HSMusicals

Given the readings, the evidence from the DVD and that of the youtube examples, discuss why some musicals succeed and others seem to fail. Use examples to support your opinions.

A good musical appeals to the culture in terms of subject matter, originality, theatricality, energy, and quality of the music. For example, Wicked is one of the most well-known contemporary musicals. It appeals to people through the green lighting, interesting costumes, great music, the massive amounts of energy shown by the actors and actresses, and also the originality of the musical. Everyone loves the Wizard of Oz; it is a classic. Many people love the musical because it is another twist on the movie, The Wizard of Oz. The Lion King also appeals to the audience through the orange tones, animal costumes, the huge amounts of energy exuded, and, again, the great music, and the originality. Again, the audience can relate to the musical, because everyone has seen and loved the movie. It is a classic Disney movie, and the fact that the playwright turned it into a musical is so intriguing, I think, to the audience. In West Side Story, they sing the song America, which describes the American dream that so many people are familiar with. People can relate to the musical. The music is good as well, and the theatrics that went into this show were minimal, but resembled the subject matter of the musical. In Rent, the actors and actresses exude great amounts of energy when they perform. The story is also relatable to the audience. The theatrics involve a set with many props and realistic costumes, and the subject is original again. In Avenue Q, the subject matter is definitely original. It is about ordinary people trying to make it in the world, but puppets are used. Puppets have always been great sources of entertainment so, naturally, the audience loved the concept, especially when comedy was added. The theatrics were entertaining, the music was great, and the actors radiated energy throughout the musical. In all of the superb musicals, the subject matter has been highly original and relatable, the theatrics have been stunning and fascinating, energy has been radiant from the stage, and the music has been fantastic. I think that all of these are important qualities in a successful musical.