This art form continues to evolve. And each year, we’re given a chance to celebrate it. Theatre tells a live-action story with colorful costumes, emotional characters, and bright lighting. So, if you’re ready to watch some relatable adult-life stories on stage, here are six shows you should check out:
1. How to Succeed in Business Without Trying (1961)
If you love musicals mixed with quirky comedy, this is the show for you. It’s based on a book with the same title. And it centers around a man named J. Pierpont Finch who tries to break into the corporate world. Sounds relatable, right?
Clearly, others will answer “yes.” The musical was so successful that it inspired two creations: a film and TV show. Though it premiered in the 60s, the musical experienced two revivals: the first in 1995 and another in 2011, which starred Daniel Radcliff. If that doesn’t prove to you how relatable the musical is to the struggle of adulthood, I don’t know what will.
2. Avenue Q (2003)
Remember Elmo? That funny, red creature made us laugh as kids. But what happens when the characters from Sesame Street get older and face the challenges of adulthood? Avenue Q knows.
The musical foreshadows the joys and struggles of graduating from college. Princeton, a young adult, tries to find his purpose while interacting with fellow puppets along the way. There are fun songs and some humor, but also many adult themes. So, viewer discretion is advised.
3. Millennials Are Killing Musicals (2023)
Young adults and adolescents are impacted by social media. In Millennials Are Killing Musicals, Brenda, one of the main characters, finds herself in a difficult situation by juggling her single-parent lifestyle while trying to adult. When Brenda has to take care of her child, social media starts to tear her family apart.
Grammy and Emmy award winner Kristolyn Lloyd has joined the cast with other Broadway alumni, such as Maxx Crum from Grease and Tiffany Engen from Legally Blonde. The musical is set to preview at Theatre 71 on May 7, just in case you want to be the first one to catch it.
4. Mean Girls (2017)
This musical, as we all know, comes from the Mean Girls movie. If you want to relive your high school drama, you can watch how all of these peeps manipulate poor Cady for their own gain. It sucks, indeed. But it’s high school, after all.
5. The Bully Problem (2019)
This musical not only addresses bullying and standing up for yourself but robots as well. In fact, it’s about helpful robots that stop bullying. Perhaps, it’s telling the story of 2303.
But all jokes aside, The Bully Problem touches upon the most important issue many young people face. When you don’t fit into any specific mold, many people treat you as an outcast. But if you’re true to yourself, you can fight back. If this sounds interesting, see how the main character fights back in The Bully Problem.
6. Matilda (2012)
Matilda is a story of girl power, intellect, and imagination. But Matilda, the protagonist, has to overcome bullying from both her peers at school and her father. She also gets into conflicts with the principal but is saved by one of her instructors.
The unfortunate reality is that many teachers and principals continue to have favorites, which excludes others. However, since Matilda solves this problem with her powers, plenty of youth who struggle with this may one day be able to share their own story.
These six musicals are theatrical shows which are relatable to many young adults. From themes ranging from social media to bullying, all of us will shed a tear or crackle up while hearing one of the songs from these shows.
Which musical do you think will be your favorite? Let us know!
Featured image via Magno Coronel on Pexels
