Welcome to the Musicals Thread, the Avocado’s space for anything and everything related to musical theatre! Every month I’ll post a discussion prompt, but please feel free to comment on other topics, from new discoveries to old favorites. If you have ideas for future prompts or would like to write a feature for the thread, let me know!
Last month we discussed musicals that blur the line between the story and the audience. Rather than fully escaping into a world of song and spectacle, though, it can also be fun to bring elements from that world into the one we inhabit. As I type this, it’s July 5th, which means for the last few days I’ve been listening to tracks from In the Heights and 1776. Not that I ignore those shows the rest of the year, but there’s something special in knowing it was on a day just like the one I’m living that Nina arrived home or John turned to Abigail for advice. Integrating pieces of theatre into the patterns of our lives can serve to at once lend more credibility to a narrative and romanticize our own reality. It speaks to the power of art to draw on or create common experiences and connect people across time and space. And of course, it just gives us an excuse (as if we need one!) to revisit some great stories and music. It doesn’t even need to be a special occasion, either. I have fun singing “The Worst Pies in London”, for example, as I bustle about the kitchen making a sandwich or unloading the dishwasher.
Do you have (or want to start) any traditions or rituals related to musical theatre?