In this unusual year, there wasn’t the usual amount of musical offerings. Broadway stages, movie houses, and TV productions all shut down in March. But some shows did premiere before the lockdown, some series did restart production (with health precautions in place), and some films did debut on streaming services instead of cinema screens. Plus, there was a steep rise in digital entertainment on older platforms like Twitter and newer ones like TikTok. So, all in all, there were plenty of outstanding musical moments in 2020 that deserve your attention. Here are my choices for ten of the most interesting.
1. Cambodian Rock Band (Feb. 24). Lauren Yee’s play with music follows a Khmer Rouge survivor returning to Cambodia, as his daughter prepares to prosecute one of the country’s most infamous war criminals. Backed by a live band, the show features contemporary Dengue Fever hits and classic Cambodian songs. The production received an Outer Critics Circle Award for best Off-Broadway play and nominations from the Drama Desk and Drama League.
2. The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Feb. 26). Dick Scanlan judiciously revised the 1960 musical comedy by Richard Morris and Meredith Willson. This new version of Molly Brown’s rags-to-riches story, culminating in her fateful trip on the Titanic, marked the show’s first appearance in New York since its Broadway premiere. The production received an Outer Critics Circle Award for best musical revival and a Drama Desk nomination.
3. Katy Keene: Kiss of the Spider-Woman (March 19). Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa penned this episode of Katy Keene, the seventh in the show’s first season. It centers around the Kander & Ebb musical Kiss of the Spider Woman. It is the only musical episode of the series so far. Below, Jorge (Jonny Beauchamp) makes his debut as a drag artist, performing the show’s title song at The Pepper Plant with Josie (Ashleigh Murray).
4. @mneelzy (March 31): During the lockdown, actress Mary Neely began posting Twitter videos. She said, “Since I’m single in the quarantine, I’ve decided to reenact moments from my favorite musicals, so it feels like I’m in love.” She fashioned makeshift wigs and outfits, then used her iPhone to record herself lip-syncing both parts of famous love duets from Broadway shows like Les Misérables and Beauty and the Beast, her “magnum opus.”
5. Riverdale: Wicked Little Town (April 15). In Chapter 74 of Riverdale, Kevin wants to perform Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the variety show, but Principal Honey says no. When every student comes to school dressed as Hedwig, Honey cancels the show, so Veronica hosts it at Le Bonne Nuit. It’s the show’s third musical episode, after takes on Carrie (Chap. 31) and Heathers (Chap. 51). Below, Kevin (Casey Cott) sings the musical’s opener, “Tear Me Down.”
6. Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration (April 26). This streaming concert, hosted by Raúl Esparza, featured a galaxy of stars. Among the highlights: “Someone in a Tree” (Pacific Overtures) with Ann Harada, Austin Ku, Kelvin Moon Loh, and Thom Sesma; “The Ladies Who Lunch” (Company) with Christine Baranski, Audra McDonald, and Meryl Streep; and the finale, “No One Is Alone” (Into the Woods), with Bernadette Peters.
7. Hamilton (July 3). This film of the 2015 Broadway musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda is edited from three live performances at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, combined with a few judicious setup shots recorded without an audience by a Steadicam on a crane and dolly. Acclaimed for its performances (including all the original principal Broadway cast) and direction, the digital release on Disney+ is the most-streamed film of the year.
8. Songs from an Unmade Bed (Aug. 10). In the early days of their self-isolation, BD Wong and husband Richert Schnorr began filming a series of music videos based on Mark Campbell’s song cycle Songs from an Unmade Bed (2005). Wong is joined in the 18 vignettes by special guests Telly Leung, Jose Llana, and more. The complete project streamed for four days this summer as a benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
9. Thanksgiving: The Musical (Nov. 24). Composer Dan Mertzlufft had a very productive quarantine, writing and arranging TikTok songs for Grocery Store: The Musical and Ratatouille: The Musical. But he received his largest audience for Thanksgiving: The Musical, which he wrote for Late Late Show host James Corden, who surprised Mertzlufft by adding roles for Kristin Chenoweth, Josh Gad, Patti LuPone, Josh Groban, and Audra McDonald.
10. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Nov. 25). August Wilson’s Broadway debut has been brilliantly adapted for the screen by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. The story recounts the tensions mounting during the course of an afternoon recording session in 1927 Chicago as a blues band awaits singer Ma Rainey. Viola Davis shines in the title role, lending her own vocals to “Those Dogs of Mine,” but singer Maxayn Lewis dubs the lion’s share of the powerful score.