10 titles you need to know to become a music pro

It is a typically Anglo-Saxon form of musical theater that combines dance, song and stage play: musicals, musical in its original form, born in the United States in the early 20th century, and like its country of origin, the genre is a melting pot: all music has its place there.

All music, but also the most varied subjects. Musical, contrary to its French name, is not necessarily humorous: light, social, tragic, historical or political, as it develops, musical often bring subjects that reflect society. It is also a genre inextricably linked with the history of cinema: as soon as talk films arrived, many titles were adapted for the big screen, and to a lesser extent, certain films inspired stage adaptations. Many “numbers”, signed by the genre’s most inspired composers, such as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter or George Gershwin have become “standards” which are taken and interpreted in a wide variety of forms.

The greatest hits of this genre are American or British. Theaters in London’s West End and New York’s Broadway remain temples of the genre. In France, musicals enjoyed a more recent popularity, based on the import of Anglo-Saxon performances on the one hand, and the development of their own models on the other. The latter, focused on big shows, are characterized by a series of “hits” that are likely to be broadcast on radio. This is the case starmania, Notre Dame de Paris or maybe Ten Commandments.

1. My Beautiful Lady

My Fair Ladylyrics and libretto by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, premiered at the Mark Hellinger Theater on Broadway on March 15, 1956 with Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison.

Its adaptation to theaters in 1964 was directed by American filmmaker George Cukor, with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.

Inspired by the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw My Fair Lady takes place in London during the Victorian era. Eliza Doolittle is a working-class girl who accidentally meets Professor Henry Higgins. The latter decided to offer her an education to turn her into a lady, and in particular by teaching her to speak English properly, which inspired several numbers, including the most popular. Rain in Spain.

2. Music Sound

Happiness melody (Music sound), composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, inspired by the family biography of Maria Augusta Trapp, The Trapp Singing Family.

The premiere took place on November 16, 1959 on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater in New York. In this plot, Maria, the central character, becomes the nanny of the seven children of Captain Von Trapp, an Austrian soldier, widower and authoritarian. But the story does not end with a description of rural life in the Austrian countryside. This has to do with the background of the Anschluss and the arrival of the Nazis in the country.

Many of his songs have become classics: Edelweiss , My Favorite Thing (under), Climbed Mount Ev’ry , Do Remi, The Lonely Shepherd as well as the title of the song Music sound.

It was adapted for theaters in 1965.

3. West Side Stories

Inspired by Romeo and Juliet of William Shakespeare diverted in popular New York 1950’s, west side story premiered on September 26, 1957 at the Winter Garden Theater on Broadway. Leonard Bernstein signed the music, Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics and Arthur Laurent’s libretto, and Jerome Robbins signed the choreography.

A somber portrayal of an America plagued by social problems and racial segregation, this musical marked a turning point in the history of the genre thanks to its unparalleled richness and importance of dance.

Bernstein’s music became very popular, especially songs of this kind something is coming, Maria, America, At some place, Tonight, jets song, I feel beautiful, One Hand, One Heart, Jesus Christ, Officer Krupke and Cold.

4. Cabaret

Cabaret adapted from the play I Am the Camera by John Van Druten, who was inspired by Berlin story by British-American writer Christopher Isherwood. The musical was signed by Joe Masteroff for libretto, Fred Ebb for lyrics and John Kander for music. Created in 1966 on Broadway, the musical was adapted for theaters in 1972, primarily with Liza Minnelli.

The plot takes place in Germany during the year 1930. At the Berlin nightclub Kit Kat Club, it’s time for a flamboyant and extravagant party, while outside a storm is roaring with the increasing threat of the Third Reich.

5. Hair

A new stage in the history of the genre, Hate is rock music by James Rado, Gerome Ragni and Galt MacDermot. The music is heavy on rock and folk, which appeals to a younger audience. made ” off-Broadway “, in the basement of Greenwich village in October 1967 in the spirit of protest from ” Flower power “, it describes the hippie community on the streets of New York. Several numbers have become anthems of the peace movement against the Vietnam War.

Released in 1979, the film was adapted by Miloš Forman.

6. Fat

fat, signed Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, created in 1971 at the Kingston Mines Theater in Chicago before being presented from February 14, 1972 at the Eden Theater, off-Broadway. The story, set in 1959, depicts American high school students and their worries: rivalries and love stories. The theatrical version, released in 1978, took over the show’s popularity, thanks in particular to the duo John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John on the big screen. It is one of the most popular musicals in the history of the genre.

7. Cat

Cat is British based music Old Possum’s Practical Cat Book and another poem by TS Eliot. Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, its first performance took place in 1981 at the New London Theater in London’s West End. Cat was adapted for theaters in 2019. The show was a huge success worldwide, with adaptations in over twenty languages!

8.Chicago

Chicago created from the eponymous play by Maurine Dallas Watkins created in 1926, itself inspired by a news story that occurred in 1924 in Chicago. Signed by Fred Ebb and John Kander, the musical was shot at the 46th Street Theater on Broadway in 1975. The plot is set in the sulphurous atmosphere of 1920s Chicago gangsters; his music is heavily inspired by jazz. A huge theatrical success, Chicago was adapted for theaters in 2002, notably with Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma Kelly), Renée Zellweger (Roxie Hart), Richard Gere (Billy Flynn) and Queen Latifah in the title roles.

9. Starmania

One of the first rock operas originally composed in French, starmania is a creation of Michel Berger on the libretto by Luc Plamondon. The premiere took place in 1979 at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. Despite the writers’ great difficulty finding producers, success was immediate: Starmania was played worldwide in French and English, and the album that put together the hits sold over 2.2 million copies in France alone.

10. Les Miserables

Another French success, Poor inspired by the eponymous novel by Victor Hugo. Signed by Claude-Michel Schönberg for music and Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel for lyrics, it was premiered at the Palais des sports in Paris in 1980 in a performance by Robert Hossein preceded by the resounding success of the double concept album, very well received also in its English adaptation that conquered the Anglo-Saxon market.