24 under-the-radar musicals worth rediscovering

Good ol' Babs. It's impossible to not to smile when Streisand is doing her thing. She lights up the screen in comedies, musicals and tragedies, but never quite like she did in her breakout performance. As a vaudeville singer who falls for a wealthy man, Streisand shows us a star being born.

Jonathan Larson wasn't always known as the guy who directed Rent. At one point he was struggling to pay the rent, and Lin-Manuel Miranda tracks the playwright's early years as a struggling artist. It's heavy stuff for a musical, but the character is whimsical enough to get us through it. 

I mean, it's Will Ferrell singing in flamboyant outfits. What more do you want from a comedy about a singing contest? The songs are fun, the actors are game and the protagonists are actually worth rooting for. It's an absolute treat. 

Try to find a musical more charming than this coming-of-age film about a girl who wants to become a singer but lives in a deaf family. Still thinking? We'll let you ponder that one for awhile. 

Most people start bands because they love music, but this guy does it for a girl. He throws together a band that actually rocks and impresses a girl in the meantime. It's a sweet tune that grows more powerful as the track goes on.

Even if you don't know Busby Berkeley, you know Busby Berkeley. You've seen the dream sequences in The Big Lebowski and the water ballet in Caddyshack. You've seen the shots of people dancing from above in MGM musicals. But now it's time you see where it all started in this classic about a Broadway director who throws together one of the most elaborate, dazzling showstoppers of all time. 

More Berkeley! This time with more girls in short skirts! Berkeley plays off the notion that men go to plays for the skirts, and goes onto humanize the actresses as individuals who have just as many quirks as men do. They are funny, thoughtful and command the screen in one showstopper after another. 

Okay, yes, this is not a musical in the conventional sense and there are no real dance sequences. But the joy of this film is in the nature of these characters. One is a street performer who sings the chorus; the other is an immigrant who loves her music. Together they just might make something special — and do, in the form of this film. 

It's showtime! Anytime you throw on All That Jazz, you must brace yourself for a whirlwind of delights that is one part Fellini, one part Fosse. The director pulled from his own experience for this story of a choreographer who has a fondness for women, drugs, music, glitter and plays. 

You've seen The Wizard of Oz a thousand times. Now it's time to see the remake with a star-studded cast and a funky soundtrack.  

Who knew Meryl Streep could sing? I guess anyone who saw Mamma Mia, which is roughly half the population. But this Disney musical gave her the chance to sing in a darker, more thoughtful register that echoes through the trees and into our minds.

Your grandpa knows this one by heart. The original boys-night-out comedy sees a bunch of sailors trying to soak up New York in day. What they end up finding is a bunch of landmarks, night clubs, skyscrapers and women. So many women! More than anything, this joyous comedy allows the audience to watch Gene Kelly and company try to win over the female characters.  

An unspeakably gorgeous musical in which all the characters speak in song, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a doomed romance that is so beautiful, so colorfully adorned that you might find yourself tearing up over the production design. At least until Jacques Demy tears your heart out with that ending. 

Underrated for a younger crowd. This MGM classic may not be the talk of the town, but anyone who wants to see a bunch of stars have a good time on screen will likely have a good time too. Plus, it's a musical with Marlon Brando! The thought of Brando in a musical has to pique your interest, right?

The songs are a lot more popular than the movie and it's mainly known as the film that put Jennifer Hudson on the map. But there's so much more to this movie than just disparate parts, including a detailed look at the life of pop singers. 

For such a miserable bunch, the Parisians sure know how to make lively works of art. Gigi may very well be the sweetest, most optimistic musical ever made, with a young girl who skips through life without a care in the world.

Is this film completely ridiculous? Yes. Does it try to juggle too many things at once? Yes. But there's something ethereal about this story of a father returning home to care for his daughter after her mom passes away. It takes elements of fantasy and realism and stirs them into something completely new: a musical that has its head in the clouds and its feet on dry land. 

Don't sleep on Smallfoot. It's a comedy that is fun for all ages, shapes and sizes. The idea of monsters being afraid of humans is actually quite smart. 

It's the songs that are underrated about The Muppet Movie, which is a beloved comedy about animals on a road trip. Everyone talks about the jokes, characters and sight gags, but it's the songs that make it memorable for me. 

Prepare to be completely dazzled by this Technicolor masterpiece about a ballerina who is driven mad by success. It's a gorgeous, head-spinning musical that glides across the screen as effortlessly as a ballerina, before it takes a turn into darker territory. 

Guess we just can't get enough of Busby Berkeley. This is yet another musical about a director putting on a play, with a bunch of characters who make you laugh before they dazzle you with choreography. 

Making an underrated list can be tricky in that you never know what is underrated to whom. Most of the population doesn't know about Top Hat, while those in the know think it's one of the best musicals of all time. It's possibly Fred Astaire's best, thanks to a harmonious pairing with Ginger Rodgers and a sumptuous display of artsy sets. Whatever the case may be, we're including it on our list. 

It was the highest grossing musical of all time. Now it's something you might come across on TV around the holidays. That doesn't mean this musical doesn't have its moments. It's a snowy romance that arrives in your living room like a present. 

Imagine a musical made by Wes Anderson. Now imagine that musical is every bit as sprawling, romantic and colorful as an MGM classic. Now imagine that musical has one of the best scores ever, and you still wouldn't come close to the effervescent charms of Jacques Demy's musical about sisters in a small town. If you haven't already seen it, you should get on that right away.