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These five musicals are definitely worth seeing!

by on October 18, 2022
 

Musicals are a unique form of entertainment that combines song, dance, and drama into one thrilling package. They offer a welcome escape from the reality of everyday life, transporting audiences to fantastical worlds of love, lust, and adventure. 

Unlike other forms of entertainment, musicals provide something for everyone. Musicals offer a much-needed respite. They remind us of the power of storytelling and the importance of emotional connection. It is no wonder that they continue to be some of the most popular entertainment options around.

Famous musicals are often translated into major languages like English and Chinese. To enjoy and realize their true essence, learning these languages is crucial. You can get the help of 英文補習 here!

Here are the five musicals definitely worth seeing:

  1. The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera – is a famous musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, released in 1986. Its lyrics were written by Charles Hart. The tale of this musical is influenced by a novel of the same name that Gaston Leroux wrote. 

The story revolves around a young singer named Christine Daaé, who is taken under the wing of a masked man known as the Phantom. The Phantom falls in love with Christine and becomes obsessed with her. But, she finally returns the affection of her childhood friend Raoul. 

The musical debuted in London’s West End in 1986. It has been staged in more than 150 cities around the world. It is currently the longest-running musical in Broadway history, which has been played in more than 13,000 performances. The Phantom of the Opera has won more than 70 major theatre awards, including seven Tony Awards and three Olivier Awards.

  1. Notre-Dame de Paris

Notre Dame de Paris is a 1998 French musical based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. It was written by Riccardo Cocciante and Luc Plamondon. Besides, Will Jennings wrote its English lyrics. 

The musical tells the story of Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell-ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, and his unrequited love for the gypsy dancer Esmeralda. 

Notre Dame de Paris premiered in 1998 in Paris and it has been staged in several other countries. The musical is also adapted into several languages, including English, Spanish, German, Dutch, Russian, and Japanese. 

In 2012, a film version of the musical was released. Notre Dame de Paris is a classic story of love, bigotry, and redemption that has captivated audiences around the world for over two decades.

  1. The Lion King

The Lion King – is an animated musical film released in 1994. It is produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The musical was directed by Roger Allers and the credit for its screenplay goes to Irene Mecchi.

The story of the musical is about a young lion cub named Simba, who is tricked into thinking he caused his father Mufasa’s death. Later, adult Simba is drawn back into conflict with his uncle Scar, who has become king.

 The film features an acclaimed soundtrack composed by Elton John and Tim Rice with songs performed by various artists. The Lion King grossed more than $968 million at the worldwide box office during its initial release. It is one of the highest-grossing musicals among traditional animation films of all time. 

In 2016, The Lion King was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. 

  1. Cats

The Cats musical is a stage adaptation of Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, a 1939 poetry collection by T. S. Eliot. The musical was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and it was first staged in 1981. 

It tells the story of a group of cats who come together for Jellicle Ball, their annual celebration. During this time, they choose one cat to be reborn into a new life. 

The musical includes such well-known songs as “Memory” and “The Journey to the Heaviside Layer.” Cats musical – remains one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most popular works, and continues to be regularly performed around the world.

The musical wins six Laurence Olivier Awards nominations and two awards including, the Best New Musical and Outstanding Achievement in a Musical.

  1. Les Misérables

Les Misérables is a musical based on the 1862 novel of the same name by French author Victor Hugo. The musical was first staged in Paris in 1980, and it has been running continuously since then. It has been translated into more than 20 languages and has been performed more than 10,000 times. 

The story of this musical is about a French farmer, Jean Valjean, and his desire for salvation. He was jailed for stealing a lump of bread for his sister’s starving child. Though he decided to break his parole to start a new life, Javert, a police inspector, rejects to let him escape justice. It was the revolutionary period in France when young idealists were trying to bring the government down.

The music was composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg, with lyrics by Alain Boublil. Herbert Kretzmer also wrote the English lyrics. Les Misérables is one of the most successful musicals of all time, and it has been acclaimed by critics and audiences equally.

Conclusion

If you have never watched one of these musicals, you are missing a big part of global entertainment. The language of a musical can also be a barrier to enjoying the entire show. Are you interested in musicals of a specific language? You should learn the language to enjoy the true essence of these musicals. A ton of online language learning platforms now offer 網上課程 to learn a language thoroughly. Their 私人補習 will assist in learning the language as well as exploring the treasure of literature. 

AmazingTalker is a foreign language learning platform that now has more than 1 million students and 100 employees across 10 countries. The objective: to offer 100% personalized learning with certified teachers thanks to an AI recommendation system. Students choose their teacher and their course according to their level, their budget, and their availability, all kinds of teachers are available, including online English tutors, online Korean tutors, and online Japanese tutors.