Even if it’s a stereotype, the LGBTQ+ community loves their musicals and will be divided over these rankings. As much as we try to be fair in our debates, the truth is that these musicals have a special meaning for each of us. Whether it was our queer awakening or our love for drama, each musical represents our community in one way or another. From the actual music to the fashion to the gay icons that inspire us, elements of our stories can be found with pizzazz and grandeur.
Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody are the biopics of gay rock ’n roll icon Elton John and bisexual lead singer of Queen, Freddie Mercury. Fame and Rent follow teens and adults in New York City navigating through the struggles of having bis dreams. Cabaret and The Wizard of Oz birthed gay icons: Judy Garland and Liza Minelli. Hairspray and Rocky Horror Picture Show also birthed gay iconic characters in Tracy Turnblad and Doctor Frank-n-Furter. Each of us, in all our glory, is in each of these musicals.
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8 Fame
MGM Worldwide Television
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7 Rent
Sony Pictures
Based on Puccini’s opera La Boheme, which follows a group of impoverished artists in Paris battling tuberculosis, Rent is set in the 1980s New York City when AIDS/HIV was wreaking havoc. The first Broadway-to-film musical on the list, Rent transformed the way musicals were approached. First, the musical is set in the East Village of NYC not Manhattan, like many musicals based in NYC. Second, as Vox reports, Rent is a clear product of its time, relying on stereotypes and tragedy to tell the stories of the LGBTQ+ and people of color. Finally, the catchy songs tell a much sadder story of struggling artists, drug use, and HIV/AIDS.
6 Rocketman
Paramount Pictures
The first biopic musical of a rock legend on the list, Rocketman is based on Elton John’s rise to fame, from musical prodigy to the super mega-star beloved today. The musical follows Elton’s battle with addiction and his sexual identity. Elton officially came out in the late 1990s, but what makes him a gay legend is his advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. Rocketman shows the path forged by Elton for other musicians and gay icons. One remarkable aspect about the film is its star Taron Egerton, who portrays Elton in the film. Egerton recorded the vocals for each song, thus making the musical biopic even more special for fans of the “Tiny Dancer” singer.
5 Bohemian Rhapsody
20th Century Fox
Possibly one of the most controversial rock ‘n roll biopics that puts the spotlight on a not-yet-famous Freddie Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody stars Rami Malek as the glorious Freddie as he grapples with making music, being bisexual, and his battle with drugs and AIDS/HIV. The film focuses more on Freddy’s personal life, specifically how fame affects his relationships with his family and bandmates. Since Freddy has such a distinct voice, Malek did do some vocals for the performances. Yet, according to Bustle, Malek had a lot of assistance in bringing Freddy’s vocals to life in a recognizable way to fans. The reason this musical is paramount to the LGBTQ+ community is Queen’s impact on its fans, no matter who they are or where they come from. Freddie, and by extension Queen, made music for each person, from the champions to the fat-bottomed girls.
4 Cabaret
20th Century Studios
Our first gay icon on this list, Miss Liza Minnelli stars as Sally Bowles in the film adaptation of Cabaret. Sally Bowles is a complete mess, much like her homeland post-World War I. She meets a writer named Cliff, whom she falls in love with. However, as the Nazi party rises to power, her relationship with Cliff becomes complicated. Though tragedy drowns the musical, the cultural influence of its story reaches far and wide. Cabaret hardly needs a reason to be iconic because those who know, get it.
3 The Wizard of Oz
MGM
2 Hairspray
New Line Cinema
Based in the 1960s Baltimore, Hairspray’s Tracy Turnblad has one dream: to dance. The problem she faces, however, is her size. Unlike many Broadway leads, Tracy is fat, yet that’s what makes her such a pivotal gay icon. Despite everyone judging her based on her size, she becomes a dancer on “The Corny Collins Show”, overshadowing longtime favorites and winning over the main male dancer. Tracy’s mom is traditionally played by a drag queen, except the film adaptation features John Travolta in drag. Of course, the film adaptation is just as iconic as the Broadway production. Nikki Blonsky plays Tracy Turnblad next to another musical icon, Zac Efron, and the best bad gal ever, Michelle Pfeiffer. While the musical centers around a fat girl being a ray of sunshine during a monumental time in American history, the show allowed drag queens and trans people to step into the spotlight the way many of the LGBTQ+ community was openly welcomed for many years.
1 The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The ultimate LGBTQ+ musical is the indelible rock opera, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. With a plot just as complicated as its title, the live show is pure chaos. According to The Guardian, each live performance has the 1975 film playing in the background with fans dressed as their favorite characters pantomiming along. One of the many rituals of the live showing is to throw cards when Dr. Frank-n-Furter, portrayed by Tim Curry, says, “Cards for sorrow, cards for pain.” The glorious part of the live shows next to the film is that other musicals could try to do this, but as fans of musicals have seen with the Fox Network’s attempt to do live versions of beloved musicals with major names in entertainment, nothing produced can truly match what a live show with fans running the show can achieve.
