Music is loved, and movies are loved, but when they are mixed many people want to throw tomatoes at the screen. Musicals can have a negative perception. If a movie is made into a musical then people will make assumptions about it. Seeing musicals as a way of bringing imagery to music will make the films more enjoyable. There are many wonderful musicals and musicals are not a bad form of film.
There are many ways in which a musical can come to life. When it comes to the 2008 film “Mamma Mia,” there was music by ABBA, and then there was the story. “Mamma Mia” is an example of a story that was brought to life using music as inspiration and implanting songs in different scenes. The story was enhanced by the songs that accompanied it. “Dancing Queen” represents the optimism needed in a trialing time when you wish to be young and free again. “Lay All Your Love on Me” shows the need for young love and its power. Each song brought some new piece to the story of young love and family.
The 2016 film, “La La Land,” was another very successful and impactful musical. It compares the importance of deciding between a career and love with an ending that leaves the audience thinking about what it means. Some songs have visuals that feel like the characters are dancing in a dream. It also had a few pieces of old Hollywood mixed in. The film was a beautiful musical film with a rating of 8/10 on IMDb.
Many musicals do fairly well with their audiences, but there are also those that do not. This year's “Mean Girls” film remake wasn’t exactly marketed as being a musical which caught fans off guard. The film was a mix between the 2004 movie and the Broadway performance. Some might have simply felt it was over the top, unnecessary or too much. The music might not have been a good fit for this particular film or it wasn’t done in a way the audience could appreciate. Either way, a couple of musical flops do not mean there needs to be a write-off for all musical movies.
The people who bring musicals to life are so vital to entertainment. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in the upcoming live-action film “Wicked” are examples of how musicals are a way to bring actors with singing and acting talents into focus. Both are extremely talented people and the film is highly anticipated, with its release being this month. The trailer includes clips of the story, as well as the vocals of both leads. Musicals allow for people with both skills to exceed their potential and plunge into an enhanced performance. Actors singing and acting have a powerful effect on the audience.
Musicals can leave an impact. The impact could be enhancing a story using more than simple words, providing a new perspective or demonstrating actors’ extra talents. Musicals are a film tool when there is so much to say and not enough words to say it.
Kyra Dapore is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Kyra know by emailing her at kd364521@ohio.edu.
