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Why musicals became popular among youngsters by Hamiltrash3
It is possible to call this current time a "golden age" on Broadway because of the newfound recognition it is receiving worldwide and more specifically, among the younger generation. This could be attributed to the global acclaim and recognition Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton has received. Many people who don't know the first thing about musical theatre, or even theatre in general, are aware of at least the presence of this remarkable spectacle of a show. Hamilton's name has popped up across the news, has been brought up on talk shows, and even worked its way into many TV shows and movies as pop-culture references (think Supergirl, or A Wrinkle In Time, two on-screen works that have referenced Hamilton in several ways.) The fact that Hamilton has been referenced in other media like this is just one way we can see how it's worked its way outside the Broadway community and reached people it wouldn't have reached before. Kids who have never even considered Broadway as something they would be interested in on any level have a newfound love of musical theatre. Celebrities of all kinds have visited Hamilton and raved about it. Even if you don't know what Hamilton is, most people are aware of what happened with Mike Pence there. With Book of Mormon, celebrities would visit and the cast members would geek out over them, but the tides have turned and now celebrities are the ones freaking out over Hamilton.
With Hamilton creating this breakthrough, a lot of other shows have been able to thrive, like Dear Evan Hansen, which is close behind Hamilton in terms of Tony awards, but possibly even more relevant to the times. It's most certainly more relevant to young people. These big titles (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Heathers, Wicked, Book of Mormon, etc.) have drawn people to the musical theatre world and brought a new golden age for Broadway. Broadway isn't just for elite people anymore, or as Neil Patrick Harris said at the 65th Annual Tony Awards, "it's not just for gays anymore."
It's never been easier to access these shows. Shows like Hamilton are unbelievably priced, but a lot of them are reasonable considering what a spectacular production they're putting on. It's easy to access cast recordings whether through Spotify, YouTube, or iTunes, and for a lot of kids, this is the closest they can get to seeing a Broadway musical. A new phenomena has started however, and Broadway shows have begun to be professionally filmed and released to the public. The professionally filmed proshot of Newsies on Netflix, along with Shrek, and we're hoping for some more to start making their appearance there. PBS released a proshot of William Finn's musical Falsettos and the musical Bandstand has played in theatres several times after the end of its Broadway run. A recording of Hamilton recorded in 2016 with the original Broadway cast is planned to be released in 2020 and studios are currently fighting for the distribution rights. Lin-Manuel Miranda's other musical In The Heights to be turned into a movie and released in 2020 as well. It's never been easier to access these shows, and even if you live nowhere near New York City, it's still possible to see a lot of these shows in person. Many shows have opened in alternate locations as well (Toronto, Chicago, London, etc.) and Broadway shows tour all year long in various places across the U.S.
Many Disney musicals have become Broadway musicals (Frozen, Aladdin, etc.), which bring families to the theatre, along with several kids movies or tv shows like Mean Girls and Spongebob Squarepants have made it to Broadway. This causes many Broadway fans to believe that things are going downhill and the quality of Broadway shows have dropped, but with this new influx of fans, and while that may be true, introducing new people to musical theater like this has caused a lot of people to discover musicals they wouldn't have otherwise have found and that truly are impressive musicals. Besides this, the popularity Broadway has gained among celebrities helps spread awareness about the existence of these incredible shows. Some celebrities have even starred in Broadway shows. Panic! at the Disco's Brendon Urie did a short stunt as the lead role of Charlie Price in Kinky Boots and it increased attendance enormously, raking in lots of money for the show's creators.This kind of widespread acclaim is bringing theatre into the lives of many kids, and if you're willing to go out and find it, many of these shows are so deep and meaningful and can even end up changing lives. Musicals, which may seem like a silly form of art, have quickly become one of the most beautiful ways to tell a story, combining the worlds of writing, acting, music, and dance to touch the hearts of millions.
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What's your favourite musical that you've watched?
