Broadway Baby

My Favorite Genre

Throughout my life, I've been exposed to nearly every type of music. However, of everything that I've heard, nothing holds a candle to musical theater. Although there are several types of musicals (jazz, rap, pop, opera, etc.), my favorites are those with a rock element to them, Chess, Rent, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch being a few of my favorites.

Musicals are a special kind of music becuase, while songs can be listened to separately, they make something even better when played together. For example, "Always Starting Over" from If/Then is an amazing song on its own, but with knowledge of previous lines, the lyrics of the songs succeeding and preceding, and repetition of musical patterns, a listener can gain a new level of understanding regarding the character's emotions and point of view during the song.

In addition, musicals are some of the best pieces of media to analyze, in my opinion. In most respects, they are like a play. However, in a musical the lines and stage directions are not the only pieces to analyze. The music itself plays a large part in a musical's storytelling and drops subtle hints for the audience. An example of this is in Falsettos's "This Had Better Come to a Stop." The song begins with a man singing with the rest of his family, but it eventually transitions to them singing at him rather than with him to demonstrate how he gradually loses the ones he loves.

Long story short, I love musicals as an art form and for their music in general. If you're also a fan or interested in the genre, let me know, because obviously I have a lot of suggestions.