I've gone to, listened to, and been in a lot of musicals... And I mean a lot. Musical Theatre is basically the only thing I've done since the age of eleven. But of all the shows I've been exposed to, there's one that I constantly hail as the best, and that show is Next to Normal by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt. This moving rock musical has been gracing audiences ever since it opened off-Broadway in 2008. Why do I love this show so much? Well, funny you should ask. Here's 5 reasons why Next to Normal is the best musical you'll ever see 1). The StoryOne of the biggest reasons why I love Next to Normal is the beautiful story. This show follows the story of the Goodman family as they struggle with the fact that the mother, Diana Goodman, has Bipolar I Disorder, but I don't want to reveal too much to you about the plot. This is a show everyone should see and have the chance to do so without knowing the plot already. I saw this show at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point many years ago, and I was on the edge of my seat for the entirety of the performance. If I would've known the story, the show wouldn't have been nearly as exciting. It's a story that digs deeper and deeper into the depths of your head with every syllable. The attention to detail Brian Yorkey put into this script is rivaled by no other. 2). The ThemesNot only does this musical have a beautiful and enticing story, but it also dives into a lot of touchy subjects that people should really talk about. As talked about before, Diana Goodman has Bipolar I Disorder, which represents a main theme of the show: mental disorder and dealing with it's symptoms. Diana's disorder not only effects her, but also her family and those around her, which is very trying to watch. Not only is Mental Illness a major theme in this show, but Natalie Goodman, the daughter, struggles through life with the stress of college dawning on her and a dance with the abuse of prescription medication. Some of the show hurts to watch, but that's because it's so real. The real truth is that mental health, stress, and drug abuse plague our nation. It's something we as people need to talk about. 3). The MusicOne of the best ways these themes are portrayed is through the captivating music that runs throughout the show. This story is marketed as a rock musical, but that's such a limiting term. Though rock is a very prevalent genre in this show, there are also several songs that are very folk sounding, bringing back childhood memories of listening to Sufjan Stevens, one of the best folk artists of all time that you definitely need to check out. Tom Kitt, the man who wrote the music for this show, is amazing at tweaking themes in the music to great a new emotional feel to the show. One of my favorite instances of this can be heard in the song It's Gonna Be Good in Act 1 and the It's Gonna Be Good (reprise) in Act 2. Though having the same theme, the two songs portray completely different emotions, the first being joy and the second being fear. 4). The Original CastThis show has a cast of six people, which isn't a whole lot. Because of this everyone is doing something at all times and participating in virtually every song. One instance of this can be heard in the song Who's Crazy/My Psychopharmacologist and I, when the majority of the jazzy accompaniment is actually the voices of the other characters singing behind Alice Ripley. As well as being a foundation for the songs in the show, the original cast members have a magical way of bringing the most they possibly can out of their characters. With every line they deliver and series of notes belted at the top of their lungs, the actors and actresses of this show have a way of each of them telling their own personal story within the show. This itself can show how everyone deals with the trials of life differently from the next, which is something we all ought to take into consideration. The Original Broadway Cast is absolutely amazing, and there's a video on YouTube of one of their full performances ON Broadway! Is this Illegal? Yes. Am I going to link you the YouTube video of this performance? Of course not! I am a good, law-abiding citizen! But If I weren't, where would I link it? Right here ;) 5). The AccomplishmentsNext to Normal is a very critically acclaimed musical, not only by it's fan base, but by many awards, as well. Although it was (in my opinion) robbed of several awards during the 2009 Tony Awards, it was successful in winning 3 of it's nominated 10 awards: Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt won Best Orchestrations, Alice Ripley won Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, and Tom Kitt won Best Original Score. But not only did Next to Normal win these awards, it also had the honor of winning a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Though it wasn't put on the shortlist for the award committee to select from, the committee recognized Next to Normal's artful representation of Bipolar I Disorder and gave it the Pulitzer Prize anyways! Looks like I'm not the only one who loves this show so much! The Rest Is up to You!Well, that's my two cents! As you can tell, this show is by far my favorite and an absolute obsession of mine. I certainly hope everyone has an opportunity to see this show sometime in their life. If you ever do see it, or if you already have and have an opinion on the show, leave me a comment! I'd love to talk about it! After all, I am kind of obsessed. Have a nice day!
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Ever since my Grandma took me to see my first musical when I was 7, I've loved musicals. The brilliant songs and elaborate displays of light and sound had me absolutely hooked from the second the curtain pulled open on that PAC stage. But it wasn't until I saw a production my cousin was in at UWSP that I really started favoring some shows over others. It was then that I developed my musical philosophy. My taste in musicals, as you'll soon see, isn't flooded with mega musical hits that have taken the world by storm, but rather smaller (and usually much edgier) shows. This is because I feel an audience member shouldn't leave a musical thinking about how great the singing was or how flawless the dancing was, but really thinking, digging deep into the depths of their minds, contemplating a thought they hadn't contemplated in ages. A good musical is gonna bring a subject to the table that sometimes you didn't want to think about, but in the end you'll be better because of it. With that said, please enjoy a listicle of the top 10 musicals of all time... according to me ;)
Okay, so I know I just told you that my taste in musicals doesn't really consist of big name shows, but Hamilton is just too intricately made and performed not to be on this list. Hamilton, in fact, might be one of the biggest, most known musicals for a long time to come. After finding monumental success during 2015, it's first season on Broadway, Hamilton won 11 Tony awards, which is one away from being tied with the record set by The Producers in 2001. Hamilton: An American Musical follows the story of, you guessed it, Alexander Hamilton. As the story progresses through Hamilton's life, we see major events, such as the winning of the revolutionary war, the end of Washington's presidency, the death of Hamilton's son, and the assassination of Hamilton himself. Seem stale? After all, it is just the story of some old white guy and the people around him over 200 years ago. But wait! Hamilton is more than it seems! Although Alexander Hamilton and the men around him were old white guys trying to run a country, all the characters in the musical, except for King George III, are played by non-white actors and actresses. This aspect is used to show that the American's were viewed by the British as different, or foreigners, and that through their combined work, a powerful nation was founded. These elements are ones many people today should consider, that this wonderful nation we call America was built by immigrants, I bet anyone of you reading this could name at least a handful of political figures that might need to sit down and really digest what the show is trying to say.
"Wait a second," you ask yourself, "isn't this that one chick flick from the 90's with Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep?" Why yes, yes it is! And may I say, how convenient of you to ask that! This musical, as well as the movie, is based off of the original book of the same title written by Robert James Walter in 1992. This story follows the four day encounter between a Francesca, an Italian war bride in Madison County, Iowa and Robert, a photographer trying to find the last of the coveted covered bridges of Madison County. Francesca's husband and children are off to a fair in Indianapolis for four days, and during those four days, she spends them revealing her life story to Robert. They share those four days, and both of them fall into a sort of love with each other, but once Francesca's family returns, she decides to stay and live with them, rather than go away with Robert and live a free life. This beautiful show shows us how we have to decide between the things we love, and though these decisions are tough, they're decisions that need to be made. If you do decide to listen to the album, I recommend you pay attention to the strings throughout the show. Though there is a consistent theme the cello plays, the music and the surrounding accompaniment change it's mood as the story progresses. It really is a work of art, but what else would we expect from Jason Robert Brown, one of the best and most brilliant contemporary composers of our time.
Ever wonder what would happen if Jack (the one from the Beanstalk), Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel, a Baker, his Wife, and a Witch were all in the same area? Well wait no more! I present to you Into the Woods. As with any of Sondheim's work, Into the Woods is a beautiful masterpiece, complete with unusual rhythms and underlying musical theme's that you don't even know are screwing with your head while you're listening to them. I've been in this show myself, twice, and if I had to tell you anything about my experience, it's that it is one of the hardest musicals to learn. Sondheim loves his fast pace pitter-patter rhythms, which are some of the most challenging to pick up. But the beauty of a Sondheim show is realizing everything written in the score and lyrics has a reason to be there. Some stuff may seem overly complicated, too complex, or even just redundant, but that's only because life is that way, too. And that's really what Into the Woods is all about. The characters dive into the woods in search of ingredients for a potion, or for the market to sell their cow, but they come out (or never come out) knowing more about themselves then they ever had before. Another theme from this show that is perfectly executed is that of desire; how we as humans are always striving for something better or different. A line that is heard in many of the songs is "I wish", which always comes before a characters desire. through the show, many characters end up getting what they want, or something close, but even when everyone seems happy with what they have at the end of the show, we hear one final "I wish", and the show ends. This seems to show that we as humans, no matter how satisfied, will never stop wanting. Just another one of Sondheim's perfect little intricacies, I suppose.
I'm usually not one to fall in love with Off-Broadway shows. I usually feel that if a show isn't on Broadway, it has a reason not to be. But Jason Robert Brown's The Last 5 Years is the only exception.
Honorable Mentions!
If you've lived your life this far and haven't heard of Andrew Lloyd Weber's The Phantom of the Opera, you must have been living under a rock, and not the one from the 2017 Broadway hit Come From Away. The Phantom of the Opera is the 3rd highest grossing musical of all time, pulling in around $1.1 billion dollars since it's premiere on West End in 1986. As one of the 80's prolific mega musicals, which is a show that is nearly all the way sung through with just as much emphasis on the flashy set and lighting as the content, this show was one of the first big things to come out of Broadway after the Golden Age. This show, originally produced by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, was one of the first set up to bring in loads of sheer revenue. This prolific creation has been referenced, showcased, and even parodied more times than the average human could possibly imagine, leaving a musical legacy that will surely last a millennium. Why Do We Still Hear About the Phantom of the Opera so Much?We hear about this show so much because so many people recognize it as one of the biggest and best shows of all time. Phantom is a show that many people, specifically those between the ages of 40 and 60 right now, were first exposed to musical theatre by in the 1980's. It's flashy set, wonderful lighting, and mysterious nature were advertised brilliantly by the Phantom marketing team and caught the attention of people everywhere, musical addict and normal Joe Shmo alike. These people are now the ones that have larger positions of power in today's society. The age group of 40-60 year olds are people who have influence over us, such as our parents, large scale advertisers, and even our directors. That is why we hear so much about The Phantom of the Opera these days, over 30 years after it's debut. The people that were first exposed to it will forever fan over one of the first musicals they ever knew. Does Phantom Really Live up to All the Hype It Gets?If you ask one of the previously mentioned adults, the answer would most likely be a immediate yes. But I'd say they're just being blinded by something I like to call FSS, or first show syndrome. What's first show syndrome? First Show Syndrome is when you have a deep love and immediate respect for one of the first musicals you were ever exposed to. For me, that show is The Lion King. When I was about seven years old, my grandmother took me to see it at the PAC, and it's been close to my heart ever since, despite what many critics might say about it's lack of meaningful motive. Many of the people who rave about Phantom most likely had the same experience I had with The Lion King, it was one of the first shows they saw and it stays close their heart: classic FSS. In all reality, The Phantom of the Opera is a rather bare story covered up by flashy lights and expensive sets; the equivalent of a Porsche with the engine of a Yugo. The plot is very thin, and the dialogue between vibrant songs is rather dry as if it were frail string holding together glimmering gems. Also, as far as moral values go, the main theme is love. Though love can be a very strong theme to play with, all we really see is how far The Creepy Basement Guy (The Phantom) will go to have the woman he desires. It really is a bit creepy if you think about it. So How Does One Respond to All the Hype?Although my point of view is very clear, I'd definitely advise you to give The Phantom of the Opera a listen, or to even go see it if it comes to your area. After all, the fact that The Phantom of the Opera is overrated is opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion when it comes to art. But, if you do know anyone with a terrible case of FSS for The Phantom of the Opera, just make sure to remind them that there's lots of other shows that they should consider listening to. Who knows, they might fall in love with a new musical all over again. Have a wonderful day, y'all,
~Dylan Ford |
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