating DH loved it and got a bit emosh! So Sweeney is added to the list.

West side story and Chicago are my other two.

Did anyone ever see the very short run of 'Our House', the Madness musical, about 15 years ago? It was incredible - but too short a run!

GuiltyPleasure · 30/10/2016 23:21

I'd thoroughly recommend School of Rock. Saw it on Broadway during a trip to New York this summer & it was fantastic.

SorrelForbes · 31/10/2016 10:24

FlyingGaribaldi Ditto. I've seen it twice (the first time was with Idina Menzel who was very good) and was just a bit 'meh'. I liked Popular but the rest was a bit 'shouty' for me. The book was much better IMHO.

Original poster
CharleyDavidson · 31/10/2016 19:23

Just found this photo of Layton in Rent.

OP posts:
shakeatailfeather · 31/10/2016 21:59

Wicked doesn't do it for me either. I enjoyed seeing it, and like Popular and DG, but I wouldn't want to see it again particularly. I have seen Legally Blonde and WWRY 3 times, and would still go again.

Favourite stage shows
Legally Blonde
We Will Rock You
American Idiot
Hairspray
Return To The Forbidden Planet (seen it twice 20+ years ago. Would love it to tour again)

Favourite film musicals
Singin In The Rain
The Pajama Game
Oklahoma

Favourite Disney musicals
Aladdin
Hercules
Beauty and the Beast

FANTINE1 · 31/10/2016 23:09

Another one who doesn't get Wicked, even though I think Rachel Tucker is fab. Not a fan of Into the Woods either.
My favourite has to be Les Mis, as you can tell from my name! Was very fortunate to be a given a back stage tour a few months ago. You would be surprised at how old and dilapidated the theatre is, and how little room there is in the wings. It is tiny.
Also love Miss Saigon. Jon Jon Briones was fantastic. Would also recommend In the Heights, and the current production of Guys and Dolls. Jersey Boys fab too.

MrsJamin · 01/11/2016 06:08

Just looked up tickets for School of Rock, $819 for 4 of us, the cheapest seats on the day! Why is Broadway so much more expensive than the west end?!

bitofabelly · 01/11/2016 06:15

Haven't read through all the thread...but what musical would you bring 3 boys to see, 12,10 and 8 in London...thanks x

FluffyPineapple · 02/11/2016 22:56

Haven't read through all the thread...but what musical would you bring 3 boys to see, 12,10 and 8 in London...thanks

Probably Oliver. It depends if your boys are avid Theatre Goers ...... If not "Oliver" is probably the show they will most relate to x

Balletgirlmum · 02/11/2016 23:25

Oliver isn't on anywhere though (unless you find an amateur production).

PissPotPourri · 02/11/2016 23:32

Can't believe mornington is the only one to mention Chess so far.
The music is very 80s but second to none imo.