Musical Mondays #18

Welcome back to Musical Mondays!

In case you’re new here, this column is a peek into the depths of the Musical Theatre archive, where I will showcase a few musicals that I think deserve a little more love. You can read my past posts by clicking here!

They’re the smaller, niche shows that not everyone will be familiar with – and that’s the point! They deserve just as much love as the big name shows, so every second Monday I’ll list a few, give you some comparisons, and a few examples of songs for you to check out.

The Original Broadway Cast of Tuck Everlasting | Photo by Joan Marcus

Based on the children’s book of the same name, Tuck Everlasting follows young Winnie Foster in her encounter with the Tuck family. Although normal on the surface, she soon discovers that they are immortal, and is forced to decide if she wishes to join them in eternal life, or live out the rest of her years. The show is definitely an interesting one, dealing with much heavier and serious concepts than other ‘children’s’ musicals. The original Broadway production featured Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Carolee Carmello, Michael Park, and Terrence Mann.

Standout track/s: Good Girl Winnie Foster; Top of the World; My Most Beautiful Day; Partner in Crime

You’ll like this if you enjoy: Bright Star, Violet, the novel and/or film Tuck Everlasting

Click here to listen to the Tuck Everlasting cast recording.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is quite possibly my favourite song cycle. Set as a series of vignettes, the show explores everything about love – dating, marriage, affairs, divorce, and everything in between. Often performed by a small cast switching out different characters, the show is a popular pick for college and community theatre productions. Every song is brilliant in its own right, and when performed well, the show is a wild ride from start to finish.

Standout track/s: A Stud and a Babe; Tear Jerk; Waiting Trio; I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change

You’ll like this if you enjoy: Song cycles like Edges, musical comedies like The Drowsy Chaperone, Golden Age musicals.

Click here to listen to the I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change cast recording.

Titanic follows the eponymous ship, notorious for sinking on its maiden voyage. With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston (Nine, Grand Hotel) and book by Peter Stone (1776, The Will Rodger Follies), the show swept the 1997 Tony Awards, winning all awards it was nominated for, including Best Musical and Best Score. The original Broadway cast included Michael Cerveris, Victoria Clark, Brian d’Arcy James, and Larry Keith. The show has since seen various tours and international productions, including an 2006 Australian premiere and 2016 Australian revival.

Standout track/s: Barrett’s Song; To Be A Captain; No Moon; We’ll Meet Tomorrow

You’ll like this if you enjoy: Maury Yeston musicals, historical musicals like 1776 or Evita.

Click here to listen to the Titanic cast recording.

Gabi Bergman

Gabi Bergman (she/her) is a Melbourne-based performer and educator, and the current Deputy Editor-in-Chief of AussieTheatre.com. She holds a double degree in Theatre Studies and Film/Screen Studies, along with a Master of Teaching (Secondary Education). A passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity in the arts, Gabi brings her deep love of storytelling to the stage, the page, and the classroom. A lifelong lover of theatre, she spends more on tickets than she’d like to admit. Her most prized possession is her ever-growing collection of theatre programs.