One of the most important lessons the pandemic taught us is that we never fully realize how important something is until you no longer have it.
A lot of mundane of things we didn’t think much of before and experiences we always left for later – going out and meeting friends, traveling, watching a movie at the cinema, watching a stage play, visiting our grandparents – are now the very things we want to do the most.
Of these activities, one of the most regrettable is the temporary hiatus on stage plays and musicals. While many production and theater companies have made their famous stage plays and musicals available for online streaming, the experience is still never quite the same.
Hearing the epic melodies, beautiful songs, and iconic lines uttered inside a theater that has near-perfect acoustics, where the dim lighting makes you focus on nothing else but the talents onstage, isn’t something you can replicate in your living room.
As we enjoy all the free live streams that have been generously made available by many producers and composers (for those who’re not aware, Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s YouTube channel, “The Shows Must Go On” has been airing his hit musicals for free from Fridays to Sunday), let’s talk about some of the musicals that we’d love to see again onstage, in person, as soon as the pandemic ends.
3 musicals we would love to see on stage
Hamilton
Proclaimed by many critics and theater enthusiasts as the greatest musical ever written. Hamilton is a compelling story about America’s founding fathers and a masterpiece musical by Lin Manuel Miranda.
Among its many accolades, “Made U.S. History Cool and Fun” should sit at the top shelf beside its well-deserved trophies for the Pulitzer and from the Tony’s and Olivier.
With its modern lyrics and melodies telling a centuries-old story that remains highly relevant (if not even more so) today. Hamilton is one of the musicals more Americans need to see live and in person.
JESUS
To semi-quote P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman, if you haven’t been to a Sight & Sound Theatre lately, you haven’t been to the theater. Sight & Sound Theatres’ production of JESUS is the epitome of modern theater.
With a 113-by-30-foot LED screen for a backdrop and massive, moving set pieces enhanced with practical props, special effects, and live animals, the visual and musical aspects of this musical are so realistic and interactive, you feel part of the play instead of a passive audience.
If this is your first time hearing about a Sight & Sound musical production, you must watch the trailer to JESUS. It’s an experience worth having at least once in your life. Indeed, the most excellent story ever told deserves the best stages and storytelling approach today.
Wicked
From the hilarious banter in “Popular” to the empowering and uplifting message (not to mention those high notes!) of “Defying Gravity,” the musical adaptation of The Wizard of Oz is a delight to watch onstage.
It’s also unintentionally relevant with its storyline touching on issues of racism, discrimination, and bigotry in society and politics.
These stories take on a few dark turns, but they can be enjoyed by young and old audiences alike. A few more similar musicals that we’d love to see on stage again are The Phantom of the Opera, Grease, The Book of Mormon, The Lion King, School of Rock, and Frozen.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our perspectives on what’s important, what can wait, and what we deserve to enjoy at the moment. For stage musical enthusiasts, catching any of these live as soon as the crisis ends will be a sure thing.
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