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!
“They say that falling in love is wonderful
It’s wonderful, so they say
And, with a moon up above, it’s wonderful
It’s wonderful, so they tell me”
– Frank Butler (Annie Get Your Gun, lyrics by Irving Berlin)
Ah, spring! – when, as Alfred Tennyson would tell you, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. And if that young man (or any other person, for that matter) happens to be in a musical, those thoughts may even turn into a song. Musicals with no thought at all of romantic love – whether flourishing or thwarted – are few and far between. With so many choices, then, what are your favorite/the most memorable romantic relationships from musicals and why?
One that I love is the fictionalized version of John and Abigail Adams from 1776. Spending the show in separate states, bogged down with political and domestic duty, without so much as a kiss between them (much to their dismay), they still present a beautiful picture of mutual adoration and support. They are comfortable enough to tease each other but leave no question that they respect and value each other highly. Marriage and parenthood haven’t dampened the spark between them, even if they can only express it through letters. And while also a refuge from their respective troubles, their relationship ultimately proves crucial to the main plot, for Abigail gives John a powerful gesture of confidence in him and his cause right when he needs it most (and he immediately moves to provide for her needs in return).