It’s hard to love musicals in college. Seriously. Even for die-hard Broadway fans, the campus schedule and lifestyle can set up a lot of barriers between you and your show tunes.
Live shows are out of the question. Prices for a plane ticket to New York City are outrageous. Even a balcony seat at a local touring show is beyond most college students’ budgets.
Plus, to go see a show, you usually have to dress up. This can be a problem when your wardrobe consists primarily of sweatpants. Wouldn’t it be so much easier just to enjoy musical theatre in all its glory from the comfort of your bed?
Good news musical lovers: It’s possible.
Netflix, the college student’s best friend, is teeming with movie musicals that run the gamut from laughably cheesy to moving and beautiful. Here are a few highlights to get you started on a Broadway binge:
Want a taste of Broadway?
The Tony Award-winning Broadway adaptation of Shrek is available to stream, featuring stars like Sutton Foster and Brian D’Arcy James. The sets are colorful, the music is catchy and the jokes are a little crude. A perfect recipe for a night in.
Also available: The Phantom of the Opera, RENT, The Producers
How about a classic?
Netflix recently dropped a large selection of classic movie musicals (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Funny Face, for example), but a few oddballs remain. Check out Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a rather bizarre 1968 film about a trip on a magic car to a land called Vulgaria, in which there are mysteriously no children. It’s almost three hours long, but Dick Van Dyke flies a car with wings. Your call.
Also available: Beach Party, First a Girl, The Young Girls of Rochefort
Looking for a childhood throwback?
It doesn’t get much more nostalgic than High School Musical, but be sure to watch it alone so your friends don’t notice that you still know all the lyrics to, “Get’cha Head in the Game.” Animated classics like Mulan and Pocahontas are also great options.
Also available: Anastasia, Joseph King of Dreams
In the mood for Christmas music?
Don’t be ashamed. If you have the urge to sing along to songs about falling snow and holiday cheer, check out the 1954 classic, White Christmas. You’ll be humming the title number all day, but the incredible dance numbers and warm fuzzies at the end are worth it.
Also available: The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, The Nightmare Before Christmas
 
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