Ever since I’ve known myself, I’ve loved Broadway. I grew up with the soundtrack of Wicked playing on full volume and singing along to Julie Andrews in car rides. Everyone who knows me will tell you that I’m a huge musical theatre nerd since I break out into show tunes no matter what situation I find myself in. But, let’s face it, it can sometimes be frustrating to wait for tours if you don’t live in New York and face the expensive pricing of tickets. So, as difficult as it was to pick out my favorites, here I have compiled the 3 best musical movies of all time. Plus, you can sing along as loudly as you want because there will be no angry audience members in your house!
Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies
Phantom of the Opera is the first musical I watched live on stage when I was just 7 years old. So, needless to say, I was more than hyped to discover that the show was filmed live in Royal Albert Hall during its 25th anniversary celebration performances.
Taking us back in history to 1881, Phantom of the Opera follows the story of opera singer Christine Daaé after she becomes the obsession of a masked musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera House. With Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterful music and Charles Hart’s powerful lyrics the musical pulls the audience into its mysterious world. All the songs do a fantastic job in capturing the depth of the characters’ feelings, both in terms of orchestration and lyrics. Heartfelt acting and wonderful vocals by leads Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo add to the magic. On top of that, the original leads from the London and Broadway productions make a surprise appearance at the end of it all. We are celebrating 25 years after all!
My favorite songs from Phantom are The Music Of The Night, All I Ask Of You, and, duh, The Phantom Of The Opera.
The full stage show is available for $4.99 on Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play Movies, and Amazon Prime Video.
The sequel Love Never Dies takes place roughly ten years after the events of the original Phantom when Christine is brought to Coney Island by the Phantom to perform his new composition. Andrew Lloyd Webber once again doesn’t disappoint with his music, and Glenn Slater does a phenomenal job as a lyricist. I guarantee that your love for Love Never Dies will never die after you witness Anna O’Byrne and Ben Lewis’ passionate portrayal of the tragic love story between Christine and the Phantom.
The best songs in this score have to be Once Upon Another Time, Devil Take The Hindmost, and the title song Love Never Dies.
Love Never Dies is available for $4.99 on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Amazon Prime Video.
Tick, Tick… Boom!
Tick, Tick… Boom! is a semi-autobiographical musical movie about composer, lyricist, and playwright Jonathan Larson, who later wrote the musical Rent, as he races with time determined to make it in the musical industry before his 30th birthday.
The musical beautifully portrays the pressure of comparing yourself with the people you look up to (Stephen Sondheim in Larson’s case) and being stressed out feeling like you are running out of time. These are feelings innate to the human condition, and Andrew Garfield’s award-winning portrayal of Larson paired with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s (Alexander Hamilton anyone?) powerful directing, they come out of the screen to haunt you in the best way possible.
Larson’s struggle with the dilemma of prioritizing his dreams versus his close personal relationships told through a brilliant musical score is enough to make me start sobbing, but again, I bawl my eyes out when I listen to any musical theatre song. Regardless, Tick, Tick… Boom! is an emotional masterpiece which was rightfully named one of the best films of 2021 by the American Film Institute.
My favorite songs include 30/90, Therapy, and Come to Your Senses.
Tick, Tick… Boom! is available for streaming on Netflix.
Funny Girl
It would be impossible for me to end this list without featuring Funny Girl. Starring THE Barbra Straisand, this 1968 biographical-musical film is based on the life of comedienne Fanny Brice, following her career and raging romance with Nicky Arnstein who is played by Omar Sharif.
Seasoned with a lot of comedy and a little bit of tragedy, this musical is a classic for good reason. Being constantly put down by her neighborhood community for not being a classic stage beauty, Fanny grows up with no one believing in her except her mother. Regardless, she has strong character and self-confidence, and never stops following her dream of becoming The Greatest Star.
After the realization of her dream life as a Broadway star, she runs into Nicky who she met after her first stage performance, and the narrative starts focusing on their romantic relationship, portraying both the charms and downfall of it all. This offers a deeper perspective into Fanny’s passion, now seen through the lens of a relationship rather than a career.
With production by Rob Stark, Brice’s real life son-in-law, music and lyrics by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, and writing by Isobel Lennart, Funny Girl does a phenomenal job in balancing the ups and downs of life, and portraying determination, passion, and sacrifice.
My favorite songs from the score are People, Don’t Rain On My Parade, and My Man.
The musical is available for streaming on CraveTV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies (from $3.99), and AppleTV (from $4.99).
Bonus: Wicked
Unfortunately, an online accessible version of Wicked is not available. However, my fellow Torontonians, our favorite green witch is returning to the stage in Princess of Wales Theatre this summer.
A twist to the classic The Wizard of Oz, this musical offers a different angle to the life and motivations of the Wicked Witch of the West who, plot-twist, may not be the evil villain we have always known her to be.
Don’t lose another minute before getting your tickets if you want to discover the trickery of the Wizard and Glinda The Good’s friendship with the Wicked Witch through a history rooted long before Dorothy arrived in Oz.
Even if you don’t have time to listen to the whole soundtrack before the show, make sure you at least listen to Popular, Defying Gravity, and For Good.
Tickets are available June 5 – July 21, 2024 in Mirvish.
This was the list of my 3 favorite musicals with online availability. Even though it was painful for me to cut some other favorites like La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen, and The Greatest Showman (definitely check them out if you crave more), these are my best suggestions. I hope this fosters a love for musicals in you, and I hope to hear more people singing show tunes while walking in the streets – because why shouldn’t we sing? It’s beautiful when birds do it.