Musical Comedies have been popular since long before television was even invented. A musical comedy is a funny theatrical production with songs interspersed to emphasize key moments in the plot. Actors and actresses in musical comedies have to be extremely talented, because these individuals have to be able to successfully portray emotions, look fabulous, and be able to sing or play music extremely well. The trend over the past decade has seen musical comedies come back on the screen more so than in previous years. With Glee and High School Musical, the new generations have grown up with a soft spot for musicals, and who doesn’t love comedies?
Popularity Increase
People like to feel good. People like to laugh, and people are moved by music. Music is the universal language; that is the beauty of any musical comedy. You don’t need language or words to express the ideas as fully, because the music sets the emotional stage for what you are seeing. It allows the viewer to interact with the movie or Broadway production in a whole new way by adding layers of feeling and emotion through sound. When you finally see the hero walk up at the end and they break into song, you want to sing with them too, because your emotions have been engaged the entire time through well placed songs throughout the musical. Comedies, more than other plays, leave the audience in a positive state of mind. Coupling music with uplifting or hilarious topics really lifts an audience while still allowing uncomfortable topics to be addressed; topics, that otherwise, would not have been talked about. Real topics, when demonstrated in the lives of others, can be hilarious. Comedies bring a lot of joy, because they make people laugh during hard times. They came out when times were tough, and as people experience difficult times in their lives, the popularity of this type of show increases. Of the top ten musical comedies, several were from during the Great Depression.
Live Musical Comedies are the “In” Thing
Television and Broadway are becoming stuffy, with more agendas pushed than actual quality content. Performers and actors, on a smaller scale, are more in touch with what the community, town, and general population are going through and can really connect with audiences through musical comedies. In these times, with Isis at the doorstep and increasing conflict in the news, musical comedies can really help to lighten everyone up. Opera style music in shows may not be the wave of the future. Rock in comedy is very enjoyable to today’s crowd, as demonstrated by Mark Eddie. School of Rock, with Jack Black, helped to encourage other types of music in plays and musicals.
Emerging from the need to laugh and the love of music, Weird Al Yancovic uses music to poke fun at everyone and everything. Musical comedies, which may or may not be as over the top as this popular artist, bring out the same emotions and experiences. Musical comedians can really change the world, and for anyone who has stress in their life, an evening out at a fun show may be just what is needed.