Top 10 Times Classic Musicals Tackled Serious Issues
#10: “Fiddler on the Roof”
Meet Tevye, a Jewish milkman living in poverty in the village of Anatevka in the early 20th century. When his daughters buck convention and choose their own husbands, he’s compelled to reexamine his traditions, culture, and customs. In addition, the tsar is plotting a pogrom, forcing much of the community to flee. The show tackles themes like discrimination and oppression and highlights the community’s determination to survive and thrive in the face of such horrors. While the story centers on the Jewish faith, many of its themes are universal, making audiences hope for a better tomorrow. It became the first Broadway show to play more than 3,000 performances, and remains as popular as ever.
#9: “Cabaret”
This 1966 musical takes place during the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany. It centers on the Kit Kat Klub, where “Life is a Cabaret.” The show explores themes like intimacy, sexuality, and abortion. It also teaches audiences the dangers of indifference to political or social injustice. Indeed, the Emcee, Sally Bowles, and countless others ignore the impending shift in Germany’s political landscape. Instead, they either crack jokes or shrug in apathy. Similarly, in the stage version of “The Sound of Music,” Max and the Baroness advocate complicity in the number “No Way to Stop it.” Both examples warn audiences that ignoring discrimination and wide-scale systemic violence — even when you’re not the target — comes at a huge price.
#8: “Fiorello!”
This might be one of Broadway’s more underappreciated shows, yet its themes ring as true today as when it premiered in 1959. We follow Fiorello La Guardia’s career, including his quest to become New York’s mayor, the highs and lows of civil service, and his opposition to the Democrat-led Tammany Hall. Largely taking place in and around the Great Depression, the story sees the politician contend with inequality, a city in the throes of change, and substantial partisanism. The show delves into unions, women’s rights, and depicts how Fiorello appealed to New York’s immigrant communities. It was the recipient of multiple awards, and notably joined a rare circle of musicals that have secured the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
#7: “Finian's Rainbow”
Premiering in 1947, “Finian’s Rainbow” was reportedly one of the earliest Broadway shows to feature an interracial cast. Finian McLonergan and his daughter Sharon have traveled from Ireland to the fictional Rainbow Valley with a stolen pot of gold, from which they plan to plant and accumulate more money. They’re pursued by its rightful owner, a leprechaun who’s slowly becoming human without it. Although it masquerades as a musical comedy, it offers sincere commentary on corruption, bigotry, capitalism, and the pursuit of the American Dream. Many of these motifs are personified through the villainous Senator Rawkin, who puts money over morals and opposes integration. Some have even suggested that the story endorses socialism. Needless to say, this musical was very ahead of its time.
#6: “Anyone Can Whistle”
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This Sondheim musical from 1964 was reportedly dubbed “a satire on conformity and the insanity of the so-called sane.” Indeed, the cult classic takes a light-hearted approach to mental health. Yet it also questions what normalcy is, and how that definition is set. Residents of a local mental health hospital are integrated back into society, but quickly become indistinguishable from the other townspeople. If anything, they seem better off since they haven’t been forced to conform to the town’s norms and values. The story also opens discussions about politics, government, and other influential organizations. But overall, it’s a reflection on life, and how quickly society applies labels to those it deems as non-conformists.
#5: “Porgy and Bess”
We can’t talk about this 1935 Gershwins classic without acknowledging its complicated history. On the one hand, it was rare for Black Americans to be able to share their stories on stage. On the other, it was crafted by white people, and their depictions weren’t always the most respectful or accurate. But it was reportedly Gershwin who advocated for featuring Black actors. Set in Charleston, South Carolina, it tells the story of an impoverished man with a disability, Porgy. He connects with Bess, a woman contending with a coercively controlling partner and substance use disorder. There’s a lot to unpack, and it’s by no means perfect. But it continues to challenge attitudes and spark conversations about race.
#4: “West Side Story”
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Did you know that Jerome Robbins initially planned to write a musical centering on conflicts between the Lower East Side’s Jewish and Catholic communities in Manhattan? However, in the intervening years, as the project seemingly went nowhere, there were new social issues dominating headlines: street gangs. So he and his collaborators relocated this “Romeo and Juliet” reimagining to the Upper West Side, and the Jewish and Catholic communities became Puerto Rican and white ones. The 1957 show’s approach to gang rivalries, as well as immigration, racism, and police mismanagement were game-changing, to say the least. There’s also, of course, a message of tolerance and critique of violence. After all, we know the heavy price both sides pay when they fail to embrace their differences.
#3: “South Pacific”
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Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1949 comedy musical offers a powerful message about racism that was well ahead of its time. It delves into the subject on personal and institutional levels set against the backdrop of World War Two. Indeed, its two main love stories center around couples who must overcome racial prejudices, including their own. The song “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” in particular was unfortunately considered controversial for the way it unpacks bigotry, and its support of interracial relationships. Still, the creators stuck by it. The show also examines the changing roles of women during this period. In other words, it covers a lot of important ground. And while times may have changed, these messages still need to be heard.
#2: “Hair”
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In the mid-to-late 1960s, “Hair” transformed the face of musical theater, and not just because it reportedly became the first Broadway production to feature full-on nudity. We meet a group of pacifists who have grown out their hair and are protesting the draft during the Vietnam War. Their story addressed a plethora of serious subjects, such as sexual freedom, sexuality, interracial relationships, and recreational substance use. The show even broke the fourth wall to literally bring its messages to audiences. Some parts (namely the aforementioned nudity) proved to be too progressive for some, and walk-outs weren’t uncommon. In the end though, “Hair” knocked down barriers that allowed subsequent musicals to boldly discuss subjects they likely never would’ve dared broach in the past.
#1: “Show Boat”
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1927’s “Show Boat” reportedly made musical theater history by featuring the first integrated cast. This show was among the earliest to take real-world issues like racism and racial identity and narrate them through song. It also broke ground by depicting an interracial relationship and addressed what it meant to be white passing during the segregated Jim Crow era. The piece was reportedly intended as a commentary on racism and inequality, though that isn’t to say it isn’t without its issues. And indeed, it has required numerous revisions over the years. Still, this was a new and more mature approach to entertainment that sought to challenge its audiences. Thus, “Show Boat” reshaped and redefined musical theater for good.
