Theatre shows seem to run forever. The longest-running show on the West End is Les Miserables, which has been running since 1985. There have been over 13,549 performances of this musical on the West End. However, West End shows do not run forever! Let’s take a look at some of the best shows that have come to an end...
We Will Rock You
We Will Rock You is a Ben Elton musical. It had massive success. The theatre show included plenty of Queen songs, however, it is not based on the story of the band – contrary to popular belief. It is actually set in a futuristic world. In this world, rock music has been banned and it is up to the cast to bring it back and consequently save the world. The plot is a glittering one; something that all ages and all personalities enjoyed. If you are looking to spend more time with your family, this is the sort of show you would want to see. Plus, if you are a Queen fan, then you will undoubtedly love this musical - even though the plot isn’t about the band. It contains 32 songs from the world-famous band. These include all of the mega-hits, from We Will Rock You, to Bohemian Rhapsody, to We Are the Champions, to Under Pressure. Then there is Somebody to Love, Radio Ga Ga and Don’t Stop Me Now. And that is without even mentioning It’s a Kind of Magic, Killer Queen and I Want to Break Free. This is a musical which is guaranteed to get everybody singing along and dancing.
Top Hat
The 1935 version of this classic was brought to life on the stage. Featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the original screwball comedy musical film was one of a kind. Usually, family shows tend to be either funny or have lots of substance. Top Hat does the unthinkable - it has a perfect balance of both. You will never be able to tell where the plot is going. Plus, who doesn’t love a good sing-a-long? Top Hat was filled with amazing songs; eleven to be precise. These include the likes of “Isn’t this a Lovely Day (to be Caught in the Rain)” and “No Strings (I’m Fancy-Free”.
Jersey Boys
Finally, we have the Jersey Boys. The musical follows the journey of how these ‘Jersey Boys’ made the big time internationally with songs like ‘Can’t Take My Eyes off You’, ‘Sherry’ and ‘Bye-Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye)’. It makes for an interesting and inspiring theatre. And you will definitely note your foot tapping to the rhythm of these early rock masterpieces. The band are a New Jersey-based group who actually failed an audition when they started out in 1960. Fortunately, they did not let this discourage them, and in 1961 they brought out their first album. But this sadly failed to hit the charts. Unfazed they brought out their second album ‘Sherry’ in 1962, and the title track rocketed up the charts to international success. If there was ever an example of ‘if you don’t succeed try and try again’ then this is it. They followed their initial success with several million-selling hits that still get regular radio airplay. Their unique version of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ is still considered to be one of the best Christmas songs ever recorded and ‘Can’t Take My Eyes off You’ still makes the romantically minded melt. This is a real ‘Rags to Riches’ (and back to rags) story and’ Jersey Boys’ is a feel-good musical that inspires and uplifts its audience time after time and show after show. Since its initial release in 2005, ‘Jersey Boys’ has been a smash hit, garnering no less than four Tony awards including ‘Best musical’ as well as the Lawrence Olivier award for best musical in 2009.
Did you get to catch any of these shows? Do you wish you had? There is no denying that there are plenty of amazing shows to still catch on the West End, ranging from the Lion King to Wicked. However, the shows that have been discussed in this blog post were certainly entertaining as well. You never know, they may come back again!
No comments:
Post a Comment