Being a theatre kid, I have spent a good amount of time listening to different cast albums and soundtracks, but once in a while a show comes along that really resonates with me and it becomes an obsession. Once you find this musical, it all goes down hill from there. I can testify this has happened with many shows for me including "Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Newsies," "Something Rotten," and "Hamilton." These are the nine stages of becoming obsessed with a musical:
1. Hearing About The Show
This usually happens when you are surrounded by other thespians who also listen to musicals or by being a part of the show. I had never heard of "Millie" before, but once I was in the production I soon became obsessed. This stage is an integral part of the obsession, but it comes before you even realize this show will soon consume your life.
2. Listening To The Soundtrack
In my experience, I typically start off not even enjoying the soundtrack of said musical. When I first heard the "Hamilton" cast album I did not automatically love it. I was actually a little disappointed because it was such a known, popular musical and it just seemed long, boring, and wordy. The wordiness plus the fact that I do not like rap music made me ready to accept that I would not be joining the "Hamilton" fandom. Luckily, this was NOT the case!
3. Having A Song From Said Musical Stuck In Your Head
You are sitting in class and boom you cannot get the chorus of a song from a musical out of your head. This is super annoying because you do not know the words or melody that well because you were not invested in the show and you probably have only heard the song once or twice. For me, this was the case for "Newsies". I had seen the show and enjoyed it but I had never qualified it as one of my favorite musicals, but one day I had "Santa Fe" stuck in my head and now it is my all time favorite musical.
4. Listening To The Entire Soundtrack Again
Now that you have listened to the song mentioned in stage 3 you decide to listen to some of the other songs in the musical. Most likely, this leads to loving the soundtrack as well as the beginning of a new,beautiful obsession!
5. Repeating Number Four
Yup... Your obsession will only get worse.
6. Trying To Get Your Friends And Family To Listen To Your Newfound Love
If you are anything like me, you want to share your newfound joy! You constantly listen to the soundtrack and talk about the show so it is natural to want everyone to enjoy it as well. Depending on the degree of your obsession, your family and friends may be annoyed with you by this stage. I know that I am constantly singing and listening to the soundtrack of the musical I am obsessed with and therefore my family knows all the songs from the show. When I love a production I try to get others obsessed so we can talk and obsess together. My friends can testify to the fact that I am always sending songs, videos, and memes that revolve around the musical I am obsessed with!
7. Stalking The Show And Cast
This one is definitely a major stage of the obsession. Once you realize that every single person that is involved with the production is incredibly talented you need to know more about them, their role in the production, and even about their personal lives. This can range anywhere from stalking them on social media and liking everything they post to watching every interview and video about them on YouTube. Currently, I am obsessed with "Hamilton" so I have been watching every interview that is online, any clips of the show I can find, and listening to the cast album daily.
8. Denying You Have An Issue
By this point in the obsession you have been told more than once that you have a problem. You deny that you have an issue and instead claim that the rest of the world does not understand the perfection of the musical. The music, cast, choreography, lyrics, sets and all other elements of the show are just so overwhelmingly amazing that it would be insane to NOT constantly admire it.
9. Repeat With A New Musical
Eventually, you will hear a new song and start to repeat the stages. This does not mean your love for the other show is gone, but rather there are songs from a new musical that fill your head daily. Do not worry though, the second the music begins from a musical you had an obsession with the emotions flood to the surface and you will remember why you became obsessed in the first place!
