Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Change in American Theatre


            An argument can be made for the way musicals have changed. They are no longer peppy stories solely filled with love and happy families who go through a bit of a hard time in order to eventually be on the better side of things.  However, this transition from pep to reality is necessary to show the truth of society. In The Book of Mormon there is vulgar language as well as talk of homosexuality, which is uncommon in a musical. However, the time has come for musicals to evolve. Musicals need to become more relevant or they will lose their audience. Most people who go see a musical are considered “over the hill” and therefore fresh and relevant topics must be brought to the stage in order to engage a newer, younger audience.
            While some may find the materials in The Book of Mormon offending, I personally find them funny. This musical is satirical and is meant to be amusing, not to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, many do not realize that and think that the topics covered are distasteful. Instead, they are real. The language found on the stage—words such as fuck and cunt are words that have been finding a larger and larger base in our culture. These words are found in our movies and music, and once again, are subjected to target a certain audience. The Hangover and The 40 Year Old Virgin are not made for sixty and seventy year olds; they are made for young adults. The same can be said for the new musical and theatre finding its way to the stage.
            Meanwhile, art has contained nudity for hundreds of years, and has been deemed aesthetic; however, this new subject matter can be considered unpleasant. Once again, art has also taken a turn and become more violent and crude through graphic images through a variety of medium, the most prevalent in this day being graphic arts which can be found in video games and on the screen.
            Overall, as our society has evolved into one that is full of things that were once inappropriate but no longer seem to be so, as all societies do. As the status quo changes, musicals such as The Book of Mormon and Rent, which feature homosexuality, death, and foul language no longer seem extreme, they are just taken as entertainment that can be appreciated and even valued to bring a new standard to American Theatre. 

No comments:

Post a Comment