5 names of musicals and their authors. The best musicals. KP readers version
On August 19, 1957, the premiere of the musical “West Side Story” based on the play by Arthur Lorenz took place in Washington. It was the story of Romeo and Juliet, transferred to the realities of America at that time. The main characters - a Jewish young man Tony and an Italian Catholic Maria - belong to two hostile youth groups in New York, but, despite everything, they love each other. The musical instantly became a hit, and after the film adaptation in 1961, it only strengthened its position.
The musical is one of the most popular genres of theatrical art. After all, its plot is played out not only in words and actions, but also in songs and dances. In addition, musicals, as a rule, are distinguished by their mass appeal and brightness, which attracts viewers.
We decided to recall the most famous representatives of this genre.
"My Fair Lady"
In 1964, the film of the same name was released, in which Audrey Hepburn played the role of Eliza.
This musical is based on Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, which tells how the main character, flower girl Eliza Dolittle, becomes a charming lady. This transformation took place due to a dispute between a phonetics professor and his linguist friend. Eliza moved to the scientist's house to go through a difficult path of learning and transformation.
The musical premiered on March 15, 1956. The main role, Eliza, was played by Julie Andrews. The show immediately gained incredible popularity, and soon received several prestigious theater awards.
In 1964, a film of the same name was released, in which Audrey Hepburn played the role of Eliza.
"Sounds of music"
The German film "The Von Trapp Family" became the basis for this musical. The film told the story of an Austrian family who, fleeing the Nazis, went to America. The plot was based on the book by Maria von Trapp, a direct participant in those events.
The premiere took place on November 16, 1959. The musical received 8 Tony Awards. A film of the same name was released in 1965. Its plot was slightly different from the play, but it was he who brought “The Sound of Music” real world fame.
"Cabaret"
The plot of the legendary musical is based on the stories “Berlin Stories” by Christopher Isherwood about life in Germany in the early 30s. Another part of the story comes from John Van Druten's play I Am a Camera, which tells the story of the love between a young writer and Berlin cabaret singer Sally Bowles. Fate brought the hero to the capital of Germany in the early 30s. Here he meets Sally and falls in love with her. But she refused to follow him to Paris, breaking his heart.
The musical premiered on November 20, 1966. The production received 8 Tony Awards. In 1972, the film of the same name directed by Bob Fosse was released. The image of Sally was brilliantly embodied by Liza Minnelli.
"Jesus Christ Superstar"
The work generated a lot of controversy and became a cult favorite for the hippie generation.
The music for this musical was composed by Andrew Lloyd Weber. Unlike traditional productions, this one tells the entire story through songs alone. It also became original thanks to rock music and modern vocabulary in the lyrics. This made the production a real hit.
The story in it is about the last seven days of the life of Jesus, which pass before the eyes of Judas Iscariot, disappointed by the teachings of Christ.
The rock opera was first performed as an album in 1970. main role It was performed by Deep Purple lead singer Ian Gillan. The work generated a lot of controversy and became a cult favorite for the hippie generation. A year later it was staged on Broadway.
"Chicago"
On March 11, 1924, in the Chicago Tribune, journalist Maureen Watkins wrote about a variety show actress who killed her lover—this became the starting point for the plot of the musical. Stories about sex crimes were very popular at the time, and Watkins continued to write about them. On April 3, 1924, her new note appeared about a woman who shot her boyfriend. Watkins later wrote the play Chicago.
The story of the musical tells the story of corps de ballet dancer Roxie Hart, who murdered her lover in cold blood. In prison, Roxy meets Velma Kelly and other criminals, and then hires lawyer Billy Flynn, with whose help he escapes punishment and at the same time becomes a real star. The musical premiered on June 3, 1975.
In 2002, the film “Chicago” was released with Renee Zellweger (Roxy), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma) and Richard Gere (Billy Flynn).
"Cats"
In “Cats” there is no curtain, and the stage merges with the audience into a single space.
The basis for this popular musical was a cycle of children's poems by T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, published in England in 1939. The collection ironically told about the habits and habits of cats, in which human traits were discerned. Elliott's poems appealed to Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Everything about “Cats” is unusual - there is no curtain on the stage, it merges into a single space with the audience. The stage itself is designed like a landfill. The actors appear as graceful cats thanks to complex multi-layer makeup. Their costumes are hand-painted, and their wigs, tails and collars are made of yak wool. The musical was first shown on May 11, 1981 in London.
"Phantom of the Opera"
The Phantom of the Opera is based on the novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux. A romantic but dark story about someone living in a dungeon under the Paris Opera mysterious creature with supernatural powers. It falls in love with the young singer Christina and becomes her patron.
The premiere of The Phantom of the Opera took place on October 9, 1986 at the Royal Theater, even members of Her Majesty's family were present. The show became the longest-running musical in Broadway history, surpassing even Cats.
In 2004, the musical became a film in which Gerard Butler portrayed the masked ghost.
"Evita"
The idea of creating a musical appeared by chance - in October 1973, Tim Rice heard the end of a radio program in his car, which was about Evita Peron, the wife of Argentine dictator Juan Peron. The story of her life interested the poet. The plot of the show tells how she came to Buenos Aires at the age of 15 and became famous actress, and then the wife of the country's president. This woman helped the poor, but at the same time contributed to the rise of dictatorship in Argentina.
The musical was released on June 21, 1978, and 20 years later it was decided to make a film based on it. It was directed by Alan Parker and starred Madonna.
"Mama Mia"
The popularity of ABBA's songs is so great that the idea of creating a musical based on them is not surprising. The musical includes 22 hits of the legendary quartet. Its authors were the male half of ABBA. The plot is as follows: Sophie is getting ready to get married. She is going to invite her father to the wedding to take her to the altar. Only the girl's mother, Donna, never spoke about him. Sophie found her mother's diary, which told about her relationships with three different men, resulting in an invitation being sent to all of them. When guests start arriving for the wedding, the fun begins...
This cheerful and vibrant musical was first shown to audiences in 1999, and in 2008 a film based on it with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried and other actors was released.
"Notre Dame de Paris"
The musical is based on Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris.
The musical is based on Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris. It was first shown in Paris on September 16, 1998 and was included in the Guinness Book of Records as having the most successful first year of operation.
In the story, a young gypsy girl named Esmeralda attracts the attention of men with her beauty. Among them are the bishop of Notre-Dame Cathedral Frollo, the young handsome captain of the royal riflemen Phoebus and the ugly bell-ringer Quasimodo, Frollo's pupil.
Esmeralda falls madly in love with the most beautiful of them, Phoebus. He doesn't mind taking advantage of this, despite the fact that he has a fiancée, Fleur-de-Lys. Frollo is overwhelmed with jealousy and tormented by doubts - after all, he, as a priest, has no right to love a woman. Quasimodo admires the young gypsy, seeing in her that unattainable, unearthly beauty that is his complete opposite.
"Juno and Avos"
The musical is, without exaggeration, the most famous Russian production of this genre. Its premiere took place on July 9, 1981. The director was Mark Zakharov, and the main roles were played by Nikolai Karachentsov and Elena Shanina. It was based on the poem “Maybe” by Andrei Voznesensky.
According to the plot, Count Rezanov, having buried his wife, decided to devote all his strength to serving Russia. His proposals about the need to try to establish trade relations with North America did not meet with a response from the authorities for a long time, but finally he was ordered to go there. There he meets young Conchita and they fall in love. Circumstances force them to separate, but they manage to get married secretly. And although they will not be destined to see each other again, their love will live forever.
A musical, or musical comedy, is a stage work in which songs and dialogues, music and dances are mixed. The progenitors of this genre are considered to be operetta, vaudeville and burlesque. Musicals are one of the most commercial performing arts. This is due to their entertainment value and expensive special effects. It is believed that the first musical was staged in 1866 in New York and was called Black crook.
The beginning of the 20th century gave an active impetus to the development of the genre in America, and the 30s, coupled with the work of talented composers Gershwin, Porter and Kern. The 60s brought new ideas to musicals; over time, the number of performances began to decrease, but the sets and costumes became more lavish.
In 1985, the French broke the monopoly of the United States and England on musicals with their Les Misérables. Today, musicals that timidly emerged in the USSR in the 70s are popular in Russia. Let's talk about ten of the most famous works of this genre throughout the history of its existence.
"My fair lady." Frederick Lowe, the author of the music, and Alan Lerner, the author of the libretto and lyrics, were inspired to write the musical by Bernard Shaw's drama Pygmallion. It is not surprising that the plot of their joint work repeats the drama of Shaw, which tells how the main character, being initially an ordinary flower girl, becomes a young charming lady. According to the plot of the musical, during a dispute between a phonetics professor and his linguist friend, such a transformation took place. Eliza Dolittle moved into the scientist's house to undergo a difficult learning curve. In the end, at the embassy ball, the girl passes the difficult exam with flying colors. The musical premiered on March 15, 1956. In London, the performance was given only in April 1958. Rex Harrison played the role of the professor-teacher, and Julie Andrews played the role of Eliza. The show immediately gained wild popularity; tickets for it were sold out six months in advance. This turned out to be a real surprise for the creators. As a result, the performance was performed 2,717 times on Broadway, and 2,281 in London. The musical was translated into eleven languages and performed in more than twenty countries. "My Fair Lady" won a Tony Award. In total, the musical has sold over 5 million records with its original Broadway cast. In 1964, the film of the same name was released; Warner Brothers bosses paid a then-record $5.5 million for the right to film the musical. Eliza was played by Audrey Hepburn, and Rex Harrison became her partner, moving to cinema from the theater stage. And the success of the film was stunning - it was nominated for 12 Oscars and received 8 of them. The musical is so loved by audiences that it can still be seen in London.
"Sounds of music". The German film "The Von Trapp Family" became the basis for this musical. In 1958, the idea was transferred from cinema to the theatrical stage by screenwriters Howard Lindsay and Russell Cruise, producer Richard Halliday and his wife Mary Martin, who was an actress. The film told the story of an Austrian family who, fleeing the Nazis, went to America. The plot of the film was not invented; it was based on a book by Maria von Trapp, who was a direct participant in those events. Mary Martin herself was a musical theater celebrity at the time, and in this case we were talking about a serious dramatic role. However, the actress could not refuse to perform in her new role as a singer. First, the authors decided to design the production using folk songs and religious hymns of the von Trapp family. However, Mary insisted that there be a song written especially for her. With the help of composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein, new musical numbers were added to the play, and the musical was born. It premiered on Broadway on November 16, 1959. Mary Martin's partner was Theodore Bikel, who played the role of Captain von Trapp. Mary Martin was so popular that the public flocked to see the premiere of the musical with her participation, ensuring generous receipts. The Sound of Music won 8 Tony Awards and was performed 1,443 times. The original album even won a Grammy Award. In 1961, the musical began its tour of the United States, at the same time the show opened in London, where it was staged for 6 years, becoming the longest-running American musical in the capital of England. In June 1960, filmmakers from 20th Century Fox purchased the film rights to the production for $1.25 million. Although the plot of the film differed from the play, it was precisely this that brought “The Sound of Music” truly worldwide fame. The film premiered on March 2, 1965 in New York, and was able to win 5 Oscars out of 10 for which it was nominated. Subsequently, more attempts were made to film the musical, but this did not prevent its popularity as an independent performance. In the 90s, "The Sound of Music" was shown in Greece and Israel, Finland and Sweden, Peru and China, Iceland and the Netherlands.
"Cabaret". This legendary performance was based on the stories "Berlin Stories" by Christopher Isherwood, which tell about life in Germany in the early 30s. The other part of the story comes from John Van Druten's play I Am a Camera, which tells the story of the love between a young American writer and Berlin cabaret singer Sally Bowles. Fate brought young Brian Roberts, an aspiring writer, moonlighting as a tutor, to the capital of Germany in the early 30s. Here he meets Sally, falls in love with her, receiving a lot of new and unforgettable sensations. Only now the singer refuses to follow the guy to Paris, breaking his heart. The cabaret, which was once a symbol of freedom, gradually begins to be filled with people with swastikas on their sleeves as the performance progresses... The premiere of the musical took place on November 20, 1966. The production was carried out by the famous Broadway director Harold Prince. The music by John Kanzer was based on lyrics by Fred Ebb, and the libretto was written by Joe Masteroff. The original cast included Joel Gray as compere, Jill Haworth as Sally, and Bert Cliff as Cliff. The production ran for 1,165 performances, receiving the same 8 Tonys. In 1972, the film Cabaret, directed by Bob Fosse, was released. Joel Gray played the same role, but Sally was brilliantly embodied by Liza Minnelli, and Brian was played by Michael York. The film received 8 Oscars. An updated version of the musical appeared before audiences in 1987, and where would it be without Joel Gray? But in 1993 in London and 1998 on Broadway, the new musical Cabaret, directed by Sam Mendes, began its own journey. And this version has received numerous awards, being presented 2377 times. The musical was finally closed on January 4, 2004, for how long?
"Jesus Christ Superstar". The music for the work was composed by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Weber, and Tim Rice created the libretto. Initially, it was planned to create a full-fledged opera, using modern musical language and all relevant traditions - the arias of the main characters should have been present. The difference between this musical and traditional ones is that there are no dramatic elements, everything is based on recitatives and vocals. Here rock music is combined with classical history, the lyrics use modern vocabulary, and the whole story is told exclusively through songs. All this made "Jesus Christ Superstar" a super hit. The story is about the last seven days of Jesus' life, which pass before the eyes of Judas Iscariot, who was disappointed by the teachings of Christ. The plot begins with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and ends with his execution. The opera was first performed as an album in 1970, on which the lead role was performed by Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan. The role of Judas was played by Murray Head, and Mary Magdalene was voiced by Yvonne Elliman. In 1971, the musical appeared on Broadway. Many have noted that the production portrays Jesus as the first hippie on the planet. The production lasted only a year and a half on stage, but it received a new lease of life in London in 1972. The main role was played by Paul Nicholas, and Judas was embodied by Stefan Tate. This version of the musical became more successful, lasting for eight whole years. Based on the work, as usual, it was filmed and Feature Film directed by Norman Jewison. The 1973 Oscar for best music went to this work. The film is interesting not only for its excellent music and vocals, but also for its unusual interpretation of the theme of Jesus, which appears in an alternative light to the traditional point of view. This musical is often referred to as a rock opera; the work generated a lot of controversy and became a cult favorite for the hippie generation. Jesus Christ Superstar is still relevant today and has been translated into many languages. For more than 30 years, the musical has been staged all over the world - on stages in Australia, Japan, France and Mexico, Chile and Germany, Great Britain and the USA.
"Chicago". The basis for the musical was an article in the Chicago Tribune newspaper dated March 11, 1924. Journalist Maureen Watkins spoke about a variety show actress who killed her lover. At the time, stories about sex crimes were very popular, so it is not surprising that Watkins continued to write about similar topics. On April 3, 1924, her new article appeared about a married woman who shot her boyfriend. There was considerable publicity surrounding these crime stories, which had an impact on Maureen, who eventually left the newspaper and began studying law at Yale University. It was there that the woman, as a training assignment, created the play "Chicago". The day before the onset of 1927, the play "Chicago" premiered on Broadway; it ran for 182 performances; films were made based on the play in 1927 and 1942. The plot was reborn by Bob Fosse, the famous Broadway director and choreographer. He brought in composer Dojn Kander, and he and Fred Ebb worked on the libretto. The score of "Chicago" itself was a brilliant stylization of American hits of the 20s, and the presentation of the musical material was similar to vaudeville. The story tells of corps de ballet dancer Roxie Hart, who dealt with her lovers in cold blood. In prison, a woman meets Velma Kelly and other criminals. Roxy was able to escape punishment with the help of nosy lawyer Billy Flynn - the court found her not guilty. As a result, the world of show business was enriched by the “duet of two sparkling sinners,” Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart. The musical premiered on June 3, 1975 at the 46th Street Theater. The role of Roxy went to Gwen Verdon, Velma was played by Chita Rivera, and Billy was played by Jerry Orbach. The musical appeared in London only 4 years later, and the production had nothing in common with the brainchild of Bob Fosse. The show ran for 898 performances in America and 600 in the West End and was eventually closed. However, the show was revived in 1996 under the direction of Walter Bobby and choreographer Ann Rinking. The first performances at the City Center caused such a stir that it was decided to continue the shows on Broadway. The role of Roxy was played by Rinking herself, Bebe Neuwirth played Velma, and James Naughton played Flynn. This production received 6 Tony Awards, as well as a Grammy for Best Album. In 1997, the musical came to London's Adelphi Theatre, and the production won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical. In an updated form, the performance was performed all over the world - Canada, Australia, Holland, Argentina, Japan, Mexico, Russia and other countries. In 2002, a film from the Miramax film studio was released starring Renee Zellweger (Roxy), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma) and Richard Gere (Billy Flynn). The project was directed and choreographed by Rob Marshall. The film received a Golden Globe in the category “Best Musical or Comedy” and won 6 Oscars out of 12 for which it was nominated. In Russia, the musical was staged by Philip Kirkorov, who himself embodied the role of a skillful and corrupt lawyer.
"Evita". The idea of creating a musical appeared by chance - in October 1973, Tim Rice heard the end of a radio program in his car, which talked about Evita Peron. The woman was the wife of the Argentine dictator Juan Peron, and the poet was interested in her life story. His co-author, Lloyd Webber, was initially unenthusiastic about the story, but eventually agreed to work on it. Rice thoroughly studied the history of his main character, for this he spent a lot of time in London libraries and even visited distant Argentina. That's where the main part was born storyline. Tim Rice introduced a narrator into the musical, a certain Che, whose prototype was Ernesto Che Guevara. The story itself tells the story of Eva Duarte, who came to Buenos Aires at the age of 15 and became first a famous actress and then the wife of the country's president. The woman helped the poor, but also contributed to the rise of dictatorship in Argentina. "Evita" combined various musical styles; Latin American motifs became the basis of the score. The first demo recordings of the musical were presented to critics at the first festival in Sydney, then recording of the album began at the Olympic studio. Evita was actress Julie Covington, and Che was the young singer Colm Wilkinson. The role of Peron went to Paul Jones. The album had big success- Half a million copies were sold in three months. Despite the fact that "Evita" was officially banned in Argentina, getting a record was considered a matter of prestige. The musical was released on June 21, 1978, and was directed by Hal Prince. In his production, the role of Evita went to Elaine Paige, and Che was played by the famous rock singer David Essex. The performance was so successful that it was named the best musical of 1978. The very same main actress received an award for her performance in Evita. The very first weeks after the release of the recording of the musical on disk made it gold. On May 8, 1979, the premiere of “Evita” took place in America, in Los Angeles, and four months later the play came to Broadway. The popularity of "Evita" was proven by the 7 Tony Awards it received. The success of the musical allowed him to visit many countries - Korea, Hungary, Australia, Mexico, Japan, Israel and others. 20 years after the birth of the musical, it was decided to make a film based on it. The director was Alan Parker, the main role, Evita Peron, was played by Madonna, the role of Che was entrusted to Antonio Banderas, Peron was played by Jonathan Pryce. The film featured Webber and Rice's new song, "You Gotta Love Me," which ultimately won an Oscar for Best Original Song.
"Les Miserables". Composer Claude-Michel Schonberg and librettist Alain Boublil gave a rebirth to Victor Hugo's already classic Les Misérables. Work on creating the musical took two years. The result was a two-hour sketch, which was then transformed into a concept album with a circulation of 260 thousand copies. An engraving depicting little Cosette became a unique calling card of the musical. The stage version was presented on September 17, 1980 at the Paris Palais des Sports. As a result, more than half a million people watched the performance. The role of Jean Valjean was played by Maurice Barrier, Javert was played by Jacques Mercier, Fantine by Rose Laurence, and Cosette by Fabienne Guyon. The concept album "Les Misérables" attracted the attention of the young director Peter Ferago, who recruited English producer Cameron Mackintosh to work on it. This made it possible to create a truly high class. A professional team worked on the production - directors Trevor Nunn and John Kaed, and adapted the text into English language Herbert Kretzmer with the help of the musical's creators. As a result, the play premiered under the auspices of the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican Theater on October 8, 1985. To date, Les Misérables has been most often shown at London's Palace Theatre, where more than 6 thousand performances of the musical took place. In 1987, “Les Misérables” came to Broadway, and so began its march around the world. Although the play is over twenty years old, it is still on the stages of theaters around the world. "Les Misérables" has been translated into many languages, including such exotic ones as Japanese, Moorish and Creole. In total, this musical was staged in 32 countries around the world. The creations of Schonberg and Boublil were eventually seen by more than 20 million people.
"Cats" The basis for this popular musical was a cycle of children's poems by T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats", which was published in England in 1939. The collection spoke with irony about the habits and habits of cats, but human traits were easily discerned behind these features. Elliott's poems attracted the attention of Andy Lloyd Webber, who slowly composed music for them throughout the 70s. And so, by 1980, the composer had collected enough material to transform it into a musical. Since the British love cats very much, their show was simply doomed to success. In addition to Webber, the team included producer Cameron Mackintosh, director Trevor Nunn, artist John Napier and choreographer Gillian Lynn. But when the songs were staged, it turned out that there was no meaningful plot. However, thanks to Eliot's widow, the poet's drafts and letters were found, from which, bit by bit, the authors of the musical were able to collect ideas to compile the plot outline of the play. In "Cats" special demands were placed on the artists - it was not enough to sing well and speak clearly, they also had to be very flexible. It turned out that in England itself it was almost impossible to recruit a troupe of 20 such actors, so the performers included pop singer Paul Nicholas, actress Elaine Paige, young dancer and singer Sarah Brightman, and Royal Ballet star Wayne Sleep. The Cats Theater was created by its own designer, John Napier, as a result there is no curtain at all, and the stage and hall merge into a single space. The action occurs not frontally, but throughout the entire depth. The scene itself is designed like a landfill - there are mountains of picturesque garbage on it, but in fact the scenery is equipped with sophisticated technology. The actors, with the help of complex multi-layer makeup, appear in the form of graceful cats. Their tights are hand-painted, their wigs are made of yak wool, their tails and collars are made of wool, and they also wear shiny collars. The musical first appeared before the public on May 11, 1981 in London, and came to Broadway a year later. As a result, “Cats” was able to become the longest-running production in the history of British theater until its closing on May 11, 2002. In total, 6,400 performances were given, the production was seen by more than 8 million people, and the creators were able to earn about 136 million pounds sterling. And in the States, the musical broke all possible records. Already in 1997, the number of performances exceeded 6,100, which made it possible to call the show the main long-liver of Broadway. As a result, over the entire period, “Cats” was staged more than 40 times, the total number of viewers in 30 countries exceeded 50 million, the songs were performed in 14 languages, and the total gross amounted to 2.2 billion dollars! The musical has received many awards, the most famous of which are the Laurence Olivier Award, the Evening Standard newspaper award for "Best Musical", 7 Tony Awards, and the Molière Award in France. Recordings from the original Broadway and London casts received Grammy awards.
"Phantom of the Opera". Sarah Brightman's collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber in Cats led to their marriage in 1984. The composer created “Requiem” for his wife, but this work was not able to demonstrate the singer’s talent on a large scale. Webber therefore decided to create a new musical, which was “The Phantom of the Opera,” based on the 1910 novel of the same name by the Frenchman Gaston Leroux. The romantic but dark story tells about a mysterious creature with supernatural powers living in a dungeon under the Paris Opera. The main role in the production, Christina Daae, went, of course, to Sarah Brightman. The male part was performed by Michael Crawford. In the first cast, Christina's lover, Raoul, was played by Steve Barton. Richard Stilgoe worked on the libretto with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the lyrics are by Charles Hart. Theater designer Maria Bjornson gave the Phantom the famous mask and insisted on the decision to lower the notorious falling chandelier not onto the stage, but directly onto the audience. The premiere of The Phantom of the Opera took place on October 9, 1986 at the Royal Theater, even members of Her Majesty's family were present. And in January 1988, the first Broadway production of the musical took place at the Majestic Theater in New York. "The Phantom of the Opera" became the second longest-running musical in Broadway history, after "Cats." As a result, about 11 million people watched the show in New York alone. The musical was staged in 18 countries, about 65 thousand performances were given, and more than 58 million people watched it there, and total number viewers around the world have already exceeded 80 million. As a result, there are well-deserved awards and prizes, numbering more than 50. The musical received three Laurence Olivier awards and 7 Tony awards, 7 Drama Desk awards, and an Evening Standard award. Total revenue from The Phantom of the Opera was $3.2 billion. The novel inspired directors to create as many as seven films, the last of which, shot in 2004, was nominated three times for an Oscar, produced and composed by the same Webber.
"Mama Mia" The popularity of ABBA's songs is so great that it is not surprising that producer Judy Kramer came up with the idea of creating an entire musical based on them. The basis of the musical was 22 songs of the legendary group. In the original, all the songs were sung by women, so a story was developed about a mother and daughter - people of two different generations. In order for the story to be worthy of famous hits, writer Katerina Johnson was invited, who came up with a story about a family living on greek islands. As a result, the viewer is attracted not only by musical hits, but also by the plot into which the music is closely woven. The songs were divided into dialogues, receiving new intonations. The production was directed by Phyllida Loyd and composed by ABBA member Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson. The result is a romantic comedy, ironic and quite modern. The musical has two main lines - a love story and the relationship between two generations. The plot of "Mama Mia" is filled with comedic situations that take place against the backdrop of the cheerful compositions of "ABBA", the characters communicate quite witty, and their costumes are bright and original. The characteristic logo of “Mama Mia” was the image of a happy bride, as a result it became a unique brand, recognizable all over the world. The plot of the musical is as follows. Young Sophie is soon preparing to become a bride. She is going to invite her father to the wedding to take her to the altar. Only the girl’s mother, Donna, never talked about him. Sophie found her mother's diary, which chronicled her relationships with three different men, resulting in an invitation being sent to all of them. When guests begin to arrive at the wedding, the most interesting thing happens... At the end of the action, the mother gets married with Sophie. The first test of "Mamma Mia" was its pre-premiere screening in London on March 23, 1999. The audience was completely delighted - they did not sit still throughout the performance, but danced in the aisles, clapped and sang along. The real premiere took place on April 6, 1999. The successful London production led to the musical being staged in 11 other countries around the world, and the musical's rental revenues there reach $8 million every week! Today, “Mama Mia” has been seen by more than 27 million people, and the number of visits increases by 20 thousand every day. The musical's worldwide box office gross exceeded $1.6 billion. During its run, the show visited 130 major cities, and the album with the recording of the very first production went platinum in the USA, Korea and Australia, twice platinum in the UK, and gold in Sweden, New Zealand and Germany. In 2008, the musical was filmed, starring such stars as Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan, and directed by the same Phyllida Lloyd.
This is probably the first film that anyone remembers when they hear the word “musical.” Moreover, it is curious that the songs that sounded in it were, for the most part, not written specifically for this film and were performed previously, including in other films and musicals. The leading actor, Gene Kelly, was also one of the directors of the film, which allowed him, with his superstar status, to make the film exactly the way he wanted. Naturally, he also performed the songs himself. But for the beautiful Debbie Reynolds (by the way, the mother of “Princess Leia”, Carrie Fisher), a professional singer was hired just in case: Reynolds herself sang and danced well, but there was no risk. As a result, the film forever took its place of honor among the best film musicals in history.
If we talk about cinematic value, then among all these paintings this masterpiece by Lars von Trier is, of course, the main one. Risky, experimental (the musical numbers were filmed by hundreds of video cameras from different angles), cruel, it immediately became an event everywhere except in conservative America, where von Trier was never favored at all. Even the invitation to a cameo by Joel Gray, known for his role as the entertainer in Cabaret, did not help. Singer Björk wrote her best songs for the film and performed them together with Catherine Deneuve. Hollywood pointedly ignored the film, not even giving it an Oscar for best song, but, fortunately, smart people Hollywood is not a decree. The film won the most prestigious film award in the world, the Palme d'Or, and although Björk has since refused to even talk to von Trier, she also received the prize at Cannes for Best Actress thanks to him.
One of the best musical film tales, and even with songs written and performed by David Bowie himself. In the film, he played the role of the main villain, who, in general, is not a villain at all, but a lonely and even romantic in love. A magical world, hairy monsters, castles with curved space - all this comes to life to the amazing music of Bowie and still lives.
The songs of the ABBA group have long turned from pop hits of the 70s into the property of universal culture. So when their material was turned into a musical, it wasn't a commercial gimmick (although that was one too), but simply an acknowledgment of the obvious: ABBA was no longer just ABBA. Therefore, although Hollywood stars combined with the songs of a Swedish quartet look a little wild at first, you quickly get used to it and begin to get legitimate pleasure.
It seemed that by the beginning of the 21st century, the Hollywood musical had long been a dead genre, and only experimenters like von Trier dared to work with it. But Baz Luhrmann proved to everyone that this is not so. His large-scale production about a love story set in a notorious French cabaret turned out to be very timely and incredibly successful. Hollywood realized that the genre needed to be developed.
The huge color blockbuster at one time was a worthy competitor to Gone with the Wind. If only because the fairy tale about Oz still had more readers. The film also starred the greatest Hollywood actress, Judy Garland, and it is still impossible not to fall in love with her when she performs her parts in this film. In the USA, this film is always named among the ten most significant films in history, and all over the world, viewers of all ages still enjoy watching this film.
One of the greatest musicals in history. Michel Legrand's melodies have long since become popular; no one remembers their author, nor the film, nor the role after which Catherine Deneuve became a superstar, nor the film's triumph at Cannes. But the music from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg sounds everywhere there is love, sadness and romance. For her sake, they watch this picture many times, crying over the fate of such young and such unfortunate heroes.
By the standards of today's viewer, a three-hour musical musical, and even with a very unpretentious and leisurely plot, even including the theme of Nazism, looks rather heavy. Because this is a big screen spectacle that you need to devote the whole evening to. See on this big screen charming Julie Andrews, submit to the beauty of her voice - and not only her voice. Then it will become clear why the Oscar committee awarded the film not only in the “musical” categories, but considered it the best film with the best direction of 1966.
The image of Audrey Hepburn does not fit in with the flower seller from Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. But the actress managed to “tame” her indescribable grace and elegance for a while, and then “release” them again. This is how one of her famous films, where, oddly enough, Hepburn herself was almost not allowed to sing, although she seriously prepared for this. But many years later, when the film was released on DVD, the found soundtracks with her voice became available to the general public.
Young John Travolta, who dances beautifully and sings a little less beautifully, is the main attraction of this musical. The image of a young hooligan, whose heart turns out to be larger than he expected, captivated all the girls on the planet, with the exception of progressive Soviet viewers: they simply did not see the film.
Style, style and more style - that's what made the musical Cabaret, directed by Bob Fosse, so great. Passionate and difficult relationships The characters of Liza Minnelli and Michael York develop in Berlin in the early 30s. The space is dark, oppressive, somewhat perverted, and daring. And the plot matches it. This is not a cute little tale of love, but a harsh story of several intertwined personal tragedies, where abortion, Jewish rites and people mysteriously disappearing from the hall where the heroine performs her zongs are of equal importance.
The story of Damien Chazelle is a living embodiment American dream. From the modest short film “Obsession,” about a drummer’s rehearsal under the guidance of a sadistic conductor, to the feature film of the same name, which immediately became the talk of the cinematic circles. And after that - an incredibly stylish musical with Hollywood stars, which is already being considered as the film event of the year. Elegant, smart, precise, not a show on the screen, but a serious movie with musical numbers. This is history that is being made before our eyes.
One of the most famous musicals in the world could not be transferred to the silver screen for many years. Therefore, we watched this version very meticulously, mocking the vocals of Gerard Butler, who played up the shortcomings of his voice with dramatic talent. But Emmy Rossum in the title role handled her parts simply delicately, at the level of good opera singer. And although the film failed at the box office in the United States, it still went down in history. An expensive and at times very interesting production.
Women on the edge nervous breakdown, a dead man in the next room and a lot of songs, jokes and dancing - that’s the whole musical by Francois Ozon. Which at the same time remains the most famous work this director, and there is practically no viewer who has not watched this film at least several times. Because everything about him is perfect, including, of course, the best French actresses of different generations.
Woody Allen and the musical are incompatible things. As well as, for example, Tim Roth, Edward Norton, Natalie Portman and many other stars who do not really fit in with the song culture. This is what the joker Allen was counting on. And, as always, he turned out to be right: the director’s fans received the film very favorably.
For the Soviet public there can be no question which Mary Poppins is better: they unanimously prefer the Soviet one performed by Natalia Andreichenko and refuse to watch the Disney musical, which the whole world adores. But those who have overcome themselves cannot then get rid of the haunting tunes of the songs performed by Julie Andrews and her film partners. Playful, witty, and sometimes incredibly sad, they are simple and beautiful, just like this film adaptation itself.
Tim Burton made everyone sing: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter (she was also filming pregnant), Sacha Baron Cohen, Alan Rickman - a bloody, dark and very cute musical about cutting throats with a razor and “the worst pies in all of London”, which prepared from human flesh. Even the audience who saw this musical on Broadway was somewhat taken aback, but then accepted the film as if it were their own.
For Judy Garland, this film, a remake of the 1937 film starring the great Adolphe Menjou, was very personal, as it largely echoed the details of her own biography. Therefore, it was very difficult for her to come to the set: they say that she sometimes made the group wait for her for several days, missing deadlines and risking being thrown out of the project. The studio did not forgive the actress: soon after the film's release she was left without work. But for a long time she performed songs from this musical at her concerts.
After a quarter century of successful productions on Broadway, "Chicago" received an exemplary film interpretation with the help of the main modern specialist in this genre, Rob Marshall. Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere sang for their heroes themselves, although they clearly lacked the vocal abilities for this, which caused a negative reaction from a number of viewers. But the Film Academy openly supported the film, awarding it 6 Oscars at once and inscribing it in the history of American cinema. So he stayed there.
Gangster action movie. But there are two features. First: all the gangsters sing here. Second: they are all played by small children who have machine guns that shoot cakes. This Alan Parker musical is incredibly fun to watch, and young Jodie Foster is a real standout here, too. talented actors. Her femme fatale, even in children's clothing, remains dangerous and sexy.
Convert main movie Federico Fellini's "8½" into the musical seems, at first glance, complete absurdity, and therefore Rob Marshall's film has many opponents, as, indeed, all his other works. Daniel Day-Lewis is not at all like the sophisticated and cynical Marcello Mastroianni, and Marshall’s accents are somewhat shifted. However, for any film connoisseur, this film is of particular importance as a declaration of love from one director to the work of another. A very colorful, inventive confession.
The music for West Side Story was written by the great Leonard Bernstein, one of the best conductors of the twentieth century, a connoisseur of classical music, an educator and simply an outstanding person. Perhaps that is why the musical sounds so perfect that it is still listened to today; it has undergone many productions in different countries. The plot is a story about Romeo and Juliet, transferred to the streets of New York in the 50s, where street gangs are shown instead of warring families. The film is considered an exemplary production of this musical; it received 10 Oscars and is one of the best examples of the genre.
This is the case when the film musical overtook Broadway by half a century: this plot “matured” only in 1980 before its stage implementation. Meanwhile, for its time, the early 30s, the plot was very sharp and political, if only because it directly spoke about the harsh reality Great Depression. Since sound in cinema was just emerging, the soundtrack for the musical was recorded in advance, and the actors only had to act in sync with it. Hollywood subsequently made this practice widespread.
The Wizard of Oz (1939) / The Wizard of Oz
The most famous fairy tale by Lyman Frank Baum in the most different forms was filmed several times, but the history of cinema will always put Victor Fleming's brilliant film with the charming Judy Garland in the title role in first place. The musical family film about the girl Dorothy and her extraordinary friends was nominated for six gold statuettes, but excelled in only two categories - “ The best music" and "best song". “Over the Rainbow” is truly incredibly good - it continues to be included among the most famous film compositions in the history of cinema.
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
When a few years ago we all admired “The Artist” by Michel Hazanavicius, people enlightened in cinema told the young people: “All this has already happened!” And it’s true, “Singing in the Rain” is very close in theme to “The Artist” - it is also an “autobiography of Hollywood” during the transition from silent films to sound films. What's the best way to show the triumph of sound? Of course, with songs and dances! The musical numbers from “Singing” became real hits; millions of viewers around the world still recognize them from the first notes. Alas, the actors and authors of the film were not awarded Oscars for their work, but the film deservedly entered many lists of the most important works of cinema, claiming to be the “No. 1 Musical” in the world.
The King and I (1956) / The King and I
The musical "The King and I", staged on Broadway, became one of the most expensive performances of its time - the budget of 360 thousand dollars in 1950 seemed cosmic. The film production was supposed to be just as grandiose, but the film suffered from the very beginning. big loss– Gertrude Lawrence, an actress and singer, to whom the vocal parts of Anna, the main character of the work, were written, died of cancer. Thus, the role went to Deborah Kerr, but Marni Nixon performed her role behind the scenes, which, however, did not harm the film. “The King and I” won five Oscars after nine nominations and was ranked among the best films of the 20th century.
West Side Story (1961) / West Side Story
Do you think that transferring the action of Shakespearean tragedies from the past to our time is the lot of postmodernism of the 1990-2000s? Nothing like that, West Side Story by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise is clean water"Romeo and Juliet", only this time the events meet the viewer not in Verona, but in New York, where representatives of two warring immigrant gangs fall in love with each other. And all this to the sound of music! Critics were fascinated by the spectacle - “West Side Story” took away 10 Oscar awards from the ceremony, including an award for best movie. Brilliant result!
The Russian viewer’s idea of Mary Poppins is forever “deformed” by the magical television film starring Natalya Andreichenko (also a musical, by the way), but let’s be fair to history - Walt Disney was the first to make a star out of the flying housekeeper. And first of all, a musical star. The film “Saving Mr. Banks” perfectly tells how difficult it was to write songs for the cinematic Mary, and the result of the work of composers the Sherman brothers is known to every American child - the five-time Oscar winner, the film directed by Robert Stevenson has not left TV screens for half a century.
My Fair Lady (1964) / My Fair Lady
Another musical that received an Oscar as “best film of the year” is the musical melodrama “My Fair Lady.” George Cukor’s film was based on the famous play by Bernard Shaw and a very popular Broadway play, so, apparently, “The Lady” did not make a splash in terms of plot, but its musical component really impressed both the audience and the critics. Alas, the filmmakers were not satisfied with Audrey Hepburn’s limited vocal range, so she, just like the heroine of the already mentioned “Singin’ in the Rain,” had to open her mouth in the frame to someone else’s soundtrack. But this is perhaps the only significant complaint about the film; otherwise, “My Fair Lady” with its eight Oscars is impeccable.
The Sound of Music (1965) / The Sound of Music
The undisputed leader of almost all the top “Best Musical in the History of Cinema” - the melodrama “The Sound of Music” certainly deserves all the praise addressed to it. The film also combines a family comedy about children from big family, and a rom-com about a widower in love, and even a military thriller, because the events of the film unfold against the backdrop of the annexation of Austria to Germany on the eve of World War II. Brilliantly acted by Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, the film became one of the highest-grossing films in Hollywood history (judging by the budget-to-gross ratio), and the songs from the film are considered full-fledged classics today.
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
It is not customary for us to recognize as valuable works of art by foreign authors written based on the events of two Russian revolutions at the beginning of the last century, but Americans love the play “Fiddler on the Roof,” which tells about a Ukrainian village, so much that you can see its production in almost every school. What can we say about cinema - Norman Jewison's film of the same name has become a classic work, awarded three Oscars and a Golden Globe for best musical. Jewison somewhat "shredded" the original Broadway version, but for the author of the follow-up to "Fiddler" "Jesus Christ Superstar" such arbitrariness is excusable, although this is a completely different story...
Cabaret (1972) / Cabaret
Bob Fosse's musical melodrama "Cabaret" turned out to be so popular in the world that songs from this film managed to leak even into a country closed to American music. Soviet Union, so when, already during perestroika, the “one-sixth” audience was able to see the film, most of musical numbers were well known to them. Surprisingly, behind the tinsel of songs and dances, Fosse managed to hide a rather dramatic story with a clear anti-fascist message - a rare combination for a musical that is usually joyful and sunny. The undoubted decoration of the picture was the work of Liza Minnelli. The songs from “Cabaret” performed by her became genuine “golden hits” and are still enthusiastically received by the audience at the concerts of the singer and actress.
Grease (1978) / Grease
Surprisingly, Grease, which made stars of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John and is widely known far beyond Hollywood, did not receive not only a single Oscar, but not even a Golden Globe, which has a special award for musicals. separate categories. But the success of this film is a living example of the fact that for a true classic, critical laurels are useless; “Grease” is a folk movie, beloved by audiences, who often put Randle Kleiser’s film above all “these of yours” “Singing in the Rain” and “ Beautiful ladies" This is what phenomenal musical material means - the songs from the film released on the disc won dozens of awards, and the disc itself went platinum in America.
The Lion King (1994) / The Lion King
The 32nd full-length animated film from the Disney studio, of course, is not a musical in its purest form - after all, almost every cartoon of this company has musical numbers. But it was precisely the professional, careful and very thorough approach to the musical component of the film that in many ways made the classic story about the formation of a hero one of the most successful film projects in history - the 45-million-dollar film only slightly fell short of a billion dollars in box office receipts. The disc with songs by Elton John and music by Hans Zimmer became the best-selling soundtrack of 1994, and no animated film has been able to replicate the diamond status of this record. The king is the king!
Moulin rouge! (2001) / Moulin Rouge!
Usually, the soundtrack for musicals is created specifically: music is written, lyrics are composed, arrangements are worked out, but sometimes the viewer wants to hear something familiar and long-loved. “Moulin Rouge” by Baz Luhrmann, despite the fact that its plot takes place at the very beginning of the twentieth century, deftly uses the hits of the 80s and 90s. Madonna and David Bowie, Sting and Bono, Elton John and Christina Aguilera shared their creativity with the film, and this immediately made the film a hit - with a budget of 50 million, the film about the love of a courtesan and a poet collected four times more worldwide, and critics noted “Moulin Rouge” » dozens of prizes on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
Chicago (2002) / Chicago
In the 1980s-1990s, musicals were pushed to the margins of film production - “Flashdance” and “Dirty Dancing”, despite all the love of the audience for them, did not earn either a crazy box office or the delight of festival juries. The return of the musical to the top happened with the release of Rob Marshall's crime dramedy "Chicago" - a Broadway production that had not left the stage for a quarter of a century was simply difficult to spoil. The film adaptation was conceived by the authors back in the 1970s, then the main roles in the film were given to Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli and Goldie Hawn, but modern actors did not spoil the holiday - Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones brought the producers six Oscars, including including the main one for “best film”.
Dream Girls (2006) / Dreamgirls
Against the backdrop of last year’s scandal with black American actors who boycotted the Oscars, it would not be a bad idea to recall the purely African-American musical “Dreamgirls,” which tells about the formation and creative path a girl trio from Chicago who have gained worldwide fame, which, however, cannot replace simple home happiness. Home impact force"Girls" was supposed to be famous singer Beyoncé was slated to play the lead role, but unexpectedly for many, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson were cast in the film. The latter was even awarded an Academy Award, one of two the film received after six nominations.
Les Miserables (2012)
The previous big musical landing at the Academy Awards ceremony was four years ago - in 2013, Tom Hooper's Les Misérables received eight nominations. Despite all its merits, the film received “second-tier” prizes for makeup and sound, and only Anne Hathaway, who cut her hair for the film, was favored by academics. Meanwhile, the film deserved much more - it is truly a large-scale historical film with brilliant musical numbers. Their performance could perhaps have been better; after all, Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman are not exactly singers, but everything was done with soul.