If you had asked me if I liked musicals while I was a teenager, I might’ve told you I hated them.
Granted, my point of reference was a lot smaller then, and arguing that Disney movies counted as them wasn’t a label I had quite ascribed to them either.
Plus, let’s be honest, not all animated movies featuring music were Disney films either, but that’s splitting hairs unnecessarily - you get the point anyways!
I recall a few vague instances during school plays that featured music, but overall, the sentiments stayed the same when I learned the basics of theater productions, and the magic was lost.
Then again, that might also be a large part of teenage apathy speaking up, too!
Still, back then, musicals were something I remember my grandmother liked to watch on TV networks like Turner Classic Movies or the Hallmark Channel versus those live and in person.
Neither of those options painted an interesting picture in my teenage brain regarding musicals.
And sure, choir had been my preferred elective since about the fifth grade, but that didn’t mean I went out of my way to watch musicals for “fun.”
Of course, that changed in high school when I was exposed to newer, more modern musicals that featured some of my favorite actors.
It honestly really started with 2001’s “Moulin Rouge!” movie directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann that featured
covers of Elton John, Madonna, Nirvana, Fatboy Slim, The Police, Queen, DeBarge, and David Bowie’s musical talents.
Before then, I’d only ever heard musicals with jazz, country, opera, or otherwise Broadway tunes that never seemed to feature a more “modern” point of reference for me to wrap my mind around.
Plus, those songs were deemed as “old” in my book and I wasn’t too keen on sitting through the films that encapsulated them either.
After experiencing “Moulin Rouge!” my best friend at the time introduced me to the absolutely strange experience of 1975’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” flick that featured science fiction infusing itself into a comedy horror film that I never expected to exist.
I mean, I’d have to ask a professional, but I don’t think that movie would have made the rounds in Matagorda County at the time of its release – but, I’m willing to be educated on the facts!
After those two showcases, I started to view musicals in a different light and decided that maybe they weren’t all old, dusty, and boring things my grandmother preferred to watch.
They also helped broaden my willingness to try new things and as the internet grew, my ability to learn about different types of musicals grew with it.
I’m carrying those lessons with me when I get to see “Wicked” as it finally makes it to the silver screen on Thursday, Nov. 22.
Now, I’ve never read any of those books the movie and musical are based around, but I think that also gives me more of an open mind than most.
The only downside I’m seeing off the bat is that this “Wicked” production is only part one of two – which means to experience the entire story I have to wait until Nov. 21, 2025.
Other than that, I hope to at least get to see the film with other musically inclined attendees rather than wet blankets and haters.
