Underrated Musicals for your Consideration
Stuck in quarantine with nothing to do? Then, why not jump into some new musicals? Here’s a list of six supremely underrated musicals for you to get started!
1776
This American historical musical is often overshadowed by the newer and more hip Hamilton, but it still holds its own as a fantastic show with a lot of its own unique appeal. 1776 follows John Adams and his efforts to convince the Second Continental Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence. Though its source material may sound like a total snoozefest, 1776 defies expectations and makes for a pompous, hilarious and entertaining show. Its brilliant music can be summarized as a bucketload of clever wordplay, catchy tunes and hysterical jokes. Take the song “The Lees of Old Virginia” for example, where historical figure Richard Henry Lee sings about how great his family is with words that end in a “lee” sound. Though extremely lighthearted and funny, 1776 does feature serious moments as well. In the number “Momma Look Sharp”, a courier describes the Battle of Lexington and the tragic loss of lives that was endured to make for an emotional and somber song. All in all, 1776 is a great play worth every minute of your time and you might even learn a thing or two about American history. If you’re convinced and you want to get into this awesome musical, check out the Original Broadway Cast Recording which is on almost any music streaming platform. There’s also a movie version of the stage musical, which came out in 1972 that’s also worth a watch. In addition, 1776 is due for a revival next year on Broadway, so keep your eyes peeled for that as well.
All Shook Up
“Can’t Help Falling in Love”, “Love Me Tender”, “Jailhouse Rock”. What if I told you that there was a musical that featured all these classic tunes plus more? All Shook Up is a jukebox musical, meaning it doesn’t feature original music, but rather it takes already existing songs and puts them together to create a cohesive story. The musical takes hits from the King himself, Elvis Presley, and retells the story of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in the 1950s. The story revolves around romance with love triangle after love triangle, sweet young star-crossed lovers, and love songs and duets galore. The musical does a fantastic job of actually utilizing the songs to tell the story rather than just having them for the sake of having music like some other jukebox musicals. And it’s not all completely identical with Elvis’ music, so it still feels fresh. For example this musical’s version of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” elevates Elvis’ original subtle ballad to a wowing Act 1 closing number with a lot more flare and excitement. “C’mon Everybody” is another highlight of the musical that, once again, maintains the original catchy charm of the Elvis version, while also implementing new elements that make it a new and immersive experience. You can find out for yourself by listening to the Original Broadway Cast album!
Assassins
Assassins is the second American historical musical on this list that deserves a lot more attention than it’s getting. It tells the story of various Americans in history who either attempted to or successfully assassinated a US president through the setting of a shooting carnival game. It goes through various songs with an assassin in each, non-chronologically, describing his or her actions, motivations, and personality. For example, “The Ballad of Guiteau” tells the tale of Charles Guiteau and his assassination of James Garlfield. And it all culminates in the number, “November 22, 1963”, with Lee Harvey Oswald’s assassination of JFK. The musical does a good job of delving into the possible motivations of such killers and occasionally making you empathize and connect with them. But it does an even better job of maintaining the notion that they are still terrible people who have committed crimes and deserve no sympathy. It also provides a thought-provoking analysis on America’s ideals and how such assassins are reflective of them. The score features music and lyrics from Stephen Sondheim, one of the most renowned composers in musical theatre history, so you already know the tunes are going to be good. If you’re listening to the musical through the cast albums: the Off-Broadway recording or the Broadway recording, then the performances are a highlight as well. Both recordings feature casts so strong that it’s hard to identify any weak link. My personal favourite in each recording is Victor Garber in the Off-Broadway version and Michael Cerveris in the Broadway version, both of whom portray John Wilkes Booth masterfully. The musical is also returning as an Off-Broadway show this year with an excellent cast, so that’s something to keep an eye on.
Catch Me If You Can
You may have heard of the movie, but have you heard of the 2011 Broadway musical, Catch Me If You Can? The show, just like the movie, tells the story of con man Frank Abagnale Jr. and FBI Agent Carl Hanratty’s seemingly never ending chase of him. Despite some noticeable flaws like its poorly paced and structured story, there is a lot to love about this musical. Firstly, the music is terrific. Composed and written by Marc Shaiman, who also did the music for Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can’s music is exhilarating, captivating and thrilling. Right from the get go, you have a number like “Live in Living Color”, with its melodious and showy tune that just breathes life into the musical for the rest of the way. You also have more grounded and subtle numbers like “Fly Fly Away” that really slow down the crazy rush of the musical in order to deliver powerful heart-wrenching moments effectively. In addition to the music, the performances of Catch Me If You Can’s Original Broadway Cast Recording really shine through. Aaron Tveit, Norbert Leo Butz and Kerry Butler all portray their respective characters fantastically, remaining true to the film, while also putting their own spin on things. They execute the already excellent music of Marc Shaiman perfectly, elevating it to another level. On the whole, Catch Me If You Can is a very strong show and although it certainly wasn’t a flop, it deserved a lot more attention and success than it did!
Something Rotten!
My personal favourite musical on this list, Something Rotten! is a 2015 Broadway musical that has, tragically, not garnered much attention since then. It takes place during the Renaissance and follows two brothers, Nick and Nigel Bottom, as they try to write a theatrical masterpiece to oppose the works of the egotistical and derivative William Shakespeare. The strongest element of this musical is its humour and its ability to not take itself too seriously. Every song, every line, and every word is layered with some pun or gag that is both cleverly written and hilariously executed. The show’s humour is perhaps best demonstrated with the character of William Shakespeare, who’s conveyed as an arrogant rockstar-esque caricature. His two solo numbers, “Will Power” and “Hard to Be the Bard” are both absolutely hilarious and insanely catchy. Just seeing something as formal and mundane as Shakespeare, and seeing it in a much more flamboyant and light context makes for a lot of laughs. Another highlight of the musical is the Soothsayer and his number “A Musical” where he predicts the future of theatre and describes the singing and dancing of musicals much to Nick Bottom’s confusion. It’s not anything thought-provoking or life-changing, but it definitely is one of the funniest, most entertaining musicals that have ever existed. At least, give the soundtrack a listen.
Starship
Starship is a musical by a theatre company called Starkid who makes independent musicals with limited budgets and resources. They specialize in parodies and so far, they’ve covered Harry Potter, Batman, Star Wars, Disney, and the Oregon Trail video game. Though I would say that pretty much everything they do is underrated, Starship even moreso, as even avid Starkid fans dismiss it in favour of their new musicals, while I personally believe Starship still holds its own as one of the best. Starship is a parody of Starship Troopers, and it takes place on Bug-World where a bug named Bug dreams of becoming a Starship ranger. One day, he finds his dream to be coming true and is whisked away on a crazy adventure. Yes, it sounds incredibly cheesy, but that’s the fun of it. It parodies the genre and makes fun of it in a really amusing and enjoyable way. The show’s humour isn’t its only quality though, as its music is incredible as well. Especially considering they’re an independent company, the music is phenomenal even by Broadway musicals standards with snappy melodies and witty lyrics. And what’s more? You can watch the musical, right now, on YouTube for free! Starkid is kind enough to put all their performances on YouTube for everyone to watch. So, what are you waiting for? Go watch it!
That’s it!
Thanks for reading! Hope you found something you liked!
Work Cited
“1776 (Musical).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1776_(musical).
“Cheyenne Jackson, Jenn Gambatese, Alix Korey - All Shook Up (2005 Original Broadway Cast Recording) - Amazon.com Music.” Amazon.com, www.amazon.com/Shook-2005-Original-Broadway-Recording/dp/B0009941TI .
“Don't Break The Rules by Norbert Leo Butz & Company Of The Original Cast Of 'Catch Me If You Can' on Amazon Music - Amazon.com.” Amazon.com, www.amazon.com/Dont-Break-The-Rules/dp/B076YK171G.
“- Something Rotten - A Very New Musical By Original Cast Recording (2015-07-17) - Amazon.com Music.” Amazon.com, www.amazon.com/Something-Rotten-Original-Recording-2015-07-17/dp/B014I78MMI.
“Starship (Album).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Feb. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_(album).
“Stephen Sondheim, Victor Garber, Patrick Cassidy - Assassins (1991 Original Off-Broadway Cast) - Amazon.com Music.” Amazon.com, www.amazon.com/Assassins-1991-Original-Off-Broadway-Cast/dp/B000003F3N .