‘We’ve gotta have a great show, with a million laughs … and color … and a lot of lights to make it sparkle. And songs – wonderful songs. And after we get the people in that hall, we’ve gotta start ’em in laughing right away. Oh, can’t you just see it …?’

– Judy Garland,

‘Babes In Arms,’ 1939

We won’t have Judy and Mickey looking for a barn where they can hold their show, but we do have the third annual Cannon Beach Film Festival taking place June 4 through 6 at the Coaster Theatre in downtown Cannon Beach.

The theme of this year’s festival is “Musicals!” Coastal communities can enjoy free musical entertainment all weekend long in downtown Cannon Beach, featuring musicals from the early days of film to more recent years.

A wine reception complete with door prizes will kick off the event at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 4, followed by a screening of “The Sound of Music” at 7 p.m. On Saturday, June 5, “Hair” shows at 2 p.m., “Across the Universe” at 4 p.m. and “All That Jazz” at 7 p.m. On Sunday, June 6, “West Side Story” shows at noon and “Singin’ in the Rain” at 3 p.m. There will be a break for remarks by Craig Shepherd, artistic director of the Coaster Theatre, at 5 p.m., where festivalgoers can learn more about the final feature: “The Fantasticks,” showing immediately after the presentation.

Most of these musicals are familiar to all of us, but one is slightly less well known: “Across The Universe.” It is a love story set in the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-war protest, the struggle for free speech and civil rights, mind exploration and rock & roll. A combination of live action and animation, the film is paired with many songs by The Beatles, those lyrics that defined the era. It is directed by Julie Taymor, the genius who directed “The Lion King” stage musical, among others.

“West Side Story” is the winner of 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It is a classic musical set among the tenements of New York City which finds star-crossed lovers Maria (Natalie Wood) and Tony (Richard Beymer) caught in the midst of a turf war between rival street gangs. The modern Romeo and Juliet story features original choreography by Jerome Robbins, as adapted from the Broadway stage production. Oscar winners Rita Moreno and George Chakiris co-star.

“The Sound of Music” is Rodgers and Hammerstein’s greatest collaboration, in which an independent young woman named Maria (Julie Andrews), studying to become a nun, is sent to care for the unruly, motherless Von Trapp children. She soon tames them and finds herself falling for their stern father (Christopher Plummer). Oscar-winning director Robert Wise used gorgeous Austrian locations to transform the popular stage musical into a cinema classic where the hills really do seem to come alive!

“Hair” is the story of quiet and conservative Claude (John Savage) on his way to join the Army during the Vietnam War. He travels from Oklahoma to New York City, where he befriends a group of fun Central Park hippies and falls in love with a beautiful society girl named Sheila (Beverly D’Angelo). Directed by Milos Forman, this Broadway musical-turned-motion-picture features the beautiful choreography of Twyla Tharp and hit songs such as “Aquarius.”

“All That Jazz” is Bob Fosse’s autobiographical film celebrating the raunchy underbelly of show business. Successful director-choreographer Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider) is at the top of the Broadway heap. But he stands powerless as his world slowly collapses around him; his obsession with work has almost destroyed his personal life, and only his bottles of Dexedrine keep him going. Soon, it’s clear Gideon will have to make a choice – his art or his life.

“Singin’ In the Rain”: Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor combine their talents in one of the greatest big-screen musicals ever made, a two-time Oscar nominee that includes the songs “Good Morning,” “Make ‘Em Laugh” and the iconic title tune. When Hollywood attempts the transition from silent films to talkies, a matinee idol (Kelly) hopes to make the cut. But he’s hampered by a silent-movie queen (Jean Hagen) with a voice like fingernails on a blackboard. But, remember, this is a musical, so all will come right in the end!

“The Fantasticks” is the longest-running stage musical in the world and the longest-running production of any kind in American theater history. “The Fantasticks” follows the scheming of two neighboring fathers who attempt to spark a romance between their children by faking a feud.