Review: Four Different Musicals that are (mostly) family-friendly





 I know. I should be writing studio updates that everyone loves to read so much. *glances at blog statistics that suggest otherwise*

   But I'm planning something for February. I had originally planned it for last February, when Stephen Schwartz's Prince of Egypt was supposed to play in London's West End Theaters. And then I bumped it to after Festival. And then COVID hit, and my plans got derailed as I scrambled to learn the ropes of online teaching. 

   None of my students are in Festival this year (Parkland isn't even having one), and I've adjusted to online teaching, so enters a slightly less elaborate version of my original plan: Musical Theater Month. 

Game Plan

   Shh...don't tell my students... it's actually Learning a New Piece by Ear month. :) Something I haven't been good at teaching so far. 

   The idea is for them to pick a piece from one of the movies I'm going to review below, with their parents' help. Then they get to learn it by ear. Hopefully it will all be fun and games for them. 

   Since you could easily find better plot synopsis on Wikipedia than I could write, my review are going to be focused on elements Christian parents take into account when choosing movies for their children to see. In other words, things I would want people to tell me if I was a parent. I'll be looking at romance, magic, violence, and language.

 (There's nothing scholarly about the way I've ordered them. The order is purely based on my personal preference.)

Prince of Egypt

   If you know me, you're not surprised that this made top of the list for me. I am a fan! Action, three-dimensional characters, and unforgettable music -- everything that makes a great movie is in Prince of Egypt. (If you think I'm biased because I'm a Christian, and the storyline is taken from the Bible -- well, it's probably true that I'm biased, but look up the soundtrack on YouTube and you'll find a number of people who leave comments saying they aren't religious, but still love the movie.) Prince of Egypt was originally a DreamWorks animated film, but in 2017 it hit the market as a real live-action theater production. 

   Romance: There is romance between Moses and Tzipporah, but it's not mushy and lovey-dovey. Tzipporah is too feisty for that! Instead, she always boldly points him back to truth (albeit somewhat harshly at the beginning), becoming his greatest support. (Her clothes? Not anything I'd wear, personally.)

Magic: Obviously, the Egyptian priests are practicing magic. But in the movie, it's very clear that it's all smoke-and-mirrors and sleight of hand. (They literally store things up their sleeves!) All the same, the one song I don't recommend is "Playing With the Big Boys" (sung by the priests).

Violence: There is one brief incident where Moses kills one of the taskmasters; in the movie it is portrayed as an accident and is non-graphic. I don't think it's a big deal, but I found out that at least one person found that scene disturbing as a child. 

Language: Perfectly clean! 

Fiddler On the Roof

   A close second to Prince of Egypt -- in my books, anyways. :) It's not action-packed, but is a charming story of a Jewish man and his family living in a Russian village in the early 20th century. 

Romance: Reb Tevye has five daughters, so much of the story focuses on getting the oldest three married. In fact, it pits the "old way" (the matchmaker who tells the parents who their children should marry so the parents can then arrange the marriage) against the daughter's opinions and feelings. Subsequently, one daughter marries a radical who winds up in Siberia (although that part does give a good glimpse of the political climate of the day), and another ends up estranged from her family. I'll refrain from inserting my opinion. 

Magic: None. Totally safe here!

Violence: Again, one scene that might be disturbing for young children. Unlike Prince of Egypt, nobody dies. The historical context is one of political unrest. An anti-Semitic mob vandalizes the Jewish section of town on the evening of Reb Tevye's oldest daughter's wedding. 

Language: Don't remember anyone using any foul language. 

The Sound of Music

   Everyone knows this one. :) 

Romance: Very heavily romantic. It's a Rogers and Hammerstein -- romance is the whole point. Of course, there has to be a love triangle. And romantic gazes, and romantic songs -- you get the point. 

Magic: Not a trace!

Violence: Nope, none here. 

Language: Like Fiddler On the Roof, I don't remember there being any.

Beauty and the Beast

   This was Disney's first "moviecal" -- the cartoon came first, then they turned it into a Broadway musical. If your family isn't in to Disney princesses, well, maybe stick with one of the other three. But if you're watching these already, this one counts for the February theme month. :) (Note: I haven't watched the live-action Beauty and the Beast movie. Not because I have anything against it, but because my brother told me it's almost exactly like the cartoon, and... I'd rather watch the cartoon. ;)

Romance: Of course it's romantic. Now, since Beauty doesn't fall in love with a stunningly handsome prince equipped with every social grace, that earns it a point in my books. :) 

Magic: Oh, it's definitely there. If you watch the original theater opening, you don't see the witch that starts it off at all (I can't speak for the alternate opening, having never watched it). Besides that ... the prince is an animal, and all his servants are talking objects, and all get magically transformed at the end of the story. That's about the extent of it. 

Violence: There's a fight scene, and the villain falls to his death after stabbing the Beast (naturally, it's a mortal wound, but the Beast comes back to life). That's about it. 

Language: Clean! 

   There you have it! Pick one (or them all!) and have fun! 

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