TS+Musicals

Like many other forms of theatre, musicals tend to be successful because they either portray a story that he audience can relate to or because they allow the audience to suspend their sense of disbelief and escape from everyday life. We can see examples of highly successful plays that revolve around a story that the audience can relate to in //Avenue Q// and //Contact//. //Avenue Q// is a play that presents the struggles of adult life in puppet form, so it actually combines both a relatable story and suspension of disbelief, and the combination is very successful as evidenced by the numerous Tony Awards that the play won. //Contact// explores the importance of to reaching out to other people and making connections with other people despite the hectic pace of modern life. Both of these works deal with issues that most every person can relate to and they present these issues in a very entertaining way, so the performances are rewarding to the audience in multiple way, which contributes greatly to the plays’ success. Musicals can also be an excellent way for people to escape the realities of everyday life while being entertained. We can see examples of this in //The Lion King// and //Avenue Q//. //The Lion King// is particularly successful because it is accessible to a wide audience due to its roots in a children’s animated movie. Musicals seem to be most effective when they either help the audience escape from their problems or when they show the problems that the audience faces in a new light. A well written score is also a vital part of a successful musical, as one would expect from a work that centers around music.