Inspiration - Musicals

I don't know about you, but I love going to see musicals.  Not only is broadway music some of my favourite music, but musicals can also have great story lines.  Whether they are inspirational, fun, and/or thought provoking, a good musical is one that will stick with you and leave you wanting to go back and see it again! 

For me, a great musical has to have a good story line, as well as great music!  Below are some of my favourite musicals and why I love them!

Phantom of the Opera

I have always loved the music from Phantom of the Opera, but I hadn't see it until the end of this past June!  I love the musicality and style of all the songs, but my favourites are Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, Think of Me, Music of the Night, and of course, The Phantom of the Opera.

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again is a song that has an extra special place in my heart.  As I mentioned in my first Inspirational Blog Post about Lea Michele's Places album, there was a period about two years ago where I had practically lost my voice.  I started going to singing lessons to help get it back.  Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again was the first song where I not only thought I would be able to get my voice back, but where I felt it could be better than before.

I'm so glad I got to see this musical (Thanks for the tickets Emily!).  I love it even more now that I have seen it!

Wicked

I just saw this musical for the third time this past Tuesday!  It is fun, inspirational and has great music!  I wish I could have seen it with Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel.  I mean, every time I've seen it the cast has been amazing, but think of how amazing it would be to see it with those two in it!

Every time I see this musical, Popular, Defying Gravity and For Good are stuck in my head for days after.  I am always touched by the message of this musical.  I love its messages about friendship and doing the right thing.  And honestly, as much as I love the Wizard of Oz, I think Wicked is better.

Mamma Mia

Mamma Mia was the first musical I ever saw.  I think I was about 10 when I saw it for the first time.  I remember loving the musical so much that my mom bought me a bedazzled Mamma Mia t-shirt.

I have seen this musical on stage twice.  Once in Toronto and once on Broadway.  When I got to see it on Broadway, I was with my choir.  We ended up getting to learn the dance to Waterloo with some of the cast members (I wish I remembered more of that dance)! I have also seen the movie too many times to count and just saw the second one (I'm sure I'll see that one too many times to count as well).

Not only is the Abba music great (e.g. Thank You For the Music, I Have a Dream, Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, etc.) but it has such a fun story line. 

Les Miserables

I have seen both the movie and stage musical for Les Mis.  As much as I love the movie, the stage musical is amazing!  Not only is the music great, but the special effects are really cool.  When Javert commits suicide, the effects are spectacular.  I saw the movie before the stage show and I was wondering how they were going to make him jumping off a bridge work.  I don't even know how to describe the effect they used, but it was spectacular.

Some of my favourite songs from Les Mis are On my Own and Castle on a Cloud.  Castle on a Cloud was a song that I sang all the time when I was younger (and still do sometimes).  On my Own is now one of my favourite songs to sing as an adult!

The Book of Mormon

This is the funniest musical that I have ever seen.  I had actually listened to the soundtrack before seeing the musical.  The music was funny, but the music combined with the choreography and acting, makes this musical hilarious.  I have seen this musical twice now and have cried from laughter each time.  This is another musical where I really wish I could have seen the original cast, which includes Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells.

Aside from the hilarity, the music in this musical is also really good!  There are so many different styles of music, and the harmonies are great!  My personal favourite songs are Man Up and Baptize Me (because they are so hilarious) as well as Turn it Off and Sal Tlay Ka Siti.

Other Musicals Worth Mentioning

If/Then

The Wizard of Oz

Mary Poppins

Kinky Boots

Beauty & the Beast

Some of the Musicals I Want to See

Come From Away

Hamilton

The Little Mermaid

(There are so many more that I want to see but I won't list them all)