emMusicals

The book’s definition of a musical makes the success of a musical seem very straightforward. The book implies if you combine talent, singing and dancing and you can make a musical that will be successful, but after watching the documentary, Show Business, this is not the case. The documentary proved that the business of musicals is not a perfect formula. A musical can have the best talent but if the audience does not relate to the piece, or they do not find it interesting the musical will fail. Avenue Q was not expected to be a hit because no one knew who the audience was going to be, the puppets made the show seem child-like but the material was not for children at all. The critics wondered if anyone would go to the play because of the confusing messages. Avenue Q was a huge success, and this was because the audiences loved the contradiction that the musical played with. This musical was not like one ever seen on Broadway before but it ended up being a huge hit.
 * MUSICALS AND THEIR SUCCESS**

A musical’s success cannot always be calculated. A show can be very talented but not always recognized like it should be. Talent is not the only variable in the success. As seen in the Lion King, things like beautiful costumes and sets can also pull an audience in. The audiences of Lion King loved that they could be taken to a totally different world for a few hours, and this was possible through the elaborate costumes and design. Both of these elements are essential for the Lion King’s success.

In relation to the musical Caroline, the critics many times stated that this play had the most serious story but also some of the best talent. This show was not as successful as some of the other shows, like Wicked, even though it may have had better talent. This show was still successful but not on the same level because of the serious subject matter. More people would like to escape to a fanciful world, rather than a serious one. This small factor hindered the show’s success but the talent was able to carry the show and make it a critic favorite.

Musicals are not all uniform. The things that make a musical successful are varied and cannot be calculated. Although all successful musicals reach their peak differently, certain things can help a musical reach the top. Most successful musicals are pieces that the audiences can relate to, they contain a certain “newness” about them, and they also have the ability of the design crew, actors and story line to take you to a world that is different than your own for the few hours you are there. These three things can be altered but in most musicals, they play a major role in the success.