Millions also did indeed scream ay-oh with Freddie Mercury! If you didn't know, many of your favourite shows have a past life with real events so interesting that they made it to the stage, where their memory could live forever. Check them out below - there's more than you think.

Hamilton

Not just a name on the ten-dollar bill! The man who helped shape America - duels, scandals, and all was one of the United States Founding Fathers, a key figure in shaping the country's financial system, and the subject of a notorious political sex scandal. His life ended in a fatal duel with Aaron Burr in 1804, but his legacy lives on through Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-hop sensation.

Phantom of the Opera

A masked man lurking beneath a grand opera house, composing music and causing mayhem - sounds as dramatic as a soprano right? That's because it's inspired by real events at the Paris Opera House, including a falling chandelier and a mysterious figure who may have called its underground home. Gaston Leroux's novel, which inspired the musical, was based on rumours of a ghost haunting the Palais Garnier, a real-life fire, and the infamous and fatal chandelier crash that happened in 1896, killing one person.

Come From Away

A town in Newfoundland opened its doors to stranded airline passengers after 9/11, and that is the basis for this heartwarming musical that tells the story of how kindness and community turned chaos into connection. After U.S. airspace was closed following the September 11th attacks, 38 planes were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland. The tiny town of less than 10,000 people welcomed over 7,000 stranded passengers, offering them food, shelter, and friendship in incredible generosity.

Just For One Day

Before Live Aid became a legendary concert, it was a game-changing idea to fight world hunger through music. This new musical follows how Bob Geldof and a group of rockstars changed the world - one performance at a time. Live Aid was held on July 13, 1985, to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. The event featured performances from Queen, U2, David Bowie, and more raised millions and became one of the most significant moments in music history.

Evita

From radio actress to Argentina's First Lady, Eva Peron's rise was as dazzling as it was controversial. She was one of Argentina's most influential figures in the 1940s, as First Lady, she championed workers' rights and women's suffrage and died of cancer at just 33. Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musical captures her fame, power, and tragic end, asking: did she use her influence for good or personal gain?

The Sound of Music

Maria von Trapp was a real governess who married Captain Georg von Trapp, and together they formed a family singing group. In 1938, as Austria fell under Nazi rule, the family fled to Italy (not Switzerland, as the film suggests) before making their way to America, where they found fame.

Parade

A gripping musical about the true case of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory manager wrongly accused of murder in 1913 Georgia. Leo Frank was accused of murdering a 13-year-old factory worker named Mary Phagan. Despite weak evidence, he was convicted and later lynched by a mob. His case became a key moment in both Jewish-American history and the rise of the Anti-Defamation League.

Six

Think Henry VIII's six wives were just doomed footnotes in history? Think again. This pop-powered musical gives them a voice, rewriting the narrative from "divorced, beheaded, died" to "fierce, fabulous, and owning their stories." Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr were more than just Henry VIII's wives - they were powerful women navigating the treacherous politics of Tudor England.

Funny Girl

Fanny Brice wasn't just a star - she was the original Funny Girl. This musical tells the real-life rags-to-riches story of the legendary comedian and Ziegfeld Follies performer, a vaudeville sensation and one of the most famous comedic performers of the early 20th century. She became a Broadway star, had a rollercoaster love life (including a marriage to conman Nicky Arnstein), and inspired future generations of performers with her radio comedy hits.