5 musicals that will put a song in your heart

Life is better when there is dancing, music, and a few suave moves in your arsenal. Musicals hit all the right notes. Showmax is offering you the best in musical entertainment, from Dear Evan Hansen, In The Heights, Music – a film by global superstar and singing sensation Sia – and something for the little ones with Elmo The Musical.

Tapping those feet already in anticipation? Give into the feeling, get your groove on and stream them now!

Dear Evan Hansen

Social anxiety is especially brutal when you are a teen in high school. Evan Hansen (played by Emmy and Tony Award winner Ben Platt) is the main character in this musical film based on the stage play, in which Evan invents an important role for himself in a tragedy.

A fellow student named Connor (Colton Ryan, Conrad in the miniseries The Girl From Plainville) commits suicide and leaves behind a letter – the catch? It’s actually a letter that Evan wrote for his therapist as part of his own healing journey. Connor snatched the letter when Evan printed it at school. But after Connor takes his own life, this letter suddenly brings closure for his family, who start spending more time with Evan, believing that he was their son’s best friend.

Emotionally charged musical performances follow through the two acts in this film, as Evan must now face the music (okay, the consequences of his lies) and feels that he has to go along with giving hope to his fellow classmates and Connor’s parents.

Amy Adams and Julianne Moore play Connor’s and Evan’s mums.

In The Heights

“A dream isn’t some sparkling diamond. There are no shortcuts, sometimes it’s rough.”

Usnavi (Anthony Ramos, Eladio in the drama series In Treatment), the main character in this thrilling musical, says these words when he tells a tale of Washington Heights to a group of children gathered outside his island paradise bodega. Rewinding to a time when his business operated out of the Upper Manhattan suburb, the narrator captures the sights and sounds of the Dominican cultural hub of Nueva York. There’s a lively vibe to this joyful and celebratory musical adaptation, and it’s fuelled with lots of emotions and dance numbers full of energy and pizazz.

But what about love, you ask? Well, a musical with a love story always makes things more interesting, and this is where we cue in the star opposite Usnavi, Vanessa (portrayed by Melissa Barrera, Liv in the miniseries Keep Breathing), who is an aspiring fashion designer. She will certainly keep Usnavi on his toes – sometimes literally.

Music: A Film By Sia

Estranged from her family, drug dealer Kazu “Zu” Gamble’s (played by Kate Hudson) life changes in an instant when her grandmother dies and she is left to take care of her nonverbal, autistic half-sister Music (Maddie Ziegler, Velma in the film West Side Story), who sees the world in an entirely different way.

Music’s world consists of bright colours, choreographed dancing and, above all, amazing musical performances and songs, which were specially composed and recorded by the Australian singer Sia, who also makes her directorial debut in this film.

Various trials await Zu and Music in this film as life, poverty, inequality, drugs and oppression threaten to keep them apart, but still hope persists and it will bring them the absolution they both deserve.

Elmo: The Musical

In need of something jolly and musical to cheer up sulky little ones? Turn to Elmo: The Musical, a series full of melodic episodes jam-packed with adventure and valuable lessons for impressionable young minds.

Elmo imagines himself in different musical situations, such as being a sea captain, a mountain climber and even a prince, while he teaches kids various skills from maths, to art, to music, to having manners, and respecting your elders, through musical choruses.

Joining Elmo in his adventures is Velvet, a talking set of curtains, a series of animals, and his Muppet friends.

The High Note

Tracee Ellis Ross (Rainbow in the comedy series Black-ish)is the talented pop-diva Grace Davis who must choose between rehashing her old hits with a Las Vegas residency or going against the grain and bringing out a new album in her 40s.

Dakota Johnson (Anastasia Steele in the film trilogy Fifty Shades of Grey) is seen as Maggie Sherwoode, Grace’s long-time personal assistant, who has dreams of becoming a music producer and helping Grace to record a brand-new album.