Return of the musical

Their all-singing, all-dancing glamour lit up the dark days after the Wall Street crash. And as the credit crisis bites, they are making a comeback. Their upbeat plots and jolly tunes gave the public a boost in the aftermath of the 1929 Wall Street crash. Now, amid the latest economic turmoil, musical films are back and aiming to bring more light-hearted relief to modern-day audiences. Long after such stars as Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Doris Day and Gene Kelly waltzed and warbled their way across the silver screen, Hollywood has rekindled its love affair with the feel-good musical, casting some of the industry's biggest names in singing and dancing roles. Meryl Streep recently won acclaim for her portrayal of a single mother in the Abba theatre musical spin-off Mamma Mia! and there are rumours that Keira Knightley is soon... [read full story]