Musicals are a great form of entertainment, yet they tend to be overlooked and made fun of. But why? They're not just fun to watch, musicals are an experience and hopefully after reading this article, you will consider sitting back and choosing from one of the many amazing musicals out there. Musicals are the best, despite the naysayer's opinions, whether they are onstage or on the screen and here are six reasons why.
1. Random Singing and Dancing!
I think the world could do with more random singing and dancing. Imagine going down the road and finding the Von Trapp children bicycling down the road and singing their scales in perfect harmony. Or passing through the gym to find Troy singing? Or how about walking down the streets and seeing a jazzy showdown between the Sharks and the Jets? While it may make no sense, to some, for random bursts of singing and dancing, I think it's amazing and fun. Who wouldn't want to spontaneously burst into song to share your feelings with the world?
2. Costumes
Musicals have some of THE best costumes. I could never tire of watching the ""Cinderella" transformation. And I would kill for the wardrobes in say, "Funny Face" or "Singing in the Rain." The costumes are always colorful, grand, and over the top, extraordinarily detailed, and in certain cases, perfectly period. Costumes can be the best part of a show and musicals do a fantastic job with it. It brings the characters to life, and adds to the personality. Who could forget Sandy's iconic leather pants? Costumes really help bring the show to life, unlike any other part of the show because it is so visually important and stimulating.
3. Beautiful Singing
I mean. Have you heard Idina Menze,l or Barbara Streisand, or Julie Andrews sing? Or how about Michael Crawford as The Phantom, or Bing Crosby, or Aaron Tveit? There are so many amazing singers with gorgeous voices! They can also allow you to see an actor in a different light. Like who knew Gerard Butler could sing?! Musicals provide not only great music, but great and inspiring singing.
4. Great Plots
Musicals have some of the best plots of all time! They can be absolutely crazy and make absolutely no sense, but still be amazing, and they can also be completely random but still bring in crowds. I mean, who would have thought that a musical about Alexander Hamilton would have been a worldwide hit, but it is! Musicals can do what no other genre can. They can discuss any given topic but still work. The plot can be simple or wild and crazy but it always manages to capture your attention.
5. They Deal with Real World Problems
"Rent," "Hairspray," or "Next to Normal" are just a few examples of musicals that deal with some harsh realities. Musicals can take some hard topics and still make it work, even in what is usually considered a light and fun genre. While the topics may be hard to deal with, musicals can take hard topics, like racism or depression, and make you aware of it or allow you to see the other side of the story.
6. They Teach Great Morals and Lessons
Musicals are a great teaching tool. Do you know how hard it is to capture the attention of a kid these days, much less teach them something? Musicals are perfect for subtly slipping in morals and lessons in between the color, and dancing, and singing. "Into the Woods" teaches to not stray from the path like Red and that maybe your enemy has a side to the story like the Giant. "Wicked" teaches about the power of friendship and that people can be put in your life for a reason, and it teaches you to not put limits on yourself and stay true to who you are. And Mary Poppins teaches you how to laugh and that cleaning can be a game! There are so many great lessons to be learned from musicals, it's hard to pick just one.
Ok, so I couldn't resist writing an article about musicals and not throwing in a Hamilton gif! And I'm sorry if your favorite musical wasn't mentioned but there are just so many to choose from, I just picked the first to pop into my head. Hopefully, if you dislike musicals, I've given you a reason to give them another chance, and if you are a lover of musicals then maybe I've inspired you to throw aside whatever you're doing and watch an old favorite! Either way, I hope you enjoyed this article, thanks for reading!
