Humanity through Music
Humanity through Music
Learning through musicals probably is not the most ideal way to learn, but it sure is effective. Watching Kiss Me Kate, Hamilton, and part of Man of La Mancha (performed by Robert Cuccioli), has led me to realize the importance of musicals. Raw emotions regarding historical circumstances can be conveyed much more effectively through a musical number than a book. Each musical is set in a time before ours and presents the experiences that people have gone through captivating songs that remain in our memories for a long time.
Kiss me Kate was inspired by the dissent between real-life husband and wife actors Alfred Lunt and Lyn Fontanne during their production of the same play that is presented in the musical, The Shrew. The musical itself was written by a couple that was going through their own issues which makes the lyrics in the play all the more powerful. Even though Kiss Me Kate is heavily dramatized, it is able to convey the emotions that an actual marriage would through Lilli’s song “So in Love.” We see the complex nature of marriage as she sings “When I’m close to you, dear, The stars fill the sky…So taunt me and hurt me, Deceive me, desert me, I’m yours ’til I die”(Porter). Not too far before this song, Fred and Lilli were arguing about Fred’s desire to pursue a co-actress. Despite Lilli and Fred being separated, they still bicker about what is wrong with their relationship. But, as soon as Lilli receives a bouquet of flowers from her ex-lover, she breaks into a flurry of emotions. She pours her heart out as she thinks of him, no matter how he treats her, he manages to take up her heart. Through the lyrics and the background instrumental, her true feelings toward Fred are accurately expressed. Love can appear to be simple, but Lilli shows the audience how it can change based on circumstances.
Man of La Mancha takes place during the time of the Spanish Inquisition. This period in history was very authoritative and intolerant of dissent. As our guest(Robert Cuccioli) narrated, this musical tells the story of Miguel de Cervantes who is thrown into prison and has to face his fellow inmates in a mock trial that becomes a play. Within this play is Don Quixote (played by Cervantes), a mad wannabe knight that is keen on chivalry and bringing justice. In the song “Impossible Dream,” we see Don Quixote explaining his quest as “This is my quest, to follow that star …No matter how hopeless, no matter how far …To fight for the right, without question or pause …To be willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause”(Darion). Even though Quixote is seen as a madman by the whole world, here we can see the true intentions behind his quest. He is the beacon of light in the dark world, he is willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of justice. This is something that is needed no matter the time period, but the fact that this place in a time that was far darker than now shows how much more determined and noble he is. The message this song presents regarding nobility and the need for righteousness was ingrained in my mind as Robert Cuccioli performed it live. He is not Quixote or Cervantes, but he was able to portray the deep meaning of the lyrics with his voice because of the adaptability of music.
Lastly is Hamilton, the story of the ten-dollar founding father, Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton shows aspects of nobility and justice from Man of La Mancha and love from Kiss Me Kate. As we follow Hamilton through his journey of rising to the top, we see him as a human that makes mistakes rather than a historical figure. Lin Manuel Miranda’s portrayal of Hamilton adds perspective to the treatment of immigrants. When Burr introduces Hamilton to the audience in “Alexander Hamilton” he refers to Hamilton as “a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean by providence”(Miranda). Here we can see how immigrants were viewed in the 1700s, not too far off from how things are in modern America. Burr’s view of Hamilton here is not foreign to immigrant audience members. This is crucial to understanding the interpersonal aspects of history that led to the world we live in today. With these lyrics and many more, Miranda shows us the cycle of history. Some things fail to change, in other cases, it just takes one man to spark new ideologies. In “York Town” and “Non-Stop” we see Hamilton giving up his personal life to get rid of corruption. Just like Quixote, he is willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause. He forgets his limit as a human being causing him to fall into an affair in “Say No to this.” He clearly loves his wife, but overworking himself to help others led him down a dark hole. The musical numbers and choreography certainly did not exist in the 1700s, but the humane mistakes and growth that Hamilton experienced can only be portrayed through this dramatization
Musicals are meant to show us how human life is. Through exaggerated lyrics and instrumentals, we can connect to each of the characters as they sing. If there was no music, we would not be able to easily recall the lessons that the lyrics teach us. All three of these musicals take place in a time before now, but, we can still learn to be human by looking at the lessons that the characters learn.
