Some of the most famous musicals

Here are clips from some of the most famous musical films.

The star Judy Garland was only 17 when she made what has become one of the classic films of Hollywood, The Wizard of Oz. It was one of the first films to use Technicolor: in fact it seems incredible that it was made about 80 years ago, in 1939! It is the story of Dorothy who one day is whirled up into the sky in a tornado with her dog Toto and arrives in a magical land where she makes new friends and has many adventures. In this clip, the marvellous Garland sings the famous song "Somewhere over the rainbow". The use of colour in the film is interesting: the scenes at her home in Kansas, like this one, are in black and white, and the scenes in the magical fairy land are in colour.  

Looking at this clip, it is heartbreaking to think that Judy Garland suffered a lot because of the pressures of fame and her addiction to alcohol and drugs. She died when she was just 47. 

Movieclips. Somewhere over the Rainbow. Licencia YouTube

The great author Charles Dickens wrote many novels which helped to spark social awareness about the terrible plight of many children in Victorian England, when they were forced to work in factories in very bad conditions. There were also horrible orphanages, like the one he describes in his novel Oliver Twist. There have been many films made of this book, but here is a clip from the famous musical Oliver! (1968). The poor boys sing about delicious food while they eat their horrible gruel. 

maiza Food, glorious food Licencia YouTube

Let's go back in time a long way again, this time to 1937! This was the year of Disney´s first cartoon film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It´s still popular today! In fact, in 2008, the American Film Institute named it the "greatest American animated film of all time". And this song became very famous, too!

 

TheExpressionsPolar. Heigh Ho!  Licencia YouTube

And now to another famous Disney musical cartoon film, but this one is much more modern and many of you probably know it: Frozen. Why don't you sing along to this video with subtitles? 

Disney UK Let it go!  Licencia YouTube

One of the most successful musical films of all time is Grease (1978), starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Have a look at what is perhaps the most famous song of the film. It is a great song and has got some great acting, and it is done with a very good sense of humour. But perhaps you could also talk a little bit about this question:

Don't you think that, for today, this dance number is quite sexist? Why? 

Dani BV You´re the one that I want Licencia YouTube

The Phantom of the Opera is a 1986 musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which won many awards. Have a listen, I bet you've heard the main theme before. It's very dramatic!

Matt Hine The Phantom of the Opera overture Licencia YouTube

And what about this one? 

DisneyMusicVevo Circle of Life The Lion King Licencia YouTube

This, of course, is from 1994's The Lion King, a song composed by the English pop star Elton John. Aren't the zulu choir (from South Africa) and the deep lead vocals by Carmen Twillie amazing? Apparently Elton John wrote this song and recorded a demo of it in just one and a half hours! Genius!