Welcome! The purpose of this thread is to talk about all things related to the wonderful world of musical theatre. I post a thread with a topic/question for everyone to respond to, but you are always more than welcome to discuss other topics! This is also a great place to mention any new musicals you’ve discovered and/or general recommendations for other musical fans. Heard any good shows lately? Have any theatre news to share? Tell us about it!
This week we have a special thread written by Lydia! They’ve given me some fantastic ideas for future threads, and they’ll be writing several of them, so please welcome Lydia with an enthusiastic round of applause! I’m super grateful for their contributions!
Like the proverbial skybird dropping a seed in a distant wood, sometimes a tiny detail or a chance encounter can send us down an entirely unexpected path. More than once I’ve discovered a new musical after hearing one of the songs on its own and then tracing it back to its source. I only sought out Dear Evan Hansen, for example, after “Sincerely Me” videos popped up among my YouTube recommendations. It’s probably the number least representative of the rest of the show, but it’s super-catchy and was enough to make me curious about what these boys were up to.
There are all kinds of roundabout ways musical theatre can creep into other areas of our lives. Maybe a movie or TV character attends or performs in a show. Maybe a popular singer covers a little-known ballad, or maybe it shows up as background music in an ad. Maybe it’s even used as part of an event like a wedding or graduation ceremony. Have you ever found a new musical after hearing part of it out of context? How did your experience with that one part color your expectations for the whole thing?
Alternatively, it can be just as fun to think to oneself “Hey, I know that!” as “Hey, what is that?” I was surprised and delighted to suddenly hear Daniel Craig crooning “Losing My Mind” from Follies in the middle of Knives Out. What are some favorite musical theatre references you’ve recognized, in other media or in real life?