The common misconception about musical theatre is that it is all about jazz hands and sunshine. There is no doubt that some of its iterations succumb to this category, however, there is so much more to musical theatre than meets the ignorant eye. 

The first modern musical was premiered in 1866 under the name, “The Black Crook” in New York City. It featured a cohesive story that was told through original song and dance numbers, which is how we recognise musical theatre today, however, this was not the first example of multi media performance. Ancient Greeks staged plays that included singing choruses, Italians developed Opera to convey stories through song, Americans created variety shows called Vaudeville’s displaying music, comedy and specialist acts ect. All of these mediums have shaped the trajectory of the modern musical today, which makes it seem a lot more impressive than just kick lines and sparkly costumes.

As a musical appreciator and performer, I believe it is vital when defending its artistic autonomy and brilliance, to display the more nuanced sides of musical theatre. My favourite variation of a musical is one that subverts expectations: in its music, its storyline and atmosphere. If a piece can defy the laws of what musical theatre is perceived as, it immediately is ranked highly for me. 

For instance, “RENT” is a rock musical written by Johnathan Larsson which handles themes of institution, AIDS, socioeconomic struggles and death. Many would believe that a musical isn’t the worthiest vehicle to portray such profound topics; a form so rooted in its happy endings and love ballads. Despite what is perpetuated by flash judgments, music can be one of the most effective ways of projecting emotions. The rock genre the musical utilises, supports the intensity of the story’s themes, transporting you further than you thought a musical could.

The same goes for shows like “West Side Story” and “Jesus Christ Superstar”. As one of the most well known musical classics, “West Side Story” reimagines Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet” into a 1950s spunky Latin American jazz fusion. Instead of rival families, rival gangs stand in the way of our two lovers, touching upon racism that stemmed from Latin American migration to the US – not so dissimilar from what many immigrants are facing now. “Jesus Christ Superstar” of course tells the story of Jesus’ crucifixion but through the perspective of Judas, creating a more complex and nuanced outlook on a narrative many are familiar with. As an atheist, this show is able to convey messages from the Bible about greed, injustice, and ignorance without feeling like the musical is trying to convert you. You are simply digesting a story many religious people do, in a way that is entertaining and keeps you thinking. 

All of these examples, although set roughly 40, 80 and 2000 years ago, teach important lessons to the audience. People are still discriminated against, people are still poor, people are still dying, and people are still struggling. Time does not prevent history from repeating itself and if spreading awareness through an expressive medium like musical theatre is the way people are going to be made aware of this, I suggest we all pipe down and listen together.

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