‘Historically’ speaking, historical movies tend to perform very well at the box office. Perhaps that’s because we like to look back on the past and see how far we’ve come or to remember the events that led us to the society that we are today. Whatever the reason, there have been plenty of historical movies made over the years about a wide range of things, from events that happen within the course of one day, to events spanning decades.
However, despite there being no shortage of historical films, these movies tend to be less than historically accurate. That could be for several reasons. First, the average movie tends to be between an hour and a half to two and a half hours. That’s a very limited time to tell a complete story with detailed accuracy. Another reason could be that the real-life story is not as exciting as something Hollywood could dream up. These two reasons paired together means that our favorite historical movies are not often as fact-based as we would like them to be.
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Today, we are taking a look at the best musicals based on real-life events. This list ranks them according to the quality of the musical, and not necessarily their accuracy relating to their historical events. In addition, it excludes musicals like Hamilton that have yet to be released as a movie adaptation and has only been performed live or as a televised staged play.
The King and I
20th Century Studios
This 1956 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical is loosely based on the real-life story of governess Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr), who educated the children of King Mongkut of Siam (Yul Brynner) in the early 1860s. The musical is highly fictionalized and takes liberties when it hints of a romantic relationship between Anna and King Mongkut. However, what it does get right is that Anna deeply respected the king, but also chided him for his views on slavery and misogyny. In addition, Anna considered the king’s wives to be like her sisters and equals and didn’t assume charge of them as she does in the movie.
Evita
Hollywood Pictures
Get your tissues ready for this next entry, because contrary to most musicals, Evita does not have a happy ending. Evita tells the story of the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón, second wife of President Juan Perón, and Eva’s early life before her rise to power and fame, as well as her charity work and eventually her death from uterine cancer.
In the movie, celebrity singer Madonna plays Eva, who is a ruthless power-hungry woman, willing to do whatever it takes to gain fame and success, even sleeping her way up the political ladder. While Madonna had limitations as an actress, choosing a controversial celebrity to play a controversial historical figure is a genius casting decision, especially as both are unapologetically true to themselves.
Annie Get Your Gun
Loew's Inc.
Annie Get Your Gun is a fictionalized retelling of the story of Annie Oakley, who gained worldwide fame thanks to her skills as a sharpshooter. Annie came from humble beginnings but rose to fame in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show thanks to her skills with a gun. She would fall in love and marry Frank E. Butler and continue to set records well into her 60s before she died at the age of 66.
In the 1950 musical, Annie is a petite woman, who is strong-willed and rough around the edges. The movie really plays up the romance between her and Frank, with Annie struggling to decide between her career and romantic aspirations. In the end, Annie pretends to lose to Frank during a shootout, saving his pride and securing a marriage with him.
1776
Columbia Pictures
Have you ever wondered what America’s founding fathers argued about before the U.S. won its independence from England? The 1972 musical 1776 answers all your burning questions through song and dance. Join Benjamin Franklin (Howard da Silva), John Adams (William Daniels), and Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard) as they piddle, twiddle, and resolve to draft the American constitution. While it’s comical to imagine the founding fathers breaking out into songs and dancing, the issues presented in this musical are very much real, and they give us an insight into what their conversations might have been like many years ago.
The Sound of Music
20th Century Fox
“Brown paper packages tied up with strings. These are a few of my favorite things.” The Sound of Music is also one of many people’s favorite things, and is considered one of the most beloved musicals of all time. The story follows the Von Trapp Family who were renowned singers preceding World War II and relates the events of how Maria left the convent and sisterhood to become a governess to the children, and eventually, a mother to them and a wife to Captain Baron Von Trapp.
While the story is heartwarming and endearing, it does take a few liberties for dramatic purposes like changing the names and ages of all the children and omitting the additional three that Baron and Maria would later have. However, perhaps the biggest change was the ending. In the movie, the family flees Austria and the Nazis by going over the Alps to Switzerland. However, all they had to do was cross the railroad tracks and board a train to Italy.
Le Miserable
Distributed by Universal Pictures
“One day more. Another day, another destiny. This never-ending road to Calvary.” Les Miserables is a bittersweet musical about sacrifice and love, set amidst the June Rebellion, otherwise known as the Paris Uprising of 1832. Based on the novel by Victor Hugo published in 1862, the 2012 musical follows the fictional characters of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), Fantine (Anne Hathaway), Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), Marius Pontmercy (Eddie Redmayne), Javert (Russell Crowe), and Madame Thénardier (Helena Bonham Carter) as they find redemption, fall in love, chase revenge, and fight for freedom.
While the characters are all fictional, the events of the June Rebellion happened. However, the film fails to clearly state that the movie is about the Paris Uprising of 1832 and not the French Revolution which happened nearly years before the events of the film take place in 1789 until 1799.
The Greatest Showman
TSG Entertainment
“Ladies and gents, this is the moment you’ve waited for.” Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, may I direct your attention to The Greatest Showman, a musical loosely following one of the biggest names in the circus, P.T. Barnum (Phineas Taylor Barnum). Life in the 1800s was not easy for P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) who had a dream and barely a penny in his pocket.
By working hard, staying true to himself, and defying all the odds, P.T. Barnum eventually went on to achieve his dream, and start a world-famous circus, which would become the greatest show on Earth. The 2017 musical film is somewhat accurate, but like all Hollywood creations, it does take liberties and strays a bit from the path, especially as it paints a heroic picture of P.T. Barnum when in reality, some of his decisions and marketing tactics were questionable.
Tick, Tick…BOOM!
Netflix
“They’re singing, “Happy Birthday,” you just wanna lay down and cry. Not just another birthday, it’s 30/90.” Tick, Tick…BOOM! is a biography musical about Jonathon Larson, the man behind the smash hit musical, Rent. Most musical theater fans are familiar with Rent, but before Netflix released Tick, Tick…BOOM! back in November 2021, few knew Jonathon’s real-life story. It’s a narrative many of us will relate to.
Jon is an aspiring composer in New York City struggling with life, finances, and relationships. He is worried that he made the wrong career choice by following his dream of breaking into the world of the performing arts and fears that his life is ticking away. The musical was originally written and performed by Jonathon Larson as a one-man show until he died in 1996. Ironically, it seemed his worst fear of his life ticking away came through, but not before he left a musical legacy in his wake. Andrew Garfield stars alongside Vanessa Hudgens and Alexandra Shipp in this epic musical masterpiece.
Newsies
Walt Disney Pictures
“Pulitzer and Hearst, they think we’re nothin’. Are we nothin’? No!” Is a group of teenage boys singing and dancing in the streets protesting the price increase for newspapers historically accurate? No, but what is true in Newsies is the events of the newsboys strike right before the turn of the century in 1899. During the time, the streets of New York City were home to hundreds of homeless newsboys, “newsies” who were just trying to earn a wage to put food in their bellies.
The newsboys went on strike with the hopes of earning better wages from Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst’s newspapers. After protesting for two weeks, the newspaper companies were forced to make changes and begin offering full buybacks for any unsold papers. Newsies was successful both on Broadway and as this wonderful Walt Disney film in 1992 starring Christian Bale.
