You have likely already seen La La Land too many times, or maybe you do not get the hype. Here are some other modern musicals, of various media, not based on a Broadway show, to fill that hole, that you do not even need to leave home to watch.
Musicals like ‘La La Land’
‘Across the Universe’
Julie Taymor directed this 2007 movie, which builds a story around 34 songs by The Beatles. Across the Universe tells multiple interconnected stories in London and America, set during the Vietnam War. The overarching story is not the most original or cohesive, but the visuals are astounding. It creates powerful imagery with striking colors. The songs are neatly folded into the context of the story, in creatively applicable ways. Of course, the music is great because it is all by The Beatles. Even though the cast performs covers of the songs, most are still beautiful and effective.
‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend premiered in 2015, and is just finishing up its second season. Despite its woefully dreadful, yet completely spot-on, title, it is one of the most creative shows on television right now. The show is about a woman who moves across the country to follow her high school boyfriend. It’s not the greatest premise, but it sets up the unexpected potential for this incredible show. First, it is a musical. Every episode has one to four original songs, usually averaging around three. Each has a different style and are uniquely hilarious. Second, this show is incredibly honest. It approaches a variety of subjects most shows shy away from, and it is not afraid to show the worst of its characters.
‘Moulin Rouge!’
This 2001 movie, directed by Baz Luhrmann, was rightfully nominated for eight Oscars. Set in the early 20th century, Moulin Rouge! is about a writer who falls in love with a cabaret actress. Everything about this movie is beautiful. Not all the songs are the most fun to listen to on their own, but they fit wonderfully within the absurdly chaotic and stunning setting.
‘Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog’
Joss Whedon created this 2008 musical web series. It is about a love triangle between a wannabe super villain, a super hero, and a regular girl, from the titular Doctor Horrible’s perspective. Everything about this is so fun and creative. It uses the medium in a really innovative way, bringing a new perspective to the superhero genre. It is no wonder Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog became a cult classic, with its catchy music and shift in perspective.
‘Enchanted’
The legendary Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz wrote the music for Enchanted, a 2007 mostly live-action Disney princess musical. It is both satirical of classic Disney princess movies, yet also manages to be one of their best. A princess meets her true love in an animated magical land. The queen then pushes her into the live-action, not-so-magical New York, where the princess must reevaluate her perspectives. It steals conventions from classic fairy tales and builds upon them to make something fresh and modern. The songs are also great, three of which were nominated for academy awards.
‘Galavant’
Alan Menken also wrote music for this short-lived two-season 2015 series. Galavant follows a knight in search of his happily ever after. The music and plot of Galavant is mostly a parody of classic knight and fairy tale stories, as well as classic musicals. The lyrics are incredibly clever, and within its two series it built up an exciting plot with compelling characters. As the characters developed, they became more interesting, veering onto completely unexpected trajectories. It’s a pity that the show was not able to continue longer because it had undying potential within its Monty Python-like convention.
‘The Last Five Years’
Technically, The Last Five Years is based on an off-Broadway show. Originally written by Jason Robert Brown, The Last Five Years tells the story of a couple’s relationship from each of their perspectives. One begins at the beginning of their relationship, while the other starts at the end, transitioning in between, only aligning once in the middle. The music is absolutely amazing, yet the unique narrative structure is adapted only decently for the screen. Interestingly, in the original musical, the two protagonists only share the stage once, while they largely share the screen in the movie.
‘Smash’
Smash likely lives in infamy as the two season 2012 NBC series. The show is about a production team who is creating a musical about Marilyn Monroe, Bombshell. Smash itself only barely counts as a musical, as only a handful of songs are used as the mode of storytelling. The characters specifically perform the majority of the songs. Although Bombshell is in the style of more classical musicals, as the show continues, other characters create the show Hit List. Hit List balances the music of Bombshell with a much more contemporary musical. Additionally, the stellar cast is notable, many of whom have Broadway origins.