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| Theatre Chairs Image from VDB Photos, thanks to Shutterstock |
If you were to grant me a wish of doing anything I wanted to for the day, I would easily know what to ask for and it would always include a trip to the theatre in London. For years I went regularly and saw all the big shows, some I even saw a number of times. I think the Phantom of the Opera still reigns as my absolute favourite but I did see Blood Brothers around six times as I loved it so much, so that must be a close second.
Then the kids came along and things changed, we had a massive salary cut and of course evenings out then involved costly babysitters too, so I really felt the London theatre scene was passing me by and I missed quite a number of shows that I wanted to see, ones like The Sound of Music and Dirty Dancing.
Then about four years ago things started to change again and I found myself staying in London at least a couple of times a year and of course I wanted to see a good West End show whilst I was there. So in the last few years I've seen Wicked (twice), 42nd Street, Dreamgirls, Mamma Mia and Beautiful - The Carole King Story. Every one different and each with their own merits but the thing I really love about musical theatre is that you can lose yourself for a few hours in a world of bright lights and great songs.
Musical theatre is definitely my preferred genre and I'm so pleased that there are still dozens of shows that I haven't seen yet, so here is my bucket list for the next few years. You never know, if I'm really lucky maybe I'll get to book three sets of tickets for London shows each year and then I can crack this list in just over three years!
Right, starting from the bottom up, here are the next ten shows I have my heart set on seeing -
10. Kinky Boots
Kinky Boots has the music and lyrics of Cindy Lauper and having been born in the 1970's I'm very familiar with her songs and style. The musical tells the story of Charlie who inherits a shoe factory which is in trouble. Charlie forms an unlikely partnership with drag artist Lola and together they design a line of knee high boots that save the business.
9. The Lion King
With music from Elton John and Tim Rice it really is a travesty that I've not yet seen this show and in fact I've never seen the original film either. Anyone I know who has seen this show (including my son) says it is amazing, both the actors dressed as animals and the hollow puppets. It's no wonder that in September 2014, The Lion King became the top-earning title in box-office history for both stage productions and films, surpassing the record previously held by The Phantom of the Opera.
8. The Book of Mormon
To be honest I wasn't sure what to expect with this show and as a Christian I was a bit worried it might offend me but a friend from church told me its all light-hearted fun and of course some of the Mormon beliefs are quite different to my own anyway.
7. Matilda the Musical
This highly acclaimed show won seven Olivier awards in 2012 and has music and lyrics from the hilarious Tim Minchin. The musical's narrative centers on Matilda, a precocious 5-year-old girl with the gift of telekinesis, who loves reading, overcomes obstacles caused by her family and school, and helps her teacher to reclaim her life
6. Les Miserables
It seems a crime, even to me that for a show that's been running for over 30 years that I've never got around to seeing it. This is one of the absolute classics but I used to worry it would be depressing, now as an older woman I know it will be moving and an absolute privilege to watch.
5. The King and I
I adored this Rogers and Hammerstein musical film as a child and watched it so many times but I need to be quick to see this musical that arrived here from Broadway, as it is only on a short run before it heads off for an Asia tour.
4. Motown The Musical
I love a musical where I can sing along and I'm sure this will be one of those. My Mum loved Motown music and as a child I grew up listening to it every day. With music from the likes of Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye this is definitely one for my Mum and I to enjoy together.
3. The School of Rock
I've wanted to see this show since it first opened in London in 2016 but I haven't had the opportunity to take my kids and I know this is one show they will absolutely love. Just look at the trailer, so much fun and attitude!
2. The Band
After seeing Take That live a number of times in my Uni years and watching Let it Shine on TV, I really want to see this show as it will be another one where I know the songs and can sing along to my heart's content. I'm not sure my hubby feels the same way though! lol
1. Tina Turner The Musical
My husband and I have seen Tina Turner in concert a few times and we absolutely love her music. It is my go to for karaoke nights and I just know I'm going to adore this musical. The story of Tina's life has been bought to the stage by Tina herself and the director of Mamma Mia so it has a great heritage.
Did I surprise you? Would you have expected those to be my top two?
So over to you. Do you enjoy the theatre and particularity London theatre? What's your preferred genre?
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