Classic musicals tell a story with song and dance, ranging from the dramatic to the humorous. Speeches in movie musicals are also an effective conveyer of emotions.
Here are four memorable musical monologues:
1. "West Side Story" (1961)
Maria (Natalie Wood), sister of a gang leader, falls in love with the leader of a rival gang, resulting in tragedy. As noted by American Movie Classics, Maria bids her slain lover goodbye in an emotional speech:
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"Stay back! How do you fire this gun, Chino? By pulling this little trigger?! How many bullets are left, Chino? Enough for you? Or you? All of you! You all killed him! And my brother! And Riff! Not with bullets and knives! With hate! Well, I can kill now too, because now I have hate! How many can I kill, Chino? How many – and still have one bullet left for me? Don't touch him!"
2. "The Sound of Music" (1965)
Maria is the latest in a long line of governesses to care for the seven Von Trapp children – one governess lasted just two hours. According to the Internet Movie Database, Maria bonds with the children in this classic musical, not only through music, but by seeking to understand them. She prays in this speech:
"God bless Liesl and Friedrich. God bless Louisa, Brigitta, Marta, and little Gretl. And I forgot the other boy. What's his name? Well, God bless what's-his-name. God bless the Reverend Mother and Sister Margaretta and everybody at the abbey. And now, dear God, about Liesl. Help her know that I'm her friend and help her tell me what she's been up to."
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3. "Singin' in the Rain" (1952)
It's 1927 Hollywood in this classic musical. Don (Gene Kelly) and Lina (Jean Hagen), a silent movie romantic duo, transition to movies with sound. Rumors of a real-life romance between Don and Lina abound, and even though the self-centered Lina believes the romance is real, Don is painfully frank in his speech:
"Now Lina, you've been reading all those fan magazines again! Now, look Lina, you shouldn't believe all that banana oil Dora Bailey and the columnists dish out. Now, try to get this straight: there is nothing between us. There has never been anything between us but air."
4. "The King and I" (1956)
Yul Brynner is the King of Siam and Deborah Kerr is Anna, the American tutor to his children. The headstrong Anna and the King clash culturally, particularly where women are concerned. In this classic speech, the King tells Anna why men shouldn't be monogamous:
"Because it is natural. It is like old Siamese saying. A girl is like a blossom, with honey for just one man. A man is like a honey bee and gather all he can. To fly from blossom to blossom a honey must be free. But blossom must not ever fly from bee to bee to bee."
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