The past few years have seen some big theatre productions, especially Broadway-style musicals, enthrall the audiences
While intimate stage pieces hold their own sway over the theatre-going audience, large-scale productions have their own thrill and charm. There is a sense of awe when you witness a live act on stage with hundreds of cast members singing, dancing, performing — the works! In the last couple of years, the number of big productions on stage, mostly musicals, has certainly gone up. Recently, the audience got a chance to watch Disney’s Aladdin, a Broadway-style musical that had a good run.
While there have been many large-scale productions over the past few years, there were a few that stood out for their concept, storylines and production values. Here’s a look at them...
MUGHAL-E-AZAM
K Asif’s magnum opus by the same name is a classic that’s imprinted in every cinema lover’s heart. Who can forget the gorgeous Madhubala as Anarkali, rebel against the great Akbar (played by Prithviraj Kapoor) as she sings Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya in a sheesh-mahal? Director Feroz Abbas Khan adapted it for the stage and made a musical extravaganza with state-of-the-art sets, classic choreography and live singing by the lead actors. The show, which started in 2016, has completed 125 shows so far across India and has its 10th season coming up in Mumbai in May. The show then travels to Dubai for its first overseas tour and then heads to other international locations.
BEAUTY & THE BEAST
In the year 2015, Disney made its entry into the live entertainment space with their Broadway-style musical, Beauty & The Beast. The classic fairytale had an all-Indian cast and crew and biggies in the entertainment space, including Leslie Lewis, Terence Lewis, Vikranth Pawar and Gavin Miguel were associated with it. The show enjoyed multiple seasons with its lead cast Meher Mistry as Belle and Edwin Joseph as the Beast receiving thunderous applause whenever they appeared on the stage together.
ZANGOORA — THE GYPSY PRINCE
One of the longest-running musicals, Zangoora has completed more than 2,500 shows and is still running at the Kingdom of Dreams in Gurugram even after eight years. Apart from songs and dance, the Bollywood spectacle boasts of video, animation, special effects, aerial choreography and even magic!
GANDHI THE MUSICAL
While Mahatma Gandhi’s story and his freedom struggle is well-known to most of us, it’s still a hard task to weave song and dance around it. In 2016, director Danesh R Khambata took upon the responsibility to present the Father of the Nation’s story and his experiments with truth in a Broadway-style musical with 18 original songs, 22 dancers and 16 singers. The majestic props, backdrops, choreography and production design, coupled with good acting and singing were some of the reasons for the show’s success.
JHUMROO
Packed with 19 retro songs, this show celebrates the spirit of the one and only Kishore Kumar. Jhumroo started in 2012 at the Kingdom of Dreams and has been running there since then, with over 1,500 shows. The musical comedy is a rollercoaster ride which surprises the audiences with twists and turns. But if there is one reason you need to see this show, it’s for the music!
BALLE BALLE
The chaos of love and arranged marriages is the delightful set-up of this Bollywood musical comedy that premiered last year in November in Mumbai. As expected, it’s bursting with colour, with the actors donning some beautiful costumes. The choreography is fun and the music is a mix of iconic Bollywood songs. The bumbling romances of star-crossed lovers makes for a perfect set-up for watching a show with the family. The musical is now expected to be staged in Delhi.
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