When the word "musical" comes to mind, what do you think of? I'm assuming jazz hands, big flashy costumes, New York City, and marquees. But what if I told you Broadway musicals are more than just the jazz hands, crazy costumes, and bright lights?
Well, when the word "musical" comes to mind, I instantly think of three words: educational, art, and current.
Musicals are more than just entertainment. They bring to life a story and have the audience under their spell for a few hours. It is nothing like a movie where you sit there and watch a screen, the theatre is live and tells a story in a unique way that no other entertainment form can. Live music and powerful vocals can make an audience member feel a whole range of emotions in just a short span of time.
Shows such as Hamilton bring the American Revolution to life. Through the soundtrack, students can learn all about what Hamilton stood for, the conflicts between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, as well as Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton's famous duel. Famous historical names are also included in the narrative such as George Washington, James Madison, John Adams, and King George III. The music has inspired many U.S. History teachers to play songs from the hit musical to help the students better understand the Revolution as well as provoke the student's interest in the time period. Instead of reading all about the Revolution through a long and boring textbook chapter, students now have the opportunity to learn about the Revolution through music.
Another historical musical is the story behind Come From Away. The true story is based on the September 11th terrorist attack and 38 planes having to emergency land in Newfoundland. Not many people have heard of Operation Yellow Ribbon, so having an entire musical dedicated to an untold story of 9/11 helps society understand the effects 9/11 had on people not even in New York City.
I could go on and on about different moments in history that playwrights choose to cover but there is another thing that theater does so beautifully. This is the commentary on societal issues. Shows such as West Side Story discuss the hardships many immigrants face when coming to the United States. The musical illustrates the struggles immigrants have when it comes to conforming into American society as well as facing prejudices. The two gangs, the Jets (Americans) despise the Sharks (Puerto Ricans) and the Sharks despise the Jets. The two gangs go head to head several times and do many cruel things to one another. When getting into a fight, the police are much harsher to the Sharks which demonstrates the racism many immigrants deal with on a day to day basis.
Still on West Side Story, this musical was inspired by the infamous Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. The two gangs, The Jets and The Sharks resemble the two families The Montagues and The Capulets. The two star crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet are now star crossed lovers by the names Maria and Tony. English classes could use this musical to help students better understand Romeo and Juliet (because let's be real, Shakespeare is very confusing).
One other topic that musicals cover so beautifully is the topic of mental illness. Two musicals that cover this topic are Next to Normal and Dear Evan Hansen. Next to Normal takes on the struggles of having a mother having bi-polar disorder and the impact it made on the rest of the family, while Dear Evan Hansen discusses suicide and anxiety (to read an article about why Dear Evan Hansen is so important, click here).
Broadway is more than just singing and dancing. There are shows out there that educate society on pressing issues. Instead of reading from the textbook, teachers are using Hamilton to educate students on the American Revolution. These unique ways are helping students get an idea of what a topic is about and can have something to compare it to (take West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet). Who needs a textbook when you can learn about a topic through a musical?
