The Muppet Christmas Carol - 1992

Scrooge - 1970

Enjoyable musical of Dickens famous story. If you want a change of pace with this classic tale, this is a good choice but be prepared, there are quite a few creative changes to the basic story to accommodate both the humor and the music. Ok performances but with the back and forth of drama to humor, some seemed a little over the top, especially that of Scrooge (Finney) and Marley (Guinness). Still, the music was enjoyable and this version is a great addition to anyone’s “Christmas Carol” viewing.

Mamma Mia! - 2008

Disappointing! Wanting to have her father give her away, Sophie (Seyfried) hopes to discover who he is by inviting the three men her mother (Meryl Streep) was involved with to her wedding. I went into this totally expecting to enjoy this film but it was not to be. Love the music itself but the singing – moan! I’ve heard better singing at high school productions. Some numbers were Ok but by recent Hollywood musical standards, it was surprising they had settled so low! Grimacing at Pierce Brosnan’s renditions, it was actually embarrassing and painful to both watch and listen to him sing. It was hard to believe they couldn’t have found at least one handsome older actor who could actually sing. Perhaps they thought the music itself would carry it off. The casting was also a little off. I personally am a big fan of Meryl Streep and consider her to be a beautiful woman but there is no way that she passed for her early 40’s which was obviously the age suggested. Nor did Christine Baranski and Julie Walters come across as her 40ish friends. Performances were over-the-top which you sometimes expect from a musical, but in this case only succeeded in making this film feel frantic and rushed. The story was far from uplifting, as some have suggested. Instead I found myself feeling sorry that Sophie had to resort to such measures to try and discover her father’s identity. Definitely not one I would watch again. The movie as a whole rates only 2 stars but the music itself would add another star.  **

Bye Bye Birdie - 1995

Mildly entertaining musical. Since the storyline has always seemed a little silly, this has never been one of my favorite musicals. Even so, it still had several strengths. This version definitely stays closer to the original play and includes the musical numbers that were cut in the ’63 film. There were several strong performances, including Jason Alexander, Vanessa Williams and Tyne Daly. Unfortunately, the weakest performances were that of Chynna Phillips and Marc Kudisch. As Conrad, Kudisch had a wonderful singing voice, but his dance moves were very stilted. As the teenage Kim, Phillips looked and acted completely out of place. She was simply too old for the role and it was glaringly obvious. Since these were two of the pivotal roles, it definitely weakened the entire film. Just Ok. **

Bye Bye Birdie - 1963

Mildly entertaining. Since this storyline has always seemed a little silly, it has never been one of my favorite musicals. Even so, it still had several strengths, with the superb performances of Dick Van Dyke and Ann Margaret probably being at the forefront. Unfortunately, there were several equally weak performances that detracted from the film. The music was enjoyable with some great humor, but several of the numbers from the play have been cut in this film version as well as several major storyline changes. Just Ok. ***

Oklahoma - 1999

Outstanding musical with the remarkable music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, including the well known “O What a Beautiful Morning.” Differing from the earlier ’55 film, this was an actual stage production recorded on film. Since the staging is superb and each scene is easily definable, this was actually one of its strengths over its predecessor! Superb performances from Hugh Jackman, Josefina Gabrielle and Shuler Hensley in the lead roles. In fact, they easily lived up to, and sometimes surpassed, the wonderful performances in the ’55 film. Good performances from the supporting cast as well, with some incredible choreography. One definite strength was probably the main confrontation between Curly and Jud. It was pretty intense and was definitely a pivotal point in the story. Although this is not my favorite Rodgers & Hammerstein production, this one will definitely be watched again.  NOTE: Although fairly family friendly, this story does handle some adult topics.****

Oklahoma - 1955

Wonderful musical with the remarkable music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, including the well known “O What a Beautiful Morning.” Based off of a stage production, this film included many things that would have been impossible on stage: fields of corn, horses, burning haystack and buggy race, to name just a few. Excellent cinematography and choreography! Superb performances from Shirley Jones, Gordon MacRae and Rod Steiger in the lead roles. Good performances from the supporting cast as well, although I had a hard time accepting Eddie Albert in the role of the Persian peddler. One weakness was probably the main confrontation between Curly and Jud. It was pretty mild and over so quickly you hardly knew it had happened. Although this is not my favorite Rodgers & Hammerstein production, it is definitely one that has been watched many times.  NOTE: Although fairly family friendly, this story does handle some adult topics.****