Broadway musicals: the love of my life. The technical definition of Broadway is the cluster of theatre in Manhattan, NY. Broadway musicals have been captivating audiences for decades and have gathered a large fanbase. These shows have made a positive impact on my life and I want to share that joy with the world. Here are 11 reasons Broadway musicals are the greatest.
1. Broadway musicals can get away with more and are more diverse than film.
Live musicals don’t have a rating system, so they can get away with more explicit language and more controversial themes than film can. Broadway don’t care, Broadway don’t give a s***. In terms of diversity, Broadway has a way to go, but it’s definitely surpassed Hollywood, especially recently. Within the last year or two, we’ve seen Keke Palmer play the first African American "Cinderella" on Broadway and we've seen the cast of "Hamilton" which features mostly Latino, African American and Biracial leads. In general, minorities are getting cast in non-stereotypical roles, which is awesome.
2. Broadway musicals tackle big issues.
Broadway tackles big issues in ways that film hasn’t. "Fun Home" centers around a young lesbian and is one of the first musicals to have a lesbian protagonist. "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" centers around a transgender singer. "The Color Purple" focuses on a bisexual black woman in the 1930’s. "Rent" has a plot line that centers around poverty, homosexuality, drug addiction, and AIDS in the early 90’s. These shows are just a fraction of musicals that tackle big issues. I realize that a most of the latter examples originated from novels or movies, but seeing it live brings a new depth to it.
3. There's a show tune for almost every situation.
Seriously, Broadway musicals have songs about the strangest things. My friends and I like to play a game on road trips where they give a word and I try to find a show tune that fits that word. I usually win.
4. The experience
There is nothing that compares to seeing a musical live. When you’re sitting in the theatre seats and the lights go down and the orchestra strikes up the overture, you know you’re in for a treat.
5. Broadway stars
Jeremy Jordan, Aaron Tveit, Sierra Boggess, Laura Osnes, Lin Manuel-Miranda, and Lindsay Mendez are just a few big names to grace the Broadway stages. Not only are they incredibly talented and passionate performers, but after meeting a few of them, they are also some of the kindest people. They tend to come outside after shows and meet any fans that were willing to stay.
6. The big celebrities on Broadway
There are a lot of big stars that have gone from the big screen to Broadway or got their start on Broadway. Hugh Jackman, Nick Jonas, Lea Michele, Daniel Radcliffe, Lupita Nyong'o, Neil Patrick Harris, and Darren Criss are a few celebs that have done stints in Broadway musical. And they rocked it, btw.
7. The classic shows
Everyone’s heard of "Wicked," "The Lion King," "Mamma Mia," and "Grease." These are some of the biggest shows on Broadway because they have a fantastic story line and score. They are guaranteed to be amazing live show choices.
8. The new, original shows
"Fun Home," "It Shoulda Been You," "Avenue Q," "Something Rotten," "Hamilton"...These are a few shows that aren’t very well known (except for "Hamilton") and haven’t had long runs on Broadway. While the big, classic shows are always great, the shows that aren’t that big are what make Broadway the best.
9. It can be educational.
I can’t write about Broadway musicals without dedicating one of my reasons to "Hamilton." I did my first year of college as a history education major. I learned more about the life of Alexander Hamilton by listening to the "Hamilton" soundtrack and reading about the musical. Even if Broadway musicals weren’t directly made to educate, you can learn a lot from them.
10. They just make you feel good.
I have never once left a show thinking “Wow, that was a waste of time and money." After walking out of a show I’ve never seen before, I almost feel like a new person. Just listening to musical soundtracks can quickly turn my mood around.
11. There’s a musical for everybody.
You can’t just go see one musical and then say that you "don’t like musicals." There really is that one musical for everyone. I’ve been seeing shows since I was in first grade. In high school, I really started appreciating musicals and went to all the shows my school and local community college put on. I saw "Wicked" on tour, and during my junior year, Les Mis the movie came out, and I really fell in love with Broadway musicals. It wasn’t until I saw "Heathers the Musical" for the first time, however, that I became full-blown obsessed with Broadway and never turned back. So even if you have a bad experience with a show, just keep going to see other ones because I promise you’ll find one that makes you fall in love.
Broadway is incredibly important to me and makes me unbelievably happy. The Broadway world is one of one of the greatest. I only hope that everyone can see a show at some point and appreciate this art form.
