The play is about the struggle of being a beggar in the city of London, love and hate, honesty and bribery, thieves and theft.
Mr. Peachum, the king of beggars, has a daughter who is in love with
his worst "colleague" Macheath, also known as "Mack the Knife"..
and then there is Jenny, Mack's former lover..
Songs to remember:" Mack the Knife" and "Jenny, the Pirate's bride"
The original story is filmed several times, I will recommend "Die Dreigroschenoper" from 1931, with Lotte Lenya as Jenny.
The cripple slave Porgy are longing for the beautiful Bess. The struggle for his lady causes humiliations for his handicap, shows bonds of the slavery, the affections between lovers and a cry for freedom in a better world.
All arranged in the musical as brilliant combination of the colorful story and particular music of the negro-quarter.
Porgy and Bess was filmed in 1959 with Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandrigde and Sammy Davies Jr.
Songs: "Summertime" and "It ain't necessarily so".
Based on the old Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet, it tells the story of the modern New York, with Tony and Mary in the gang-war between the "Sharks" and the "Jets". And then the end is well known....
Full of lovely music and with the dance as a stand-alone-effect, it sets a standard for the future.
West Side Story was filmed 1961 in with Natalie Wood .... Maria Richard Beymer
Well remembered songs: "Maria" and "America"
Book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics Fred Ebb and music by John Kander. Based on the play by John van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood
Time: Berlin late 1920's.
The scene is a sleazy nightclub, the Kit Kat Club, where the Master of Ceremonies welcomes us to the show and assures us that, whatever our troubles, we will find happiness in the CABARET. Throughout the show his songs make wry comment on the action.
The young man Cliff visits the club where he meets an English girl, Sally Bowles, a singer and hostess. The everyday Berlin life, with growning nazism and all what comes along, surrounds the young couple. Smuggling and street fights, love and affection, songs and dance and the destiny of the jews.......
The Master of Ceremonies treats all this as if it were part of the entertainment and brings Sally on for her big number, "Come to the Cabaret". And he reminds us that he promised we would forget our troubles.
Cabaret was filmed in 1972 with Liza Minelli and Joel Grey.
The story is short to tell: a naive country boy on his way to join the war in Vietnam is stopped by 4 hippies who gives him a view into the reality of life : sex and drugs and not enroll.
But the music is to be remembered for a long time: Aquarius, Frank Mills (which didn't appear in the screen version), and Let the sun shine in..
Filmed in 1979 with John Savage and Treat Williams.
It is the story of the last 7 days of Jesus' life, as seen by Judas. The musical goes mainly according to the Bible's version of the last 7 days of Jesus. The detailed story synopsis appears in The New Testament, starting around Chapter 26 of Matthew, Chapter 14 of Mark, Chapter 19 of Luke, and Chapter 11 of John if you should like to check it out.
Songs to remember: I don't know how to love him and Jesus Christ Superstar
Filmed in 1973 with Ted Neeley and Yvonne Elliman
The original production opened at the New London Theater, in the West End on May 11, 1981.
You will always remember the music; like Memory and Old Deuteronomy
Starring the musical Queen Elaine Page, who is seen upon as the originator of the hit Memory .
The first chess match is in Italy, between Freddy and Anatoly. Florence begins as the American's second, but quickly becomes fed up with his obnoxious displays, and becomes the lover of the Russian who defects. The next chess match is played in Bangkok, where political and personal matters merge even more. Anatoly's wife, Svetlana, makes an appearance, and the question of whether Florence's father is being held by the Russians or not further complicates Florence and Anatoly's affair.
Hits: One night in Bangkok
The heart-rending story of the thief who travels the revolutionary landscape of 18th century France to find redemption.
France 1815-1832 : The released prisoner, Jean Valjean, decides to start his life anew. He promises a poor worker, Fantine, to look after her illegitimate child, Cosette. A revolution arupts, people live and die on the barricades. Street-gangs rule, one of them led by Thenardier and his wife. Valjean keeps his promise about looking after the girl Cosette which grows older.
And all the time Valjean is chased by police inspector Javert , which always will look upon him as convict 24601.
And we, the audience, will always remember Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean.
Do you want the libretto
?
You have heard "All I ask of you" ?
The musical opened at Her Majesty's Theatre on October 9 1986
