Between the viral “Defying Gravity” riff, A-List celebrities hitting the Broadway stage for the first time, and even vocal coaches telling their students to “raise your ya ya ya” being used in NCAA B1G sports media edits, it is clear that musical theater is taking the spotlight for the first time in mainstream pop-culture. Woodgrove staff and students are no exception to this newfound popularity. A statistic from Activities and Engagement Coordinator Mr. Jeff Schutte reveals that fine-arts involvement, which includes musical theater, went from only 6.5% of the student body last school year to a staggering 30.5% this school year.
Social media platforms like TikTok have played a significant role in the virality of musical theater. Broadway actors are being given the opportunity to share their lives through viral videos titled “Day in the Life of Being Glinda on Broadway” or “What I Do to Prepare For a Performance on Broadway.” After the press tour of “Wicked” produced dozens of exceedingly viral moments and catchy riffs from co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, it is no surprise that this film just broke the record for highest-grossing movie-musical worldwide.
Woodgrove math teacher Mr. Rusty Staubs, although having never seen or heard “Wicked” prior to the release of the movie, was very impressed by this movie adaptation. His favorite scene was “Popular,” because “it’s fun and catchy, and you finally start seeing the relationship build between the two main characters,” he explained. A fan of musical theater all his life, Staubs shared that, “‘Wicked’ reignited the love for it.” He continued, “It is nice to see a musical actually getting the acknowledgement that it deserves, and I think that movie is finally bringing more people into seeing musicals.” Just as the successful “Wicked” movie adaptation featured mainstream A-list celebrities, recent casting decisions on Broadway have included influencers, artists, and other A-list actors such as Robert Downey Jr., Charli D’Amelio, and Lizzy McAlpine for the first time.
Woodgrove students have also been encouraged to explore the world of musical theater by teachers. Marketing classes visited New York City, and while they were there they saw “& Juliet” on Broadway. Ms. Kristie Keeler has been taking marketing classes to New York City for the past 22 years now to show them the city and expand their viewpoints on fine arts media. “I love the arts, and we take them [the students] to the city so they can just see how unique it is,” Keeler explained. Junior Kea Paulson, who attended the trip, shared, “I’ve been a little more attentive to it [fine-arts media] now, and after what I saw in New York, it made me more interested.”
English teacher Ms. In Sim is an avid supporter of the Woodgrove Fine Arts Department, and she brings in crowds of students to watch the school musicals through her encouragement and optional enrichment assignments. “I appreciate that fine arts are not black and white; we live in a very structured world, and exposure to fine arts opens up students’ minds to creativity, and to pursue their voice and talents, even just as a relief from reality,” Sim described.
The 2024-2025 season of The Grove Theater proudly announced “Mamma Mia!” as their show to be entered into the Cappies, a critics and awards program that excites many students, as it emulates the prestigious Tony Awards show. With the iconic Swedish band ABBA being the center of the “Mamma Mia!” soundtrack, many students at Woodgrove decided to audition for musical theater for the first time, as the soundtrack includes many songs that non-theater participants also recognize. Senior DJ Bundick, a Woodgrove choir officer and experienced singer, has decided to put his musical knowledge in a new light, as he was casted as the lead male role Sky in “Mamma Mia!” Bundick had not been involved in musical theater before “Mamma Mia!” “It was very eye opening; I learned that it is a real commitment and an important part of people’s lives,” Bundick explained.
Senior Ellarie Mesecar tapped into her musical theater potential for the first time in years this school year by signing up for the brand new Musical Theater class. She explained, “I did musical theater my whole life. Then, COVID hit, and I ended up having really bad stage fright. I completely stopped doing theater until last year when I did ‘Puffs,’ the fall play.” Reigniting her love for performing, Mesecar decided to sign up for the Musical Theater class for her senior year. She described, “I’ve learned that being your authentic self is way more important than trying to fit in. Starting theater again really brought out confidence in myself.”
Throughout the past year, it is clear that musical theater reached a popularity high in pop culture. It can be assumed that it will continue to gain traction as the sequel to “Wicked,” “Wicked For Good,” comes out later this year.