Gangs have changed in the decades since ‘West Side Story’ first came out – they are deadlier, and their demographics are different – as are the means law enforcement use to control them.
A formula found often in nature, many artists believe that following the golden ratio leads to the most aesthetically pleasing work. It can also accidentally turn up in musicals.
It was a box office flop, panned by critics. But in using the songs of the Beatles to craft a story of Vietnam-era America, Julie Taymor reinvigorated the film musical.
Alexander Hamilton’s commitment to a well-funded national army and his support for territorial expansion had grave repercussions for the Indigenous Nations west of the Appalachians.
There are many reasons the movie version of Cats has flopped, not least the unfortunate way in which various characters have been assigned racial characteristics.
South African-born composer Stanley Glasser’s musical legacy is in many ways unknown in his motherland which he left under political duress in 1963, and awaits critical engagement.
The Broadway hit offered an escape from the anxieties of World War II. But the America it portrayed – unified, patriotic and white – rings hollow today.
Muriel Heslop stole Australia’s heart when she debuted on screen in 1994. Now she gets a loving, ABBA-filled musical tribute, that is definitely not terrible.
Queer life thrived in 1940s Sydney despite policing and prohibition, as a new production of the musical Only Heaven Knows demonstrates. But it was not to last.
Musicals are back in vogue, with La La Land cleaning up at the Golden Globes. The film is, among other things, an homage to the classic musicals of old. So what are the must see movies of the genre?