The Lion King. Mary Poppins. West Side Story. Annie. The Phantom of the Opera. Matilda. Wicked. HAMILTON. These are all Broadway shows that I have had the privilege of seeing; moreover, they have been a crucial part of my love and respect for theater. When I sit in a theater like the Richard Rogers or Shubert, I am overwhelmed with joy like a kid in a candy store by the plush red velvet seats, the buzz of the crowd as the ushers attempt to control their hurried fever, the ornate designs on the walls surrounding me, and most especially the stage either bare or covered by a red curtain that is about to be filled with the magic of a Broadway show. If done right, like Broadway, I am taken to another world and completely captivated until the final
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The music in both these shows is what makes them stand out. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Lin Manuel Miranda are icons in the face of music, whose lyrics and music itself work together to further tell the story. Specifically, lyrics in the number “The Music of the Night” in The Phantom of the Opera have come to describe how I feel about music. Phantom, the character, uses a different context when he sings this song to Christine, but I interpret it in the way that music will always be there for you; therefore, no matter how dark it gets, the light to guide someone through challenging times will be music. After seeing The Phantom of the Opera, I met and spoke with the woman who at the time played Carlotta Giudicelli in the show. I told her that I did not really have any experience, but was interested in theater. She proceeded to tell me that she didn’t start studying music until her sophomore year in college, which is when someone will realize if he or she wants it to be a hobby or career. Hearing her phenomenal voice and learning that she had not trained since birth made theater seem like an attainable goal versus an object of entertainment and a far off dream. Without talking to Michele McConnell, I may never have gained the confidence to get involved in my high school’s theater program. I feel that these shows have changed me as a person, making me set higher goals instead of settling; additionally, theater currently means for me a way to express myself or to put myself in someone else’s shoes and relate their story or tribulations to my own
The music in both these shows is what makes them stand out. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Lin Manuel Miranda are icons in the face of music, whose lyrics and music itself work together to further tell the story. Specifically, lyrics in the number “The Music of the Night” in The Phantom of the Opera have come to describe how I feel about music. Phantom, the character, uses a different context when he sings this song to Christine, but I interpret it in the way that music will always be there for you; therefore, no matter how dark it gets, the light to guide someone through challenging times will be music. After seeing The Phantom of the Opera, I met and spoke with the woman who at the time played Carlotta Giudicelli in the show. I told her that I did not really have any experience, but was interested in theater. She proceeded to tell me that she didn’t start studying music until her sophomore year in college, which is when someone will realize if he or she wants it to be a hobby or career. Hearing her phenomenal voice and learning that she had not trained since birth made theater seem like an attainable goal versus an object of entertainment and a far off dream. Without talking to Michele McConnell, I may never have gained the confidence to get involved in my high school’s theater program. I feel that these shows have changed me as a person, making me set higher goals instead of settling; additionally, theater currently means for me a way to express myself or to put myself in someone else’s shoes and relate their story or tribulations to my own