A love letter to both modern and golden age Hollywood musicals and films, La La Land is is about the struggles of trying to achieve your dreams in Los Angeles. It manages to mold together a fresh but nostalgic style that simultaneously feels like it could have worked and been a big hit during the 1950s.
For fans of La La Land, musicals with big set pieces, or a tragic love story, here are 10 classic musicals to watch.
10 An American In Paris
La La Land makes a lot of subtle hints to different musicals from the golden age of Hollywood, and one of those is An American in Paris. The musical, starring Gene Kelly, is about an American soldier who lives in Paris and ends up falling in love with a dancer.
An American in Paris came out right before Singin' in the Rain and had the same over-exaggerated set-pieces, making it a great classic musical.
9 West Side Story
West Side Story is a retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet set in 1960s New York City and is about an ongoing fight between two rival American and Puerto Rican gangs: The Sharks, led by Tony's best friend, and the Jets, led by Maria's brother Bernardo.
Tony and Maria end up falling in love and get caught in the gang's rivalry. As well as having a tragic love story, it also features amazing choreography and a great soundtrack.
8 Hairspray
While the film version of Hairspray came out fairly recently compared to films like The Sound of Music and Singin' in the Rain, it can still be considered as a classic. Hairspray is set in the 1960s and is about Tracy Turnblad, a girl who has always wanted to be a dancer on "The Corny Collins Show" and finally gets that opportunity, despite the bullying that she faces from her peers.
It's also set right in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement and has a lovely and important message, along with a great fashion sense and fun musical numbers.
7 Singin' In The Rain
Singin' in the Rain is one of the best classic musicals out there. It is also a love letter to Hollywood and tells the story of the transition from silent movies to talking pictures.
It has some of the most iconic musical numbers of both film and musical history. Despite La La Land's modern setting, it takes a lot of inspiration from Singin' in the Rain, especially in the former's epilogue, which is filled with artificial sets and bright colors.
6 Funny Girl
Barbra Streisand is somewhat of a queen of both film and stage musicals, as she starred in both versions of Funny Girl. Funny Girl is based on the true story of Fanny Brice, a comedienne and Ziegfield girl who gets into a turbulent relationship with Nick Arnstein, an entrepreneur, and gambler who gets into legal trouble.
Barbra Streisand plays the role perfectly and the film is a classic that is both funny and heartwarming.
5 Chicago
In terms of stylish character and lots of jazz, Chicago is full of it. It follows Roxie Hart, who is arrested after shooting her husband and becomes intoxicated by the attention that she receives during her trial because she has always wanted to be in show business.
The music and choreography are stunning, and the playful rivalry between Renée Zellweger's Roxie and Catherine Zeta-Jones's Velma, another performer who gets arrested for killing her husband, makes for great entertainment.
4 The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz is one of the best films of Hollywood's golden era and is loved by adults and children alike. It tells the story of Dorothy, a young girl who gets swept up by a twister and transported to Oz, where she accidentally crushes a witch with her house and then has to follow the yellow brick road.
Most people have seen this film at least once, as The Wizard of Oz is a musical classic and an iconic movie in Hollywood's history.
3 Top Hat
Top Hat features Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, who were considered iconic dance partners at the time. They featured in 10 films together, and always had an undeniable chemistry on screen.
In La La Land, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling share a similar on-screen presence, especially during the big tap numbers like A Lovely Night and their dance number in the Planetarium. Top Hat is the perfect film to watch for fans of musicals and dynamic tap-dancing duos.
2 The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is another classic that everyone needs to watch. Not only is it one of the best movie musicals out there, but it also has Julie Andrews at her best. For those who haven't seen it, it's about an aspiring nun who is sent to act as the governess of seven children who lost their mother.
The Sound of Music is a beloved musical that's great for everyone. While it's quite long, the film is a feel-good musical that should be watched by anyone who loved La La Land.
1 A Chorus Line
In the same way that La La Land is about the struggles of making it big in Hollywood, A Chorus Line is about the struggles actors go through on Broadway in order to achieve their dreams. The musical follows a group of performers as they audition for a role in a show.
The film is less well known than the stage show, which is iconic, but it's still worth watching. It's similar to Mia's struggles as she tries to become an actress in La La Land.
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