I have completed the very daring, time consuming and difficult challenge of watching 7 musicals over an entire week (1 a day). After many miles and hours of travelling, the week is finally completed and here is my mini review/ranking of the musicals from worst to best.
7: Wind in the Willows
The infamous kids musical in the batch: Wind in the Willows happened on Thursday. To make it clear, this is the version from Mark and Helen Johnson, not the version by Julian Fellowes. The story follows a bunch of animals, specifically a toad, badger, rat and mole. Shenanigans ensue resulting in a car crash and arrest.
The show itself is clearly aimed at a younger demographic: often making use of ‘poop’ humour. The kids performing were good but did struggle at times to keep up with the songs. The songs themselves are nothing to be excited about: sounding similar to a school assembly song. Set wise, it was lacking with just a few pieces of prop being brought in each time. It’s not a show I’d have any intention to watch again but was a nice quick show (about 70 minutes) in the middle of a busy week.
6: Camelot
After a fairly modern week of shows, Saturday brought about Camelot, the 1960 broadway musical. Camelot follows the story of Arthur as he starts to form the knights of the round table: to be able to find purpose in his life. During this, different individuals join Arthur in Camelot leading to drama and problems for his new regime.
The songs are very normal of the era of musics that Camelot is. However, they do drag slightly and the story overall is very long (3 hours). Moreover, the story itself is lacklustre, using the follow up to the original King Arthur story instead of the typical story. The show was completed through an immersive setting: having us sit amongst the walls of Camelot. As of such, the set was minimal as the atmosphere was created through the immersion. Other than that, the show is just average.
5: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Tuesday allowed me to ‘step out of the darkness’ for show which I’m not often positive around. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie follows the titular character, Jamie, a 16 year old boy who dreams of becoming a drag queen, and going to prom in a dress. When he embraces himself, he finally comes ‘out of the darkness’ to be his true self.
As previously mentioned, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is not a show I’m a fan of. The songs and choreography slap and they definitely did in this production. However, the story itself is a major let down for me: being both very long at times and untruthful to the youth of today. Similarly, the set and props, though very impressive, were not utilised to the full effect: leaving large gaps of darkness. Nevertheless, this production was very good; made better by knowing the cast already.
4: Stepping Out
Wednesday was the start of musicals I have never seen before. Stepping Out is a strange hybrid of A Chorus Line and Bad Girls. We meet a bunch of members of a tap class and learn about their lives: delving into difficult topics at times. Unsurprisingly, this all ends with a big, jazzy tap number to conclude the show.
On reflection, this show was interesting. It was very ‘down to earth’ in its approach. The storylines within the show are relatable at times and allow for interesting drama to occur on stage. The music is traditional musical theatre, with choreography to boot. The production was well put together but sloppy in places, such as a microphone being used backstage during a song.
3: 13 the Musical
I was given the opportunity to watch 13 the Musical on Sunday. 13 follows Evan (not Hansen) who is a 13 year old Jewish boy who moves to Indiana. He is eager to invite the coolest people to his bar mitzvah leading to a whole lot of drama as he attempts to navigate the social hierarchy of high school.
This production was well put together, with great set and lighting. The songs in the show are infamously early 2010s which I do feel nostalgic towards. The choreography in the show was very fun and felt like dancing a 13 year old would do. Also the show is quite short, which after Camelot was a welcome change of pace. On the other hand, some songs do not work well and the actors on stage were often off key: making it hard to listen to at times. The story is quite generic but I nevertheless, it still made for a fantastic finale to a busy week.
2: Footloose
I got to cut loose on Monday with a classic musical which I have already seen before. Footloose follows Ren who leaves his life in Chicago to move to Bomont: a town with a ban of dancing due to a tragic accident. This leads to a revolution against the policy and chaos ensures.
With great songs, prime for fantastic choreography, it was no surprise that this production on point. The choreography was sharp and allow the cast to fully immersive the audience. However, the set limited movement, which made some numbers feel clunky. The singing was really good at times; whilst disappointing at other times. Similarly, the set used in this production, though impressive, lacked any depth or atmosphere. Either way, it was still a joyful experience and a great start to the week!
1: Dear Evan Hansen
Friday was going to be a good day as I got to watch Dear Evan Hansen. Dear Evan Hansen centres around Evan, a socially awkward teenager who is suffering with mental health. Meanwhile we meet the Murphy family. When a misunderstanding after Connor Murphy’s death leads to new opportunities for Evan, difficulties follow as lies unfold.
Now, I have seen the movie. I have heard the controversy with the storyline. But can I just say, Dear Evan Hansen is by far one of the greatest shows I’ve seen in recent memory. The set is utilised through mirrors which gave different reflections. Moreover it involved sets which move on and off: adding constant movement and pace within the story. I love dance but this show doesn’t have this factor. Regardless, they do not need it. The songs are immaculate and none of them were unnecessary. This show is fantastic and a must see!
Max
References:
Fandom (2025 ‘Camelot (musical)’. Available at: https://kingarthur.fandom.com/wiki/Camelot_(musical)?file=Camelot-musical.jpg (Accessed: 18/05/2025)
MTI Shows (2025a) ‘13’. Available at: https://www.mtishows.com/13 (Accessed: 18/05/2025)
MTI Shows (2025b) ‘Dear Evan Hansen’. Available at: https://www.mtishows.co.uk/dear-evan-hansen (Accessed: 18/05/2025)
Out of the Ark (2025) ‘Wind in the Willows – Book, Script & Double Audio CD’. Available at: https://www.outoftheark.co.uk/wind-in-the-willows-book-cd.html (Accessed: 18/05/2025)
Shutterstock (2020). Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/musical-theatre-mono-line-design-comedy-1650230515 (Accessed: 18/05/2025)
Spotify (2025) ‘Stepping Out: The Musical (Original London Cast Recording)’. Available at: https://open.spotify.com/album/681aS8KFsv7tFSxap1bMMY (Accessed: 18/05/2025)
SubPlot Studio (2025) ‘Footloose’. Available at: https://www.subplotstudio.com/store/production/footloose/official (Accessed: 18/05/2025)
TheaterMania (2022) ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie‘. Available at: https://www.theatermania.com/shows/california-theater/los-angeles-theater/everybodys-talking-about-jamie_365265/ (Accessed: 18/05/2025)
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