Top 10 Musicals

My cousin, Karena, did a top ten musicals post, and just like last time, I had to copy her and post my own picks! My sister informs me that it is too hard to pick just ten musicals and then rank them, dubbing one musical an all-time favorite, but after a lot of thought, I did it. Well, sort of. Of course this is how I feel now, so it might be subject to change :)

#10. Bye Bye Birdie- You've gotta be sincere! This movie is pretty funny, cheesy, and lame, which are sometimes main criteria for a musical. This almost didn't make my list, but the more I though of the opening song, Going Steady, I just realized how much I love this show! Ann Margaret is gorgeous in this and Bobby Rydell has such a great voice!

#9. Calamity Jane- I absolutely love Howard Keel and he certainly doesn't disappoint here. The chemistry between him and Doris Day is great.

#8. Annie- I went through a major Annie phase as a kid, watching this movie everyday. I even had a few Annie dolls. I remember my mom would fast forward the opening credits for me; it was the good old days of Beta and VHS tapes. I think we must have had an edited version my mom taped off of TV because I watched this later and there were several parts I didn't remember- including "Easy Street," one of my favorite songs now!

#7. High School Musical 3- Lexie is going to kill me for this, but yes, HSM 3 made my top ten list. I LOVE this movie. I seriously listen to the soundtrack everyday. I love all of the songs, and the choreography is freaking amazing. It makes me wish I was a dancer, and to me, that makes this a great musical.

# 6. Meet Me in St. Louis- This is such a funny movie, with tons of great one-liners. I just love John Truitt and the way his and Esther's love story comes to be. So simple and innocent. And of course, great singing by Judy Garland.

#5. Mary Poppins- You can never go wrong with Julie Andrews. She is a truly amazing artist. Throw Dick Van Dyke, Glynis Johns and David Tomlinson into the mix, and it's that much better. A great message and fun for everyone.

#4. White Christmas- My sisters and I would watch this all the time, not only at Christmas. We scrutinized the dance scenes and laughed when we found little bits that look funny when you watch only one person. This is a classic!

#3. Hello Dolly- I was so tickled when I saw Wall-E dancing around to Hello Dolly. This is another movie that makes me wish I were a dancer, so I feel you, Wall-E. The choreography in this movie is just amazing and Barbara Streisand's voice is second to none!

#2. Summer Stock- I love unlikely love stories, and this is not only that, but you get two of the greatest actors/singers/dancers from the musical era, Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. I did not discover this movie until college, but I feel as if I've grown up watching it.

#1. I know it's a total cop-out, but I honestly couldn't decide, so it's a tie between Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and The Sound of Music!

Seven Brides is so much fun and there is so much talent to watch! The dance scenes are great and I find myself going back so I can watch them again. My sisters and I always had to discuss which brother was the cutest (hands down, it's Benjamin for me- second from the right), and which girl was the most annoying (we pretty much agreed it was Martha, first on the right). If you have never seen this movie, Netflix it today!
The Sound of Music has to be the greatest-known musical of all time. I think probably everyone has seen it or part of it at some point. I love this movie for its songs, for Julie Andrews, for its historical value, and for its relevance. It's also based on a true story, which is fascinating to think about. Peter said he had seen parts as a kid, but when I made him watch it with me later, he said, "I didn't know this was a movie about Nazis!" Ha ha.
Other favorites that didn't make the cut:
Anchors Aweigh, On the Town, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and The Great Muppet Caper- it IS a musical!