Theater has served as a mirror to human existence since time immemorial and has brilliantly emphasized the darkness that mars it. The dazzling lanes of Broadway have also done their fair share for this cause. Home to a rather large number of exuberant musicals and dramatic productions, Broadway has effectively delivered several theater pieces that explore the frail state of human lives. The following are musicals dealing with themes such as mental health and social issues to look out for.
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Dear Evan Hansen
The musical is about a socially anxious teenager who, in order to create a semblance of the conventional sense of normalcy, forges a relationship with a dead classmate. Events that follow bear weight on suicide, mental health issues and the importance of therapy. With a book by Steven Levenson and music composed and written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the show premiered in 2015 at the Arena Stage in Washington DC and debuted on Broadway the next year.
Next to Normal
Next to Normal focuses on Diana Goodman, a grieving suburban mother, who has been haunted by the death of her son for over seventeen years. Adding to the trauma, she also suffers from bipolar disease. The rock musical explores Diana’s journey and the events of her and her family’s life affected by her woes and her mental state. This piece of theater has been lauded for its microscopic look on such a fragile issue as mental health and trauma as well as for its brilliant soundtrack and background score. The music for Next to Normal was composed by Tom Kitt and the lyrics were penned by Brian Yorkey.
Jagged Little Pill
Jagged Little Pill is a jukebox musical built around Alanis Morissette’s 1995 hit album of the same name. The show revolves around members of the perfect-from-afar Healy family. Upon a closer look at the family and the events of each of its members day-to-day life, the show highlights issues such as drug abuse, peer pressure, marital tension, sexual assault and racism among other diabolical issues that haunt the human experience. The musical is brought alive with well-placed rock and roll tracks such as “All I Really Want,” “Smiling,” “So Unsexy,” “Uninvited,” “Unprodigal Daughter” and “No.” Jagged Little Pill premiered at Cambridge, MA’s American Repertory Theater in 2018 and made its Broadway debut a year later.
The show revolves around members of the perfect-from-afar Healy family. Upon a closer look at the family and the events of each of its members day-to-day life, the show highlights issues such as drug abuse, peer pressure, marital tension, sexual assault and racism among other diabolical issues that haunt the human experience. The musical is brought alive with well-placed rock and roll tracks such as “All I Really Want,” “Smiling,” “So Unsexy,” “Uninvited,” “Unprodigal Daughter” and “No.” Jagged Little Pill premiered at Cambridge, MA’s American Repertory Theater in 2018 and made its Broadway debut a year later.
The musical is brought alive with well-placed rock and roll tracks such as “All I Really Want,” “Smiling,” “So Unsexy,” “Uninvited,” “Unprodigal Daughter” and “No.” Jagged Little Pill premiered at Cambridge, MA’s American Repertory Theater in 2018 and made its Broadway debut a year later.
