It’s ok guys, you can like musicals too…

Alright guys, we all know there’s times when your wife or girlfriend makes you do things you just don’t want to do.  None of us really want to head out to that craft fair 30 minutes away on a big football Sunday, and none of us want to make that extra run to Target in the middle of March Madness.  But here’s the thing, while we may not want to do these things, we’re all as powerless as the next guy, so at the end of the day we make late night grocery runs and go out for drinks with her friends where we end up hanging with the friends’ boyfriends who we don’t even know.  So here’s my point, if we’re going to end up doing all of these things anyway we might as well learn to love a few of them.  I know, I can’t imagine ever loving that Sunday afternoon craft fair, but hear me out.  There is at least one option here that we don’t have to be afraid of.  In fact, this option is something that you could actually grow to respect, maybe even genuinely enjoy as I have!  That’s right, I’m talking about musicals!

Yes, musicals, those weird plays with more music than dialogue where the characters dance around wildly amid storylines that often seem unrealistic to our caveman minds.  But if you go into it with an open mind and are any kind of music fan where your interest extends even slightly beyond death metal, you will almost certainly be able to find a musical that appeals to you.  Personally, I never even listened to a musical until I met my wife.  She had spent some extended time in New York during college and was heavily involved in choir all through high school, so she was well versed in the ballads of Broadway.  You could say I learned from the best!  Now I have several full musical soundtracks on my phone and often find myself humming show-tunes around the house like some TV grandmother.  We’ve also been to several musical performances together, including two on our trip to New York and I always find them both fascinating and entertaining.  There are plenty of positives for guys who learn to love musicals, and there are an infinite amount of reasons for guys to give them a fair shot!  But for the sake of time, I’ll just give you a few of them!

1. The Performances – first and foremost, the performances are incredible. I’ve come to respect musical performers like I respect athletes.  Just like sports stars, musical performers are constantly pushing the limits of the human body to reach new levels.  And just like athletes, they settle their nerves to do it in front of a crowd!
2. You sing in your car too, get over yourself – That’s right, everyone loves music, it’s just a fact of our nature. We all sing along to songs on the radio, sometimes just in the shower, sometimes in the car, hell sometimes we maybe even do it at work without knowing it!  And what’s more, today’s musicals aren’t your grandmother’s musicals.  See Hamilton and Book of Mormon
3. It’s just a great date night – If you’re looking to have a nice evening with your significant other, there really is no better option in my opinion. Rather than dinner and a movie, do dinner and a musical.  Sure, it’s probably more expensive I’ll admit that.  But it shows that you are willing to go out of your comfort zone.  And what do women love more than seeing us men outside of our comfort zone?  Going to a show also gives you an opportunity to dress up with your wife or girlfriend and have a classy night out.  Going to a movie and leaving with butter stained sweatpants and a stomach ache can’t quite measure up to that.
4. You’ll score some much needed points! – Let’s face, we all do stupid stuff. Chances are you annoying your wife or girlfriend in some small way right now and don’t even know it.  And trust me, outside of lighting candles, playing Kenny G and giving your significant other a massage, there’s no better way to score points than going out for a fancy date night of dinner and a show.  You could score some extra points by making the dinner extra romantic.  And put on a tie for crying out loud!

So there they are, some of the top reasons for getting out there and taking in a musical.  You shouldn’t need any more than that but if you do, just let me know and I’ll be sure to come up with some!  Ok, so you’ve decided to give it a shot, but what do you do next?  Well, you just need to find some theatres nearby and wait for the perfect musical to stroll through town (unless she’s already told you what her favorite is, in which case your job is done!)!  Otherwise, I’m here to help, here are a few of my favorite musicals that the guys will enjoy as much as the girls!

• In the Heights – Lin Manuel Miranda’s first musical creation. A great blend of classic musical numbers with the hip hop flare that Lin is known for.
• Next to Normal – Dark subject matter but the performances are absolutely incredible. And many of the songs bring with them a rock element which even the guys can respect.  Also, the plot of the musical is as riveting as it’s memorable musical numbers
• American Idiot – It’s Green Day. C’mon.
• Jersey Boys – Great music and a great story
• Catch Me if You Can – Upbeat and fun. Given the familiar nature of this story I think it’s something both the guys and gals can have fun watching.

Obviously there are other musicals in play.  I didn’t mention Hamilton simply because of its popularity.  Of course, if you can score Hamilton tickets.  Do it.  Do it now… What are you waiting for??   Then there’s other options like Book of Mormon (which isn’t worth mentioning because it’s the rare musical where the guys would probably enjoy it more than the ladies) and Les Miserables (which is a classic, and could quite possibly score you the most points with your significant other, especially if they are a big musical fan).

Well there you have it.  I hope that after reading this the idea of going to a musical sounds slightly less dreadful.  Because trust me, there is nothing to be afraid of! It’s not like I’m asking you to enjoy ballet or opera.  Going to a musical can be a wonderful experience, and a perfect one to share with your significant other!