A salute to
MOVIE
MUSICALS Catchy tunes not just reserved for the classics
Jeff Langham
MOVIE MAN Dr. Jeff Langham is State Assistant Superintendent for External and Governmental Affairs and a lifelong lover of film.
Musicals are alive and well on our local community stages this summer from Prattville’s Way Off Broadway Theatre production of Oklahoma! and the Millbrook Community Players’ presentation of Hello, Dolly! to Wetumpka Depot Players’ premiere of Big Fish the Musical. You will find these tuneful productions as popular fare, especially at this time of year. With this in mind, let’s salute some great musicals of the silver screen. The last time I wrote specifically about musicals for Elmore County Living was back in 2015. Since that time, musicals have continued to gain in popularity, and audiences have been charmed with some of the following cinematic treats.
OLD-FASHIONED MUSICALS
La La Land (2016) – With star power galore Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, this musical love story set in Los Angeles delighted critics and audiences alike and also took home a carload of Oscars. The Greatest Showman (2017) – One year later, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the Academy Award-winning songwriting team from La La Land, again struck box office gold with this captivating P. T. Barnum extravaganza, featuring the dream cast of Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya.
MUSICALS ABOUT MUSICIANS
A Star is Born (2018) – Producer/director Bradley Cooper joined forces with music icon Lady Gaga to bring this third remake of the original 1937 film to the screen. Their efforts created one of the biggest hits of the year and produced the Oscar-winning song Shallow, an electrifying tune that Cooper and Gaga performed live before a spellbound audience at this year’s Academy Awards. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) – Rami Malek won an Oscar for his unforgettable portrayal of Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the British rock band Queen, in this smash hit biographical film.
DISNEY DELIGHTS
Moana (2016) – Audiences adored this computeranimated treat, featuring The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) as one of the vocal leads. The film’s songs were co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the same guy who is responsible for the wildly successful musical, Hamilton, which continues to take Broadway by storm. Beauty and the Beast (2017) – Few could resist this Disney live-action gem based on the beloved 1991 animated film and featuring an impeccable ensemble cast, including Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Kevin Kline and Emma Thompson.
