Musicals

What is a musical?

A musical is a film or play in which singing and dancing play an essential part in the story or development. 

What are the elements of a musical?

There are many elements to musicals including well-known ones such as dancing and singing. 

There are many different types of songs that are sung, such as the ballads, the ballads are usually love songs, but can also just be songs to do with strong emotion. These songs are normally paired with a slow tempo. An example of a ballad that isn't to do with specifically love is Words Fail from Dear Evan Hansen. This song has to do with the strong emotion of regret and sadness from the singer that is belted out all in one shot, the sheer amount of emotion deeply impacts the audience.

Another form of a song sung is called a charm song, this is used to charm the audience, it is often used in a deceptive way. This isn't always the case though. The Lion King's I Just Can't Wait To Be King is an example of a charm song reflecting Simba and his way of charming the audience into liking him.

The third form of song is regarded as a comedy number, which is quite obviously aimed to create a comedic moment within the musical. This can have many effects on the musical itself, whether it's to further the story along or just stop everything for a moment and create a small part of relaxation for the storyline and its progression.

The final form of song is called a musical scene. These are used to blend dialogue and song, these help with the progression of the storyline. An example of a musical scene would be The Other Side from The Greatest Showman, where the back-and-forth between the characters is blended into the song. This song helps further the storyline in a way where P. T. Barnum convinces Phillip into joining him and helping his business along.

(Apologies I couldn't go into further detail, this had to be rushed because of a short time frame.)