The Hollywood Musical vs. The Modern Musical

  

     

    We all know it, the iconic song and dance number that you know one way or another. Singing in the Rain, the song and the musical in its entirety defined what it meant to be a movie musical, creating its own standard for what this genre should stand for. We have all seen a movie musical, whether it's a Disney movie, or Hamilton. We have all subjected ourselves to a film with song and dance sprinkled through, but why do we watch the genre and how did we go from 'singing in the rain' to the movie musicals that we have today?

    

    

    The bright settings, catchy songs, and incredible choreography of Singing in the Rain set a standard of what a musical should be. It is one of the best examples of a successful new genre. The combination of the fantastical elements of bursting in song and dance with the narrative of the film was perfectly balanced, creating a fun and engaging experience for the audience. Whether you enjoy musicals or not, this film will be entertaining and engaging. At the least, it will succeed in getting a song stuck in your head. 

    

    Something that I found incredibly interesting about the birth of this genre was the timing and how it fits into history. The beginning of musicals in film directly mirrored the height of Broadway's popularity in the 40s and 50s. Recently, Broadway and film studios have understood the appeal and money-making capabilities of musical films. Disney is a prime example of what a company can do by attempting to take over more than one industry with the same properties. The Lion King is still the top selling musical on Broadway and one of the highest grossing films in history. Companies understand that these shows and films are in demand, but does that lower the standard of this genre. In recent years, there have been multiple Broadway musicals adapted into films and vice versa, but it seems as though there is always something missing or an awkwardness to them. Especially after watching Singing in the Rain for the first time, I understand that the standard that the musical genre began with has adapted with time. Instead of complicated choreography and simple settings that put the actors at the forefront, movie musicals have gone in the direction of realism.

   

These recent films, such as Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, or Les Miserables (or Cats, but I don't want to talk about it), try to make the settings, stories, and characters as realistic as possible. Part of the charm of Singing in the Rain did come from a realistic narrative that mirrored the recent transition to sound, but they made a good decision by understanding the need to make the line between real and fantastical fluid. I think that modern musicals have somewhat lost touch with where that line should be. 

    After watching many musical films over the years, it was interesting to get back to the birth of this genre. This film was incredibly successful, and it created the standard that many films still try to emulate. It will be interesting to see how this genre continues to change and develop in recent years, and we will see if the genre ever goes back to its roots.