Funny... You're a Funny Girl!

     Hello all! Who's excited for another week of musical reviews? I know I am and I hope you all are too. So for this week, I thought I would review a classic, "Funny Girl!" "Funny Girl" is probably one of the first musicals I've ever seen so it definitely had been a while since I saw this. That's actually one of the reasons I decided to watch this this week. "Funny Girl" is about an aspiring Broadway actress, Fanny Brice, who sort of starts off as an "ugly duckling," struggling to find work on Broadway, but soon lands a lead role and becomes a major star. The show goes on to show her life after and her relationship with the very handsome Nick Arnstein.

     Barbara Streisand made one of the biggest debuts in the history of films playing Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl." Although the musical slows down a bit in the second act, Streisand keeps the viewers glued with her brilliant performance. Terrific musical numbers comes one after another and Streisand switches gears effortlessly between comic gems like "I'm The Greatest Star" and "Don't Rain on My Parade." Big, bright, and splashy, "Funny Girl" is one of the last great old style musicals produced in Hollywood. Definitely recommend this musical!

Phantom

     Hey everyone! Welcome back back to another week of musical reviews. For this week, I have decided to review "Phantom of The Opera." "Phantom of The Opera" originated in 1986, but today, I will be reviewing the 2004 movie adaptation. This musical is about a phantom who hides in a shadowy existence, beneath a paris opera house. Shamed by his physical appearance and feared by all, he terrorizes the opera house. He falls for a chorus girl in the process.

     I have seen "Phantom of The Opera" many times and I am still enthralled by it. It was a visually stunning movie. The costumes and the scenery were superb and the acting was excellent! The music of Andrew Lloyd Webber was just outright amazing. At times, there was almost a bit too much going on, which I thought started to take away focus from the music, but in the end it had a good balance of both. I remember seeing this when I was very young and the phantom scared the crap out of me!

At The Late Night.. Double Feature.. Picture Show..

     Hey everyone! Hope you all had a good week. I was kind of dragging all week and couldn't wait for it to be over. So last night, I decided to watch one of my favorite musicals of all time to cheer me up. This week, I will reviewing "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." The story begins with a newly engaged couple who run into some car trouble and get stranded in the middle of nowhere. Seeing no other option, they walk over the the Frankenfurter Mansion to use the telephone. I don't want want to give too much away in case you planning on watching it, but just know, they're in for a hell of a ride. The show is so fast paced with one thrill after another.

     Its really easy to see why "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is such a huge cult classic. When the show came out in the 70's, no one had ever seen anything like it. Its such a fun and riveting experience. I love everything about this show from the story to the music. The music has some of the most memorable songs around. I would have to say a few of my favorite songs are "Dammit, Janet!", "Sweet Transvestite", "Time Warp", and "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me." I remember the first time I watched "Rocky Horror" and thought, "This is amazing!" Then I remember finishing it and going, "That's it? That's how it ends?" Like I said earlier, I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so go watch it and see what I'm talking about. Haha!

The Full Monty

     Hey everyone! Thank you for checking in again for another week of musical reviews. This week I will be reviewing "The Full Monty." Now for those who don't know, "The Full Monty" is explicit and has sexual themes. If you don't feel comfortable with that, I'm warning you now. Don't watch the musical or movie. Now some of you might be wondering how I watched this seeing as the original broadway play was back in 2000. I'll be honest with you. I watched a bootleg version of it. Shhh, don't tell anyone! Haha! Now back to the review, "The Full Monty" is about six unemployed steelworkers looking for jobs. Desperate enough, they take jobs as chippendale strippers, but not without hesitation.

     "The Full Monty" is so funny. Watching middle aged men try to become strippers is just so bizarre. Although, what some people don't see is that behind the strippers, and the g-strings, and the nudity, "The Full Monty" is about unconditional love and the lengths people will go to to keep a family together. David Yazbek's music has some shining moments too. Some of the most notable numbers are "Scrap," the number the men sing when they are out of work and "Michael Jordan's Ball", which is the number they learn how to dance. Patrick Wilson has one of the best voices of the men and his performance of "Breeze Off the River" is touching as he tells his son about his failures and his loves. From the casting to the music to the story, I thought this whole production was brilliant! I highly recommend this show to the more mature audience.