“Growing professionally is something that every person needs and wants. If at the start of your professional life or career there is a way to grow, an opportunity to use to gain experience – I don’t see why to say no to it. “

From “Once” to “Frozen,” tons of famous movie musicals (or movies with music in them) have been adapted to Broadway recently. Stage musical adaptations build upon already good movie musicals by adding more songs and scenes. There are tons of movie musicals that haven’t gotten this treatment, but really deserve it. Here are my top five picks.

In my time being a fan of musical theatre, I have come across my fair share of what I’m going to refer to as “Musical Snobs”. These are the kind of people that might call you “basic” if you had the audacity to say something such as “Hamilton is my favourite musical!” or “Wicked is such a good show!” 

“For years now the bootleg debate has raged in the theatre community. It has been a constant back and forth of whether or not it is theft or at the very least if it is rude.”

While not everyone shares this opinion, I do not believe that Sondheim songs are off limits for audition material. I fully understand why many feel they are. Typically they are more complex compositions and you don't always know the skill level of the accompanist. So why roll the dice at an audition on that? 

However, I do feel there are some audition gems within his catalog. Songs that will not only show off your ability but also allow for an excellent performance and won't make your accompanist hate you. 

“Seniors in high school: Majoring in theatre is the ultimate dream for some- you’re training to do what you love, you’re learning new things to improve your performance, and most importantly you meet people that are just like you. It’s no secret that having a career in theatre is incredibly difficult to pursue. After an entire year of being a theatre major, here are some things I learned to keep me going.”

“It happens with every new school year. So much so, you could bet your life savings on it. Somewhere in America, school administrators and parents will try to censor or shut down a high school theatre production.”

“Blocking got easier each night just as the picture itself became clearer. I have to give credit to my very supportive cast and the experienced crew who have put their trust in a new director. It’s still very challenging but that’s all part of the fun.”

If you’ve ever spent any time trying to achieve your biggest goals and dreams in theatre, I’m sure that somewhere along the way – if you’re anything like the majority of us – there was a point where you privately questioned whether you were cut out for this, and where you thought about just giving up. Any of us who’ve ever had a dream – and have tried hard at making it come true – have felt that way at one point or another.

“When looking at some of our favorite shows through the eyes of different characters, perspectives can change, plots can shift and what might be comedy could become far darker. In the past, we've looked at shows such as Oklahoma!, Grease, Beauty & the Beast and Carousel. Today, we dip into another fan favorite, The Phantom of the Opera.”

Now while many call it the greatest love story in musical theatre history, when we look at the piece through the eyes of Christine Daae, it's not much of a love story at all....and there's a sequel.

Let's dig in. Obvious spoilers ahead.