Can't We Be Seventeen?

 We can learn how to chill

It finally happened! She’s 17! I’ve been excited to turn this age forever given how culturally significant 17 is in musical theatre. Jack Kelly from Newsies was 17, there’s a song in the musical Tuck Everlasting called 17, Be More Chills Jeremy Heere is 17, it’s basically the age for all teenager-centric musicals. But today, I’m here to talk about a different, far darker show that touches heavily on the theme of being 17. That show is Heathers: The Musical.

Based on the 1989 cult classic film, Heathers: The Musical is an unapologetically sharp, chaotic, and strangely heartfelt exploration of high school’s social hierarchies. It’s a world where popularity is everything, where cafeteria seating arrangements determine your worth, and where teenage angst can literally turn deadly. The story follows Veronica Sawyer, an ordinary teen who finds herself pulled into the orbit of the Heathers, three impossibly popular girls who rule Westerberg High with cruel precision. When Veronica meets the brooding new kid, J.D., she’s thrown into a whirlwind of rebellion, revenge, and moral collapse.

What makes Heathers so fascinating is its willingness to dig into the darkest corners of teenage life without losing its sense of absurdity. The show references suicide, feeling like you don't belong anywhere, and is a painful rehashing of my angsty diary entries. Heathers is, first and foremost a black comedy, but the humor doesn't glorify the violence. There are references to dark heavy themes like suicide, sexual assault, murder, etc. Turning 17 feels like standing on the edge between adolescence and adulthood, you don't know who you are but your choices have deeper consequences than ever before. That’s what Heathers captures so well, it’s a mirror held up to the impossible expectations placed on teenagers, wrapped in neon lights and explosive choreography.

So yes, being 17 is supposed to be magical, confusing, and a little terrifying. Heathers just turns that confusion up to eleven, and somehow, we can’t look away. Maybe that’s why it resonates so deeply with people my age. Beneath all the sarcasm and murder pacts, Heathers understands what it really means to grow up, the sad truth that everyone is more cruel to each other than they were as children, the stress about not being pretty enough, and the realization that pretty soon, everything you loved from your childhood is going to end. It stuck out to me as a 12 year old, but hits even deeper at the crossroads between my high school life and university life. I have no idea what will happen to me after I graduate, but if there's anything Heathers taught me it's that, for now, let's just be 17. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Slime Tutorials!!

 As a fan of musical theatre, I've watched a fair few slime tutorials. For those not in the know, slime tutorials are the term used for bootlegs, videos of Broadway shows filmed discretely from the audience. This term is used so that people can find it without YouTube flagging it as illegal. These unofficial recordings often spark passionate debates online. Some call them disrespectful, others say they're lifelines. I would say it's a mix of both, and while they are complicated, they are far from evil.  Let me be clear: I’m not saying we should encourage illegal recordings. I understand the concerns from performers, creators, and producers. Bootlegs can bypass copyright laws, violate performers' privacy, and undermine the integrity of a live experience. But here’s where the conversation gets murky, we treat the viewers of bootlegs as villains, when in reality, many of them are just passionate fans who lack access. Musical theatre, as it currently exists, is painfully ex...
Read more

The History of Musical Theatre

Image
 I spent DAYS of my life researching the history of musical theatre for a project last year only to condense it all into a small timeline. But you know what, I think it's time for all that work to shine.  When did musical theatre get started? Well it's not really a simple question, trust me I'm a nerd. The use of music and drama together dates back to ancient civilizations. Greek and Roman dramas often incorporated music and dance into their performances. Most medieval morality plays in Europe also included elements of music and spectacle. They were often set to church chants, with the intention of educating the audience on good Christian values. Meanwhile, in Renaissance Italy, the "commedia dell'arte" troupes presented improvised performances that combined music, dance, and comedy. Another possible source of inspiration for musical theatre is vaudeville shows. Vaudeville shows often featured dance numbers and musical acts Some stock characters from Commedia ...
Read more

The Main Figures in Musical Theatre

Image
 The first two (or three) main figures in musical theatre are Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein the second. Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern were known for popularizing modern musical theatre through show boat (1927). However, Hammerstein is much more known for his work with Rodgers, the two becoming an unstoppable duo. From the sound of music to Oklahoma, their work will forever be remembered. Any theatre student worth their salt will know Rodgers and Hammerstein (see left), and further nerds(me) will even know that Richard Rodgers(my third favorite theatre) has a theatre named after him on Broadway, cementing his legacy. Jerome Kern is also a legend in his own right, but due to him largely working on movie musicals, he is not remembered in live theatre as much.  ALW!! Andrew Lloyd Webber is another major figure, known for creating successful musicals. From Cats to the Phantom of the opera, he is known for writing long running shows. Phantom ran for the longest, closing ...
Read more