The Musicals that Made Me by Syndi Powell





The Musicals that Made Me by Syndi Powell

I've shared before that I love musicals. So it should be no surprise to discover that several of them have had an impact on my growing up and maturity. here's a list in no particular order:


1. "Pete's Dragon" - When I was a child, we wore out the first record and had to get a replacement because we played it over and over. While I loved the music from it, the story of a dragon that most thought was a figment of a boy's imagination and turns out to be real? Yep, I could get on board with that. How badly I wanted my imaginary friends to become real.



2. "Annie" - My sisters and I used to act this one out, making dances to go along with the songs, especially that of "It's a Hard Knock Life". When they remade the musical for the silver screen with Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks, we waited with baited breath to see it.



3. "South Pacific" - I remember watching this at my grandparents' house where they had it on Beta (anyone remember that short-lived entertainment system?). This was one of the first more "adult" musicals that I remember watching. The story appealed to my sense of romance, plus it had some great songs to sing at the top of my lungs. There is nothing like a dame!



4. "Sound of Music" - They started to showing this at holidays on TV when I was a kid, so I was able to watch the first half before having to go to bed. Eventually, I was able to see how the story ended. When I was younger, the romance between Liesl and her letter carrying boyfriend held my attention. It wasn't until I was an adult that I could appreciate the sexual tension between the Captain and Fraulein Maria.



5. "Les Miserables" - This was the first musical that I saw live. It still holds a special place in my heart for that reason. I identified with the ill-fated Eponine because it seemed that the boys I loved saw me as only a friend. The recent theatrical release with Hugh Jackman still wrings my heart.



6. "Phantom of the Opera" - I was able to see this twice in Toronto at the Pantages theater. The second time, my sister and I took my mom to see it. We got seats about six rows back from the front and didn't warn her that the chandelier would crash before her eyes. I think I enjoyed that second show since I could enjoy it again through my mom's eyes.



7. There's too many more that I could place here in this last spot: "Hamilton". "Dear Evan Hansen". "Miss Saigon". "Hairspray". "Beauty and the Beast".  "She Loves Me". "Come from Away". "The Lion King". "Newsies".  "The Greatest Showman". The list goes on and on. Each story filled with songs gives me something to add to my understanding of life. Because that's what a good story does - it shows what it's like to live life in someone else's shoes. I may not be able to live more than one life, but through story I can live thousands.


I'm proud to say that my niece is as big of a fan as I am. For her school's choir concert, she sang a song from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". I mouthed the words along with her as she sang. 

If you asked me, I don't think I'd be able to narrow down to one favorite musical. Or even a top five. Or ten. My favorite is the one I'm currently listening to or watching. The playlist for my Musical section on iTunes could play for 1.7 days without repeating and still isn't complete.

By the way, I listened to the soundtrack of "Les Mis" while I wrote this.

What about you? Do you enjoy musicals? If so, which is your favorite?




Comments

  1. I love musicals too, Syndi, and have seen many of the ones you’ve listed. I don’t have a favourite....whichever is the most current for me, as you say. I remember long car trips to the cottage with tape cassettes of Les Miz and Miss Saigon, The Phantom of The Opera playing for me and my two daughters. I tried to take them to a musical every year when they were pre-teens and teens,continuing a tradition my mother did for me. And hoping the tradition goes on with my granddaughter.

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    1. Janice, I love that. My sister, mom and I try to find a local high school that is putting on these musicals as well as the professional productions.

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  2. I love South Pacific, Phantom and Mama Mia. I don't get to see too many unless they have a traveling group. You have quite the collection.

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    1. Roz, I must admit that most of these musicals are ones that I own on CD and not ones that I've actually seen on stage. I love when PBS airs productions that have appeared on Broadway. That's the way that I saw "Gypsy" and "She Loves Me".

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  3. I love musicals, too. My favorite that I've seen on stage was Mary Poppins, which I saw on Broadway. I love Sound of Music and 1776, too. We saw Finian's Rainbow on Broadway, too, which MADE it a favorite. Hamilton is on my want-to list.

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    1. Liz, my sister used to have "Finian's Rainbow" on DVD starring Fred Astaire. It was one of her favorites. I haven't seen that in a loooong time. And I'll admit that I've only listened to "1776", but haven't seen it performed.

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  4. Love the Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. I used to watch Lion King with my kids--great music there. Recently I finally got around to watching Mama Mia. All the Abba music really took me back.

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    1. Beth, I am an ABBA fan! That was part of the soundtrack of my youth since both my parents were fans. When they made the movie "Mamma Mia", I took my mom to see it!

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  5. I'm absolutely a musical junkie. I saw Wicked on Broadway, and am lucky to live near a major city where touring musicals come. Pippin is a huge favorite, but I love Les Mis and Hamilton. The Greatest Showman is fabulous, too. Thanks for a fun post!

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    1. Amie, I have not seen "Pippin", but now I have to go look for it! Thanks for the suggestion.

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    1. Denise, wasn't "Phantom" fabulous? I could listen to those songs all day!

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  7. I love musicals, despite an older brother who maintained they weren't at all realistic because no one broke into song in real life. As if I ever imagined a musical was intended to reflect real life. It would be impossible to choose an all-time favorite. I love some of the old ones like Singin' in the Rain and Bells are Ringing. Les Miserables is wonderful. Mamma Mia took me by pleased surprise. Andrew Lloyd Webber has produced some terrific stuff - recently got a CD with Love Changes Everything, which I could listen to everyday. Don't know if that one is from a musical, but it counts for me.

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    1. Callie, I recently watched the movie "Singing in the Rain" with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. Wonderful musical! They recently staged "Love Changes Everything" here in Detroit, but I wasn't able to go. I'll need to check out that CD!

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  8. I'm a huge musical theater fan and have had season tickets to ASU Gammage for years. Just saw Hello Dolly last week and loved it! My mom introduced me to musical theater at a young age, and I'm proud to say I passed the love on to my daughter.

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    1. Cathy, welcome to the club! And I'm glad that your'e passing down that love of musicals.

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