Something has changed within me. What is this feeling? It's my excitement for the film adaption of Wicked! One of Broadway’s most popular musicals, it tells an alternative history of the Wicked Witch of the West. Our collection has the original book by Gregory McGuire, Broadway cast album, vocal/piano selections, and a fun behind-the-curtains look at the musical’s development process.
To celebrate Wicked, here are some other “Popular” musicals featuring characters in high school and college.
If you love Wicked's female empowerment, come to the Fun Home, a Lisa Kron/Jeanine Tesori adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel memoir. In Fun Home, Bechdel reflects on growing up at the family’s funeral home and discovering her lesbian identity in college. Tesori also wrote the music for Kimberly Akimbo, about a high school girl with progeria-esque premature aging and Shrek the Musical.
For a story set in high school, Dear Evan Hansen explores the social anxiety and feelings of invisibility many of us struggle with, even though social media supposedly connects us. Through the Window contains the full script, development history, and notes on the music/lyrics by composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (also known for The Greatest Showman and La La Land). The score and a novel adaptation of the musical are also in our collection.
Can we really talk about high school without mentioning prom? The Prom musical is inspired by a real-life high schooler who was banned from bringing her girlfriend to prom. In this fun yet heartfelt show, four celebrities take up Emma’s cause to boost their public image. But what they forget is that behind every viral cause there is a real person, and Emma doesn’t want to be the poster girl of discrimination. She just wants love and acceptance. We have the novel adaptation, music score, and film album as well.
Comment below with your favorite song from a musical that features teen characters!
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