Why famous Musicals in London should always be a draw for tourists

London Brings Thrill and Excitement to the Theatre with the Musical.
The "Musical" is a kind of a hybrid form of entertainment. It takes the drama of the play and the songs of the opera and combines the two into a whole new form of entertainment. The Musical was actually invented in London in Victorian times with the plays of the famous Gilbert and Sullivan (the pirates of Penzance). It wasn't long before the genre took off with such famous musicals in the United States as Oklahoma and Showboat!
Today, London is one of the major centers of the Musical with some of the greatest shows around on the stage.
Billy Elliot
Billy Elliot is a "Modern Classic" and some have even described it as a "Modern Fairy Tale" and it would be if there wasn't so much truth in the story. The Musical has only been around a couple of years, in fact it's based on the Movie of the same name that was released in 2000 and won a whole raft of awards. The Musical itself has won no less than nine Tony awards! (no mean feat for any musical let alone one that's only been on the stage for three years!).
The Mousetrap
This classic Agatha Christie tale has also been turned into a Musical. Where many musicals are light comedy in their genre this one is a classic who dunnit put to songs and music. One of the intriguing things about this Musical is that Dame Agatha Christie requested that the identity of the culprit be kept secret to those unfortunates of us who have not seen the show; the only way to find out who did the dastardly deed is to book a seat and go see the show! In the UK you can't even get a copy of the short story it was taken from as she made sure that as long as it's on in the West End her publisher isn't allowed to publish the story in the United Kingdom (Alas the Americans have one over us here as they could get a copy published in the 1950's)
This show has been on for 58 years. This show is one of the longest playing shows ever to hit a theatre. At the 50 year performance anniversary over 300 tons of ice cream was sold, as the number of customers was estimated to be in the millions. The book (which has never been published in the United Kingdom) was the number one in the fifties in America and continues to be a favorite among the general public. The performance is held at the Saint Martin Theatre London. This is a thrilling, chilling, mind blowing show where drama, suspense, and entertainment come to life at the theatre.
The Wizard of OZ
No piece about London's musicals would be complete without mentioning something by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber.
His latest production is none other than a re-telling of the story of the Wizard of OZ and is showing at the London Palladium.
The Lion King
Has been thrilling audiences since it opened in 1999 and continues to do so. The great thing about this one is that it is child friendly (not all of them are and some are Adults only, you'll need to check when you book).
The Musicals of London
If you think of a Musical written in the last thirty years that has been a huge success then it's likely that the names Andrew Lloyd Webber or Tim Rice are in the credits somewhere. Between the three of them they are responsible for writing or starring in some of the biggest shows on the stage.
Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Starlight Express, The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast are just a few that they have worked on, and all were huge hits. They still have shows on in the West End but their legacy is continuing with the old and new shows that you find there.
Conclusion
Billy Elliot and the mousetrap are two unforgettable musicals in london for different reasons. Billy Elliot, set among the Real hardships of the 1984 miners strike tells the inspirational story of a Boy who rises above his circumstance and above prejudice to achieve his dreams, a real "feel good" story that inspires. As such, billy elliot theatre tickets will give you an experience you really won’t forget.
The Mousetrap is a real "edge of your seat" who dunnit in the old style, sit and watch the plot unfold as a master storyteller uses drama and music to weave a magical story that will leave you guessing to the very end and supplies a conclusion far better than CSI could ever do!
There really is a show for everyone. One that will leave you spellbound and wanting so much more.