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!
Many musical plots come from novels or movies, and it’s easy to understand why – there’s a clear beginning, middle, and end, rising and falling action, dramatic moments and set pieces that lend themselves to expression through music. Other shows, though, take inspiration (and attract audiences) from an ongoing series – television, book, comic strip, etc. – on the strength of its world and its characters. Some sort of plot may be constructed to support them, its importance and complexity varying from show to show – compare the intricate farce of By Jeeves to the loosely connected vignettes of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
Do you have a favorite musical based on a series? Is there a series you think would make a good musical? Like Peanuts before it, I think Richard Thompson’s comic strip Cul de Sac could have potential as a fun and poignant show about the highs and lows of childhood. The cast is already fairly theatrical, from Petey and his friends in the school orchestra to Alice dancing on the manhole cover. I’m picturing a villain song for Ernesto Lacuna. I’m picturing a hilarious love duet between Miss Bliss and Timmy Fretwork the banjo man. I’m picturing sets that look like giant crayon drawings.