With most theatres now publishing their prospective calendars for the months ahead, Abi Jackson asks why musicals continue to enthral audiences nationwide.
Last week, I went to the cinema for the first time in far too long. Being sat in front of a big screen again, clutching an obligatory bag of pic-n-mix, was a thrill in itself. But what made it even better?
The picture was a musical – In The Heights, the new movie version of the Broadway show by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda – and it was marvellous.
Not everybody’s a fan of course, but like lots of people, I love musicals. Singing, dancing, an ultimately uplifting hero’s journey; what’s not to love?
The feelgood factor
Very little, agrees social psychology professor Dr Elle Boag, from Birmingham City University: “Unless, perhaps, you’re a parent being made to listen to Frozen songs blasting in the background for the billionth time.”
But on a base level, musicals make us feel good. “And who doesn’t want to feel good?” says Boag. “From a psychological perspective, anything that makes you feel good, unless it’s illegal, usually does you good... Keep reading on The Independent.
Last week, I went to the cinema for the first time in far too long. Being sat in front of a big screen again, clutching an obligatory bag of pic-n-mix, was a thrill in itself. But what made it even better?
The picture was a musical – In The Heights, the new movie version of the Broadway show by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda – and it was marvellous.
Not everybody’s a fan of course, but like lots of people, I love musicals. Singing, dancing, an ultimately uplifting hero’s journey; what’s not to love?
The feelgood factor
Very little, agrees social psychology professor Dr Elle Boag, from Birmingham City University: “Unless, perhaps, you’re a parent being made to listen to Frozen songs blasting in the background for the billionth time.”
But on a base level, musicals make us feel good. “And who doesn’t want to feel good?” says Boag. “From a psychological perspective, anything that makes you feel good, unless it’s illegal, usually does you good... Keep reading on The Independent.