Mary Poppins: Sorting Out the Bankses

Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews. Photo: Disney The story of how Walt Disney convinced the British-Australian author P.L. Travers to let him turn her books about Mary Poppins into…

An American in Paris: Art, Dance & Romance

Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. Photo: MGM ”An American in Paris” first saw the light of day in 1928. A jazzy orchestral piece, it was written by George Gershwin and…

Beauty and the Beast 

When her father (Kevin Kline) is taken prisoner by a beast (Dan Stevens) inside a huge, wintry castle, Belle (Emma Watson) offers herself in exchange for his freedom. Another live-action…

My Fair Lady: A Loverly Musical

Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. Photo: Warner When George Bernard Shaw’s stage play ”Pygmalion” premiered in London in 1913, it was daring for its time. Making fun of the British…

West Side Story: When Maria Met Tony

Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood. Photo: United Artists Stage director Jerome Robbins was a key reason why ”West Side Story” became a groundbreaking Broadway hit in 1957. When the time…

White Christmas

When two entertainers and WWII veterans (Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye) help a couple of charming sisters (Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen) out of a pickle, they all end up at a rural…

Holiday Inn: Where the Treetops Glisten

Marjorie Reynolds, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. Photo: Paramount Contemporary viewers might find it curious to see the Fourth of July segment of this musical turn into a full-blown salute…

The Muppet Christmas Carol 

The fourth Muppet movie is the first after Jim Henson’s death and now more clearly than ever is the concept directed at children. A smart commercial move, but I’m sure…

Chicago: City of Scoundrels

Catherine Zeta-Jones. Photo: Miramax Premiere once named this as one of the 20 most overrated films of all time. My take is different: Chicago is the greatest screen musical of…