I recently got the opportunity to go see Hadestown with a friend. I confess, I love Broadway musicals. What can I say – they win me over every time with their drama and costumes and energy. It’s always been a secret wish of mine to live in a world where people just randomly burst into song to explain stuff. Musicals, like all works of art, address life’s core issues: romance, family, loss, aspiration. And, of course, they often touch on money. Here are some of the things that various Broadway musicals have taught me about money over the years.
1. Hamilton Teaches America’s Financial History
Like many other people, Hamilton is one of my favorite musical from recent years. There’s so much to love about, not the least of which it’s interpretation and telling of American history. And one of the things that struck me in this musical was that it really distilled down some important stuff about how America’s financial history developed the way that it did. It covers our history of debt and banking and why Washington DC may be the home of our political power but Wall Street is in New York.
2. Rent Addresses The Challenging Relationship Between Art and Money
Rent is always going to be one of my favorite musicals of all time. It came out when I was just becoming an adult, and it touched on so many key things that mattered to me. Diversity, acceptance, the AIDS crisis, relationships, drugs, loss … It moves me to this day.
Of course, money is at the crux of all of it; look at the name of the musical. Specifically, it’s about how to stay true to your creative self, make art as a living, live the way that you want, and yet also pay your bills. What are you willing to sacrifice financially to live artistically? And why does it have to be this way. It addresses various thoughts on “selling out.”
In the movie, although not the musical itself, there’s a scene in which a filmmaker is filming a homeless woman on the street. And she says something to the effect of “my life isn’t for your art.” Then adds, “hey artist, got a dollar? I didn’t think so.” So, it addresses privilege and lifestyle and artistic license and many nuanced issues related to money.
3. Hadestown Looks At The Disparity Between Rich and Poor
In Hadestown, Hell is all of the people working to the bone in the factories, with no real power to exert their own will, all to make Hades rich. It addresses the disparity of rich and poor, and how the rich live the way that they do at the expense of the poor. It’s a bit about worker’s rights, and the power of the many if they come together to fight against the few. And it’s about how just one person can inspire others to make a dramatic change that shifts everything for everyone. Or can they? The question is left open-ended and asks us to consider our priorities.
4. The Producers Reveals You Never Know What Will Be a Financial Success
It’s been awhile since I’ve seen this one, but it’s all about money. The main premise is that the two producers of a play within a play realize that you could actually be more financially successful with a “flop” than with a “hit.” If you got the right investments but the play itself did terrible, you could actually profit. So they set out to create the worst play ever in history … but it turns out to be a huge hit. And that ends up being their downfall. It’s an interesting commentary on what people will pay for, the whole weird world of investing (think venture capital), the concept of “what is art worth” and so much more.
What other musicals have taught you things about money, work and success?
Read More:
- 10 Finance Lessons From Broadway Musicals
- Broadway? No Way! Consider Cheap Regional Theatre Tickets
- Amy Schumer’s Net Worth
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Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer who loves to live a balanced life. She appreciates a good work-life balance. She enjoys balance in her relationships and has worked hard to learn how to balance her finances to allow for a balanced life overall. Although she’s only blonde some of the time, she’s always striving for total balance. She’s excited to share what she’s learned with you and to discover more together along the way.
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