Musicals appropriate for 5 y/o (1 Viewer)

[LarryE]

I am unfamiliar with many of the old musical classics, as I've never been fond of this genre. However, I have a 5 y/o daughter who is crazy about them. I'm asking for your opinion on DVD's with widescreen transfers, with relatively good transfers and audio that my daughter might enjoy. I think I may get more into them as recently I have really enjoyed Moulin Rouge, as well as Chicago. ( Thanks to this forum!) Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Robyn Young]

Well, there are several that would fit the bill as far as good musicals. Some transfers may be questionable, but good musicals all the same.

The Music Man(my favorite)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Brigadoon(may not be as interesting, but still a good one)
Singin' in the Rain
Guys and Dolls
Bye Bye Birdie
Oliver
Annie(which I liked...)
My Fair Lady

All above were available in Widescreen with the exception of Singin' in the Rain, I believe. The Widescreen version of Annie I guess is out of print(see the other threads about that.)


Hope this helps

 

[LarryE]

Thanks Robyn. I will check these out. I have also considered Cats as I believe my daughter might like this one.

 

[Robyn Young]

I forget about Cats, as I've never seen it, but I know a couple of 10 year olds that love it.

 

[MartinTeller]

The Muppet Movie
The Wizard of Oz
Yellow Submarine

I hate it now, but when I was 8 or 9 I loved Grease.

 

[perrin]

You should also consider Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Donny Osmond. The story is based on the Bible where Joseph is very popular with his father, but his brothers are very jealous of his father's devotion. As a result, the brothers have him kidnapped by an Egyptian pharoh, who very much resembles Elvis Presely.
This is also another Andrew LLoyd Weber musical.

CATS is another great musical by Weber, and I am sure your daughter will enjoy it. It's too bad they decided not to include some songs from the Broadway show.

Another one you should look into is Cinderella by Rodgers and Hammerstein. There are two versions available on DVD and video. One is from the late 1960s starring a very young Leslie Ann Warren as Cinderella, and the other version, from Disney studios, is from 1998 with Brandy and Whitney Houston. Both versions are very nice to watch and to hear.

perrin

 

[Garrett Lundy]

NOT Cannibal: The Musical!

 

[Brook K]

To add a couple more

The Sound Of Music
Anchors Aweigh (featuring the famous "Gene Kelly dances with Jerry Mouse" scene)
Popeye

 

[GlennH]

Some others that would be good for a kid:

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (new SE widescreen streets 11/25)
Mary Poppins

maybe not oriented to small kids, but still good music they could enjoy:

The King and I
Fiddler on the Roof

not widescreen, but OAR:

Annie Get Your Gun
State Fair

 

[Derek_McL]

Don't restrict yourself to widescreen transfers Larry you'll miss out on a lot of great pre-1953 musical classics that way.

I can't recommend the SE of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN(1952)highly enough. The picture quality of the barebones previous version was pretty good but this one blew me away with the vibrancy of the colours. The film is in IMO the greatest musical ever made and the WB disc has a barrel load of extras including a superb feature length documentary telling the story of the golden age of the MGM musical. Really for entertainment value you can't go far wrong with the great MGM musicals of the 40s and 50s and the documentary on the Singin' disc is an excellent introduction.

A few of the great MGMs are available in reasonable transfers on DVD nowhere near Singin's quality but good enough. ON THE TOWN (1949) and AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951) complete the trilogy of must see Gene Kellys. I like BRIGADOON (1954) too but its not in the same league.

Is there anybody at Warners who is a Judy Garland fan ? Apart from the obvious one THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)the only Garland titles available at the moment are THE HARVEY GIRLS (1945) (a super transfer I believe) and A STAR IS BORN (1954) (a wonderful disc of her greatest performance). A few seem to be planned for next year including MEET ME IN ST LOUIS (1944)the greatest of all small-town family musicals.

I wasn't that keen on CHICAGO myself preferring musicals written specifically for the screen. There are a few exceptions including THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965) which grows on me with age. The Fox SE version has been widely criticised for edge enhancement but it looks great to me and there is a feature length making of there too.One Broadway transfer I really enjoyed (much better than its critical reputation) and was very impressed by the non-widescreen transfer of was MGM's ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (1950). Wonderful songs and also the ability not to take itself too seriously.

In Region 2 we'll soon be getting a boxset of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers and also some of Universal's Deanna Durbin vehicles. The only studio not to give us much golden era music is Fox unless you count Marilyn Monroe and Rodgers and Hammerstein. I'll ask again here for Alice Faye and Betty Grable rather than Shirley Temple.

Recently Columbia have been releasing a few musicals but sadly not in pristine condition. If you're child is into modeling clothes (I suppose a 5 year old could be?!)I would recommend COVER GIRL (1944) which stars Gene Kelly and the lovely Rita Hayworth and includes the song "Long Ago and Far Away". The only thing is I have to admit to being disappointed by the transfer but to me its the film that matters. I've heard there's quite a lot of debris on the print of Columbia's THE JOLSON STORY (1946) but that film and its sequel are must-owns for me anyway. Was there ever a better musical biography ?

 

[Jeff Gatie]

I second Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. Do not be put off by the Bible origins, it really does not mention any religious themes. My nieces have loved this since they were 4-5 and still ask to play it all the time. I must say (gulp, gasp) Donny Osmond is great in this and the story is funny and uplifting. There is one scene with semi-adult conetent that whizzes right over the kiddies head.

The Wizard of OZ (the witch can scare the timid), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Yellow Submarine are also enjoyed by my nieces/nephews, but Joseph and the ATDC is still their favorite.

 

[Brian Kidd]

While A STAR IS BORN is, indeed, a great film, I don't see it as appealing much to a five-year-old. Alcoholism and suicide aren't exactly stuff you'd see on Sesame Street.

BUGSY MALONE was always a favorite of mine when I was young because of it's all-child cast. Not on DVD in R1, unfortunately.

THE 5000 FINGERS OF DR. T. and WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY are great kids' musicals, although they may be a little on the dark side for some more squeamish kids. I loved them as a child and still enjoy them both now. Both are available on DVD.

 

[Nick Senger]

My 4 year old daughter absolutely adores Singin' in the Rain (and so does her father!). Even my 9 and 12 year old sons like watching it.

 

[LarryE]

Wow, thanks for the replies guys. I should have been more specific Derek and stated OAR, as I would miss out on great musicals from the 50's. There were many good suggestions.

 

[ScottRichard]

Calamity Jane with Doris Day and Howard Keel is a really fun, colorful, snappy musical that kids, as well as adults may enjoy. It's in it's OAR and the transfer is good too!

 

[Jim-M]

I would second The Sound of Music. Our 4 year old loves it. Mary Poppins is another good one that is appropriate for a 5 year old.

 

[Bob Graham]

I recommend "THE COURT JESTER" with Danny Kaye--really more of a comedy with music than a musical comedy but a truly funny and enjoyable film for kids of all ages. It's got a nice anamorphic transfer, too.

 

[Sarah S]

You could also try Bye Bye Birdie. Don't know if the Dick Van Dyke version is on dvd yet, but the songs are excellent and engaging. I would definitely get the Dick Van Dyke/Ann-Margaret version if available, but the remake shouldn't be too atrotious.

 

[Edwin-S]

CAT DON'T DANCE is a decent animated musical. Unfortunately the present release is non-OAR. A lot of the people running these companies think that "children's" films are not worth releasing in OAR.

 

[BBbrowd]

Mary Poppins is the ultimate musical for children. It's especially great for the age range of 5 - 8 years old.