All times EASTERN SUNDAY, NOV. 17 AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS – “3008” – It’s a Thanksgiving celebration on “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” including a woman who is grossed out by having to prepare a turkey for dinner and a little boy who is thankful for dinosaurs; plus, selfies gone wrong and people getting scared. (7:00-8:00 p.m.) KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS – “Turkey in Space” – In a special Thanksgiving-themed episode, Tiffany shares her favorite Turkey Day traditions and films an infomercial for “Gobble Gobble Wrapping Paper” with kids who frantically gift wrap everything from Thanksgiving leftovers to a live turkey. Later, Tiffany and an 8-year-old girl pitch movie ideas to her big shot Hollywood director friend Jack McBrayer (“30 Rock”). (8:00-9:00 p.m.) TUESDAY, NOV. 19 THE CONNERS – “Slappy Holidays” – Chaos ensues when Dan finally gets the entire family together for Thanksgiving dinner. Mixed feelings about the Lunch Box continue to build tension in the house, and Harris makes an unexpected move. Guest starring is Eliza Bennett as Odessa. (8:00-8:30 p.m.) WEDNESDAY, NOV. 20 THE GOLDBERGS – “Angst-Giving” – Even though Beverly’s patience with Pop Pop is put to the test due to his endless Thanksgiving demands, she is able to put aside her own feelings to help heal the long-standing rift between Murray and Pop Pop. Meanwhile, Barry and Erica are ready to return home for the holiday, but Uncle Marvin accidentally drives them to Pittsburgh. Marvin attempts to make it right not knowing if they will make it to Jenkintown in time to celebrate the holiday. Judd Hirsch and Dan Fogler return to guest star as Pop Pop and Uncle Marvin, respectively. (8:00-8:30 p.m.) SCHOOLED – “Friendsgiving” – CB celebrates Thanksgiving by having all of William Penn rally around him after a cooking incident at his house, while the alumni faculty football game brings out the competitive sides of Wilma and Coach Mellor. (8:30-9:00 p.m.) MODERN FAMILY – “The Last Thanksgiving” – Cameron and Mitchell’s friends mistakenly assume they have split up and have definitely chosen a side, and Haley attempts to cook Thanksgiving dinner as a thank you for Claire and Phil’s support with the twins. Meanwhile, Jay invites Phil and Dylan out to fly his model plane, and Phil thinks this is his chance to reclaim his dignity after their first outing 10 years ago went so wrong. (9:00-9:31 p.m.) SINGLE PARENTS – “Every Thursday Should Be Like This” – When Will gets busy cooking Thanksgiving dinner at Douglas’ home, he asks Angie to hang out with Tracy Freeze (guest star Jama Williamson). Angie reluctantly does so, only to realize that Tracy is actually wonderful, except for a secret she’s keeping from Will. Meanwhile, Miggy shows up to Thanksgiving dinner with the kids’ teacher, Ms. Pronstroller (Sarah Yarkin), as his date, and he enlists Douglas’ assistance in helping them form an in-person connection, given all of their previous communication has been via texts, DMs and memes. (9:31-10:00 p.m.) STUMPTOWN – “November Surprise” – Dex goes undercover after she is hired by a local politician to dig up dirt on his political opponent. Meanwhile, Grey and Liz’s romance continues, and Dex celebrates Friendsgiving with the group. (10:00-11:00 p.m.) WEDNESDAY, NOV. 27 A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING – In the 1973 special, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” created by late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown wants to do something special for the gang. However, the dinner he arranges is a disaster when the caterers, Snoopy and Woodstock, prepare toast and popcorn as the main dish. Humiliated, it will take all of Marcie’s persuasive powers to salvage the holiday for Charlie Brown. A special bonus cartoon from Charles M. Schulz, “This Is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers,” will air with the Peanuts classic, in which history comes to animated screen life in a captivating and informative program about the Mayflower voyagers. The special will air with Spanish audio via SAP. In “This Is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers,” the year is 1620. After 65 grueling, sea-tossed days, the Pilgrims are in view of America’s shores – and Charlie Brown and the Peanuts crew are with them as they experience firsthand the lifestyle of the early settlers and celebrate the first Thanksgiving. (8:00-9:00 p.m.) THURSDAY, NOV. 28 THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY: MAGICAL HOLIDAY CELEBRATION – “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration” kicks off the holiday season on ABC. Join celebrity hosts as they present the two-hour prime-time special on Thanksgiving night from Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. This magical celebration will feature musical performances with some of today’s top artists among a flurry of Disney holiday entertainment. During the prime-time special, viewers will also be treated to several Disney Parks sneak peeks, including a behind-the-scenes look into future attractions coming to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. Hosts and performers to be confirmed at a later date. (8:00-10:00 p.m.) SUNDAY, DEC. 1 SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN – In the perennial favorite created in 1970 by Rankin-Bass Productions (“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman”), Fred Astaire narrates this timeless tale of Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney), a young boy with an immense desire to do good things for others. The vocal cast features Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle; Keenan Wynn as Winter; Paul Frees as Burgermeister Meisterburger, Grimsby, the soldiers and the townsmen; Joan Gardner as Tanta Kringle; Robie Lester as Jessica and Andrea Sacino; Dina Lynn, Gary White and Greg Thomas as the children. (8:00-9:00 p.m.) MONDAY, DEC. 2 THE GREAT CHRISTMAS LIGHT FIGHT – Season Premiere – “701/704” – ‘Tis the season for ABC’s immensely popular decorating competition series, “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” which continues to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with celebrity judges—lifestyle expert Carter Oosterhouse and famed interior designer Taniya Nayak. Season seven of the holiday hit will once again showcase the most extravagant and utterly spectacular Christmas displays America has to offer! In each one-hour episode, four families with dazzling household displays will compete to win $50,000 and the coveted Light Fight trophy. (8:00-10:00 p.m.) TUESDAY, DEC. 3 CMA COUNTRY CHRISTMAS – Trisha Yearwood will host and perform on the 10th annual “CMA Country Christmas.” The two-hour music celebration features a night filled with Christmas classics and festive one-of-a-kind collaborations by Yearwood, Kristin Chenoweth, for KING & COUNTRY, Chris Janson, Tori Kelly, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Runaway June, CeCe Winans, Brett Young and Chris Young. “CMA Country Christmas” is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the executive producer. (9:00-11:00 p.m.) THURSDAY, DEC. 5 A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS – Celebrate the joy of the holidays with the classic animated Christmas-themed PEANUTS special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” created by the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. In the digitally remastered 1965 special, Charlie Brown complains about the overwhelming materialism that he sees everywhere during the Christmas season. Lucy suggests that he become director of the school Christmas pageant and Charlie Brown accepts, but it proves to be a frustrating struggle. When an attempt to restore the proper spirit with a forlorn little fir Christmas tree fails, Charlie Brown needs Linus’ help to learn what the real meaning of Christmas is. In addition, another PEANUTS special based on the works of Charles Schulz, “Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales,” will also air with the Emmy®-winning classic. (8:00-9:00 p.m.) SAME TIME, NEXT CHRISTMAS – In this original holiday film, Olivia Anderson (played by Lea Michele) is a successful young woman who met her childhood sweetheart during her family’s annual Christmas visit to Hawaii. After being separated by distance and years, the two reunite at the same Hawaiian resort years later, and the old chemistry between them flares up anew—but circumstances conspire to keep them apart. “Same Time, Next Christmas” stars Lea Michele as Olivia Anderson, Charles Michael Davis as Jeff Williams, Bryan Greenberg as Gregg Harris, George Newbern as Woody Anderson, Nia Vardalos as Faye Anderson, Phil Morris as Alec Williams and Dannah Lockett as Madelyn Williams. (9:00-11:00 p.m.) MONDAY, DEC. 9 THE GREAT CHRISTMAS LIGHT FIGHT – “703/706” – “The Great Christmas Light Fight” showcases the most extravagant and utterly spectacular Christmas displays America has to offer! (8:00-10:00 p.m.) TUESDAY, DEC. 10 THE CONNERS – “Smoking Penguins and Santa on Santa action” – Dan is disappointed when everyone but Becky forgets about his birthday. Meanwhile, Darlene is faced with another issue, and Dan excludes Jackie from the family Christmas Santa photo for mistreating Louise. Guest starring is Katey Sagal as Louise, Jay R. Ferguson as Ben and James Pickens Jr. as Chuck. (8:00-8:30 p.m.) BLESS THIS MESS – “Goose Glazing Time” – Mike and Rio are thrilled about having their first Christmas alone together as a married couple, but a wrench is thrown into their romanticized holiday plans as they are interrupted by crisis after crisis. Meanwhile, Kay invites Beau home for Christmas so that they can give Jacob a proper holiday. (8:30-9:00 p.m.) MIXED-ISH – “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” – Alicia and Paul strive to maintain their winter solstice traditions from the commune, but their parents want to have a more traditional Christmas with the kids. Meanwhile, Alicia’s dad, Lynwood (guest star Richard Lawson), competes with Harrison to be the kids’ favorite grandad. (9:00-9:30 p.m.) BLACK-ISH – “Father Christmas” – Pops doesn’t do Christmas, so when he shows up to the house full of holiday cheer with Lynette (Loretta Devine), Dre is thrown off. Pops wants to make up for lost time and go all out this Christmas. The whole family gets into the holiday spirit until someone from Lynette’s past shows up. Anthony Anderson directed the episode. (9:30-10:00 p.m.) WEDNESDAY, DEC. 11 THE GOLDBERGS – “It’s a Wonderful Life” – Hoping to outdo the Kremp family, Beverly decides the Goldbergs must do an even better family holiday card, but Geoff is surprised he is not invited to be in the photo. Meanwhile, a pranking war with Barry and JTP quickly spirals out of control. (8:00-8:30 p.m.) MODERN FAMILY – “The Last Christmas” – Cameron is hoping to keep everyone happy for their annual Christmas dinner, but Mitchell is suspicious he is hiding an ulterior motive. Meanwhile, Claire tries to dodge Jay’s job offer to work at his dog bed company and Luke has to deal with the consequences of kissing Manny’s ex-girlfriend, Sherri. (9:00-9:31 p.m.) SINGLE PARENTS – “Good Holidays to You” – When Graham writes a letter to Santa asking for either a white Christmas or to meet his father, Angie goes on a mission to find snow in Southern California with the help of Will and Sophie. Meanwhile, after Rory, Emma and Amy find out that Poppy and Douglas are romantically involved, the kids use this knowledge to their advantage to guilt their parents into buying them more Christmas presents. (9:31-10:00 p.m.) THURSDAY, DEC. 12 OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE – In “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure,” Olaf (voice of Josh Gad) teams up with Sven on a merry mission. It’s the first holiday season since the gates reopened and Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) and Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel) host a celebration for all of Arendelle. When the townspeople unexpectedly leave early to enjoy their individual holiday customs, the sisters realize they have no family traditions of their own. So, Olaf sets out to comb the kingdom to bring home the best traditions, and save Anna and Elsa’s “first Christmas in forever.” “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” features the original cast of Arendelle characters, including Olaf, voiced by Josh Gad (“Marshall,” “Book of Mormon”); Anna, voiced by Kristen Bell (“Frozen,” “Bad Moms”); Elsa, voiced by Idina Menzel (Broadway’s “Wicked,” “Rent” and “If/Then”; Fox’s “Glee”); and Kristoff, voiced by Jonathan Groff (Broadway’s “Hamilton,” Netflix’s “Mindhunter”). (8:00-8:30 p.m.) TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT – Pixar Animation Studios’ special for television, “Toy Story That Time Forgot,” features your favorite characters from the “Toy Story” films. During a post-Christmas play date, the “Toy Story” gang finds themselves in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turn out to be dangerously delusional. It’s all up to Trixie the triceratops if the gang hopes to return to Bonnie’s room in this “Toy Story That Time Forgot.” The cast includes Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz, Kristen Schaal as Trixie, Kevin McKidd (“Grey’s Anatomy”) as Reptillus Maximus, Wallace Shawn as Rex, Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head and Joan Cusack as Jessie. (8:30-9:00 p.m.) THE GREAT AMERICAN BAKING SHOW: HOLIDAY EDITION – Season Premiere – “Cake and Bread Week” – On your marks, get set, bake! The most festive and friendliest competition on television returns with hosts Emma Bunton (Spice Girls) and Anthony “Spice” Adams, and judges Paul Hollywood (“The Great British Baking Show”) and three-time James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Sherry Yard. The heat is on when 10 bakers enter the tent in the two-hour season five premiere of “The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition.” Based on the hit U.K. series “The Great British Baking Show,” “The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition” features bakers from across the country battling through 24 total challenges with six challenges throughout each two-hour themed episode, all in the hopes of being crowned “America’s Best Amateur Baker.” (9:00-11:00 p.m.) FRIDAY, DEC. 13 AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE – “The Bromance Before Christmas” – Katie looks forward to sharing her favorite childhood Christmas tradition with Taylor, but a surprise visit from her mom, Kathryn (Wendie Malick), threatens her holiday cheer. Meanwhile, Greg is blindsided by Katie’s good intentions; and to make matters worse, Oliver and Anna-Kat break a family heirloom. (8:00-8:30 p.m.) FRESH OFF THE BOAT – “Jessica Town” – Jessica is thriving in the merriment of Christmas, the time of year she takes full control of the household and everything is perfect until Louis does the unthinkable—tries to help, turning her Christmas dream into a holiday nightmare. Meanwhile, Eddie, Emery and Evan find themselves on the naughty list for breaking an expensive gift, which might just require the assistance of elves, or Grandma Huang, to fix. (8:30-9:00 p.m.) SUNDAY, DEC. 15 THE SOUND OF MUSIC – ABC will air the Rodgers & Hammerstein cinematic treasure “The Sound of Music.” Celebrate the Oscar®-winning classic with popular favorites “Edelweiss,” ”My Favorite Things,” “Climb Every Mountain,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” “The Lonely Goatherd” and “The Sound of Music.” (7:00-11:00 p.m.) MONDAY, DEC. 16 THE GREAT CHRISTMAS LIGHT FIGHT – Season Finale – “702/705” – “The Great Christmas Light Fight” showcases the most extravagant and utterly spectacular Christmas displays America has to offer! (8:00-10:00 p.m.) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17 SHREK THE HALLS – DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek the Halls,” a half-hour of entertainment starring America’s favorite ogre and his friends, features the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas. Just when Shrek thought he could finally sit back, relax and enjoy his happily ever after with his new family, the most joyous of all holidays arrives. It’s Christmas Eve and everyone is filled with holiday cheer—except for Shrek. He isn’t exactly the picture of yuletide joy, but for the sake of Fiona and the kids, he tries to get into the spirit of things as only an ogre can. Unfortunately, everyone seems to have their own ideas about what Christmas is all about, so when Donkey, Puss In Boots, Gingerbread Man and the whole gang try to join in on the fun, Shrek’s plans for a cozy family celebration end up spiraling into one truly unforgettable Christmas. (9:30-10:00 p.m.) THURSDAY, DEC. 19 DISNEY PREP & LANDING – Walt Disney Animation Studios brings you a half-hour holiday special tale of an elite unit of elves known as Prep & Landing. After working tirelessly on Prep & Landing for 227 years, an elf named Wayne is upset when he doesn’t receive an expected promotion to be the Director of Naughty List Intelligence. Instead, Magee, the North Pole Christmas Eve Command Center Coordinator (NPCECCC for short), partners Wayne with Lanny, an idealistic rookie who has an undying enthusiasm for Christmas. During their Christmas Eve mission, Wayne and Lanny encounter unexpected challenges that push them to their limits. Will the elves be able to guide Dasher, Dancer and the rest of the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh through a raging snowstorm to ensure a merry Christmas for all? (8:00-8:30 p.m.) DISNEY PREP & LANDING 2: NAUGHTY VS. NICE – The yuletide adventures of Christmas elves Lanny and Wayne continue. With the Big 2-5 fast approaching, Wayne and Lanny must race to recover classified North Pole technology that has fallen into the hands of a computer-hacking Naughty Kid! Desperate to prevent Christmas from descending into chaos, Wayne seeks out the foremost Naughty Kid expert to aid in the mission, a bombastic member of the Coal Elf Brigade who also happens to be his estranged brother, Noel. (8:30-9:00 p.m.) THE GREAT AMERICAN BAKING SHOW: HOLIDAY EDITION – “Spice and Dessert Week” – Eight bakers return to the tent this week. First up, “Spice Week” with the bakers challenged to create sweet and savory creations using spices. From cinnamon to saffron, the bakers put their best spice flavor combinations together. “Dessert Week” has the bakers creating delicious delicacies like cakes and cookies, including one of Paul Hollywood’s toughest challenges yet! (9:00-11:00 p.m.) SUNDAY, DEC. 22 I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN – “I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown” centers on ReRun, the lovable but ever-skeptical younger brother of Linus and Lucy. It’s Christmas vacation and, as usual, ReRun’s big sister is stressing him out, so he decides to turn to his best friend, Snoopy, for amusement and holiday cheer. However, his faithful but unpredictable beagle companion has plans of his own, giving ReRun reason to ask Snoopy to invite his canine brother, Spike, for a visit. The cast of “I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!” includes Jimmy Bennett as ReRun, Adam Taylor Gordon as Charlie Brown, Ashley Rose Orr as Lucy Van Pelt, Corey Padnos as Linus Van Pelt, Hannah Leigh Dworkin as Sally, Nick Price as Schroeder, Jake Miner as Pig Pen/Franklin, Kaitlyn Maggio as the little girl and Bill Melendez as Snoopy. (7:00-8:00 p.m.) KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS – On a special holiday episode, Tiffany chats with the kids about their favorite holiday traditions. Later, Tiffany plays Santa’s helper to find out who is on the "Nice List,” and celebrates an 8-year-old magician who proves that big tricks can come in small packages. (8:00-9:00 p.m.) THE YEAR: 2019 – ABC NEWS – “The Year: 2019” (9:00-11:00 p.m.) WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25 DISNEY PARKS MAGICAL CHRISTMAS DAY PARADE – “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” continues Disney’s annual Christmas morning celebration tradition, on ABC. Join celebrity hosts for the two-hour Christmas day special as they follow the famous Christmas Day Parade down Main Street U.S.A., featuring performances by some of today’s top artists across Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. Also during the Christmas Day Parade, viewers will be treated to several Disney Parks sneak peeks, including a behind-the-scenes look into future attractions coming to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. Hosts and performers to be confirmed at a later date. (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.) THURSDAY, DEC. 26 HAPPY NEW YEAR, CHARLIE BROWN – ABC and the PEANUTS gang will ring in the new year with the animated PEANUTS special “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown,” created by late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, along with “She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown.” In “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown,” the PEANUTS gang is ringing in 1986, and Marcie and Peppermint Patty are throwing a big New Year’s Eve bash. Charlie Brown plans to celebrate the holiday by curling up with a big book that weighs nearly as much as he does, Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.” The book’s weight doesn’t stop him from lugging it to Lucy’s pre-party dance class, where he cuts a mean rug with a rollicking Patty. With just 1131 pages to go, Charlie Brown takes another break, this time for the party, and summons the courage to invite his true love, the little red-haired girl. She doesn’t respond, but hapless Chuck shows up anyway—with Tolstoy in tow. Then, he settles down with the book—on a porch swing in a snowstorm—and in so doing, misses the evening’s big surprise. In “She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown,” disaster strikes as Peppermint Patty heads to her first major ice-skating competition with coach Snoopy and faithful companion, Marcie, by her side. As always, the unassuming Woodstock flies in to save the day (8:00-9:00 p.m.) THE GREAT AMERICAN BAKING SHOW: HOLIDAY EDITION – “Pastry and Cookie Week” – The bakers are back and this week they are challenged to create deliciously flaky and flavorful pastries, as well as holiday cookies perfect for any Christmas celebration. (9:00-11:00 p.m.) MONDAY, DEC. 31 DICK CLARK’S PRIMETIME NEW YEAR’S ROCKIN’ EVE WITH RYAN SEACREST 2020 – (Beginning at 8 p.m.) WEDNESDAY, JAN. 2 THE GREAT AMERICAN BAKING SHOW: HOLIDAY EDITION – Season Finale – “Semi-Final and Final” – The final five bakers remain. With six challenges ahead for these contestants to wow the judges, the pressure is greater than ever before. In the end, only one can be named “America’s Best Amateur Baker.” Find out who wins on the season finale of “The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition.” (9:00-11:00 p.m.)
These are just some of my personal favourites (and I tend to prefer newer, modern shows) and is in no way a comprehensive list of all the cast recordings out there. ☺️ These are also in alphabetical order, not my personal ranking of them (I love them all so don’t ask me to choose! 😛) I tried to give a little summary of each show so sorry for the wall of text! I’m working my way down the list so check back to see any updates. 😊 For a funny/up beat Cast Recording I would recommend:
13: Evan is an almost-13-year-old living in NYC. When his parents divorce, he moves to a quiet town and has to navigate making new friends and new ~feelings~. Super talented cast of kids (baby Ariana Grande, for those of you who are fans) and overall sweet story. By Jason Robert Brown, one of my all time favourite composers.
21 Chump Street: based on a news story about an undercover investigation into high school drug trafficking. A mini-musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Also features Anthony Ramos (original Laurens/Philip in Hamilton) and Lindsay Mendez.
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee: one of the sweetest, funniest, most heartfelt shows I’ve come across. About a “ragtag” bunch of kids who were all spelling bee champions of their district and are at the County championship. Lots of funny moments but also one of the most heartbreaking songs (The I Love You Song) ever.
Avenue Q: Princeton, a recent grad, tries to navigate “adulting” and meets an interesting cast of characters in his new neighbourhood. Some of the characters are puppets in the show (think Sesame Street) which you obviously can’t see in the cast recording but their cartoony personalities definitely come through.
Be More Chill: this is one of those silly, just-for-fun shows. Really random concept: the story of a nerd, Jeremy, who gets implanted with a supercomputer from Japan to help him become “chill”. Nothing high-brow but lots of energy to just jam out to!
Beetlejuice: this show is so funny and witty! Based on the movie, it’s about a demon, Beetlejuice, and a recently deceased couple, Barbara and Adam, and what happens when the dead interfere with the living (mainly, the lives of teenager Lydia and her family). Alex Brightman is a revelation.
Book of Mormon: if you like South Park, this is the show for you! By the same creators, it follows two young Mormon missionaries as they travel to Uganda on their mission and the shenanigans they get into. Josh Gad (Olaf!!!) and Andrew Rannells were the main characters in the OBC.
Come From Away: good mix of light and heavy, tells the story of Gander, Newfoundland and what happened on 9/11 when the US airspace closed and 38 plans got diverted to their small down. Lots of ups and downs but so uplifting in the end!
Curtains: a murder mystery whodunit (think Clue), David Hyde Pierce plays Lieutenant Frank Cioffi who is sent to investigate the ~mysterious~ death of a leading lady at a theatre.
Daddy Long Legs is based on the 1912 novel by Jean Webster and tells the story of orphan Jerusha Abbott and her mysterious benefactor, who agrees to pay her college tuition, and who she dubs "Daddy Long Legs" after seeing his elongated shadow. Under the conditions of her benefactor, Jerusha sends him a letter once a month, describing her new-found experiences with life outside the orphanage.
Debbie Does Dallas: yes, it’s based on the porno. 😅 Debbie is a high school cheerleader who will do ~anything~ to get to Dallas to try out for the Dallas Cowboys cheer squad. Her fellow cheerleaders also help out.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels: based on the movie, it’s about a pair of con men who team up to work their scheme on unsuspecting women. Cast features Norbert Leo Butz, John Lithgow, and Sherie Rene Scott.
Finding Nemo: super sweet show written by Robert Lopez and his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez, is based on the movie. Lots of fun, catchy numbers and captures the original movie very well!
Hairspray: set during the 60’s, it’s about a young girl named Tracy who is “heavier” and has to deal with that adversity while at the same time fighting for racial equality for her African-American friends. Deals with some serious issues in a lighthearted way.
Heathers: based on the 80’s movie, Veronica is an outsider that makes her way into to inner circle of the “Heathers”, the most popular girls at school. Things go awry and Veronica must make things right.
High Fidelity: Based on the Nick Hornby novel, the show is about Rob Gordon, a Brooklyn record shop owner in his thirties obsessed with making top five lists for everything, always observing rather than participating in life. When his girlfriend Laura leaves him, he goes through a painful re-evaluation of his life and lost loves (with a little help from his music) and he slowly learns that he has to grow up and let go of his self-centered view of the world before he can find real happiness.
In the Heights: semi-autobiographical, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the story is set over the course of three days, involving characters in the largely Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City.
Legally Blonde is based on the movie so if you liked that, you’ll like the show! Elle Woods is your typical “hot blonde” so when her boyfriend dumps her for someone more “serious”, she buckles down and goes to Harvard(?!). Lots of fun, high energy numbers but also so heartfelt.
Little Shop of Horrors: zany concept: nerdy Seymour is a florist who discovers a “new and unusual” plant only to find that it’s not what it seems. Lots of different recordings to try out and they’re all great!
Little Women: set during the post-civil war era, it tells the story of March sisters, with the main focus being on Jo. It follows them from childhood into adulthood, and all the complications that follow with growing up. The 1996 movie is one of my all time favourites and this story in general has a nostalgic place in my heart.
Matilda is based on the classic Roald Dahl book and tells the story of a special girl, Matilda, and all of her misadventures. Super sweet and funny but also cuttingly heartfelt.
Mean Girls is based on the movie and I think it does a fantastic job of translating it to the stage. Cady is the daughter of two zoologists who has spent the majority of her life in Africa, being homeschooled. When she moves back to Africa, she learns the ins and outs of high school and navigates the teenage hierarchy.
Newsies is based on the newsies strike of 1899. Jack is the intrepid leader of a gang of newsies, boys who peddle the newspaper on the street. When the bigwig newspaper tycoons try to muscle more money out of them, Jack bands the newsies together and resists them.
Reefer Madness is a parody of an anti-marijuana PSA from 1936 and follows two high schoolers, Jimmy and Mary, and what happens when they fall victim to the evils of marijuana. There’s a movie with Kristen Bell as Mary!
School of Rock is based on the Jack Black movie. When Dewey Finn gets kicked out of his band, he becomes desperate for work and impersonate his roommate Ned and takes a substitute teaching job at a private school. When he realizes that his students are musically gifted, he forms a new band and enters them in a battle of the bands competition.
Seussical: based on a number of stories by Dr. Seuss, mainly Horton Hears a Who, the show is about Horton the Elephant and his mission to save his new friend Jojoba and the Whos, that only Horton can hear and no one else believes exist. The Cat in the Hat serves as a narrator.
She Loves Me is based on the novel Parfumerie (which also serves as the basis for the movies The Shop Around the Corner and You’ve Got Mail) and revolves around Budapest shop employees Georg Nowack and Amalia Balash who, despite being constantly at odds with each other at work, are unaware that they are each other's secret pen pal after meeting through a lonely-hearts ad.
Shrek: based on the Pixar movie (which is based on the book), the show is about an ogre named Shrek and his quest to regain his swamp, which has been overrun by evicted fairytale characters.
Sister Act: based on the Whoopi Goldberg movie, it’s about a lounge singer named Delores who has to go under cover as nun when her mob boss boyfriend wants to keep her quiet. Patina Miller is 👌🏼 perfection.
Sleeping Beauty Wakes: The show is by the band GrooveLily and is a twist on the classic fairytale of Sleeping Beauty. In this modern-day version, Rose is brought to a sleep-disorder clinic to wake her from her 900-year nap.
Something Rotten! is about two brothers who are writers during the Renaissance and how Shakespeare wasn’t all he was cracked up to be. It’s hilarious.
Striking 12: another show by GrooveLily, this is their take on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Match Girl. Goes back and forth between modern day and the fairytale.
The Producers: based on the Mel Brooks movie, it’s about two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich by overselling interests in a Broadway flop, therefore able to claim a loss and keep the money for themselves. Complications arise when the show unexpectedly turns out to be successful.
The Prom: When four has-been Broadway actors travel to the conservative town of Edgewater, Indiana to help a lesbian student banned from bringing her girlfriend to high school prom, what started off as a publicity stunt turns into a genuine cause and they end up forming true bonds.
The Wedding Singer: based on the Adam Sandler movie, the show is about a wedding singer, Robbie Hart, and his woes with love. He develops a relationship and crush on waitress Julia who is engaged to Glen Guglia. As their friendship deepens, they realize they’re meant for each other. High energy show, you can definitely hear and feel the 80’s influence!
[title of show]: this is truly the little show that could! A very original concept, the show is about two composers who are writing a show about two composers writing a show. Basically, it’s all very meta and you’re seeing the creative process of how the show itself got created!
Tootsie is based on the Dustin Hoffman movie. Michael is a struggling actor who gets blacklisted for being “difficult”. While helping his friend Sandy prepare for an audition, Michael hatches a plan to create an alter ego and attends the audition himself and things go awry from there.
Toxic Avenger is based on the 1984 cult classic and about nerdy Melvin Ferd and what happens to him when a group of bullies dump him in a vat of nuclear waste. Totally has that cheesy, campy 80’s vibe.
Xanadu: based on the 1980 movie, Xanadu is about muse Clio, a daughter of Zeus, and her quest to help human Sonny. Hilarious performances from Kerry Butler, Mary Testa, Jackie Hoffman and Cheyenne Jackson.
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown: based on the classic Peanuts comics! Such a sweet and endearing show, each song is a mini vignette featuring all of the classic Peanuts characters.
Throwing in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, just for fun. 😉 Written during the 2007 Writers’ Strike, it tells the story of Billy (alter-ego: Dr. Horrible) who aspires to be a super villain. Billy applies to the Evil League of Evil and the main boss, Bad Horse, challenges him to prove his chops as a villain. A love triangle between Billy, sweet girl-next-door Penny and the city’s “hero” Captain Hammer develops. Commentary! The Musical is a companion piece and also hilarious! More serious/heavy shows:
A New Brain: loosely autobiographical, the show is about songwriter Gordon Schwinn who questions his life and his accomplishments when he goes through a neurological trauma (never specifically stated but possibly an aneurysm.)
Children of Eden (Paper Mill Playhouse): by Stephen Schwartz, the show is based on the stories of Adam and Eve/Cain and Abel (first act) and Noah (second act). Although it is based on Bible stories, doesn’t necessarily feel overly religious, in my opinion.
Dear Evan Hansen is the story of Evan Hansen and what happens when a small white lie gets out of hand. Deals with issues of anxiety, suicide and mental health.
Dogfight: based on the 1991 movie, Eddie is a marine who’s about to be deployed. He and his friends hold a “dogfight”, a cruel game to see who can bring the ugliest date. Eddie meets Rose, a shy waitress, and convinces her to come to the party with him. She finds out about the dogfight and leaves, broken-hearted.
Hadestown is unlike anything I’ve ever seen or heard before. Based on the Greek myths of Hades/Persephone and Orpheus/Eurydice, it’s hauntingly beautiful.
Hamilton: I mean, you probably know about Hamilton already but in case you don’t, it tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s Founding Fathers (who was never president but is on the $10), and how he started as a poor orphan immigrant, struggled and fought his way up the ranks to become one of the major players in establishing the newly founded America.
Next to Normal: tells the story of Diana Goodman and her struggles with mental health and how it affects her family. Lots of ups and down, which I personally take as representative of the ups and downs of mental health.
Once on This Island: based on My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl by Rosa Guy (which was based on Hans Christian Andersen’s original telling of The Little Mermaid), this show is about Ti Moune and her unwavering love of Daniel. Their love is complicated by the fact that Ti Moune is from the darker skinned peasant class whereas Daniel is from the lighter skinned grands hommes class. Lots of joyous, rambunctious numbers but also heartbreaking moments as well.
Parade is based on the true story of the lynching of Jewish man Leo Frank in Atlanta in 1913. By Jason Robert Brown, it’s absolutely heartbreaking.
Ragtime tells the story of three groups in the United States during the turn of the century: African Americans, represented by Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Harlem musician; upper-class suburbanites, represented by Mother, the matriarch of a white upper-class family in New Rochelle, New York; and Eastern European immigrants, represented by Tateh, a Jewish immigrant from Latvia. Their lives intertwine throughout the show and intersect in surprising ways.
Rent: about a group of friends in NYC, dealing with issues of homelessness, financial strain, HIV/AIDS, and artistic fulfillment. These friends go through a lot and come together as a true family.
See What I Wanna See is based on three Japanese short stories: Kesa and Morito, In a Grove and Dragon: the Old Potter's Tale. The story is told in two acts with two prologues (a single song) before each act. The prologues tell the story of lovers Kesa and Morito, the first prologue being from Kesa’s POV and the second being from Morito’s. The first act follows a murder in Central Park in 1951 from the various perspectives of several different characters. Act two centers on a priest, wavering in his faith, who creates a hoax about a miracle.
Songs For a New World: another show by Jason Robert Brown, this is a song cycle and each song is it’s own self-contained story. There’s a wide range of emotions from comical to deeply cutting.
Spring Awakening tells the story tells the story of a group teenagers in the late 19th-century discovering their sexuality. They explore the issues of sex, domestic and sexual abuse, homosexuality, abortions, depression and suicide, largely without adult guidance which leads to further confusion and misunderstanding.
The Last 5 Yearsdestroys me every time I listen to it but I must be a glutton for catharsis because I listen to it quite frequently. It’s a love story that takes place over the course of a five year marriage; very unique storytelling as well! My username is a line from the show. ❤️ (there’s a movie of this with Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan! Check it out!)
The Wild Party: this is an interesting case where there were two shows written based on Joseph Moncure March's 1928 poem, that were produced in the same year; Andrew Lippa’s off-Broadway and Michael John LaChiusa’s on Broadway. I personally prefer Lippa’s but they’re both great! The story centres on Queenie and her lover Burrs, who live a decadent life during the roaring 1920’s. They decide to have one of their parties, complete with illegal bathtub gin and the couple's colourful, eccentric and egocentric friends, but the party unfolds with more tumultuous goings-on than planned.
Waitress is based on 2007 movie and is about a woman named Jenna. Jenna works as a baker and waitress and is stuck in an abusive relationship with her husband, Earl. After she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, Jenna begins an affair with her doctor, Dr. Jim Pomatter. Looking for a escape from her troubles, she plans to enter a pie baking contest and win the grand prize in hopes of finally leaving Earl.
Wicked: the show is based on the book by Gregory Maquire and tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West before she became the Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (whose name later changes to Glinda the Good Witch), struggle through opposing personalities and viewpoints, rivalry over the same love-interest, reactions to the Wizard's corrupt government, and, ultimately, Elphaba's fall from grace.
This is not to say that these shows are strictly one or the other, 100% happy or 100% serious, any good show will have both but they definitely veer one way or another. Some classics that I also enjoy are:
Company is about Robert (a single man unable to commit fully to a steady relationship, let alone marriage), the five married couples who are his best friends, and his three girlfriends.
Gypsy is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, and focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business mother." It follows the dreams and efforts of Rose to raise two daughters to perform onstage and casts an affectionate eye on the hardships of show business life. The character of Louise is based on Lee, and the character of June is based on Lee's sister, the actress June Havoc.
Into the Woods intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. The main characters are taken from "Little Red Riding Hood", "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Rapunzel", and "Cinderella", as well as several others. The musical is tied together by a story involving a childless baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family (the original beginning of The Grimm Brothers' "Rapunzel"), their interaction with a witch who has placed a curse on them, and their interaction with other storybook characters during their journey.
Les Miserables is based on Victor Hugo’s book and is what I’d consider a ~epic~ show. There’s a lot going on with intertwining storylines and crossing of paths but basically the story is of Jean Valjean, who has recently been released from prison, and his struggle to rebuild his life. It takes place over a number of years in 19th century France and along the way, Valjean and a slew of characters are swept into a revolutionary period in France, where a group of young idealists attempt to overthrow the government at a street barricade in Paris.
My Fair Lady is based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, which was based on the Greek myth. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician, so that she may pass as a lady.
Oklahoma! is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tells the story of farm girl Laurey Williams and her courtship by two rival suitors, cowboy Curly McLain and the sinister and frightening farmhand Jud Fry. A secondary romance concerns cowboy Will Parker and his flirtatious fiancée, Ado Annie. I would recommend the 2019 Broadway Cast Recording in particular.
Sweeney Todd
The King and I
There are also tons of shows I haven’t listed, this is in no way a comprehensive list of all cast recordings. Try listening to a few on Spotify and see what recommendations pop up. For something somewhat theatre related but not a cast album, Ben Platt’s album Sing To Me Instead is perfection. 😍 Check CastRecordings for the above and much more! You could also watch proshot (videos of stage performances). These are pretty rare (for lots of reasons that are kinda too complicated to get into here) but these are just some of the shows that have been professionally captured:
Company
Daddy Long Legs
Falsettos
Hamilton
Into the Woods
Legally Blonde
Les Mis (10th and 25th anniversary concerts)
Miss Saigon (25th anniversary cast)
Newsies
Rent (final Broadway cast)
She Loves Me
Shrek
Sunday in the Park With George
Sweeney Todd (concert cast)
The Light in the Piazza
These shows have Hollywood movie versions:
Chicago
Dreamgirls
Hairspray
Into the Woods
Les Miserables
Little Shop of Horrors
Mary Poppins
Reefer Madness
Rent
Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (featuring Brandy as Cinderella and Whitney Houston as Fairy Godmother!)
Sweeney Todd
The Last Five Years
The Prom
The Sound of Music
I believe you can find all these (and more!!!) on ProshotMusicals. I also love librettos, which is basically the full script plus usually some other tidbits, like:
On Season 6 of The Goldbergs, Adam’s (Sean Giambrone) girlfriend Jackie is back from her summer in New York and she looks different because she is different. Actress Rowan Blanchard was replaced ... If you watched The Goldbergs last night (October 3), you probably noticed something different about young Adam Goldberg’s girlfriend, Jackie.Rowan Blanchard who previously played Jackie has been replaced by actress and YouTuber, Alexis Zall. In the latest episode of The Goldbergs, Adam Goldberg’s girlfriend Jackie returned after spending the summer at NYU. If you’ve been watching The Goldbergs, you may have noticed that Adam’s girlfriend, Jackie Geary, looks a little different. The role was originally played by Rowan Blanchard, but 20-year-old ... If you’re a fan of The Goldbergs on ABC then you probably realized that this season, there was a character randomly recast on season six of the show — Adam Goldberg’s young love originally played by Rowan Blanchard.Yep, the Jackie Geary recast has caused a bit of a stir among Goldbergs fans, and rightfully so. Rowan, made famous on Disney Channel‘s Girl Meets World was the perfect ... Jackie Geary (Born September 7, 1975) was the girlfriend of Adam Goldberg. She was introduced in the fourth season of the show. It is shown that they (Jackie and Adam) kissed in episode 22, season 4. She was very similar to Adam in many ways, for example, they like the same nerdy fandoms. But, while Jackie liked Star Trek, Adam was forever for Star Wars, and Force Freaks and Trekkies do NOT ... Rowan Blanchard is returning to The Goldbergs tonight for the show’s 100th episode.. The actress plays Jackie, Adam’s girlfriend in the show — and did you know that she was based off a real ... Jackie recast due to age. The actor who plays Adam is 19, the actress who played Jackie is 16-17. They can't kiss on TV with that age difference, even though they are playing 16 year olds. Comedy series about kids growing up in a dysfunctional family in the 1980s. The Goldbergs (TV Series 2013– ) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
After pulling a "George Glass" and inventing a fake girlfriend, Adam attempts to do some damage control by making it seem like his fake hickies came from a l... Jackie and Adam - The Goldberg's finale epsixe The Goldbergs - Episode 5.05 - Jackie Likes Star Trek - Sneak Peek 2 www.spoilertv.com for all your spoiler needs Taken from The Goldbergs, Season 5, Episode 1, Weird Science, Air Dated on September 27, 2017 and Production Code: 501. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, tea... It must be pretty cool to have an older sister like Erica
