Musical Movies to Watch If You Haven’t Already

Are you interested in musical theater? Have you ever wanted to watch a musical on Broadway? Movie musicals are the next best thing. They are the best for people who love to see characters break into song and dance numbers and want to watch such from the comfort of their own home. Here is a list of some musical movies you can sing along to:

“Hamilton”

By now everyone has probably heard “Hamilton” mentioned one way or another. Whether it’s through a sibling or a friend, people have heard the name. “Hamilton” is a musical created by Lin Manuel-Miranda, about Alexander Hamilton. Miranda was inspired by Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography about Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States. The musical opened off-Broadway in January 2015 at New York City’s Public Theater and was quickly moved to Broadway in July of the same year. Fans of the musical got to re-watch the performance when it made its way to Disney+ in 2020. The movie on Disney+ features the original cast performing the musical in 2016. This movie is rated PG-13 for containing language and some suggestive material.

“In the Heights”

While “Hamilton” is possibly Miranda’s most notable piece of work, “In the Heights” was his first Broadway musical. “In the Heights” was on Broadway from 2008 to 2011, and the movie adaptation was released in 2021. The movie focuses on multiple people living in Washington Heights. The story stars Usnavi, a bodega owner trying to go back to the Dominican Republic, Vanessa, who works at the beauty salon while trying to start her career as a fashion designer, and Nina, who returned to the Heights after her first year of college with doubts. The movie streamed on HBO Max on June 11, 2021, and has received positive <a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/in_the_heights_2021″>reviews</a> from multiple people and critics alike. This movie is rated PG-13 for language and some suggestive content.

“West Side Story”

“West Side Story” has been adapted three times with the newest movie released in 2021. The musical was written by Arthur Laurents with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It opened on Broadway in 1957, and a movie was released not long after in 1961. The movie <a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055614/awards/”>won</a> 10 out of the 11 Academy Awards it was nominated for including Best Picture. Another 60 years later, a second movie adaptation was released. The 2021 version of “West Side Story” was directed by Steven Spielberg and was nominated for seven Academy Awards for the 2022 Oscars. Of the seven nominations, the movie took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Both movies are rated PG-13 for mild language and violence.

“Dear Evan Hansen”

“Dear Evan Hansen” won six Tony Awards in 2017. It opened on Broadway in 2016 and the movie adaptation was released in 2021. The movie version of the musical starred Ben Platt as Evan Hansen, who played Evan in the original Broadway cast. The movie excluded four of the songs from the musical and two new songs were added to the soundtrack. <a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9357050/”>The movie</a> follows Evan Hansen, a senior in high school with social anxiety “and his journey of self-discovery and acceptance following the suicide of a fellow classmate.” The movie is rated PG-13 for brief language and suggestive references.

“Tick, Tick… BOOM!”

“Tick, Tick… BOOM!” is a Netflix movie based on the autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson. The summary of the movie by <a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8721424/”>IMDb</a> states, “On the cusp of his 30th birthday, a promising young theater composer navigates love, friendship and the pressures of life as an artist in New York City.” The movie stars Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson and marks the first project Lin Manuel-Miranda directed. It was nominated for two Academy Awards this year. The movie is rated PG-13 for language and suggestive content.

“The Greatest Showman”

It has been almost five years since “The Greatest Showman” was released in theaters in December 2017. It remains a pretty popular musical and was added to Disney+ in 2020. The musical follows P.T. Barnum growing up in the 1800s as he struggled to start and maintain a steady business. While P.T. Barnum was an actual entrepreneur, the movie doesn’t accurately cover the life of the showman. The movie has an upbeat, catchy soundtrack that won a Grammy in 2018. The movie is rated PG and is appropriate for younger audiences.