Top 10 Small Details in Movie Musicals You Missed
#10: ABBA Members Show Up “Mamma Mia!” (2008) & “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” (2018)
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“Mamma Mia!” was of course born out of a play based on the music of the Swedish band ABBA. But, while everyone remembers the likes of Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan were in the film, many of us didn’t notice Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson’s appearances. For those who don’t know, they’re the two B’s in ABBA. And they had small cameos in the 2008 movie - and its 2018 sequel! In both cases, Andersson can be seen putting his musical skill to good use on the piano. As for Ulvaeus, he’s a God in the first movie’s credits, and a professor in the second’s graduation scene. It’s kind of like getting two for the price of one!
#9: Maria Wears Another Nun's Dress “The Sound of Music” (1965)
Everyone knows that on February 23rd, 2000, J. LO wore that green Versace dress to the Grammys. But what most people don’t know is that Geri Halliwell wore the same dress in January of that year. In “The Sound of Music”, Maria similarly upstages another… but this time, a new nun. As fans know, she reunites with the von Trapp family in a green dress and they all sing “My Favorite Things”. But what fans might not remember is that, earlier in the film, we see a newcomer at the abbey wearing the exact same piece. Postulants reportedly part with their clothes upon entry to a nunnery, so it stands to reason that the garment was given to Maria. After all, she doesn’t seem like the type to steal!
#8: A Revolution in Diagon Alley “Les Misérables” (2012)
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Reduce, reuse, and recycle is the motto of our times. And it's something that even the big Hollywood studios believe in sometimes. One example seems to be the Diagon Alley set from the first “Harry Potter” movie. The wizarding world couldn’t be more different from that of revolutionary France and “Les Misérables”. Yet the production team on the latter film reportedly made their own magic by giving the aforementioned set a little makeover. Indeed, the barricade scene in “Les Mis” does at least appear to take place on the same backdrop as where Hagrid introduces Harry to the hidden high street!
#7: Mia Dolan’s “Funny Face” “La La Land” (2016)
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The 2016 film “La La Land” is an ode to love, music, dance, and Los Angeles. As it turns out, it also pays homage to a whole host of movies and musicals that came before it. There’s probably an entire list’s worth of references in this movie. Our favorite is definitely the parallel between Mia’s shoot on an Arc de Triomphe set and Jo’s Paris photos in “Funny Face”. But we’d be remiss not to point out that Seb’s spin around the lamp post is a tribute to the great Gene Kelly’s Don in “Singin’ in the Rain”.
#6: A Curtain Dress “Hairspray” (2007)
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As Carol Burnett fans will tell you, making a dress out of curtains isn’t a new concept. However, her spoof garment was far more obvious than the one Penny Pingleton made in the 2007 film edition of “Hairspray”. One would’ve had to pay close attention to the character’s decor to notice. But if you did, you might’ve picked up on the fact that her dress in the final act is crafted from the curtains in her room. That’s not the only notable detail in the film either. In the opening scene, there’s a cameo by John Waters, who wrote, directed, and briefly appeared in the 1988 film.
#5: The Innocent One “Chicago” (2002)
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The “Cell Block Tango” scene in “Chicago” is sung by six women accused of crimes as they describe the events that led to their prison sentences. But are they all guilty? There are a few details that point to the fact that the Hungarian woman is the innocent one in the group. First, the only English words she speaks are “not guilty.” Second, there’s the color symbolism. The rest of the women display a red scarf in their dance, in reference to the lives they took. But the Hungarian’s cloth is white, and a spotlight of the same color shines down on her during her solo. Needless to say, it stands in stark contrast to the crimson sea around her.
#4: "War" “West Side Story” (1961)
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There’s a lot to see in this classic 1961 musical. A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, it replaces the Capulets and Montagues with the Sharks and the Jets. And instead of fair Verona, we lay our scene in New York City’s Upper West Side. Of course, there’s also all the added singing, dancing, and finger snapping. However, there’s one clever little easter egg that’s pretty easy to miss. During the “Tonight Quintet”, you can spot the word “war” written on a building in the background. It actually spells “warehouse”, but Ice’s body is in the way. Whether this was done on purpose or not, it’s genius.
#3: The Princess Dress Loincloth “Enchanted” (2007)
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This 2007 Disney movie is able to cleverly poke fun at the studio’s classic fairy tales while also paying tribute to them. And while it’s mostly live-action, the first part is animated. Naturally, it’s filled with a whole host of subtle and overt references to past Disney films. We’re sure you caught many of them. But a less obvious one concerns the big troll that tries to eat Giselle. If you look closely, you’ll see that he seems to be sporting Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, and Snow White’s outfits. We’re scared to ask how he got them, but it’s probably a good thing Giselle got away!
#2: Familiar Faces “In the Heights” (2021)
Like “La La Land,” “In the Heights” is chock-full of subtle details and easter eggs. But we have to point out the Christopher Jackson and Lin-Manuel Miranda appearances. Of course, we came to know them as George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, in “Hamilton”. But they played Benny and Usnavi during the “In the Heights” original Broadway run, as well. In the 2021 movie, however, they take on the more minor roles of the Mister Softee guy and the piragüero. But the easter eggs don’t stop there. You can also catch a quick glimpse of Miranda’s parents during “Breathe”. And in a fun little nod to “Hamilton”, Mr. Rosario gets to listen to “You’ll Be Back” while on hold!
#1: The Bird Lady “Mary Poppins Returns” (2018)
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To understand this detail, we first have to go back to the 1964 “Mary Poppins” film, where the protagonist sings a song called “Feed the Birds”. Naturally, it’s about a bird lady who - you guessed it - tries to keep the many birds fed on the steps outside of St. Paul’s Cathedral. While her character wasn’t brought back for the 2018 sequel, the filmmakers didn’t forget about her. Because, when Jack cycles past the great building at the start of the film, a flock of pigeons takes flight. It’s a sweet and fitting moment if we’ve ever seen one!
