Musicals made me do it

 Something has changed within me Hey everyone! It's been another crazy month, and this time, Mumbai saw another Broadway show grace the beautiful stage of The Neeta Ambani Cultural Centre. This time, it was 'Wicked', a show that I have been very abnormal about since it came out.  Now I know, I know, with the movie out, who even wants to watch the live show anyways? Well, as much as I'm happy to see that the movie that's been stuck in development hell since I was TWELVE YEARS OLD finally came out, the movie simply couldn't capture the live show. Which is why I jumped on a plane and headed straight to see this show.  Wicked must have the hypest intro of all time, "GOOD NEWS, SHE'S DEAD" lives in my head rent free.  The way the curtain rises on Munchkinland in full celebration is pure theatrical chaos. What struck me most, though, was how intimate the story feels despite all the spectacle. Yes, there are flying monkeys, gravity-defying witches, and so...

 Remember in the last article when I promised that one about an actual musical was coming soon? Well, here it is, timely as ever. I am still talking about a show as in a TV show, not a live show. However, this is a musical style show, called Schmigadoon! Schmigadoon! is a musical comedy series on Apple TV+ that parodies and pays tribute to various eras of musical theatre. Starring Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key, the story follows a modern couple who becomes trapped in a magical town where everyone acts as if they are in a studio musical. Schmigadoon is broken down into two seasons, with season one exploring the titular, Schmigadoon and season two exploring Schmicago. As you can tell, both names are remixes of popular musical titles, Brigadoon and Chicago respectively. In true Brigadoon fashion, the entirety of season one focuses on the golden age of musical theatre. For more technical information about this era, check out my article about the history of musical theatre! But f...

 Before you accuse me of click baiting you, I want to make it clear right out of the gate: THIS IS NOT ABOUT A MUSICAL. Now, I have talked about non-musicals on this blog before, but they were usually music adjacent. Meanwhile, this has nothing to do with anything, it's just a small preview to another article about a musical that is coming soon I promise. Um okay by soon it could mean anywhere from today to in 10 weeks, so we'll see how that goes.  I love talking about shows that I adore on this blog, and today we're going to be talking about a TV show that I adore, but not for the same reasons as everything else I've covered here. That is, 'Invasion', a science fiction show created by Simon Kinberg and David Weil. It's an Apple TV+ original that follows an alien invasion through the perspectives of ordinary people across different continents.  Now, this sounds like any old show, and I'm sure you're wondering, what made it so good that it sticks out ...

 Oh yes dear reader, whatever exhaustive, depressive episode I've been going through still isn't over. After remembering that I basically have to start and finish an IA by...  basically tomorrow, take the mock and final test for a college entrance exam before the day after that, and then deal with my hindi orals next week, I suddenly fell back into my lethargy. No, I promise this won't just be a trauma dump, instead it will be me talking about a musical that reminded me of the dredge of everyday existence. That is of course, Groundhog day: The Musical. Yes folks, this is a real thing and it's actually very good. I've been obsessed with this musical since I was in 9th grade, and often found myself sobbing to 'Hope' of all songs. Listen, I don't know what could've been going on to make a 13 year old jam to a song about repeatedly trying to end your life, but it wasn't pretty.  Groundhog Day largely follows the plot of the movie, following a weather...

 Me? I'm just tired (tired, tired, tired)  Before you get too worried about me dear reader, please know that this line is not a desperate call for help, rather it's a line from Next to Normal, a musical that has fully captured my life and soul. Don't worry, I won't make you sit through another article about it, but in light of my exhaustion from other aspects of life, my complete fixation on a non-musical thing that has been taking over my life, and my inability to juggle multiple tasks, I've decided that the only way to get back to writing is to write. Unfortunately, as mentioned before, I'm very very tired, which is why we'll have to keep this article light. Let's talk about the conventions of musical theatre.  Music Songs and dances provide characters with a medium to express their feelings in a more profound and emotive way than traditional dialogue. The use of music and movement allows performers to convey a wide range of emotions, from joy and love...

 Classroom arrest, is God the one giving the test.  All my fellow IB students know my pain all too well. Exams finish one week, EE due the next, three separate IAs due after, my English oral the week after, and it never ever ends. In between the endless internal assessments, unit tests, homework assignments, and college applications, I often found myself going back to the same lyrics in my head 'High school is killing me'. This is a line from another Starkid musical from the Hatchetfield trilogy (I know you're all sick and tired of me talking about Hatchetfield, but you should be grateful it's not a fourth article about Hamilton). This is the third musical in the series, entitled 'Nerdy Prudes Must Die'. Because I don't hate myself, I will be shortening 'Nerdy Prudes Must Die' to NPMD.  NPMD is something that can only be described as a wild ride. The story follows a bullied boy, Peter Spankoffski falling in love with a popular girl, Stephanie Lauter....