Write 5 musicals title composer. The most famous musicals

The Wizard of Oz (1939) / The Wizard of Oz

The famous fairy tale by Lyman Frank Baum has been filmed more than once in various forms, but the history of cinema will always put Victor Fleming's brilliant tape with the charming Judy Garland in the lead role in the first place. The musical family film about the girl Dorothy and her extraordinary friends was nominated for six gold statuettes, but excelled in only two categories - “best music” and “best song”. The composition Over the Rainbow is really incredibly good - it continues to be included among the most famous film compositions in the history of cinema.

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

When a few years ago we all admired the "Artist" by Michel Hazanavicius, people who were enlightened in cinema told the young people: "All this has already happened!" And it's true that "Singing in the Rain" is very close to "The Artist" in terms of subject matter - it is also an "autobiography of Hollywood" during the transition from silent to sound films. And what is the best way to show the triumph of sound? Of course, with songs and dances! The musical numbers from the "Singing" became real hits, and to this day they are recognized from the first notes by millions of viewers around the world. Alas, the actors and authors of the picture did not receive Oscars for their work, but the film deservedly entered many lists of the most important works of cinema, claiming the title of "Musical No. 1" in the world.

The King and I (1956) / The King and I

The musical The King and I, staged on Broadway, became one of the most expensive performances of its time - a budget of 360 thousand dollars in 1950 seemed cosmic. The film production was supposed to be just as grandiose, but the picture suffered a great loss from the very beginning - Gertrude Lawrence, an actress and singer, under whom the vocal parts of Anna, the main character of the work, were written, died of cancer. The role thus went to Deborah Kerr, but Marni Nixon played her part behind the scenes, which, however, did not harm the film. "The King and I" took five "Oscars" after nine nominations and became one of the best pictures of the XX century.

West Side Story (1961) / West Side Story

Do you think that transferring the action of Shakespearean tragedies from the past to our time is the lot of postmodernism of the 1990-2000s? Nothing like that, West Side Story by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise is pure water"Romeo and Juliet", only this time the events meet the viewer not in Verona, but in New York, where representatives of two warring immigrant gangs fall in love with each other. And all this to the sound of music! Critics were fascinated by the opening spectacle - "West Side Story" claimed 10 Oscars from the ceremony, including the award for Best Picture. Brilliant result!

For the Russian audience, the idea of ​​Mary Poppins is forever "deformed" by a magical television film starring Natalya Andreichenko (also, by the way, a musical), but let's be fair to history - Walt Disney was the first to make a star out of a flying housekeeper. And a star, first of all, a musical one. The film “Saving Mr. Banks” perfectly tells how difficult it was to write songs for the cinematic Mary, and the result of the work of the composers of the Sherman brothers is known to every American child - a five-time Oscar winner, the film directed by Robert Stevenson has not left the TV screens for half a century.

My Fair Lady (1964) / My Fair Lady

Another musical that won an Oscar for best film of the year is the musical melodrama My Fair Lady. George Cukor's picture was based on the famous play by Bernard Shaw and a very popular Broadway play, therefore, apparently, the plot of "Lady" did not make a splash, but its musical component really impressed both the audience and the critics. Alas, the authors of the film were not satisfied with the limited vocal range of Audrey Hepburn, so she, just like the heroine of the already mentioned Singing in the Rain, had to open her mouth in the frame to someone else's soundtrack. But this is perhaps the only significant claim to the picture, otherwise "My Fair Lady" with its eight "Oscars" is flawless.

The Sound of Music (1965) / The Sound of Music

The undisputed leader of almost all the tops of the "Best musical in the history of cinema" - the melodrama "The Sound of Music" certainly deserves all the praise in its address. The picture also combines a family comedy about children from big family, and a romp about a widower in love, and even a military thriller, because the events of the picture unfold against the backdrop of Austria joining Germany on the eve of World War II. Brilliantly played by Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, the tape became one of the highest-grossing films in Hollywood history (judging by the ratio of budget to box office), and the songs from the film are now considered full-fledged classics.

Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

It is not customary for us to recognize as valuable works of art by foreign authors written based on the events of two Russian revolutions at the beginning of the last century, but the Americans love the play “Fiddler on the Roof”, which tells about a Ukrainian village, so much that you can see its production in almost every school. What can we say about the cinema - the film of the same name by Norman Jewison has become a classic work, marked by three Oscars and a Golden Globe as the best musical. Jewison somewhat “shredded” the original Broadway version, but the author of the “Jesus Christ Superstar” that followed “Fiddler” is excusable for such arbitrariness, although this is a completely different story ...

Cabaret (1972) / Cabaret

Bob Fosse's musical melodrama "Cabaret" turned out to be so popular in the world that the songs from this film managed to seep even into the closed for American music Soviet Union, so that when already during the time of perestroika the audience of “one-sixth” could see the film, most of the musical numbers were well known to them. Surprisingly, behind the tinsel of songs and dances, Foss managed to hide a rather dramatic story with a clear anti-fascist message - a rare combination for a musical, usually joyful and sunny. The unconditional decoration of the picture was the work of Liza Minnelli. Songs from "Cabaret" performed by her became genuine "golden hits" and to this day are enthusiastically accepted by the audience at the concerts of the singer and actress.

Grease (1978) / Grease

Surprisingly, Grease, which made John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John stars and is widely known far beyond Hollywood, did not receive not only a single Oscar, but even the Golden Globe, which has separate categories for musicals. But the success of this film is a living example of the fact that for true classics, critical laurels are useless, "Grease" is a folk movie, dearly loved by the audience, they often put Randle Kleiser's tape above all "these of yours" "Singing in the Rain" and "Beautiful lady". This is what phenomenal musical material means - the songs from the picture, released on the disc, won dozens of awards, and the disc itself became "platinum" in America.

The Lion King (1994) / The Lion King

Disney's 32nd Animated Feature is, of course, not a musical in pure form- in the end, almost every cartoon of this company has musical numbers. But it was precisely the professional, thorough and very thorough approach to the musical component of the tape that in many ways made the classic story about the formation of a hero one of the most successful film projects in history - the 45-millionth tape only slightly missed the box office at the billion dollar box office. The disc with songs by Elton John and music by Hans Zimmer became the best-selling soundtrack of 1994, and no animated film could repeat the diamond status of this disc. The king is the king!

Moulin rouge! (2001) / Moulin Rouge!

Usually, the soundtrack is specially created for musicals: music is written, lyrics are written, arrangements are worked out, but sometimes the viewer wants to hear something familiar and beloved for a long time. "Moulin Rouge" by Baz Luhrmann, despite the fact that its plot unfolds at the very beginning of the twentieth century, deftly operates with hits of the 80s and 90s. Madonna and David Bowie, Sting and Bono, Elton John and Christina Aguilera shared their work with the film, and this immediately made the film a hit - with a 50 million budget, the film about the love of a courtesan and a poet collected four times more in the world, and critics noted "Moulin Rouge » a dozen prizes on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Chicago (2002) / Chicago

In the 1980s and 1990s, musicals were squeezed to the sidelines of film production - Flashdance and Dirty Dancing, despite the love of the audience for them, they didn’t earn either a crazy box office or the enthusiasm of the festival jury. The return of the musical to the heights happened with the release of Rob Marshall's crime dramedy "Chicago" - a Broadway production that has not left the stage for a quarter of a century, it was simply difficult to spoil. The film adaptation was conceived by the authors back in the 1970s, when the main roles in the film were given to Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli and Goldie Hawn, but modern actors did not spoil the holiday either - Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones brought six Oscars to the producers, in including the main one for "best film".

Dreamgirls (2006) / Dreamgirls

Against the backdrop of last year's scandal with black American actors who boycotted the Oscar ceremony, it would not be bad to recall the purely African-American musical Dreamgirls, which tells about the formation and creative way a girl trio from Chicago, which has gained worldwide fame, which, however, is not able to replace simple domestic happiness. The main striking force of the "Girls" was to be the famous singer Beyoncé, engaged on leading role, however, unexpectedly for many, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson "shot" in the picture. The latter was even awarded an Academy Award, one of only two the film received after six nominations.

Les Misérables (2012) / Les Miserables

The previous big musical landing at the Academy Awards landed four years ago - in 2013, Tom Hooper's Les Misérables received eight nominations. With all its merits, the picture received prizes of the "second echelon" - for make-up and sound, and only Anne Hathaway, who had her hair cut for the film, was favored by the academics. Meanwhile, the tape deserved much more - it is really a large-scale historical picture with brilliant musical numbers. Their performance, perhaps, could have been better, after all, Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman are not exactly singers, but everything is done with soul.

A musical, or musical comedy, is a stage work in which songs and dialogues, music and dances are mixed. The progenitors of this genre are operetta, vaudeville and burlesque. Musicals are one of the most commercial theater arts. This is due to their entertainment and expensive special effects. It is believed that the first musical was staged in 1866 in New York and was called Black crook.

The beginning of the 20th century gave an active impetus to the development of the genre in America, and the 30s, coupled with the work of talented composers Gershwin, Porter and Kern. The 60s brought new ideas to musicals, over time the number of performances began to decrease, but the scenery and costumes became more magnificent.

In 1985, the monopoly of the United States and England on musicals was broken by the French with their Les Misérables. Today, musicals, timidly born in the USSR in the 70s, are popular in Russia. Let's talk about the ten most famous works of this genre in the entire history of its existence.

"My Fair Lady" Frederick Lowe, the composer of music, and Alan Lerner, the author of the libretto and lyrics, were inspired to write the musical by Bernard Shaw's drama "Pygmallion". It is not surprising that the plot of their joint work repeats the drama of Shaw, which tells how the main character, being originally an ordinary flower girl, becomes a charming young lady. According to the plot of the musical, during the dispute between the professor of phonetics and his friend, the linguist, such a transformation took place. Eliza Doolittle moved into the scientist's house to go through the difficult path of education. In the end, at the embassy ball, the girl passes the difficult exam with brilliance. The musical premiered on March 15, 1956. In London, the performance was given only in April 1958. Rex Harrison acted as the professor-teacher, and Julie Andrews got the role of Eliza. The show immediately gained wild popularity, tickets for it were sold out six months in advance. This turned out to be a real surprise for the creators. As a result, the performance was given 2717 times on Broadway, and 2281 times in London. The musical was translated into eleven languages ​​and played in more than twenty countries. "My Fair Lady" won Tony awards. In total, over 5 million recordings of the musical with its original Broadway cast have been sold. In 1964, the film of the same name was released, and Warner Brothers bosses paid a record $5.5 million for the right to film the musical. Eliza was played by Audrey Hepburn, and Rex Harrison became her partner, having moved to the cinema from the stage. And the success of the film was overwhelming - it was nominated for 12 Oscars and won 8 of them. The musical is so loved by the audience that it can now be seen in London.

"Sounds of music". The German film "Von Trapp Family" became the basis for this musical. In 1958, the idea was transferred from cinema to the stage by screenwriters Howard Lindsay and Russell Cruz, producer Richard Holliday and his wife, Mary Martin, who was an actress. The picture told about an Austrian family who, fleeing the Nazis, went to America. The plot of the film was not invented, it was based on the book of Maria von Trapp, who was a direct participant in those events. Mary Martin herself at that time was a celebrity of the musical theater, in this case it was a serious dramatic role. However, the actress could not refuse to perform in a new role as a singer. At first, the authors decided to arrange the production with the help of folk songs and religious hymns of the von Trapp family. However, Mary insisted that a song written specifically for her be present. With the help of composer Richard Rogers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein, new musical numbers appeared in the play, and the musical was born. It premiered on Broadway on November 16, 1959. Mary Martin's partner was Theodor Bickel, who played the role of Captain von Trapp. Mary Martin was so popular that the public was eager to see the premiere of the musical with her participation, providing generous fees. The Sound of Music won 8 Tony Awards and was played 1443 times. The original album even won a Grammy. In 1961, the musical began its US tour, at the same time the show opened in London, where it was staged for 6 years, becoming the longest-running American musical in the capital of England. In June 1960, filmmakers from 20th Century Fox purchased the film rights to the production for $1.25 million. Although the plot of the film was different from the play, but it was he who brought the "Sound of Music" truly worldwide fame. The film premiered on March 2, 1965 in New York and won 5 of the 10 Oscars it was nominated for. Subsequently, more attempts were made to film the musical, but this did not prevent its popularity as an independent performance. In the 1990s, The Sound of Music was played in Greece and Israel, Finland and Sweden, Peru and China, Iceland and the Netherlands.

"Cabaret". For this legendary performance, Christopher Isherwood's "Berlin Stories" were taken as the basis, telling about life in Germany in the early 30s. Another part of the story comes from John Van Druten's play I Am the Camera, about the love affair between a young American writer and Berlin cabaret singer Sally Bowles. Fate brought young Brian Roberts, an aspiring writer, moonlighting with lessons in the capital of Germany in the early 30s. Here he meets Sally, falls in love with her, getting a lot of new and unforgettable sensations. Only now the singer refuses to follow the guy to Paris, breaking his heart. The cabaret, which was once a symbol of freedom, gradually begins to fill in the course of the action with people with a swastika on their sleeves ... The premiere of the musical took place on November 20, 1966. The production was carried out by the famous Broadway director Harold Prince. Music by John Kanzer with lyrics by Fred Ebb and libretto by Joe Masteroff. The original cast featured Joel Gray as the entertainer, Jill Haworth as Sally, and Bert Cliff as Cliff. The production withstood 1165 performances, receiving all the same 8 Tonys. In 1972, the film "Cabaret" directed by Bob Foss was released. Joel Gray played the same role, but Liza Minnelli brilliantly embodied Sally, while Michael York played Brian. The film received 8 Oscars. An updated version of the musical appeared before the audience in 1987, and where without Joel Gray? But in 1993 in London and 1998 on Broadway, the new musical "Cabaret", directed by Sam Mendes, had already begun its own journey. And this version has received numerous awards, being submitted 2377 times. The musical was finally closed on January 4, 2004, for how long?

"Jesus Christ Superstar". Music for the work was written by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Weber, and Tim Rice created the libretto. Initially, it was planned to create a full-fledged opera, using modern musical language and all relevant traditions - the arias of the main characters should have been present. The difference between this musical and traditional ones is that there are no dramatic elements, everything is based on recitatives and vocals. Here, rock music is combined with classical history, modern vocabulary is used in the lyrics, and the whole story is told exclusively through songs. All this made "Jesus Christ Superstar" a super hit. The story is about the last seven days of the life of Jesus, which pass before the eyes of Judas Iscariot, disappointed by the teachings of Christ. The plot begins with the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and ends with his execution. The opera was first performed in the form of an album in 1970, on which the main role was performed by Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan. The role of Judas was played by Murray Head, and Mary Magdalene was voiced by Yvonne Elliman. In 1971, the musical appeared on Broadway. Many note that in the production, Jesus is portrayed as the first hippie on the planet. The production lasted only a year and a half on stage, but it received a new breath in London in 1972. The main role was played by Paul Nicholas, and Judas was embodied by Stefan Tate. This version of the musical became more successful, lasting for eight whole years. Based on the work, as usual, a feature film was also shot by director Norman Jewison. Oscar in 1973 for the best music went to this particular work. The film is interesting not only for its excellent music and vocals, but also for its unusual interpretation of the theme of Jesus, which appears in an alternative traditional point of view. This musical is often referred to as a rock opera, the work has generated a lot of controversy and has become a cult for the hippie generation. "Jesus Christ Superstar" is still relevant today and has been translated into many languages. For more than 30 years, the musical has been staged all over the world - on the stages of Australia, Japan, France and Mexico, Chile and Germany, Great Britain and the USA.

"Chicago". The musical was based on an article in the Chicago Tribune dated March 11, 1924. Journalist Maureen Watkins spoke about a variety show actress who killed her lover. In those days, stories about sex crimes were very popular, it is not surprising that Watkins continued to write on similar topics. On April 3, 1924, her new article appeared about a married woman who shot her boyfriend. These crime stories were accompanied by a noticeable sensation, which had an impact on Maureen, who eventually left the newspaper and began to study law at Yale University. There's a woman, as learning task, and created the play "Chicago". The day before the onset of 1927, the premiere of the play "Chicago" took place on Broadway, it withstood 182 performances, in 1927 and in 1942 films were made based on the play. The rebirth of the plot was given by Bob Foss, the famous Broadway director and choreographer. He attracted the composer Dojn Kander, and he and Fred Ebb worked on the libretto. The score of "Chicago" itself was a brilliant stylization of American hits of the 20s, and the presentation of the musical material was similar to vaudeville. The story tells about the corps de ballet dancer Roxy Hart, who dealt with her lovers in cold blood. In prison, a woman meets Velma Kelly and other criminals. Roxy was able to get away with the help of sly lawyer Billy Flynn - the court found her innocent. As a result, the world of show business was enriched by the "duet of two sparkling sinners", Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart. The musical premiered on June 3, 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre. The role of Roxy went to Gwen Verdon, Velma was played by Chita Rivera, and Billy was played by Jerry Orbach. In London, the musical appeared only 4 years later, and the production had nothing to do with the brainchild of Bob Fosse. The performance ran for 898 showings in America and 600 in the West End and was eventually closed. However, the show was revived in 1996 under the direction of Walter Bobby and choreographer Ann Rinking. The first performances in the City Center caused such a stir that it was decided to continue the shows on Broadway. The role of Roxy was played by Rinking herself, Bebe Neuwirth played Velma, and James Naughton played Flynn. This production received 6 Tony awards, as well as a Grammy for best album. In 1997, the musical came to London's Adelphi Theatre, and the production won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical. In an updated form, the performance was shown all over the world - Canada, Australia, Holland, Argentina, Japan, Mexico, Russia and other countries. In 2002, the Miramax film was released with stars Renee Zellweger (Roxy), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma) and Richard Gere (Billy Flynn). The project was directed and choreographed by Rob Marshall. The picture received the Golden Globe in the category "Best Musical or Comedy" and won 6 Oscars out of 12 for which it was nominated. In Russia, the musical was staged by Philip Kirkorov, who himself embodied the role of a skilled and corrupt lawyer.

Evita. The idea of ​​​​creating a musical appeared by chance - in October 1973, Tim Rice heard the end of a radio program in the car, which dealt with Evita Peron. The woman was the wife of the Argentine dictator Juan Peron, the poet was interested in her life story. His co-author, Lloyd Webber, was initially unenthusiastic about the story, but eventually agreed to work on it. Rice thoroughly studied the history of his main character, for this he spent a lot of time in London libraries and even visited distant Argentina. That's where the main part was born. storyline. Tim Rice introduced a narrator into the musical, a certain Che, whose prototype was Ernesto Che Guevara. The story itself tells about Eva Duarte, who came to Buenos Aires at the age of 15 and became first a famous actress, and then the wife of the country's president. The woman helped the poor, but also contributed to the reign of dictatorship in Argentina. "Evita" combined various musical styles, with Latin American motifs as the basis of the score. The first demos of the musical were presented to critics at the first festival in Sidmonton, and then the recording of the album began at the Olympic studio. Evita was the actress Julie Covington, and Che was the young singer Colm Wilkinson. The role of Peron went to Paul Jones. The album was a great success - half a million copies were sold in three months. Despite the fact that "Evita" was officially banned in Argentina, getting the record was considered a matter of prestige. The musical was released on June 21, 1978, directed by Hal Prince. In his production, the role of Evita went to Elaine Page, and Che was played by the famous rock singer David Essex. The play was so successful that it was named the best musical of 1978. The main actress herself received an award for her performance in Evita. The very first weeks after the release of the recording of the musical on the disc made it gold. On May 8, 1979, the premiere of "Evita" took place in America, in Los Angeles, and four months later the performance came to Broadway. The popularity of "Evita" proved 7 "Tony" awards received by her. The success of the musical allowed him to visit many countries - Korea, Hungary, Australia, Mexico, Japan, Israel and others. 20 years after the birth of the musical, it was decided to make a film based on it. The director was Alan Parker, the main role, Evita Peron, was played by Madonna, the role of Che was entrusted to Antonio Banderas, Peron was played by Jonathan Pryce. The film featured a new song by Webber and Rice, "You Must Love Me," which won an Oscar for Best Original Song.

"The Outcasts". Composer Claude-Michel Schonberg and librettist Alain Boublil have given a second birth to Victor Hugo's already classic Les Misérables. Work on the creation of the musical was carried out for two years. The result was a two-hour sketch, then converted into a concept album with a circulation of 260,000 copies. Peculiar calling card musical was an engraving depicting little Cosette. The stage version was presented on September 17, 1980 at the Palais des Sports in Paris. As a result, the performance was watched by more than half a million people. The role of Jean Valjean was played by Maurice Barrier, Javert was played by Jacques Mercier, Fantine by Rose Laurence and Cosette by Fabienne Guyon. The concept album "Les Misérables" appealed to the young director Peter Ferago, who attracted English producer Cameron Mackintosh to work. This made it possible to create a truly high-class show. A professional team worked on the production - directors Trevor Nunn and John Caed, and adapted the text to English language Herbert Kretzmer with the help of the creators of the musical. As a result - the premiere of the performance under the auspices of the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican Theater on October 8, 1985. To date, Les Misérables has been shown most frequently at London's Palace Theatre, with more than 6,000 performances of the musical taking place there. In 1987, "Les Miserables" came to Broadway, so began their procession around the world. Although the performance is more than twenty years old, it is still on the stages of world theaters. Les Misérables has been translated into many languages, including exotic ones such as Japanese, Mauritanian and Creole. In total, this musical was staged in 32 countries around the world. The creations of Schonberg and Boublil were eventually seen by more than 20 million people.

"Cats". The basis for this popular musical was a cycle of children's poems by T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, published in England in 1939. The collection spoke with irony about the habits and habits of cats, but human traits were easily guessed behind these features. Elliot's poems appealed to Andy Lloyd Webber, who throughout the 70s composed music for them slowly. And so, by 1980, the composer had collected enough material to transform it into a musical. Since the British are very fond of cats, their show was simply doomed to success. In addition to Webber, the team included producer Cameron McIntosh, director Trevor Nunn, artist John Napier and choreographer Gillian Lynn. But during the stage implementation of the songs, it turned out that there was no sensible plot. However, thanks to Eliot's widow, drafts and letters from the poet were found, from which the authors of the musical were able to piece together ideas for compiling the plot outline of the play. In "Cats" special requirements were made for the artists - it was not enough to sing well and speak clearly, you also had to be very plastic. It turned out that in England itself it was almost impossible to recruit a troupe of 20 such actors, so pop singer Paul Nicholas, actress Elaine Page, young dancer and singer Sarah Brightman, and Royal Ballet star Wayne Sleep were included in the cast. The "Cats" theater was created by its own designer - John Napier, as a result there is no curtain at all, and the stage and the hall merge into a single space. The action takes place not frontally, but throughout the depth. The scene itself is framed as a dump - there are mountains of picturesque garbage on it, but in fact the scenery is equipped with sophisticated equipment. Actors, with the help of complex multi-layered make-up, appear in the form of graceful cats. Their bodysuits are hand-painted, their wigs are made of yak wool, their tails and collars are made of wool, and they wear shiny collars. The musical first appeared before the eyes of the public on May 11, 1981 in London, and hit Broadway a year later. As a result, "Cats" was able to become the longest-running production in the history of British theater until its closing on May 11, 2002. In total, 6,400 performances were given, the production was seen by more than 8 million people, and the creators were able to earn about 136 million pounds. And in the States, the musical broke all possible records. Already in 1997, the number of performances exceeded 6100, which made it possible to call the performance the main long-liver of Broadway. As a result, for all the time "Cats" were staged more than 40 times, the total number of viewers in 30 countries exceeded 50 million, the songs were performed in 14 languages, and the total amount of fees was 2.2 billion dollars! The musical received many awards, among them the most famous are the Laurence Olivier Award, the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, 7 Tony Awards, the Molière Award in France. Recordings of the Broadway and London original compositions received a Grammy.

"Phantom of the Opera". Sarah Brightman and Andrew Lloyd Webber's collaboration on Cats led to their marriage in 1984. For his wife, the composer created "Requiem", but this work could not show the talent of the singer on a large scale. Webber therefore decided to create a new musical, which became the Phantom of the Opera, based on the 1910 novel of the same name by the Frenchman Gaston Leroux. A romantic but dark story tells about a mysterious creature with supernatural powers living in a dungeon under the Paris Opera. The main role in the production, Christina Daae, went, of course, to Sarah Brightman. The male part was performed by Michael Crawford. In the first part of Christina's lover, Raoul, Steve Barton played. Richard Stilgoe worked on the libretto with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Charles Hart wrote the lyrics. Theatrical artist Maria Bjornson gave the Phantom the famous mask and insisted on the decision to lower the infamous falling chandelier not on the stage, but directly on the audience. The Phantom of the Opera premiered on October 9, 1986 at the Royal Theatre, even members of Her Majesty's family attended. And in January 1988, the first Broadway production of the musical took place, it took place at the New York Majestic Theater. The Phantom of the Opera became the second longest-running musical in Broadway history, after Cats. As a result, about 11 million people watched the show in New York alone. The musical was staged in 18 countries, about 65 thousand performances were given, more than 58 million people watched it there, and the total number of viewers around the world has already exceeded 80 million. As a result - well-deserved awards and prizes, numbering more than 50. The musical received three Laurence Olivier awards and 7 Tony awards, 7 Drama Desk awards, and the Evening Standard award. The total income from the Phantom of the Opera amounted to 3.2 billion dollars. The novel inspired the directors to create as many as seven films, the last of them, filmed in 2004, was nominated for an Oscar three times, the same Webber was the producer and composer.

"Mama Mia" The popularity of the songs of the ABBA group is so great that the idea of ​​creating a whole musical based on them, which came to the mind of producer Judy Kramer, is not surprising. The basis of the musical was 22 songs of the legendary band. In the original, all the songs were performed by women, so a story was developed about a mother and daughter - people of two different generations. In order for the story to be worthy of famous hits, the writer Katherine Johnson was invited, who came up with a story about a family living on the Greek islands. As a result, the viewer is attracted not only by musical hits, but also by the plot, in which music is closely interwoven. The songs were divided into dialogues, having received new intonations. The production was directed by Phyllida Loyd and composed by ABBA member Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson. The result is a romantic comedy that is ironic and quite modern. There are two main lines in the musical - a love story and the relationship of two generations. The plot of "Mama Mia" is filled with comedic situations that take place against the background of the cheerful compositions of "ABBA", the characters communicate quite witty, and their costumes are bright and original. The characteristic logo of "Mama Mia" has become the image of a happy bride, as a result, it has become a kind of brand, recognizable all over the world. The plot of the musical is as follows. Young Sophie is soon preparing to become a bride. She is going to invite her father to the wedding to take her to the altar. Only the girl's mother, Donna, never talked about him. Sophie found her mother's diary, which told about her relationship with three different men, as a result, an invitation is sent to all of them. When guests begin to arrive at the wedding, the most interesting thing happens ... At the end of the action, mom marries with Sophie. The first test of "Mama Mia" was its pre-premiere screening in London on March 23, 1999. The audience was in complete delight - they did not sit still throughout the performance, but danced in the aisles, clapped and sang along. The real premiere took place on April 6, 1999. The London successful production led to the fact that the musical was staged in 11 more countries around the world, and the musical's box office there reaches $ 8 million weekly! Today "Mama Mia" was seen by more than 27 million people, daily numbers of visits increase by 20 thousand. The musical has grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide. During the rental, the show visited 130 major cities, and the album with the recording of the very first production went platinum in the USA, Korea and Australia, double platinum in the UK, and gold in Sweden, New Zealand and Germany. In 2008, the musical was filmed, it was attended by such stars as Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan, and the same Phyllida Loyd became the director.

On August 19, 1957, the musical "West Side Story" based on the play by Arthur Lorenz premiered in Washington. It was a story of Romeo and Juliet, transferred to the realities of America at that time. The main characters - a Jewish boy Tony and an Italian Catholic Maria - belong to two hostile youth groups in New York, but, in spite of everything, they love each other. The musical instantly became a hit, and after the film adaptation in 1961, it only strengthened its position.

The musical is one of the most popular genres of theatrical art. After all, its plot is played out not only in words and actions, but also in songs and dances. In addition, musicals, as a rule, are massive and bright, which attracts viewers.

We decided to recall the most famous representatives of this genre.

"My Fair Lady"

In 1964, the film of the same name was released, in which the role of Eliza was played by Audrey Hepburn.

This musical is based on Bernard Shaw's play "Pygmalion", which tells how the main character, flower girl Eliza Doolittle, becomes a charming lady. This transformation took place because of a dispute between a professor of phonetics and his linguist friend. Eliza moved into the house of a scientist to go through a difficult path of learning and transformation.

The musical premiered on March 15, 1956. Julie Andrews played the title role, Eliza. The show immediately gained incredible popularity, and soon received several prestigious theater awards.

In 1964, the film of the same name was released, in which the role of Eliza was played by Audrey Hepburn.

"Sounds of music"

The German film The Von Trapp Family became the basis for this musical. The picture told about an Austrian family who, fleeing the Nazis, went to America. The plot was based on the book by Maria von Trapp, a direct participant in those events.

The premiere took place on November 16, 1959. The musical received 8 Tony theater awards. A film of the same name was released in 1965. Its plot was slightly different from the play, but it was he who brought The Sound of Music real world fame.

"Cabaret"

The plot of the legendary musical is based on Christopher Isherwood's Berlin Stories about life in Germany in the early 1930s. Another part of the story comes from John Van Druten's play I Am the Camera, about the love affair between a young writer and Berlin cabaret singer Sally Bowles. Fate brought the hero to the capital of Germany in the early 30s. Here he meets Sally and falls in love with her. But she refused to follow him to Paris, breaking his heart.

The musical premiered on November 20, 1966. The production won 8 Tony Awards. In 1972, the film of the same name directed by Bob Foss was released. The image of Sally was brilliantly embodied by Liza Minnelli.

"Jesus Christ Superstar"

The work generated a lot of controversy and became a cult for the hippie generation.

The music for this musical was written by Andrew Lloyd Weber. Unlike traditional productions, in this one the whole story is told only with the help of songs. It also became original thanks to rock music and modern vocabulary in the texts. This made the production a real hit.

The story in it is about the last seven days of the life of Jesus, which pass before the eyes of Judas Iscariot, disappointed by the teachings of Christ.

The first rock opera sounded in the form of an album in 1970, the main role in it was played by the lead singer of Deep Purple, Ian Gillan. The work generated a lot of controversy and became a cult for the hippie generation. A year later it was staged on Broadway.

"Chicago"

On March 11, 1924, in the Chicago Tribune, journalist Maureen Watkins spoke about a variety actress who killed her lover - this was the starting point for the plot of the musical. At the time, sex crime stories were very popular, and Watkins continued to write about them. On April 3, 1924, her new article appeared about a woman who shot her boyfriend. Watkins later wrote the play Chicago.

The story of the musical tells about the corps de ballet dancer Roxie Hart, who murdered her lover in cold blood. In prison, Roxy meets Velma Kelly and other criminals, and then hires lawyer Billy Flynn, with the help of which he avoids punishment, and at the same time becomes a real star. The musical premiered on June 3, 1975.

In 2002, the film "Chicago" was released with Renee Zellweger (Roxy), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma) and Richard Gere (Billy Flynn).

"Cats"

In "Cats" there is no curtain, and the stage merges with the audience into a single space.

The basis for this popular musical was a cycle of children's poems by T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, published in England in 1939. The collection ironically told about the habits and habits of cats, in which human features were guessed. Elliot's poetry appealed to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Everything in "Cats" is unusual - there is no curtain on the stage, it merges into a single space with the audience. The stage itself is framed like a dump. Actors appear as graceful cats thanks to complex multi-layered make-up. Their costumes are hand-painted, wigs, tails and collars are made of yak wool. The musical was first shown on May 11, 1981 in London.

"Phantom of the Opera"

The Phantom of the Opera is based on the novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux. A romantic but dark story tells about a mysterious creature with supernatural powers living in a dungeon under the Paris Opera. Ono falls in love with a young singer Christina and becomes her patron.

The premiere of The Phantom of the Opera took place on October 9, 1986 at the Royal Theater, even members of Her Majesty's family attended. The show became the first longest-running musical in Broadway history, surpassing even Cats.

In 2004, the musical became a film, in which the image of the masked ghost was embodied by Gerard Butler.

Evita

The idea of ​​​​creating a musical appeared by chance - in October 1973, Tim Rice heard the end of a radio program in the car, which dealt with Evita Peron, the wife of the Argentine dictator Juan Peron. The story of her life interested the poet. The plot of the show tells how she came to Buenos Aires at the age of 15 and became first a famous actress, and then the wife of the country's president. This woman helped the poor, but at the same time contributed to the reign of the dictatorship in Argentina.

The musical was released on June 21, 1978, and 20 years later it was decided to make a film based on it. It was directed by Alan Parker and starred Madonna.

"Mama Mia"

The popularity of ABBA's songs is so great that the idea of ​​creating a musical based on them is not surprising. The musical included 22 hits from the legendary quartet. Its authors were the male half of ABBA. The plot is as follows: Sophie is getting married. She is going to invite her father to the wedding to take her to the altar. Only the girl's mother, Donna, never talked about him. Sophie found her mother's diary, which told about her relationship with three different men, as a result, an invitation is sent to all of them. When guests start arriving at the wedding, the fun begins ...

For the first time this cheerful and bright musical was shown to the audience in 1999, and in 2008 a film based on it was released with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried and other actors.

"Notre Dame de Paris"

The musical is based on Victor Hugo's novel Notre Dame Cathedral.

The musical is based on Victor Hugo's novel Notre Dame Cathedral. It was first shown in Paris on September 16, 1998 and entered the Guinness Book of Records as having the most successful first year of operation.

According to the plot, a young gypsy girl named Esmeralda attracts the attention of men with her beauty. Among them are the Bishop of Notre Dame Cathedral Frollo, a young handsome man - the captain of the royal shooters Phoebus and the ugly ringer Quasimodo, a pupil of Frollo.

Esmeralda falls in love with the most beautiful of them - Phoebe. He does not mind taking advantage of this, despite the fact that he has a fiancee - Fleur-de-Lys. Frollo is overwhelmed with jealousy and tormented by doubts - after all, he, as a priest, has no right to love a woman. Quasimodo admires the young gypsy, seeing in her that unattainable unearthly beauty, which is his complete opposite.

"Juno and Avos"

The musical is, without exaggeration, the most famous Russian production of this genre. Its premiere took place on July 9, 1981. The director was Mark Zakharov, and the main roles were played by Nikolai Karachentsov and Elena Shanina. The poem "Perhaps" by Andrei Voznesensky was put as the basis.

According to the plot, Count Rezanov, having buried his wife, decided to give all his strength to the service of Russia. His suggestions about the need to try to establish trade relations with North America for a long time they did not meet with a response from the authorities, but, finally, he was ordered to go there. There he meets the young Conchita, and they fall in love with each other. Circumstances force them to part, but they manage to secretly get married. And although they are not destined to see each other again, their love will live forever.