Sunday, July 24, 2016
13 Diverse Musicals Hamilton Fans Need Now
The Mary Sue: When Lin-Manuel Miranda departs Hamilton tonight, it will mark something of the end of an era for the groundbreaking Broadway musical. Though the show will run for many years to come—including a sit-down production in Chicago—it will do so without its creator at the helm. In honor of how dramatically Miranda’s show has changed the game for Broadway diversity, here are 13 lesser-known musicals from the past 20 years that helped paved the way.
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I loved seeing this article because now I'm really inspired to see all these musicals. I think diversity is really the biggest thing that's going to revolutionize Broadway in our generation. Everyone who I've talked to that says they don't like musicals say they don't like it because of the stereotypic similarity that many of them have. A couple months ago I listened to "Once Upon A Mattress" for the first time, and I was actually shocked to how similar it was to a musical I had already been familiar with, "Into the Woods." (This is not to say anything against "Into the Woods;" I love that show). But I do reluctantly see the point those people were trying to make. Then, take a musical like "Hamilton." No one's ever heard anything like it because, previously, nothing like it was every "allowed" to exist on Broadway. Unheard voices taking the stage are necessary, I think, to save an industry that has been dying and deserves to be saved. And, also, I just think they're more interesting. "Hamilton," "West Side Story," and "Hairspray" are three of my favorite musicals. People generally have a deeper emotional reaction to the kinds of musicals listed in this article because of how different and interesting they are and because they allow more people to identify with the content of them because they can see themselves represented onstage and in the writing.
This article brings to light other less known musicals that are out there. Hamilton is an amazing show and I believe what its doing is great. It brings in the people who normally wouldnt go see a broadway show, it creates a new dynamic for the the broadway theater community. But Hamilton is know by everyone you don't have to be a theater nerd to know what Hamilton is. Shows that are out on Broadway are hiding under Hamilton people want to see Hamilton they don't care about the other amazing shows on broadway. But that the way the world works everyone obsesses over one think ignoring the bigger pictures. If you like Hamilton theres plenty of other shows out there that people who like Hamilton would enjoy seeing. But in no way am i knocking Hamiltion the show and the cast and everything about it is amazing. The change there making by one broadway show is incredible and i only hope more shows follow in the Hamilton ways.
Although I haven’t got the chance to watch most of the musicals mentioned in the article, I really appreciate this list, and would love to watch every one of them. Hamilton is definitely a masterpiece, and it broke my heart that the original cast is leaving—I have not got a chance to watch it live on broadway, and it has been my dream to go to New York and get a Hamilton ticket (it’s just so difficult to obtain…)! Anyway, while Hamilton floods this year’s Tony Award, and millions of cameras and reporters are crazy about it, writing tons of reviews and praising its historical importance, it’s important not to overlook other wonderful productions in contemporary theatre. I really like The Color Purple, Kinky Boots and Aida (for what I’ve seen), and I believe other plays are also fantastic. The topics covered in Hamilton and many other musicals, including American history, racial problems, sexuality, gender issues, and religions, are serious and deep. These musicals do a great job in combining them with theatrical art, bringing them into audience life, but the discussion of these sensitive topics must not stop in Tony or Emmy Award, in the theatre, or in the world of entertainment. We shouldn’t focus too much on Hamilton, an individual play, or any other plays themselves, but instead get the essence behind these storytelling technique, and think deep and long about it.
I really loved reading this article and watching all of these clips because not only has it made me want to watch and listen to all of these musicals that I don't know the music and stories to, but it also has reminded me that while not all musicals that are out there are that diverse at all, there is a really fantastic selection of musicals that cover all sorts of topics that have diverse casts and creators in all positions of theatre. In the Heights is one of my personal favorites, and about a year ago I was lucky enough to be introduced to it when I saw a really good high school production of Lin Manuel Miranda's first really successful work. With Hamilton being so popular, I hope that people are also going back to listen and watch In the Heights, because I think it tells such a different story from Hamilton, while also keeping the diverse, fun, in depth feeling that has drawn so many fans to Hamilton. I also love that all of these musicals that cover such different and unique topics also have such different and unique music. It's not that I don't really enjoy the classic Stephen Sondheim, but it is really refreshing and fun to listen to music by people like Cyndi Lauper and Lin Manuel Miranda and hear the stories that go along with these style of music.
This article is really making me determined to watch all of these musicals. I am aware, have watched, and have put on a couple of these musicals and if they're anywhere close to as good to the ones I've seen, I can't wait. Out school put on "Aida" and "In The Heights" which are two of my favorite musicals and completely different from each other. The story and musical number in both are amazing. And I'm hoping to see CMU's production of "Ragtime". With that being said, I also love this article because it shows how many musicals there are that have a large amount of diversity and are just as good as any huge musical you've heard about yet are rarely heard about. More people (including myself) need to become more familiar with these musicals so that these diverse musicals get the praise they truly deserve.
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