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comment by kleinbl00
kleinbl00  ·  3041 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: You Should Be Terrified That People Who Like “Hamilton” Run Our Country

    Do we expect musicals do be challenging or truthful, though?

If we don't, we aren't paying attention. I often say that I hate musicals but really, Les Miserables is all about the proletariat rising up against the ruling class. Most musicals are, back to Gilbert & Sullivan at least. I mean...

- West Side Story

- King and I

- Fiddler on the Roof

- Rent

- A Chorus Line

Heavy themes in those. Mikado? Even Pirates of Penzance isn't without its social commentary. A Chorus Line, which held the record for longest-running musical for a decade or more, legit has a song about gonorrhea.

I think it's fair to say that the musical audience expects challenges and commentary. The argument put forth in the article is that the challenges and commentary presented are those that enforce the white eliteness of the audience, rather than presenting the audience with new perspectives. That said, Les Miserables is all about how the royals suck, so...