Yeah, I said it. You can all praise your Yeezus’s or your Taylor Swift’s or whatever music you like, but I still hold one fact true:
Musical Theatre soundtracks are the best walking music.
Imagine this: you take your favorite genre of music (country, 90’s, rock) and you combine that with your favorite audio book. What do you get? Musical Theatre soundtracks.
It’s a two-for-one deal! Not only do you get tunes you can jam to, but you also get story. And some of you may be thinking, “Uhhh, musicals are so lame they are just big orchestras and ladies belting tap numbers.” Uh, NOT TRUE. Ever since the turn of the century, musicals have started to bend the rules of genre. Now we have rock musicals, musicals based on the pop hits of specific artists, even rap musicals!
Listen, I know I can’t sway everyone with rhetoric, so here’s the deal: If the description of any of these musicals piques your interest, then give it one listen as you walk to class this week. I bet that you will be surprised at how much you like it
In The Heights
I want to start off with something unusual. This show took Broadway by storm in 2008, eventually winning the Tony for Best Musical (so you know it is quality). Combining the music of Latin America with modern rap, this musical follows a Dominican man in a New York borough trying to live the American Dream. The first rap in the opening number was enough to turn many Musical Theatre Fans to rap, perhaps it can also have the reverse effect….
Heathers
Based on the hit movie Heathers with Winona Ryder, this musical plays upon the musical stylings of the 80’s well also incorporating some hardcore rock. Songs in this show can range from hilarious to downright dark. Not for people who may be uncomfortable with dark themes, but definitely a cool, grungy soundtrack that pumps up my walk to campus each day.
West Side Story
I have to put this here. West Side Story is just some of the most beautiful music written, period. I semi-consider it everyone’s duty as human beings to give this soundtrack a listen, just once. So many modern day songs, stories, and other cultural motifs have been based on the work done in West Side Story #ripTony
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Did you like Fall Out Boy, All American Rejects, or any of that other punk genre growing up? Then you will love this show. Bloody Bloody is a historical rock musical chronicling the life of President Andrew Jackson. But there is a catch: Jackson is portrayed as a bad boy rock star throughout the show. Definite jamming music, and it will definitely put some pace in your walk to class as the guitar solos blaze.
As you can see, Musicals aren’t what you first think they are. Every year, musical theatre ventures brilliantly into a new sound of music (ayyyyyy). Just give it a try; you will be glad you did.
