Musicals have been a powerful art form for a long time. Through a combination of music and a script, or just music, they have served as commentary on politics, history, humanity, and more. While musicals often have the reputation of being squeaky-clean (think The Sound of Music), there have been quite a few that have shocked audiences. Here are five:
Spring Awakening
Since the story of “Spring Awakening” was created in 1891 by a German playwright, it has been controversial. In its first incarnation as a play, it was banned in England. Set during the late 19th century in Germany, the 2006 musical explores, through a mixture of folk and alternative rock music, what happens in a world where parents forbid any sex education or discussion with their teens. Of course, this leads to a lot of experimentation, with tragic consequences. With topics like masturbation, homosexuality, rape, abortion, and, naturally, sex, the musical made parents blush while teens rushed to get tickets.
Avenue Q
With peppy songs about everything from homosexuality, drugs, and sex, the musical was already setting itself up for controversy. However, in addition to human actors, the show features actors as puppets resembling Sesame Street characters. These puppets include Lucy the Slut, whose cleavage made a small town in Colorado very upset, and Trekkie Monster, who is addicted to online porn. People have been known to walk out of the show. The show opened on Broadway in 2003, and ended up winning four Tony’s including Best Musical.
The hit musical, RentRentA modern adaption of the Puccini opera “La Boheme,” this musical follows a group of friends struggling with drug addiction, their sexualities, and their inability to pay the rent. The show went from a workshop in 1993 to its Broadway debut in 1996, and tackled a lot of misconceptions about AIDS. Combined with the character of “Angel,” who is either a transgender woman or drag queen, the show generated a lot of controversy. It is still frequently banned as a show option for high schools, despite the fact the version they get is edited. Rent went on to receive ten Tony nominations.Rent
A modern adaption of the Puccini opera “La Boheme,” this musical follows a group of friends struggling with drug addiction, their sexualities, and their inability to pay the rent. The show went from a workshop in 1993 to its Broadway debut in 1996, and tackled a lot of misconceptions about AIDS. Combined with the character of “Angel,” who is either a transgender woman or drag queen, the show generated a lot of controversy. It is still frequently banned as a show option for high schools, despite the fact the version they get is edited. Rent went on to receive ten Tony nominations.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Before the cult film, there was the Broadway show, which opened in West End in 1973. The plot follows Brad and Janet, a buttoned-up couple, who take shelter in a strange castle. There, they meet the self-described “sweet Transvestite” Frank ‘N Furter, who is building the perfect man. The night continues to push everyone’s sexual boundaries with songs like “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a Me.” The show moved to the official Broadway stage in 1975, the same year the movie came out.
Hair
When people think about controversy and musicals, “Hair” is usually the first that leaps to mind. Debuting in 1967, this show was truly a product of its time. It focuses on a group of hippies devoted to protesting the Vietnam war while embracing the sexual revolution and drugs. The main character, Claude, finds himself caught between his friends and freedom, and the expectations of his family and country to go to war. Other themes include homosexuality and racism. Audiences were shocked and thrilled by explicit nudity, including a scene where the entire cast appears naked onstage. It ran for nearly two thousands shows before touring in the US and Europe. It has seen two revivals in 1977 and 2009.
