To celebrate the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris we’ve compiled a list of
The Top Ten Olympic Inspired Musicals
10. Billy Elliot The Musical
While boxing is an official sport of the summer Olympics, this one is a shout-out to all the kids who chose dancing over sport, because the opening ceremony wouldn’t be the same without the arts.
9. Bend It Like Beckham The Musical
A shout out to the football playing girls who can bend it like Beckham!
8. The Beautiful Game
The Beautiful Game is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton and features football in a troubled community. Can sport bring peace and unity?
7. Matilda The Musical
A musical that includes an actual Olympian: Miss Trunchbull! Although we don’t recommend throwing children.
6. An American In Paris
Paris is the place to be right now for people from all over the world.
5. Beauty and the Beast The Musical
It’s a tale as old as time and is set in a beautiful village in the Alsace region of France. A number of villages claim to be the inspiration for the Disney film including Colmar, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé and Eguisheim and are worth a detour from Paris to visit.
4. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Did you spot Quasimodo in the opening ceremony? Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame musical is set in Paris. While the musical has never been performed professionally in Australia, a number of community theatres have recently produced it.
3. Moulin Rouge The Musical
The musical is set in the Moulin Rouge in Paris. While there was no reference to the musical in the opening ceremony, the actual Moulin Rouge dancers had a moment in the spotlight.
2. Phantom of the Opera
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical is set in the Palais Garnier – Paris’ opera house, so it was only fitting to include a reference in the opening ceremony.
1. Les Miserables
Set in Paris, this iconic musical by Schonberg and Boubil was featured in the Paris 2024 opening ceremony and even “a little fall of rain” didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits.
