While traveling in London during the summer, I got to explore the West End streets between Leicester Square and Covent Garden. Much like how New York has its shining Broadway, central London has the West End: a vibrant, cultural district holding a variety of entertainment shows – much of them being theater. While we had bought tickets for Mamma Mia! early on, my family and I were able to come by cheap, last-minute tickets days before the showings of Les Miserables and Hadestown.
Of course, I was already familiar with the story of Mamma Mia – having watched both movies and Mustang Theatre Company’s production three years ago – but this proved to be another sensational experience. I was most impressed by how they utilized a single set design and manipulated each dimension, lighting, and prop in order to emulate different settings. From the beach to Donna’s bedroom to a church, each transition was seamless. The highlight of the show would be the karaoke at the end with Donna and the Dynamos in which every audience member stood up and sang – and danced – to their heart’s content the lyrics of “Mamma Mia!” and “Dancing Queen.” It felt as if the theater changed to a synergetic concert in which both the audience and cast members shared a cohesive experience.
Next, I watched Les Miserables. I was also familiar with this story, having watched the movie in my AP Euro class my sophomore year, but it was my first time watching in theater form. This was definitely the most classical showing of the three, but also my favorite! It could just be that I loved learning about the French Revolution, but the songs for this musical, more specifically, “In My Life,” “One Day More,” and “Do You Hear the People Sing,” were striking. I loved the emotional drama of each character and the intensity of the plotline. Not only that, the set design was so seamless – I felt as if I was watching a movie. I would not even notice when the design would change; only that the characters were suddenly in a different setting. I would recommend this musical to everyone. Even if you don’t know the history behind Les Miserables, it is simply the pinnacle of musical theater that everyone should watch at least once. Jennalyn Urquico (12), who also watched this production during the summer in the West End, remarks that, “[It] was truly the most beautiful show I have ever seen. The tragic, intertwined stories of all the characters in this show truly made this show so emotional and moving to watch. This show was perfect for me and my family to watch because we all appreciated certain qualities about it, whether that be the music, set, or the heartbreaking story.
Lastly, Hadestown. I was not familiar with this musical until I walked the West End streets and came across signage of the show. I wanted to watch a show I was completely unaware of, and so we bought tickets – unfortunately at the very top of the theater. The stage of this musical was different from the rest; it was a circular stage with rotating floors (like Hamilton), second floor balconies, and space held off to the side to hold musicians on-stage. Immediately as I walked inside the theater, I got the ambience of New Orleans jazz. What I liked most about this show was how different the song genre was from traditional musicals. It was jazz, soul, blues, rock, swing, and folk all at once and added on with the delicate vocals of Donal Finn – the actor playing Orpheus – I was charmed. I would advise those watching this show to preface the story before to enjoy the show without confusion as there are a few puzzling parts, due to it being based on Greek mythology. However, I would encourage people to watch this show as it truly is a creative show with captivating music and I would love the chance to watch it again.
Each musical was its own distinct, enjoyable experience. I’ve loved being able to notice differences with each show and see how each feature fits the needs of the specific story. Musicals continue to be a magical concoction of storytelling and a fantastic collaboration between different art forms.
