forum So....what's so great about musicals again?
Started by @Young-Dusty-the-Monarch-of-Dusteria group
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@Young-Dusty-the-Monarch-of-Dusteria group

I'm not trying to start an argument here—I'm honestly curious why musicals seem so popular these days. Personally, I'm not a fan of them because the acting feels overdone a lot of the time, and also (more importantly, to me) because the songs get stuck in my head way too easily. Now I want to hear what you think of them, and if you think my complaints are valid.

@amber_is_in_a_loop

First off, there are some musicals out there that have literal masterpieces for soundtracks, in terms of vocals and harmonies and instrumentals and just everything.
Second, I don't know if you've ever seen a show live, but there is something absolutely magical about live music anyway, but when it's coupled with professional dancing, a professional orchestra, sets, costumes, and all that jazz… there's nothing like it.
Now, you say the acting is overdone, but unfortunately I can't think you've had very good casts if it felt that way. Although, it is fair to say that the entire point of musicals is drama and emotion.
If you listen to any type of non-musical music, you'll see that (for the most part), it's lacking soul and feeling and power. When it comes to musicals, everything in them SCREAMS those things (again, for the most part). There is so much energy and emotion in voice acting and in the storylines and characters behind the music and the lyrics that it adds so much more than just good music.
If you want, I can explain some of this more in depth with examples of the masterpieces and the relevant shows that just hit that emotional spot so perfectly.

Deleted user

In some cases, it helps others learn.
For example, Hamilton.
My history class was asked to listen to the soundtrack becuase it covered the federalist party and such.

@amber_is_in_a_loop

(I'm very glad you said that)
Have you heard any non-musical song with proper harmonies? Or anything close to a full orchestra? I haven't, or at least not many. The main reason I turned to musicals was because I was missing something in mainstream music, but I couldn't figure out what it was. Example, I'd listen to Stone Cold by Demi Lovato because she's got a great voice and all, but it'd never feel complete.
When I listen to musicals, literally almost any song from any show has more soul than any mainstream song you could name. That's because:
1) Ten times more care goes into every part of a musical song than goes into a pop song. There's a lyricist, and a composer, and an actor, which means that there's deep characterization, music that has been tried and tested and then performed by at least 5 talented, passionate people simultaneously, and lyrics that are part of a bigger, edited and re-edited story. Doing anything for a musical is like writing a story.
2) The talent that goes into every musical without exception. Actors, musicians, writers, they're doing what they adore day in day out, and that passion shows even through a soundtrack. The style of musicals is so intricate. When you see a show live, you're watching an entire crew's blood, sweat and tears come to life right in front of you. It's beyond seeing a movie, listening to a song, or even reading a book. To me anyway, musicals reach an emotional part of me that nothing else does. And then, when you get to Octet/Bare/Falsettos/Ghost Quartet level emotional intensity and quality of entertainment… there are literally no words.
3) Musical theatre is an art. There's no other way to put in. Musical songs have an originality and quality that other music just doesn't have, at all or as much. Any mainstream artist is appealing to the masses, whereas in musical theatre every word and every note feels so personal and relatable and fleshed out. I promise you it is impossible that you'll never find a musical that doesn't connect with you.
4) I'm going to say this again: the TALENT. There are some fucking (sorry) powerhouses in theatre vocals. NO ONE competes with the likes of Christine Allado, or Micheal Arden, or Jeremy Jordan, or Stephanie J. Block, or andrew (Our Supreme Lord and Overseer) Rannells, or Eva Noblezada, or Christian Borle, or Ciara Renee, or Ben Platt, or Brittain Ashford… and I could go on forever.

(If you want me to deliver links to videos of examples of anything please let me know, if you're not interested just ignore this)

@amber_is_in_a_loop

And I'd just like to add ^^'
I cannot tell you how many times I've seen cast members make themselves or another cast member cry, and that isn't even taking into account the audience members.
I even remember once, I saw a famous actress cry at curtain call, in the middle of her run, just because she was so happy to be a part of that show. That is magical. Plus people in theatre are so welcoming and nice… once again, for the most part.

@Young-Dusty-the-Monarch-of-Dusteria group

Please send links if you have the time! I'm interested to hear some examples of what you consider to be top-quality stuff.
I hear what you're saying when it comes to popular mainstream music. It seems like few of those artists even try to make good songs anymore. I have found musicians and singers out there that produce heartfelt, stunning music and put incredible attention to detail into every one of their songs, but they tend to be independent records or people who make music purely because they love to, not for money or fame.
I can definitely see how a song in a musical would be the same. It's true, I've never been to a live performance by really good actors so I'm sure that's a much different experience. Also, side note, it just makes me really happy to hear people talk about things they love so much, so please continue lecturing me if you like XD

@amber_is_in_a_loop

I always have the time (even if I am putting off studying for a huge exam tomorrow and an essay due this week)
I'm glad you enjoy my ranting, it annoys my irl friends so much XD
So I'm not going to put everything I listed up there…. or I might, if I can't manage to keep myself under control, we'll see.

So the first link(s) is to multiple numbers (shows) of Dave Malloy who is my all time favourite composer because yes. I do have to admit to his style of music being strange though, so if it isn't to your taste it's okay.
My favourite current show of his is Octet, and the songs from them that you should listen to are either Monster for something more aggressive or The Field for a sweeter, more style-focused song.
Another show of his is Ghost Quartet, which is probably his weirdest show. My favourite song from that is Usher Pt. 3, but that might be too much for a first impression. Maybe try I Don't Know? Or Subway? It's a bit hard to choose, so we'll leave it at that.

The other two I mentioned are: bare: A Pop Opera that never fails to leave me an emotional wreck. Try mainly Bare, but God Don't Make No Trash is amazing, and All Grown Up for kickass vocals and Absolution for pure heartbreak.

And Falsettos that was my all time favourite show for a very very long while, and it still kind of is. Again, choosing songs is really hard. Try Days Like This for a great impression the entire show, or What Would I Do? because it's the most beautiful love song ever. Falsettos is really a musical gem.

If we're talking about masterpieces I can't not include Hadestown . There's Chant II because… just because; and then, there's Wait For Me because I love Orpheus with my entire damn heart.

And just one last honourable mention is In The Bedroom Down the Hall which is a removed song from Dear Evan Hansen because the characters are phenomenal and this song always breaks my heart.

Now, specific actors, and then I promise I'm done.

FIRST: Christine Allado because she's one of the best singers in the entire world and also an amazing actress. This is If You Could See My Heart from another incredible show.

This man here is Micheal Arden who has made me cry over the sheer power and beauty of his voice through a soundtrack, which has never happened. This is a recording of him singing Out There from Hunchback of Notre Dame (the stage musical) and uh for good measure I'll add Made of Stone because it's just as good.

Now Jeremy Jordan. This is Caught In The Storm from a musical. For more dramatic vocals there's It's All Coming Back To Me Now, and there are so many incredible acting clips of him that I won't put because the list will never end. Please keep in mind Jeremy Jordan is the man I respect the most in the entire world and I'm not just saying that so please enjoy these :))

This is my darling Stephanie J. Block singing Holding To The Ground from Falsettos.

This is Keri Rene Fuller who has the cleanest belt in the entire industry singing Memory.

This is andrew (Our Supreme Lord and Overseer) Rannells, who is another one of my idols. He's in What Would I Do? somewhere up there in Falsettos so I'll put a comedy song here lol. It's I Believe from The Book of Mormon.

This is Eva Noblezada, then 19 years old, performing I'd Give My Life For You.

Next is Christian Borle, also in What Would I Do?, so I'll also put a comedic number here. It's Hard to be the Bard from Something Rotten!

Next is Ciara Renee that I know from Hunchback, like Micheal Arden, so here's yet another song from that: God Help The Outcasts

Second to last, Brittain Ashford, singing Hero. She's got a great, very unique voice.

Finally, Ben Platt, the one true love of my life. This is him singing Waving Through a Window from Dear Evan Hansen. Alternatively, this is Ease My Mind from his new non-musical album cause it's gorgeous.

@HighPockets group

ALSO!
We're really in the middle of a golden age of creative, genre-shifting musicals with people like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Dave Malloy at the helm. We're seeing shows like Hamilton that take someone who's so often forgotten (Alexander Hamilton) and gave him the credit he deserves. Or, for a more meta example, introduced many listeners to people like John Laurens, an early abolishonist (and also was most likely queer), or Angelica Schuyler, and gave depth to Aaron Burr, who's often just shown as "that guy who shot that one founding father". It also has some of the most brilliant lyrics I've ever heard, seriously. Just listen through a song like My Shot or the cabinet battles. "God help and forgive me, I wanna build something that's gonna outlive me" is the only lyric I've ever considered getting a tattoo of in the future. Not to mention that the show is a rap opera, which is pretty damn impressive on its own.

Hadestown takes the story of Orpheus and Eurydice and makes it relevant in our modern times, I'm not too familiar with it outside of the recording (Chant II!!! Swoons) so I'll let Amber cover that one.
We have Dave Malloy's Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, which takes a tiny chunk of War and Peace and makes it stomachable to a modern audience, it's also an electropop opera and has some hella impressive vocals (just….the 14-second long and uber high "Petersburg" at the end of Pierre and Anatole!!). It's also really what inspired me to start reading more classic literature, I'm about halfway through the brick that is War and Peace right now (granted, I haven't picked it up for a year or two). Malloy also did Ghost Quartet, as Amber mentioned, and it's a circular story about love, betrayal, and revenge with a 4-person cast and some very unique voices. It's the only show I've been scared listening to, there's just something eerie about it. I'll be just chilling and suddenly have the urge to listen to the whole album, then listen to it on loop and then delete it off my saved songs list on Spotify.

Personally, one of my favorite shows is Frankenstein: A New Musical (shock and horror, Jyn loves a Frankenstein musical! What a surprise, I bet the earth is round too!). It's a show I listened to during the best weeks of my life and it really tells the story in a way none of the movie adaptations have and yes, that was a direct callout to all Frankenstein movies. It's got some beautiful repeated motifs (side note: I highly recommend Make Stuff's video on the motifs of Hamilton, it's very well-done and I love it) and really captures the characters in, again, a way none of the movies do. I recommend it to my friends who study the book for school because it makes an otherwise wordy and imposing Gothic sci-fi horror novel digestable for the average listener. I put it on while carving pumpkins and it made my little sister interested in the book. Also it's just a bop, the beginning to The Proposition makes me go feral like no other song can (except for the swell of music at the end of a Star Wars movie but whatever).

Into The Woods is another favorite of mine, it's got a cast full of flawed yet likable characters and some beautiful repeated themes and songs. Last Midnight is the definitive villain song. Honorable mention to Anastasia, while it's not really revolutionary or anything it's just a fun and nostalgic show. Plus Derek Klena and Christy Altomare have beautiful voices <3! In The Heights is another Miranda show and also very fun yet emotional, I highly recommend it.

Musicals are also constantly changing, that's why I like them. Shows often get revivals and changes as the years go by, and they're not afraid to look at past choices and say "yeah, we've changed as a culture since then". It's also just a really loving and supportive community that's accessable to a ton of different people. It's not perfect, but strides are made every year.

@Young-Dusty-the-Monarch-of-Dusteria group

This is all really interesting! Thanks for taking my question so seriously, you guys ^^
I have heard most of Hamilton, since my sister is really really into it right now. I agree, the story is fascinating and the songs are really well-written. I think Lin-Manuel Miranda might be a genius lol. My only objection to it (which is purely personal, obviously) is that I've heard it wayyyy too many times now. Especially Non Stop and the Cabinet Battles. This is kind of where my original issue with musicals comes back into play: I do think a lot of the songs are amazing, but many of them are also very catchy, and I get songs stuck in my head very easily. So I don't think I'd ever listen to one more than a few times, you know?
Again, that's not a problem with the musicals themselves, it's just a problem I myself have when listening to them, and I think it'll keep me from ever becoming a true musical connoisseur ^^;
Even so, I'll definitely check out the other musicals you recommended! I recognize that I can't really judge something until I give it a fair chance, especially when it comes to art :)

@Yamatsu

If you want to see a guy with some serious range, Alex Brightman was not only in School of Rock, but he's also currently in Beetlejuice. How his vocal cords haven't exploded yet, I'll never know.