THERE'S MUSIC IN THE AIR
Did you love In the Heights? Bethonie Butler suggests more movie musicals to stream.
HAMILTON
Lin-manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning epic about one of the U.S. Founding Fathers serves as an obvious streaming prelude to In the Heights, which features Anthony Ramos — known to Hamilton fans as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton — in the lead role. The film, recorded from performances in 2016 and released in 2020, found a new life on screen.
Miranda has described the wildly popular musical, which features a predominantly Black and Latino cast, as “a story about America then, told by America now.” (Disney+ )
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
A Jewish milkman grapples with change — in his family and his village — in this iconic adaptation from director Norman Jewison. It's required viewing for musical lovers. Better yet, it's tradition. (itunes)
SCHOOL DAZE
A movie about colourism and how it manifests among the students of a historically Black college would be interesting enough without musical interludes, but School Daze is a Spike Lee joint, ya dig? The director, one of Morehouse College's most famed alumni, puts his singular spin on this complex topic in his 1988 film — which marked memorable early roles for Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito and Tisha Campbell. (CTV.CA)
GUYS AND DOLLS
Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons and Vivian Blaine are the marquee names in this 1955 adaptation of the Broadway (and high school theatre) classic about gambling enthusiasts rolling the dice on love. (Amazon Prime)
FUNNY GIRL
Barbra Streisand won a best actress Oscar (alongside Katharine Hepburn, in a rare tie) for her show-stopping turn as Fanny Brice in this beloved 1968 musical. She began her acceptance speech with a joke befitting the comedian she portrayed, address the statuette: “Hello, gorgeous.” (Netflix)
DREAMGIRLS
Jennifer Hudson earned a best supporting actress Oscar for her star turn (alongside Beyoncé, no less) in Bill Condon's 2006 adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical about Motown's heyday. But as The Washington Post's Amy Argetsinger once argued, the film — which also stars Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx and Anika Noni Rose — was robbed of a chance to win best picture. (itunes)
WEST SIDE STORY
This 1961 film offers a decidedly modern take on the tragic starcrossed lovers theme at the centre of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. New York City is the famed setting where Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria (Natalie Wood) fall into a doomed romance. Rita Moreno, one of the few actors in the film actually of Puerto Rican descent, won a best supporting actress Oscar for her indelible performance as Anita. (Amazon Prime)
HAIRSPRAY
Not all remakes are created equal, but this 2007 take on John Waters's 1988 cult classic is pretty solid. Nikki Blonsky made her film debut as the pleasantly plump Tracy Turnblad alongside a slew of established stars including John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, Zac Efron and Queen Latifah. (itunes)
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Stanley 1952 musical Donen and starring Gene Donald Kelly's O'connor, Debbie Reynolds and Kelly himself is a classic among classics. The movie didn't première to legendary status, but is now considered to be among the best musicals ever made (if not the best). (itunes)
A STAR IS BORN
You can stream multiple versions of this tragic (or should we say bad) romance. Pick your favourite couple — Judy Garland/ James Mason, Barbra Streisand/ Kris Kristofferson or Lady Gaga/ Bradley Cooper — and swoon away. You can't go wrong, especially if you watch them all and then debate the grim throughline. (itunes)
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN
If you use a superlative in your movie title, it has a certain responsibility to live up to. Whether this 2017 musical starring Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum achieves this is up for debate — with fervent believers on both sides. Despite middling reviews for the actual film, its music appears to have done a fine job, with an Oscar nomination for best original song and a Grammy win for its soundtrack. And only one thing matters anyway: Zendaya. (Disney+)