5 Merry Musicals to Add to Your Watchlist This Holiday Season

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas this year? If you're anything like us, you've got a long list of your favorite holiday classics queued up on your phone, and you've got enough cookies and eggnog on standby to sit through each and every one before the end of the season. But, we wouldn't be doing our job as musical-theatre-lovers if we didn't make extra sure you've got plenty of musicals on your watchlist this year!

To help you get into the rythym of the holidays, we've rounded up five of our favorite merry musical movies to watch before the New Year. Take a look below!

Holiday Inn (1942)

If you love White Christmas (which deservedly has its own spot later on in our list!), you have the 1942 Holiday Inn to thank for it. The song White Christmas was actually written specifically for this film, securing it as an important cornerstone of holly-jolly media history. With cozy, old Hollywood vibes, this film captures "that time of year" in a way that just feels comfortably nostalgic, and effortlessly timeless. With heavy-hitter talent like Bing Crosby and Fred Astair, it's easy to see why Holiday Inn captures the Christmas spirit even with pop-ins for other holidays. Although viewers should certainly be informed and knowledgeable about some of the offensive content present in many still-watchable versions of this film, it serves as an excellent introduction not only to the Broadway musical of the same name (where the offensive content has been removed) but also to the history of other cherished Christmas films.

Meet Me In St Louis (1944)

We hear you, we hear you: "How is Meet Me In St Louis a Christmas movie?!" The musical that brought us The Trolley Song doesn't seem a likely candidate for a holiday film at a first glance. Admittedly, the first act of this show has very little to do with season's greetings, but still holds a special spot on our list for a few reasons. The musical's themes rely on tradition, family, and change-- three core thematic elements we see in virtually any standard Christmas film. Plus, this story is told throughout the natural flow of the year, with the culmination of the storytelling landing on the holiday season, but those reasonings pale in comparison to one key fact that cements this film's place on our holiday watchlist-- the song Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas was actually written for this film, and first sung on screen by the legendary Judy Garland. That alone seems reason enough to bring this time-honored holiday classic to your living room TV, doesn't it?

White Christmas (1954)

A favorite held dear by many thespians, White Christmas is a movie musical that boasts impressive talent, catchy songs, and tons of fun facts and tidbits to recount. With it's live-stage adaptation earning the skepticism of some fans, this film overflows with high caliber talent from Bing Crosby to George Chakiris (a dancer who would later go on to play Bernardo in the 1961 West Side Story film). Performers might find the storyline relatable, covering everything from holiday bookings gone awry to relationships in show-biz facing their fair share of struggles. At the end of the day, this heartwarming classic will keep you entertained from the first note of the overture to the final note of the title song, White Christmas.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

A beloved animated classic that has stood the test of time, the 1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer follows a young reindeer with a peculiar nose. The fact-finding watcher of this film may recall that the titular character of Rudolph was voiced by Billie Mae Richards, who was then credited as a "Billy Richards" to hide the fact that the young male character was in fact voiced by a woman. With references that span to modern holiday classics such as Elf, this film prominently features some timeless Christmas tunes-- including There's Always Tomorrow, The Most Wonderful Day of the Year, Silver and Gold, and of course... Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! Prepare for a heartfelt classic full to the brim with joyful, nostalgic appeal.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

The Muppet Christmas Carol has become required viewing in many musical, theatrical, and overall fun households in recent decades. Some credit the success of this unusual classic to the legendary performance of Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, and his acting choice of treating his Muppet co-stars as bona-fide actors in their own right. This film fits perfectly in any holiday film rotation, adding touches of endearing whimsy, unapologetic joy, and humorous chaos into the season. And, who doesn't love singing along with Kermit in One More Sleep 'Til Christmas, or joining in on Statler and Woldorf's hilariously haunting "ooooo's" in Marley and Malrey? Grab your hot cocoa, your popcorn, and get ready to laugh with this one!

Happy Holidays!

Were any of these hit holiday films already on your watchlist? Did we miss any of your favorites?