Many people usually visit New York for two things: for fashion and for the Broadway and Westend musicals. These timeless musicals are presented in the professional theaters and are considered to be the highest level of all commercial theaters in the English-speaking world. Because of this, Broadway actors and performers usually take up a couple of language courses from various language schools, such as a German language school (deutsch Sprachschule) that offers an easy way of learning German.
A Broadway musical is essentially a play which combines acting, singing and dancing. Broadway musicals are fun to watch and listen to as they are stories that have a lot of music. Most musicals have the best and most unforgettable classic songs which have lived and have continued to live through the ages. They are usually romantic, passionate and cleverly written and most of the time, full of lively tunes. Here are some of the most famous Broadway and Westend musicals from then until now.
1. The Phantom of the Opera
Based on the French novel written by Gaston Leroux, this is one of the most adapted stories for stage and film productions. Today, The Phantom of the Opera is considered as the longest running Broadway musical in history and has proven to be one of the most profitable entertainment enterprises of all time. There are even some German language schools which teach this in their courses.
2. West Side Story
This is a musical which is a retelling of the classic love story Romeo and Juliet set in New York with the racial gang warfare in the background. All of the songs are good and inspired, and some are full of passion. Some of the songs include: Maria, One Heart, Tonight, Somewhere, I Feel Pretty, America, One Hand and Officer Krupke.
3. My Fair Lady
This is a delightful musical which is both witty and funny. It is a classic which defined the generation of the early 1960’s. It tells the story of a dirty flower girl who was taught proper English by an English professor until he was able to help her pass herself off as a princess at a ball. Some of the great musical compositions include I Could Have Danced All Night, Why Can’t the English?, On The Street Where You Live and A Hymn to Him.
4. Jesus Christ Superstar
This is a rock musical that tells the story about the last days of the life of Jesus Christ. It stirred some controversy in the past but is now considered as one of the best Broadway musicals in history. It contains music from a variety of genres, although its music is mostly rock. Some of the songs in the musical would include: I Don’t Know How To Love Him, King Herod’s Song, Everything’s Alright and The Last Supper.
5. Chicago
Chicago is a cynical musical which is set during the 1920’s. It is a satire that tackles how the society can turn criminals into celebrities. This musical has even been adapted to be a full-length film which won the Best Picture Award in the 2002 Academy Awards. Some of the songs in this popular musical would include Razzle Dazzle and All That Jazz. Many schools that offer classes for learning German (deutsch lernen) teach this.
6. Grease
A 1950’s youth-oriented musical, Grease is about the journey of a high school couple and their friends as they discover love, friendship, pregnancy and class conflict. Some of the songs that Grease is best known for would include: We Go Together, Born to Hand Jive, Summer Lovin’, and Greased Lightning.
7. Fiddler on the Roof
A lively musical that centers around a Jewish father, Fiddler on the Roof is about how his traditions were challenged by his 5 daughters as well as the changing world. This musical features songs such as: Sunrise, Sunset; Matchmaker, Matchmaker; To Life; The Bottle Dance; Tradition; If I Were A Rich Man; and Tevye’s Dream.
8. Oklahoma
This was the first Broadway musical ever that has depth and psychological complexity. Created by musical legends Rodgers and Hammerstein, Oklahoma features many classic songs like: Oh, What A Beautiful Morning; The Surrey with the Fringe On Top; Lonely Room; and Out of My Dreams.
9. Cats
An Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Cats was first performed in 1981 in West End and then a year after, in Broadway. It has won a lot of awards, including the Tony Award for the Best Musical and the Laurence Olivier Award for the same category.
Many aspiring theater actors today wish to be part of the many Broadway musicals. Aside from taking up some theater classes from reputable schools, they are also sometimes encouraged by their friends or even their parents to take up some language courses that facilitate learning German. As a matter of fact, many German language schools offer acting courses as well that would prepare aspiring artists for the theater.