Between the ages of 10 and 18, I was very active in my school’s music and musical theater departments. Because of this, Broadway musicals have always been a huge part of my life. I love seeing them, listening to them and loved being in productions as a kid. Even though that is not a very large part of my life anymore, it will always have a special place in my heart. I wanted to share my favorite musical soundtracks. Most of these I have not seen, so I cannot say how good the actual production is, but music wise, these are the shows that stick with me.
- Anastasia
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Anastasia is based on the 1997 animated film of the same name. It is a loose adaptation of the legend of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov as we follow an orphan, Anya, from St. Petersburg to Paris trying to discover her past. The musical takes a more historical appraoch than the film but is just as enjoyable. The music is beautiful and the lead performers have such strong voices that perfectly match the tone of the show.
- Shrek
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In my opinon, I think Shrek might be the most underrated musical on this list. I feel as though once people see the name, they are less likely to take it seriously, when it really includes some of the best music from any show. The song I recommend the most is Shrek’s solo, “Who I’d Be”, and it is easily one of my favorite musical theater songs of all time. If you are a fan of the movie, I cannot reccomend this musical enough.
- Jekyll & Hyde
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Jekyll & Hyde is loosely based on the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Emma and Lucy’s duet, In His Eyes, has to be in my top three favorite musical theater songs of all time. It is truly stunning and is definitely one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. I really recommend this soundtrack and would love to see the show one day.
- Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
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Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 is based on a 70-page section of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace and focuses on Natasha’s affair and Pierre’s search for his life’s meaning. The music is lively and the voices are powerful. I have loved this musical since it was off-Broadway and I think those who took over once it transferred to Broadway (including Josh Groban as Pierre in his Broadway debut) did such a beautiful job.
- Once
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My favorite broadway song, and one of my favorite songs of all time at all, is Falling Slowly from the musical Once. Once is based on the 2007 movie of the same name and follows a struggling singer and guitarist in Dublin who meets a pianist, the one thing his music seemed to be missing. The music is very simple and acoustic based, but I think that makes it even better. Even if you do not tend to like musicals, I really think this one is worth checking out.
HCXO, Maeve