If you want to see a movie star being born right before your very eyes: FUNNY GIRL (1968) with Barbra Streisand.
Then move on to "On A Clear Day...", (1969) "Hello Dolly", (1969) and the film not consistent with conventional musicals (which is why she dubbed it 'a film with music') "Yentl". You can't go wrong with any of them. I suggest you skip "Funny Lady" (rather over-long and dull) and "A Star Is Born" (over-produced), but yet both still better than what passes off today as musicals. And you will have your fill of great musicals from 1968 - 1983.
After that binge, check out "Cabaret" (1972) starring Liza, "Lady Sings the Blues" starring Diana Ross (again, not a conventional musical) and "Grease" (though it's much more sanitized than the original stage musical). "The Wiz" (1978) showed Diana Ross was still an actress who commanded the screen even in the most over-produced spectacle in movie history. And the music is wonderful - Ross delivers the most powerful rendition of "Home" I've ever heard at the end of this film. And that's all you need from the 1970s.
A special mention does go to 1980's "Xanadu" - it's hokey fun filled with great dance numbers (on rollerskates) and enjoyable music by ONJ and ELO. (However, it still makes me wonder why ONJ passed on "Evita" at this time to do 'Xanadu'. )
"Evita" (1996) is entertaining, unfortunately it just secured the fact that Madonna is not an actress in any sense of the word, for anyone with doubts. It does play like an extended MTV video, but worth watching.
For the 2000's - "Mama Mia", "Hairspray", "Chicago", "Dreamgirls", etc - all over-done musicals with stunt casting, not real talent.
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