Due to the pandemic, Broadway has been shut down for almost a year. However, just because we can’t go see shows right now, doesn’t mean that we can’t listen to them. Here are five musicals to listen to on repeat!
1. Hadestown
This stunning musical takes inspiration from the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The two meet, fall in love, but then Eurydice gets taken to the Underworld. Orpheus vows to save her, yet the only way he can do so is if he walks from the Underworld to Earth with Eurydice behind him. He can’t look back, and if he does, Eurydice is banished to the Underworld forever. It’s a stunning musical that won Best Musical at the 2019 Tony Awards. The Original Broadway Cast album is available wherever you stream or purchase music.
2. Six
Six follows the six wives of Henry VIII as they challenge each other to see who had the worst marriage to Henry. Each of the wives has a song that explains who they are, and honestly, the whole show is worth a listen. Fun fact: Co-director Lucy Moss is the youngest female Broadway director in history! The Original Cast Recording is available for stream and purchase.
3. The Last 5 Years
This show follows Cathy and Jamie, a couple who has just separated. Each of them tells their story in a nonlinear timeline: Cathy from the end of their relationship and Jamie from the beginning. The Last 5 Years premiered off-Broadway in 2003 and was adapted into a movie that was released in 2015.
4. Hamilton
I know most people have heard of it, but I couldn’t not include Hamilton on this list. Written and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, the musical is about the life of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. It features multiple genres of music, not just musical theater, but rap as well. If you haven’t heard the Hamilton cast album, I highly recommend it. And if you’d like, you can watch Hamilton on Disney+ or stream/purchase the cast album.
5. Mean Girls
Based on the movie of the same name, Mean Girls follows Cady Heron as she navigates life at North Shore High and meets The Plastics: Regina, Gretchen, and Karen. Although the show closed (having played its final Broadway performance on March 11, 2020), the tour is still going to be making its way across the US, and a film production is in the works. You can listen to the show wherever you can stream or purchase music.