As a senior lifestyle reporter at HuffPost, Brittany Wong covers stories about wellness and health, gender, relationships, internet culture and more. She’s previously written for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Angeleno magazine and GOOD. She lives in Los Angeles.
But really, not everyone loves Broadway. For every person whose hiiiiills are alive with the sound of music, there’s another who’d prefer you turn that racket down!Even some huge musical theater lovers aren’t thrilled with the more movie-centric direction the Great White Way has taken as of late.
has made his life’s work writing about musicals of the 19th and 20th century, and even he feels that way. “I’m not keen on the hugely over-amplified, often soggy-storied, rarely witty and merry shows of the last 20 years,” Gänzl told HuffPost. “Too much pretentiousness, too much campery and trendiness, too much aging pop-music, second-hand movie stories ― too much NOISE.”Those very well might be some of your reasons, too, if you dislike musicals. But to dig a little deeper, we decided to ask some therapists who love musical theatre what it might say about someone if they“What I’ve heard most is that it seems unrealistic that a song would break out in the middle of a conversation,” said Vernique Esther, a therapist in Georgia and Washington, D.C. Pictured here, Tony winner Leslie Odom, Jr. and the rest of"Hamilton" cast during the curtain call for the hit musical on Broadway at The Richard Rogers Theatre on September 9, 2025 in New York City.a therapist in Georgia and Washington, D.C., loves musicals. “Hamilton” and “Once on This Island” are her favorites. Still, she knows they’re not for everybody.“What I’ve heard most is that it seems unrealistic that a song would break out in the middle of a conversation,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s the ADHD, but any conversation with me is liable to have a song break mid-sentence.” That said, Esther could see how it all could feel a bit childish, especially for people who enjoy more drama or action content. You might wonder, “Why don’t they just get to the point already?” “Some people may prefer not to have to sit through a duet to get to the point of a dialogue in the storyline,” she said. “You may feel like the dancing and singing is a distraction from the main point of the story being told.”, a therapist and self-professed theater kid. Pictured here, a production of the Broadway musical"Wicked" during the preview in Sydney, Australia, in September 2009., a therapist and counselor in private practice in Philadelphia who likes musicals. The way a production with so much high energy, noise and creative expression from a cast of say, 50, can be made to fit into a seamless structure that eventually makes sense.Maybe it’s less the musicals and more the people that annoy you, O’Neill said. “I’m a theater kid at heart, but I do admit that sometimes the culture can be a bit much,” she said. “I think that is ultimately what can turn people off to musical theater. I think the culture is what makes it such a beautiful community, but just like every personal interest, some people don’t vibe with it. I know many people who would not enjoy sports culture or gaming culture.”Theater -- including Andrew Lloyd Webber's"Cats" above -- is made for everyone, she said, just not enjoyed by everyone and that’s OK., a psychotherapist with Angeles Psychology Group in Los Angeles, said you might have a slight distaste for musicals if you’re more literal-minded. “For those of us who love them, musicals are an incredibly rich medium for psychologically minded story lovers because you get to experience traditional narrative structure while taking breaks into the hearts and minds of characters via song,” he said.“Songs are effective and unique departures from the story presentation because they bring us into our feelings and bodies,” he said.Musical arts in general used to be seen as a valuable experience, one that was also reserved for higher socioeconomic status, Ester noted. In recent years, she thinks the medium has been greatly devalued. It could be because of the dip into more commercial works based on familiar, audience-tested IPs, as Gänzl noted. But Ester thinks it has more to do with audiences becoming more jaded as a whole. “I really think that people are so jaded that anything that doesn’t reflect the reality they live in feels futile or childish,” she said, “in a time where the youngest of adults finds everything ‘cringe’ to the point that excitement and unabashedness is judged.”Widespread nihilism and contrarianism are a product of the unprecedented, harsh times we live in, she wagered.Maybe you just don’t like them, though. Either way, Ester said it’s worth continuing to try them out when one does pique your interest.Vocal Coaches And Former Broadway Elphabas Break Down That Iconic 'Defying Gravity' RiffBy entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our
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