Movie musicals are having a big moment this month. Three major musicals are premiering in the hopes of financial and awards success. Emilia Perez is looking to rack up numerous Oscar nominations come early next year, while Wicked and Moana 2 are set to light the box office on fire. With those at the top of my mind (and at the top of my Letterboxd watchlist), it felt right to dive into the best musicals currently streaming on Disney+.
The Sound of Music
Few films transverse the greater film lexicon into unrequited ubiquity quite like The Sound of Music. This Academy Award winning film for Best Picture has become synonymous with yearly holiday viewings on ABC, musical theater as a concept, and running across hills. The images of Julie Andrews singing across Austria are burned into the brains of likely billions of people on this planet, whether or not they’ve seen this film in full. The classic Rodgers & Hammerstein score covers love, loss, facism, all the while having audiences humming along. My only qualm with the film lies with the cuts (RIP “No Way to Stop It”), but can you really have a qualm with perfection. In a world of constant reboots and reimaginations, let us all be grateful this piece of cinematic excellence has remained untouched. (Also, the way this film came out the year after Mary Poppins? Julie Andrews remains thee one.)
Black is King
As much as people like to discredit her, Beyonce is a visionary. Her music transcends genre regularly to provide a modern musical experience that we rarely receive from other artists. So, when she was initially attached as the voice of Nala in The Lion King, many wondered if we’d just receive a normal soundtrack or something more. Instead, we received The Lion King: The Gift, an album featuring not only Beyonce, but a variety of African and Afrofusion artists creating a brand new interpretation of the story we’ve come to know and love. Alongside the album we received this full-length music video film, bringing to life the story of Simba through unique and eye-popping ways. The great album paired with these gorgeous visuals gave Disney fans something profound, yet familiar. An underrated gem among Disney+’s musical films.
West Side Story
Many questioned the idea of a remake of the 1961 Best Picture winner. The original film remains highly regarded as one of the greatest movie musicals of all-time. Could director Steven Spielberg even come close? Luckily for all of us, one could argue he not only succeeded, but exceeded. The 2021 interpretation brought us the introduction of Rachel Zegler, an Academy Award for Ariana DeBose, and the larger question of “Why haven’t we let Spielberg direct musicals before?!” The film not only corrects in racist wrongs of the original (cough Natalie Wood’s casting cough), but breathes a renewed life into the tragic tale between two young lovers amidst the warring Sharks and Jets. Spielberg’s direction alongside Tony Kushner’s updated script still allowed the film to honor what came before, but remained a modern look at Tony and Maria. Its failure to light up at the box office was due to a variety of factors (Omicron can rot!), but never for the quality of what was projected on screen.
Muppets Most Wanted
We know that Disney has not a ding-dang clue what to do with The Muppets. They’ve tried movies, two separate television series (the ABC one should be revived for Disney+ is all I’m sayin”), and a variety of “Sure, why not!” ideas in the hopes that The Muppets could become a moment yet again. With all of the rigamarole with the beloved characters, many have been sleeping on Muppets Most Wanted. The delightfully funny sequel to The Muppets brings in Constantine, a Russian lookalike who wants to upend Kermit’s life. Of course, typical Muppet hijinks ensue, but so do some phenomenally underrated tracks, such as Tina Fey’s “The Big House” and “Something So Right”, a duet between Miss Piggy and Celine freakin’ Dion. How can you say no?
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
No matter your personal favorites, it's hard to disagree with the thought that Hunchback is the greatest score in the Alan Menken canon. The soaring, yet frightening swells of the music seemingly flowing out of the cathedral have haunted for decades. It remains remarkable how a story so dark (and music so dark) was still given the OK to be placed in the confines of a Disney animated film. Even considering the gargoyles, the film remains a seedier look at the world and those humans who yearn for power within it. Come for “Out There”, but stay for “God Help the Outcasts” and the choral music that will leave you changed. (I wish Disney Theatricals would get themselves together and bring their magnificent stage adaptation to Broadway.)
Into the Woods
The film adaptation of one of Sondheim’s more commercial musicals seems to have acquired a “love it or hate it” sensibility. For some, no matter what was done to the book and score, no one would find it as grand as the original stage adaptation of the classic musical. For others (hint: me), it remains a risky move by Disney that pays off in dividends. In case you are unaware: the film follows every fairy tale character traversing through the woods in the hopes to have their dreams come true. What ensues is a gorgeous look into the human experience through that of the relationship between parents and children. The film was a financial success for Disney, yet remains untapped within their release slates. A mid-budget movie musical with a sharper edge? Proof that Disney can not only succeed monetarily within those boundaries, but also artistically.