Tag Archives: musicals

Dear Evan Hansen: Musical vs Book

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Dear Evan Hansen is a story about an anxious high schooler, Evan Hansen, who spins himself a tale and convinces everyone of a fake personality and story he made for himself. Throughout the plot, he gets deeper and deeper into this false role he created, and he can’t find a way out without exposing himself as a fraud. This story had a musical, book, and movie adaptation. I’ll be comparing the musical and book without major spoilers for either.

The story started out as a musical by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. It opened on Broadway in 2016 and was nominated for 9 different awards. The most distinguishable feature of this play is the life-like acting that Ben Platt utilizes in his role as Evan. He brings with him both depth and comedy, as well as a natural sort of awkwardness that comes with every high schooler. One of the key features of the musical is, of course, the music. Dear Evan Hansen shows a grand display of emotions and development through their musical numbers. A great example of this is in the song “Words Fail,” where Ben Platt shows the true devastation that Evan feels through his raw tone and intentional voice cracks. 

The book came a few years after in 2018, written by Val Emmich. The main story is the same, following the descent of Evan’s self-sabotage. But while the musical uses songs to convey emotion, the book uses internal monologue and description. Emmich goes more into depth about Evan’s mental state and personal thoughts. We get a glimpse into Evan’s anxiety disorder and how it affects his desicions and actions. Another major difference is how Connor Murphy– a large character in the musical– is more thoroughly fleshed out in the book. We get flashbacks from his perspective, as well as friends he had, his social life, and the mental struggles he faced. Personally, I liked this element of the book and how it elaborated on Connor, whereas in the musical we don’t get much about him as a person. Another main difference between the book and musical is the resolution. While the fundamental concept of the resolution is the same, the book cleans up a few more loose ends. Without revealing too much, Evan basically takes a bit more time to reconciles with people he affected.

No matter whether you watch the musical or read the book, both tell Evan Hansen’s story beautifully. Especially for teens struggling with anxiety or depression, Dear Evan Hansen is a message of honesty, belonging, and individuality. 

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

Hamilton

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Hamilton a musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda explores Hamilton’s experiences and what rose him to power, his role in the American Revolution, and more. Alexander Hamilton was one of the Founding Fathers and contributed dearly to what America is today. This musical is known for its unique blend of hip-hop, R&B, and traditional musical theater styles.

The musical covers Hamilton’s life from his early days as an immigrant from the Caribbean, through his role in the American Revolution, to his work as the first Secretary of the Treasury. It also explores some of his personal relationships, such as his wife, Eliza Schuyler, and his friendships and rivalries with Aaron Burr, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson.

Although it’s a musical, it teaches in a really engaging way by blending historical facts with music and story-telling techniques. The use of hip-hop and R&B makes the information more appealing, especially to younger audiences.

The lyrics are packed with historical references and complex themes, which encourages listeners to pay attention and learn. The lyrics are also very amusing and the songs will be stuck in your head! One of my favorites is “Wait for It” sung by Aaron Burr, who is played by Leslie Odom Jr. in the original Broadway cast. It captures the struggle and resilience of Aaron Burr and the way he reflects on ambition, timing, and patience can be very relatable to listeners. Plus, the melody and delivery make it so emotional and tense.

Hamilton highlights the themes of legacy, ambition, and the complexities of the American dream. It’s both educational and entertaining, making the history of the musical vibrant and relevant. Lin-Manuel Miranda composed the most lyrical and amazing soundtrack for this musical and it’s incredible how he managed to write the musical and star as Alexander Hamilton himself. Even if musicals are not your cup of tea, I would highly recommend watching it as it is so amusing and the characters are so interesting to watch.

Six The Musical Review

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When I was about ten years old and going through a heavy musical phase I discovered Six The Musical and I loved it. Six is about the six wives of Henry VIII (Henry the eighth). He wasn’t a particularly amazing king but he was remembered mainly for his wives and his death. However, this musical is not about Henry. It’s about is wives, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, Catherine Parr. Something most people think is that Henry beheaded all of his wives, which is not true. He only beheaded two of them.

This is actually how the marriages ended between them:

Catherine of Aragon: Divorced because she couldn’t have a male heir and so Henry could marry Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn: Beheaded because she couldn’t have a male heir and Henry became interested in Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour: Died early in the marriage after giving birth to a child

Anne of Cleves: Divorced because she didn’t look like her portrait

Catherine Howard: Beheaded

Catherine Parr: Outlived Henry but couldn’t be with the man she really loved

In the musical the women talk about the hardships Henry put them through and they acknowledge how without the six of them no one would know who they are in the form of pop songs. The whole environment of the musical is like a concert and I love that part.

I would give Six the Musical an 1000/10 rating because the women in the musical are so talented and absolutely hilarious.

MJ: The Musical Review

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On March 30, 2024, my family and I went to see the Broadway performance, MJ: The Musical, at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The musical is based on the life of the great King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Specifically, the musical was about Jackson’s preparations for his Dangerous World Tour. Between his Dangerous album tracks, such as “Black or White,” he’s getting ready to perform his biggest hits from the last thirty years of his career. As he practices, he makes things up as he goes along, modifying the set list and the choreography to suit his needs. To the occasional displeasure of his tour director and business manager, he is constantly striving to make the tour flawless. Additionally, the musical covered Michael Jackson’s rise to stardom in Jackson 5 with Motown Records and breaking away from his brothers to become a solo artist.

This musical was utterly AMAZING! I have been to multiple Broadway musicals, such as Wicked, the Lion King, Chicago, Moulin Rouge, and Hairspray. None of these were like the MJ Musical, as it was based on the real-life story of one of the most iconic performers of our time. 

I would like to explore some of the songs I exceptionally enjoyed.

The composition I liked best was “Thriller,” composed by Rod Temperton. There was sufficient energy to bring across the music, as there was a recreation of the “Thriller” music video with the zombie dance routine. The performers were singing extremely in tune and the audience was eating up every minute of the performance. The performers seemed very comfortable with the technical demands “Thriller” brought. Additionally, they sounded very well rehearsed and prepared, hitting all the high notes with ease. There was very good communication among the performers, as they danced in sync with each other.

Overall, I 100% would recommend the musical to others and I had an amazing experience!

-Sophia B.

Review of Hamilton: Live at Segerstrom

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Recently, Hamilton came and performed at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. My parents got my brother, themselves and me tickets to the last show on the final day of their tour. I’ve been a fan of Hamilton ever since my friends and cousins got me into it a few years ago. Ever since then, I’ve listened to the soundtrack, watched the animatics on YouTube, and even got Disney+ just to watch it. But nothing I’ve watched could beat seeing the show live. Seeing the full show in person was a completely different experience than from seeing it through a screen. 

For those who don’t know, Hamilton is a musical based around the life of Alexander Hamilton, who was one of the founding fathers of America. It goes through all his accomplishments and everything he took part in, such as the Revolutionary War and the makings of the financial system in America. However, the musical also shows everything that happened in his personal life, and everything he had done or failed to do. If you haven’t taken a look at Hamilton (the songs or the story or both) I would highly recommend you do.

Despite how many times I listen to the songs, none of the recordings will blow me away in the same way hearing and seeing it live will. All the visual effects and sound effects within the songs created a whole new sense and feeling. You could feel the vibrations of the effects throughout the theater allowing shivers to run through my body. Being able to see and hear all the effects and visuals in person made everything more intense. The actors did a great job, and for the most part, I could understand what they said (probably because I’ve listened to it so many times). The choreography was stunning, the different kinds of lighting was awesome and connected well with the scenes, and the acting was phenomenal. The actors really did an amazing job, and they were very fun to watch. What’s even more exciting when seeing something live, is the fact that no show is going to be the same. The night my family and I went, the cast was different from any of the other days they showed. I won’t ever get to know what the other shows were like, how the characters sounded or anything. I am only going to know what my show was like, which makes the experience feel even more special. 

Hamilton was great to listen to and watch through a screen, but seeing it live was a completely new and amazing experience and I couldn’t be happier to have been there to see it. Once again, if you haven’t taken a look at any of the songs or anything even pertaining to Hamilton, then I would highly recommend you do. It has an impressive soundtrack that somehow manages to tell the entire story, even without hearing the parts in between (especially since the story is told through the music). Even if the music isn’t your cup of tea, just try listening to it at least once. Now, if you do find interest in the musical and end up liking it, I would definitely recommend you to watch the next showing of it whenever they come to your area. Seeing this show live is something you wouldn’t regret if you already like the music.

-Nicole R.

Movie Review: Les Miserables

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Les Misérables (2012 film) - Wikipedia

So, I finally got around to watching arguably one of the most iconic films of all time- Les Miserables, about France in the 1800s. The film opens with Jean Valjean, a prisoner, being released from prison after a nearly 20-year long imprisonment simply for stealing bread. As a former convict, he cannot find a job or a place to stay, but a generous Bishop offers to take him in. However, Valjean tries to steal the Bishop’s silverware and run away, but is caught by the police- still, the Bishop stands up for him, saying that he himself gave Valjean the silver so he could start a new life in the world. Valjean is stunned and ashamed- to honor the Bishop, he makes himself a new persona to save other people.

Almost ten years later, Valjean is a rich factory owner- but he is shocked when a man named Javert (formerly a prison guard at the prison where Valjean was held) comes to meet Valjean as the new police chief. Javert begins to suspect Valjean’s real identity. Concurrently, one of the factory workers named Fantine is fired for having a daughter out of wedlock, named Cosette. Cosette is revealed to be living with a greedy family named the Thenardiers, who demand money from Fantine. Fantine, desperate, becomes a prostitute to pay her debts. After she attacks an abusive customer, Javert arrests her, but Valjean remembers her as a factory worker and takes her to a doctor. However, the unrest in Paris has festered for too long- things are about to get, for lack of a better term, heated.

Les Miserables takes place during the French Revolution. The movie is set amongst many historical landmarks in Paris- such as Notre Dame. The time period shines through- the deep social divides and political unrest of the Revolution bleed through and impact all the characters in different ways. 

A big social issue in the film was the issue of poverty and criminality. Deep social and class divides between the rich and poor were very common at this time, leading to deep feelings of unrest in the country. In addition, even stealing was treated as a serious offense- leading to decade-long prison sentences and sometimes even execution. In turn, the imprisoned people were unable to provide for their families- which just reinforced the cycle of poverty and forced their children into stealing in order to survive.

A big social issue mentioned in the film was Cosette living with the Thenardiers. One might ask, why would Fantine send Cosette away? The truth is, it was very common in this time period for working-class women to send their daughters away to live with slightly better-off individuals who could provide the child with some education (for a fee).

There were many cultural differences shown in this movie I wasn’t aware of- for example, the practice of sending daughters away. In addition, I was unaware of the practice of the police dealing with the revolters in those days- I had no idea it was so brutal. I was also surprised by the truly horrible living conditions of the poor shown in the movie- I really had no clue they were that bad. 

The issues this film deals with- poverty, criminality, and doing anything to survive- are definitely universal, and prominent even today, and even in the United States- with the wage gap and class gap that we are currently experiencing in our society. It was heartwarming, though, to see the sense of community, love, and kindness shown by Valjean, even in this brutal situation.

-Vaidehi B.

Les Miserables is available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library.

Comparison: High School Musical vs. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

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Flashback: It’s January 20, 2006, you’re sitting in front of the TV, as the beginning credits play for the new Disney Channel Original Movie: High School Musical. Now fast forward 13 years (crazy isn’t it?), you have the Disney+ app opened on your device, about to play the first episode of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

Now, if you were a big fan of HSM like I was when you were younger, chances are, there probably was some speculation, wondering if the new HSM would be just as good as the original. In my opinion, I personally think that the new version is actually quite good. It’s not as good as the original, of course, but it isn’t a complete fail.

Basically, the new version is like a musical inside of a musical (if that makes sense). It’s kind of like in Teen Beach Movie, where the main characters were stuck inside of the movie, in the actual movie. It revolves around the kids who attend the actual East High School, and are putting on their own rendition of the musical itself. The characters of the actual show (Ricky, Nini, EJ, Gina, Big Red, Kourtney, etc.), then audition for the parts they want (Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Ryan, Chad, Taylor, etc.).

So far, there have only been four episodes released, packed with tons of drama, comedy, romance, heartbreak, and of course, tons of singing. If you were a High School Musical fan when you were younger, the new version might be a little too young for you, but it doesn’t hurt to give it a try.

-Phoebe L.