Our screens are alive with the sound of music
Plenty of musicals date back to
the '30s, but let's talk about the
here and now: the new generation
of musical TV shows and movies.
These days, musicals are bigger
than ever, and younger viewers are
singing and dancing their hearts
out in front of their TV screens.
TV shows such as Glee, Nashville and Smash (which was cancelled in 2013 after just two seasons) and movies such as Hairspray and Pitch Perfect have all found their way into the spotlight, and it seems as if a new generation of musical TV shows and movies has been born. But let's back up here for a second. What caused this sudden onslaught of musical TV shows and movies?
My thought is that ever since High School Musical was released, it has created a pathway for new musicals to come flooding in. Young people really seem to love high school drama mixed in with singing and dancing. After High School Musical premiered on television in 2006, musicals such as Across the Universe, Hairspray and Mama Mia were released. Then came the next best thing: the TV show Glee was born in 2009, and many fans of the show proudly referred to themselves as “Gleeks.”
Hannah Mels is a Glee fan, and she isn't ashamed to admit it. “I started liking Glee and other musicals because I myself am a huge music fan, and it's been a part of my whole life,” she said, adding that she often finds herself singing along with the characters. “I like that they focus on bullying and other things students in a high school face.”
Perhaps the reason why Glee is so appealing to its young viewers is because of the content that is shown. Sure, you've got the singing and dancing, but the show is much more than a group of teenagers prancing around; it's about life and the challenges that we face in the world around us. Glee covers a variety of real life situations such as bullying, love and relationships, the desire to fit in and be popular, homosexuality and more. We can relate to the show in more than one way, because chances are we've gone through some of these things ourselves.
Fanshawe graduate Taylor Marshall is a big fan of anything related to musicals, and Hairspray is her all-time favourite. “Other musical movies I like are the standards such as RENT, Dreamgirls, Chicago, West Side Story, The Sound of Music and The Phantom of the Opera, just to name a few.” She's also checked out some live musical theatre shows that have toured in Toronto, including Jersey Boys, Memphis, Wicked and The Book of Mormon, and hopes to one day take in a show on Broadway in New York.
Marshall's love of musicals extends beyond stage shows and into the small screen. “Besides Glee, I also loved the TV show Smash. The show was definitely a musical theatre fan's dream as it gave you a [fictional] behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring a Broadway musical to life. It also featured some amazing musical numbers similar to the ones on Glee.”
Marshall said she believes that Hairspray sparked her love for all things related to musical theatre. “I was just blown away by the story, the dancing, costumes and most importantly the music. After watching the movie, I went right to the mall and bought the soundtrack and movie poster. I must have listened to the soundtrack nonstop for several months.”
Even though musicals are full of energy and excitement, there's bound to be some things that the viewer doesn't necessarily like. “I think anyone who likes musicals will agree with me when I say the one thing that I don't like about certain movie and TV musicals is a forced song or musical number,” Marshall said. “As much as I love the shows Glee and Smash, sometimes there will be a performance that I feel is poorly placed or forced. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it sometimes takes away from the overall experience of the episode.”
Whether it's a love or hate thing, there's no denying that there has been a substantial rise in musical based TV shows and movies. “I think Glee has to be one of the main reasons for the increase in the rise of musical TV shows,” Marshall mused. “Since the show premiered in 2009, there have been shows such as The Sing-off, Smash, Canada Sings and of course The Glee Project (reality show). Movie musicals have been around for a long time, but I think since more people are becoming interested in watching musical TV shows and seeing live theatre, people are just as interested in seeing musicals on the big screen.”
She added that “the movie Pitch Perfect is a great recent example of just how many people enjoy this genre, as the movie did great at the box-office and the soundtrack was at the top of the charts for weeks. There is even a sequel in the works because the first one did so well.”
Musicals may not be for everyone, for some, they will always hold a special place in their hearts.
Want to get your groove on while watching some compelling shows? Here's where to start:
TV Shows:
- Fame (1982)
- Glee (2009)
- The Glee Project (2011)
- Smash (2012)
- Nashville (2012)
Movies:
- High School Musical (2006)
- High School Musical 2 (2007)
- Across the Universe (2007)
- Enchanted (2007)
- Hairspray (2007)
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
- High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)
- Mama Mia! (2008)
- Fame (2009)
- Burlesque (2010)
- Pitch Perfect (2012)
- Les Miserables (2012)
TV shows such as Glee, Nashville and Smash (which was cancelled in 2013 after just two seasons) and movies such as Hairspray and Pitch Perfect have all found their way into the spotlight, and it seems as if a new generation of musical TV shows and movies has been born. But let's back up here for a second. What caused this sudden onslaught of musical TV shows and movies?
My thought is that ever since High School Musical was released, it has created a pathway for new musicals to come flooding in. Young people really seem to love high school drama mixed in with singing and dancing. After High School Musical premiered on television in 2006, musicals such as Across the Universe, Hairspray and Mama Mia were released. Then came the next best thing: the TV show Glee was born in 2009, and many fans of the show proudly referred to themselves as “Gleeks.”
Hannah Mels is a Glee fan, and she isn't ashamed to admit it. “I started liking Glee and other musicals because I myself am a huge music fan, and it's been a part of my whole life,” she said, adding that she often finds herself singing along with the characters. “I like that they focus on bullying and other things students in a high school face.”
Perhaps the reason why Glee is so appealing to its young viewers is because of the content that is shown. Sure, you've got the singing and dancing, but the show is much more than a group of teenagers prancing around; it's about life and the challenges that we face in the world around us. Glee covers a variety of real life situations such as bullying, love and relationships, the desire to fit in and be popular, homosexuality and more. We can relate to the show in more than one way, because chances are we've gone through some of these things ourselves.
Fanshawe graduate Taylor Marshall is a big fan of anything related to musicals, and Hairspray is her all-time favourite. “Other musical movies I like are the standards such as RENT, Dreamgirls, Chicago, West Side Story, The Sound of Music and The Phantom of the Opera, just to name a few.” She's also checked out some live musical theatre shows that have toured in Toronto, including Jersey Boys, Memphis, Wicked and The Book of Mormon, and hopes to one day take in a show on Broadway in New York.
Marshall's love of musicals extends beyond stage shows and into the small screen. “Besides Glee, I also loved the TV show Smash. The show was definitely a musical theatre fan's dream as it gave you a [fictional] behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring a Broadway musical to life. It also featured some amazing musical numbers similar to the ones on Glee.”
Marshall said she believes that Hairspray sparked her love for all things related to musical theatre. “I was just blown away by the story, the dancing, costumes and most importantly the music. After watching the movie, I went right to the mall and bought the soundtrack and movie poster. I must have listened to the soundtrack nonstop for several months.”
Even though musicals are full of energy and excitement, there's bound to be some things that the viewer doesn't necessarily like. “I think anyone who likes musicals will agree with me when I say the one thing that I don't like about certain movie and TV musicals is a forced song or musical number,” Marshall said. “As much as I love the shows Glee and Smash, sometimes there will be a performance that I feel is poorly placed or forced. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it sometimes takes away from the overall experience of the episode.”
Whether it's a love or hate thing, there's no denying that there has been a substantial rise in musical based TV shows and movies. “I think Glee has to be one of the main reasons for the increase in the rise of musical TV shows,” Marshall mused. “Since the show premiered in 2009, there have been shows such as The Sing-off, Smash, Canada Sings and of course The Glee Project (reality show). Movie musicals have been around for a long time, but I think since more people are becoming interested in watching musical TV shows and seeing live theatre, people are just as interested in seeing musicals on the big screen.”
She added that “the movie Pitch Perfect is a great recent example of just how many people enjoy this genre, as the movie did great at the box-office and the soundtrack was at the top of the charts for weeks. There is even a sequel in the works because the first one did so well.”
Musicals may not be for everyone, for some, they will always hold a special place in their hearts.
Want to get your groove on while watching some compelling shows? Here's where to start:
TV Shows:
- Fame (1982)
- Glee (2009)
- The Glee Project (2011)
- Smash (2012)
- Nashville (2012)
Movies:
- High School Musical (2006)
- High School Musical 2 (2007)
- Across the Universe (2007)
- Enchanted (2007)
- Hairspray (2007)
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
- High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)
- Mama Mia! (2008)
- Fame (2009)
- Burlesque (2010)
- Pitch Perfect (2012)
- Les Miserables (2012)
