Singing from your sofa: movie musicals to enjoy at home
SING ALONG: With the shutdown of theaters, including Broadway, movie musicals have been a popular replacement for those craving a little song and dance on stage. Which movie musicals are your favorites? Share with us in the comments below.
For this guest review, we welcome freelance writer and CHS sophomore Grace Pak! If you would like to be a guest writer, please contact our adviser Kate Muir at [email protected].
During this pandemic, both movie theaters and Broadway theaters have been closed, leaving many longing for their usual sources of entertainment. Since it is uncertain when it will be safe to enjoy movies and performances as we did before, movie musicals can provide a fun escape from the boredom of working from home. Whether you’re a fan of musicals, or just enjoy listening to music, there is a movie musical that you can enjoy while being safe at home. Here is a list of some of the best:
Rating: R
Runtime: 2 hours 2 minutes
Release Date: May 31, 2019
Starring: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu
A biopic highlighting the ups and downs of the life of Elton John, Rocketman is a fun movie for fans of his music. You can sing and bop along to some of his greatest hits while learning more about how Reggie Dwight became the star we know today as Elton John.
Rating: PG
Runtime: 2 hours 5 minutes
Release Date: December 25, 2014
Starring: Meryl Streep, James Corden, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick
Where to Watch: Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime
In this Broadway musical-turned-movie, childhood fairytales come together into one story. A baker and his wife are on an exciting quest to reverse a spell cast by the witch who lives next door. Along the way, they cross paths with Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and more as they journey into the woods.
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 1 hour 57 minutes
Release Date: June 28, 2019
Starring: Himesh Patel, Lily James, Ed Sheeran, Kate McKinnon
Where to Watch: Hulu, Amazon Prime
When aspiring musician Jack Malik gets hit by a bus, there is an unexplained global blackout. After waking up in a hospital, he finds that no one remembers the Beatles except for him. Classic tunes are woven into the story of how he attempts to bring their music back to the world.
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hours 40 minutes
Release Date: July 3, 2020
Starring: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jonathan Groff, Leslie Odom Jr., Jasmine Cephas Jones
Where to Watch: Disney+
For those who are really missing live theatre, the hit Broadway musical Hamilton was recorded as a movie, on stage with its original cast. It tells Alexander Hamilton’s story from an immigrant to a founding father of the United States. Sung straight-through, it is a great choice if you want the feel of a live performance.
What are your favorite movie musicals? Let us know in the comments, as well as what you think if you watch any of these recommendations!
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Heidi Heinlein • May 21, 2021 at 11:09 am
Welcome to Periscope Grace! I hope you choose it as an elective in the upcoming years. I think these were great recommendations and the timing was perfect. Theatres were very popular places to attend for dates, hangouts, or just bonding time in general. Everybody loves a good show. Once the pandemic hit, my family made sure we had pretty much every streaming app available such as Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc. We actually watched a couple of these, my favorite being Yesterday. It is so difficult to choose since the selection is so huge!
Kathleen O'Neill • Mar 30, 2021 at 11:44 pm
I LOVED being able to watch Hamilton at home, especially mid pandemic. It gave me so much nostalgia!
Jacqueline Hultquist • Mar 16, 2021 at 6:33 am
Thanks for the ideas of what to watch this weekend!