I’m a sucker for a good musical.
There’s just something about when the characters burst into song, belting their hearts out that I love.
I have many DVDs in my house (many being an understatement) and several of them are musicals, such as The Sound of Music, Hairspray, Mamma Mia, and Joseph and his Technicolour Coat, just to name a few. I’ve been to the West End and seen some shows – the best way to watch a musical in my opinion – and I have a whole Spotify playlist dedicated to them; 29 hours and 37 minutes of pure musical bliss!
But have you ever listened to a soundtrack before seeing the show?
I have, and I must say it can sway your opinion quite a bit.
For me, the soundtracks and the music are the biggest aspect of any musical – especially Hamilton as the soundtrack is basically the script. You can learn a lot about a character through the music: what they’re feeling, what they’re planning to do and more.
Now, I said soundtracks can sway your opinion…and that’s true. This happened to my sister and me – about different musicals but our opinions still changed.
Last summer during the first lockdown, I had the Hamilton soundtrack on repeat (literally!) and my sister was, how should I say it, rather displeased. She’s not a big fan of rap music and I forced her to watch the musical when it came out on Disney+. Throughout watching it, we were both miming the lyrics and she actually enjoyed it. So whilst she may not have been a fan of the music before watching it, she certainly is now!
I had a similar experience with The Greatest Showman, specifically the song From Now On. I had listened to all the other songs and really liked them, but I could never get into this particular one; the beginning is quite calm and quiet. However, when I finally got around to watching the film, I really liked the song. If I had enough patience and hadn’t made my mind up so quickly, I would have probably like the song long before seeing the musical. The dancing at the end combined with the beat amplifies the music, making it a great song to listen to.
The two examples above both include me, or my sister, watching the film; but there is another circumstance where I listened to a couple of songs from one musical and the soundtrack of another – thanks to ‘New Music Friday’ – but I haven’t seen the films.
I've listened to some songs from the Broadway version of the musical 'In The Heights' and absolutely love them, despite not really knowing what the musical is about. I can't wait for the day the film version is released, especially as it has Anthony Ramos in the cast; I can only hope that version reaches my expectations.
The other film is the Netflix musical ‘A Week Away’ starring Bailee Madison and Kevin Quinn. It’s about a teenage boy, Will Hawkins, played by Quinn, who goes to summer camp and finds love, friendship and a place where he belongs. I saved the album on my phone and listened to it for the first time the other day.
Like most albums, especially musicals, there are songs that are favourites and some that you might intentionally skip when played, but most of the songs on this soundtrack had me wanting to dance and sing. The lyrics are meaningful and relatable, and the music is the perfect sound to escape to – plus the beat at the beginning of Best Thing Ever is just so good.
Even though I haven’t watched the film yet, I love the soundtrack and have definitely added it to my watch list.
Have you ever listened to a musical soundtrack and then seen the show, and had your opinion changed?
Let me know what ones you’ve seen, and if you haven’t seen any musicals, I highly recommend doing so. They are the perfect feel good show.
If you want to see what's on my musical playlist, here's the link:
Until next time...
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a classic! Absolutely love it! The dance sequences are stunning as well!
Great post, and very thought provoking... I definitely agree with you! For me, the combination of the visual aspect and the sound throughout make each of them thrive. For instance, I really enjoyed both Hamilton and The Greatest Showman, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be that interested in either had the music been fairly sedate - let’s face it, you can’t beat a good drum beat! Likewise though, I think watching the musical can give an understanding of emotion and passion in a song that make it so much greater. It was the same for me with From Now On, it did exactly that!
I heard the music for Frozen 2 before I ever watched the film, and I must admit, I didn't really like it until I actually saw the movie. Sometimes hearing it out of context is so strange. :P Great post! Love the musicals you mentioned!
So true! Especially with Hamilton!
The same happened to me with Hamilton and The Greatest Showman. But I love all musicals Calamity Jane and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers are a couple of pls favourites. Along with Wizard of Oz and Grease!