Whilst the musical theatre sector of the performing arts industry is by no means its ultimate defining feature, it arguably contains as many strong messages about society as contemporary dance, for example, commenting on the reality of today and issues that weave themselves through life. To take a few examples, many musical theatre productions emit a statement in its own right.
Rent the musical is a social statement, a group of friends living in the East Village of New York City, discovering the beauty of falling in love, finding your voice and living for the day under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Rent has won the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, a pop cultural musical phenomenon which explicitly explores the tragic illness first-hand and the consequences involved for all.
In terms of politics, the recently opened The Sound of Music at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre tells the story of a nun-turned-governess and seven children dancing and singing through the Second World War in Nazi Germany. When the Nazis put pressure on the children’s father, Captain Von Trapp, to join the political party, there is a narrow escape to the neutral Austria over the mountains.
West Side Story is arguably the most iconic musical of the twentieth century, led by its narrative; it’s timeless message still applicable to audiences today in its depiction of racial prejudice and social division. The tragic tale of corruption and violence has echoes of the twenty-first century, with gangs fighting to remain on top in the face of life itself. Hairspray echoes these racial divides in 1960s America, with a small girl and her big voice fighting to ascend the struggles and become a star on a previously segregated TV show.
With other statements, such as the religious from the cult phenomenon The Book of Mormon and the political during the French Revolution for Les Misérables, musical theatre has much to answer for in the provision of meaningful entertainment.