All in Second Star to the Right
The launch of Disney+ had a few snags during its initial rollout, with more subscribers signing on to the new steaming platform than were initially expected. As the kinks begin to be ironed out, it looks as though Disney+ will provide a host of wonderful options from the worlds of classic and contemporary Disney, Star Wars, Marvel, National Geographic, including many original films and series to enjoy. For those of us who love musicals (film, television, and stage), there are also plentiful offerings, some newer, but most that hold a place of nostalgia in our hearts. Here are some standouts that you can hope to find!
It is hard to believe that it has been 25 years since Disney produced its first musical on Broadway, changing the trajectory of family musicals (and Times Square) forever. Today, I take a look at the nine musicals Disney Theatricals have brought to the Great White Way, offering my opinions on what worked, what didn’t, and rank the titles in order of my least favorite to my most favorite. All opinions are my own and please note that, though I look at these nine with a critical eye, I find something wonderful in everything Disney has to offer. This list includes only musicals that have made it to Broadway (no Freaky Friday, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, or The Jungle Book) and no concerts (sorry King David). Stay with me as I work my way to my choice for #1.
Fairy tales and music: they are two things that played a big part of most of our childhoods. The combination of the two in an evening of entertainment is, for many of us, the ultimate form of entertainment bliss. With the Broadway musical Frozen, adapted from the animated film musical, which was in turn adapted by the 1884 fairytale by Hans Christian Anderson, working its way toward Broadway this spring, I thought it would be fun to look at some of the other musicals that have been adapted from fairytales and children’s stories.
Here’s a binge list that I think many of you will love. I went, year by year, and found clips of every Oscar-winning Best Song, from 1934 to the present. It’s one hell of a list, full of great songs an loads of terrific performances. Wherever I could, I tried to find clips from the actual films. Only a few eluded me, so I had to stray outside that format. I enjoyed putting it together for you. In honor of this year’s nominees, let’s take a trip down memory lane.
