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Blog: Why I love musicals

Thu, August 26, 2010

Music industry blogger Fong Chau talks about musicals

I have to admit a terrible guilty secret. I just love musicals. In fact, I don't even feel guilty about it.

TV shows like Glee may have made music theatre very fashionable these days, but the style has always had a large contingent of fans – just look at all the musicals on in the West End right now.

But musicals get a bad rap – I've heard them be described as stuffy, boring and irrelevant. While this might be true for a small number (Les Mis, Phantom Of The Opera) they're mostly amazing fun, with killer tunes to boot.

One of my all-time favourites, Hairspray (currently at the Shaftesbury Theatre), deals with racism, body image and prejudice in a very moving, funny and responsible way and just makes me want to get up and dance. Forget the film though (the remake!) – the stage version is 100 times better.

One of the best musicals I ever saw was Spring Awakening, which is where Glee star Lea Micheles got her big break. Set in a deeply religious village in Germany, it's about two teenagers finding love and coming of age. It's a beautiful story – with an amazing soundtrack. Here's a snippet…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Bl9NIBvY8&feature=related

Here's a playlist of some of my favourite songs from musicals.
Musicals!

Have you got a favourite musical? Let us know!

Name: Fong Chau
Age: 27
Signature karaoke song: Total Eclipse Of The Heart
Most embarrassing moment of my career: Knocking over a row of steel lockers while interviewing my favourite DJs.
First album: True Blue by Madonna - this must have belonged to one of my older sisters, but I remember making up my own dance moves and listening to it non-stop.
Funny fact: The end monologue in Thriller still scares me so much I have to leave the room when it's on.

About me
I've loved music ever since I was a kid and I have been lucky enough to be writing about it for a living for five years. Like many, I dreamed of being a in a band, but the only instrument my parents let me learn when I was a kid was the clarinet so I took to writing about pop music instead. In my career, I've had the pleasure of meeting Keane, Coldplay, Muse and Florence Welch.

Whenever I face a difficult decision I always stop and think "what would Beyonce do?"