The Off-Stage Impact of Musical Theatre on Everyone

The Off-Stage Impact of Musical Theatre on everyone has reached far beyond the entertainment world, rap, education and culture in general. Among other things, it has shown that musical theater can offer a fresh, exciting way to learn about history and culture. Moreover, musical theatre can offer much more than that – even to those who don’t aspire to perform on Broadway.

Musical theatre indeed is a powerful form of art that can transform the lives of those who take part, but the power it holds is often overlooked. It is now time to pull the curtain back.

Reams of statistics proves that learning a musical instrument can lead to a whole host of benefits. From enhanced disciplinary, perseverance and collaboration to communication and positive effects. While these benefits are beyond dispute, it is worth it to consider that musical theatre is mostly left out of conversations like this.

Among other valuable life lessons and traits, musical theater can educate and foster these important skills:

  • Deeper understanding of human behavior and psychology
    

Researchers have argued that psychologists look to how actors create emotions to understand human nature in a new way. That is because a performer must understand others’ actions and the meaning to those actions. Therefore, they will be able to convincingly portray another character, environment and tone on stage. In doing this, they also learn to identify their own personality and practice traits when interacting with the people in their surroundings.

  • A sense of ownership and independence

Fun fact : In a theater production, there is no such thing as sitting on the sidelines! There is only one person for each role and a small margin for error. Therefore, performers must learn to work independently and arrive prepared. They are expected to pull their own weight and sometimes even more in order to produce the best show possible.

  • Creative thinking and problem-solving skills

Anyone that is taking part in a production that involves the business of creation. Whether it is building a scenery, a script, a costume, props, the list goes on. On stage, performers create characters, moods and settings. They must also be capable in using problem-solving skills to decide how their characters would react, what kind of decisions will they make, and how their actions will help tell the story.

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  • How to give and take feedback effectively

Giving and receiving constructive feedback is a normal part of any form of art, that also includes theatre. Performers have to understand that feedback is a useful part in their learning process and how to channel it into success. At the same time, they are also challenged to give their feedback to their peers on how to improve and their thoughts in a way that is respectful and useful. Thinking critically and listening attentively are just as an important piece of the puzzle as of performing on stage.

  • Importance of teamwork and the unique value that every individual brings

The most collaborative form of creative expression is arguably musical theatre. It takes a wide range of people from writers, actors, designers, directors to choreographers, and more to put together a successful performance. Performers cannot just get on stage without the help of the off-stage crew. What happens behind the scenes are just as important as what happens when the curtain rises. Theatre is that activity that anyone working on a project is an important part of the show. The final product can never be successfully completed. Unless, every member of the team is working towards the exact same goal.

Everyone and anyone should take part in musical theatre for an experience that will have a long-lasting and potentially life-changing impact. Give it a go, you might be surprised by the result, don’t forget to enjoy!