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!
Art can be powerful in tough times, either as a distraction or a means of facing them, and musical theatre is no exception. A show or even just a specific scene can become relied upon to provide catharsis and remind us that there is still good out there. For me, one such example is the song “So Big, So Small” from Dear Evan Hansen, sung to the title character by his mother, Heidi. Over a gentle guitar accompaniment, she offers Evan unconditional acceptance at his lowest point. She tearfully admits to her own mistakes, past, present and future (I appreciate acknowledgement of the reality of the negative before being redirected toward the equally real positive). And she assures him that time will diminish what now seems insurmountable – he will not be stuck there for forever.
What’s your comfort musical?