Musicals to Watch from the Comfort of your Couch

Don’t have a couple thousand dollars laying around to fly to New York? No worries! There are plenty (not as much as there should be) musicals that are accessible to watch from your home! The following are my favorite musicals that can be watched for a low price, subscription, or even free!

If you’re looking for more ways to enjoy theatre or get into theatre, this is your guide! Also, don’t forget to look around your community for local productions!

Hamilton - Disney+

This may be the most obvious musical that would make the list, but it’s one I always recommend to those new to musical theatre. It’s super fun, well done, and more of a blend of more popular music and musical theatre. If you haven’t seen this yet, you should. It’s one that I can watch over and over again and not get sick of it.

Newsies - Disney+

This is probably the first pro-shot (professional recording of a stage musical) I ever watched. The choreography is the star of this show.

Frozen - Disney+

The classic Disney movie, on stage! This is a beautiful stage production that I think outshines the original with new songs and a stunning set.

Next to Normal - PBS Passport

One of my all-time favorites! Another one that’s great if you don’t want something showtune-y. Super fun music, but be ready to cry.

Merrily We Roll Along - Netflix

This one is more traditional musical theatre and a great introduction to Sondheim! Listen to our most recent podcast to hear more about this one!

Literally any Starkid musical - Youtube

Starkid started out as a college theatre organization that made parody musicals and now originals! All of their musicals are on Youtube to watch for free. My favorites are below!

• The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals

Comedy horror that’s fun from start to finish

• Nerdy Prudes Must Die

Another comedy horror that is my all-time Starkid favorite (check it out!)

• Cinderella’s Castle

Cinderella retelling with a fun twist!

• A Very Potter Musical

The original parody! Genuinely one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. They also have plenty of other parodies and originals not listed here.

Legally Blonde - Youtube

One of the best movie to musical adaptations I have ever seen!

Schmigadoon - Apple TV

Although this is not a pro-shot, it is a lot of fun for those who love theatre. A parody of musicals made in a specific era per season. This one is definitely more for those who already love theatre, but is fun for everyone even if you don’t catch all the references.

Hadestown - in theaters

The Hadestown pro-shot with the original Broadway cast is coming to theaters this summer! I would recommend everyone to see this if they can.

This is not a comprehensive list of accessible musicals, but it is a list of my favorites! If you’re looking for a new musical to watch or just wanting to get into musicals in general, this is a good place to start! Let me know what your favorite musical to watch at home is and don’t forget to check out your local community theater for even more accessible theatre!