“The time is now, the day is here”.
And if you haven’t caught this quote, then this article is for you.
Let’s talk about a topic that is very dear to me because, more than being a passion of mine, it is a real trait of my personality: the musical genre. And, before anyone has any doubts: I can’t sing, I can’t dance, I can’t play any instrument, I don’t have relatives and/or friends who work in show business. But then, why is such a specific and distant genre so important to me, and why do I want to demonstrate its value in the hope of bringing others closer to this noble art? Let’s take a necessary step back, considering that I’m writing this piece while listening to the concept album “Epic: The Musical“.
Musicals: Chronicle of a Personal Story
As already mentioned, I don’t have a family that is passionate about musicals, but there is a movie that we all really like, namely, “Grease“. It’s one of those movies that I’ve always seen at home and that, yes, growing up I liked, but nothing exaggerated. Rather, if I have to think of a connection with musical films, I think of my great passion for Disney. The turning point was in 2016, when I was already 21 years old and, talking about this and that with my friends during a trip to London, the musicals Wicked and Les Miserables were mentioned, with my two friends humming their songs. I don’t know what happened in those days exactly, but when I got home I was no longer the same person: in a short time, I watched as many musical movies as possible, I created a playlist almost exclusively dedicated to musicals (still updating), and I’ve become obsessed with all the news about movies of this genre and productions on Broadway, the West End, the Italian scene and beyond (my social media algorithms are proof of this). Needless to say, I’ve seen all my favorite musicals live and I keep asking friends and family to give me tickets to go see new ones whenever possible. I have a top 3 of preferences that haven’t changed for years (Les Miserables, Hamilton, and Hadestown), about “Mamma Mia!” religiously, I worship a trinity formed by Aaron Tveit, Ramin Karimloo and Lin-Manuel Miranda, I have seen “Notre-Dame De Paris” six times and every year I force myself to go see something new (for 2024 I have tickets for Six, Wicked and the international tour of Les Miserables in Milan), in my Spotify Wrapped there are always top 3 songs from musicals and I have a shelf in my library where I religiously study the playbills and gadgets of every musical I attend.
So how did I go from one extreme to the other? I can’t give myself a definite answer yet, but I’m sure that what I like is the feeling of lightheartedness that this genre transmits to me (even if most of the plots I like then have tragic developments), the catchy rhythms of the soundtracks, the beauty of the sets/costumes, the skill of the ensembles, the stories that led to a certain title and the charm of certain performers. In short, I like the richness of emotions that I associate with this genre. I’m that friend in the group who always proposes to go and see musical films, who talks about them with great enthusiasm even if I have very few direct footholds that reciprocate even in a small part this passion of mine and who dreams of being able to go to Broadway or the West End every time they announce an interesting new production/revival. I think that my passion for musicals is comparable to my great passion for books: both are useful means to “escape” from reality, to distract me, to relax, and to help me find myself when I feel lost.
Musicals: analysis of a widespread “I don’t like them”
I’ve even heard more than one “I HATE musicals” when hatred seems to me a particularly strong feeling (especially towards such a “lighthearted” thing). That you don’t like a kind of entertainment is more than legitimate, and it is not my intention to discuss personal tastes or impose a change of taste on anyone. But from here to having campaigns of recently released films (I’m thinking of “Wonka” or “Mean Girls”) that almost don’t even make it clear in the Italian trailers that it’s a musical, it seems to me that in between there is room for improvement: a musical is not necessarily long or heavy. On the contrary, in its carefree nature and in exploiting songs to convey messages and attract different audiences (such as children), it represents a form of entertainment accessible to all, and this is precisely its strength. Outside of stories that can be as specific or “important” (as Les Miserables, despite the numerous Oscars won), musicals can be a valid tool to emphasize the value of emotions (“Here’s to the fools who Dream?” by La La Land tell you something?), promote social and inclusion messages (see “The Color Purple”) or simply, entertain and give moments of lightheartedness (those who haven’t danced to the notes of “Mamma Mia!”, are lying).
In addition, they represent technical tests that directors and actors use to test their skills or discover others (I’m thinking of Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman in “Moulin Rouge!”, Catherine Zeta-Jones in “Chicago”, Andrew Garfield in “Tik, Tik, Boom!” or Steven Spielberg as director of the acclaimed remake of “West Side Story” a couple of years ago – no, that disastrous recent film adaptation of “Cats” doesn’t even deserve a comment). And again, they are a means to allow us to discover new talents (I’m thinking, for example, of Mike Faist – now in the cinema with Challengers, of Lin-Manuel Miranda – not that he was exactly unknown here, or Ariana De Bose). Not to mention the fact that many beloved voices of animated dubbing are exponents of the musical world (just to name a recent one, the voice of Lucifer in “Hazbin Hotel?” It’s by Jeremy Jordan, iconic in his role in Newsies and now on stage on Broadway with the musical dedicated to The Great Gatsby).
It is certainly not a realistic genre (because no one interrupts what they are doing to sing their feelings), but the musical is a fascinating, creative, and engaging form of transcription of emotions and narratives that allows you to go beyond and experience a moment of unparalleled distraction, with a respectable story behind you (“The Sound Of Music”, “My Fair Lady” and “A Star Is Born” are just some of the historical spearheads of this genre) and a depth beyond the apparent “stupid” songs and tunes capable of always surprising, regardless of age and context.
Musicals: a guide to give the genre a first or new chance
My modest personal advice is to give a chance to some musical films that are considered good films in their own right, regardless of the genre: to start then, it is better to opt for titles that have fewer songs, to “test” one’s tolerability, gradually increasing the number of songs present in a selected title. On the various streaming sites, you are spoilt for choice (“Matilda”, “The Greatest Showman”, “Jesus Christ Superstar”, “Pitch Perfect”…)!
Another suggestion, don’t start with bricks with a historical background but with more current and engaging stories, perhaps also letting yourself be inspired by those proposals that have won awards during the Award Seasons. All this, rigorously, in the language (when it is not an Italian production), to be able to fully savor and experience the magic of a story/text.
Give a chance to theatrical productions: you don’t need to go to London or New York because international tours often touch Italian soil or we boast of some really good companies for the proposals they bring to the stage, as well as “homemade” productions worthy of note. Of course, going to experience the world of musicals directly on Broadway or in the West End is an extremely recommended experience, especially for the most important sets and productions (such as “The Phantom of the Opera” or “The Lion King”)! Moreover, when it comes to certain musical, you can even read the story to immerse yourself even more in a specific setting: besides the classic, we can also find, for example, Wicked, written by Gregory Maguire.
In short, between catchy motives, unforgettable stories often inspired by history or general culture anyway, characters with whom it is easy to identify, admirable choreographies, costumes, and settings rich in details, musicals more than a genre are a real reservoir of emotions, which make our hearts beat to the rhythm and fill the soul with wonder.
