How to Get Someone Into Musicals -

By Mariah Solis

Musical theatre is a diverse genre, utilizing unique styles of music to portray the vastly different stories that have been brought to life through musicals. To successfully get someone into musicals, you must consider their interests, favorite genre of stories, and, most importantly, their music taste.

Hamilton is the most obvious show to recommend to someone if you want to get them into musicals, especially considering that it is known to have a wide demographic of fans of all ages and interests. Since its debut, it has ushered in a new wave of musical theater lovers, and its proshot (professional recording of the show) on Disney+ makes it a very accessible option. Its energetic and engaging historical story combined with its hip-hop, R&B, and pop influence has created dynamic music guaranteed to get anyone hooked.

In the Heights is an incredible show portraying the community of Latinos in Washington Heights, NYC, and is perfect for someone that already enjoyed Hamilton and is looking for a different recommendation. Because they share the same composer, In the Heights has a lot of similarities with Hamilton in musical styles of rap, hip-hop, and soul, but it also includes salsa and merengue mixes. It’s a wonderful stage production and has had a recent movie release that could also contribute to someone’s growing interest in musicals.

Wicked has been running on Broadway since 2003, which is a testament to its continued popularity and endearing story, especially since it is now regarded as a Broadway classic. The show explores how good and evil can dwell within the same person, and has a combination of impressive belts and operatic high notes that gives someone a taste of the various flavors theatre has to offer. Plus, the ending of Act I will surely leave a long-lasting impression of how spellbinding musicals can be.

If you know someone who adores Disney movie musicals, you should consider showing them the pro-shot (also on Disney+) of Newsies, which is composed by famous Disney composer Alan Menken, who also wrote musicals like Tangled and Beauty and the Beast. Newsies follows the historical newsboy strike of 1899 through impressive choreography and singing that will surely leave the viewer wanting to see more of what Broadway has to offer.

If you know a fan of La La Land or The Greatest Showman, they may also love the musical Dear Evan Hansen because of their shared composers. The show deals with some heavy topics related to mental health, with a plot following an anxious high school student seeking friendship and belonging, who finds himself in a messy misunderstanding that results in his creation of a tangle of lies. The pop-rock contemporary comedy has a very good balance between acting and singing, making it an excellent musical to introduce to someone just getting into the genre. Just make sure they have tissues on standby!

Beetlejuice the Musical is perfect for all those who enjoy dark comedies and horrors! The fantasy-horror-comedy show takes a unique approach on how to deal with grief by centering the plot around Lydia, a teenage girl who lost her mother, and her new friendship with the ghosts of a recently deceased couple and a weird spirit named Beetlejuice. The show is truly a melting pot of music, incorporating songs with typical show-tune styles, rap, rock, banjo-folk, and several other genres. This makes it a great introduction to musicals for practically any viewer, especially those with wide musical repertoires.

When picking a musical to recommend to a friend, there are so many amazing options to consider. As long as you keep in mind the stories they already enjoy and their music preferences, you can’t possibly steer them wrong!