Monday 27 June 2011

Oh, It's a Jolly Holiday

I just returned home from a truly fabulous weekend in Sydney with my lovely mum, J. We wined, we dined, we saw the sights, we walked for miles, and we saw Mary Poppins at the Capital Theatre. Now, I’m not afraid to say that I love a good musical and I love musical theatre even more. The singing, the dancing, the sets the costumes…I love it all.

This production of Mary Poppins is truly magical and anyone who doesn’t enjoy it clearly has no soul. It is a slick production with plenty of “special effects” and newly created songs, and the casting is just exceptional. Seriously, half the time I thought I was looking at Julie Andrews. Perfection!

So anyway, here is a list of some of my favourite musicals. It’s a bit of a mix of productions I’ve seen and musical movies which I love.

Mary Poppins
I’ve seen it in Melbourne at Her Majesty’s Theatre and in  Sydney, and both times were amazing. I also love the movie and have watched it a bazillion and one times. It’s so magical and innocent, and still manages to capture my imagination at 27.


Hairspray
I’ve also seen this twice, both times at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne. It’s great on stage and great as a movie. Amazing costumes and good old 1960s rock and roll. It’s also full of hilarious innuendo and is super kitsch. And John Travolta as a woman in the movie? Yes please!


Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
No! Not the awful Tim Burton remake of a few years ago. That was a big black mark against both Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s names. I’m talking about the super awesome 1970s Gene Wilder version. I’ve pretty much watched this film since birth and I still love it. It’s magical, it’s full of chocolate, it’s quirky, it’s got Gene in it. Seriously, what’s not to love? Apart from that lame “Cheer Up Charlie” song.


The Wizard of Oz
I’m not going to say much about this movie musical, because everyone has seen it. But if you haven’t seen it or don’t like it, I’m pretty sure you have no soul and we can’t be friends. Sorry! Oh and this film was made in 1939, which continues to blow my mind. It’s 72 years old, people! Amazing.


The Sound of Music
Now, I must admit that I only started to appreciate this musical in recent years, but now I absolutely love it. It’s got drama, romance, amazing Austrian countryside, Nazis! It’s such an amazing story and the music is timeless. Julie Andrews is so perfect, as she always is.


Now I want to go on a jolly holiday…or for a jaunty saunter.

No comments:

Post a Comment