Musicals that make you laugh and make you cry?

[Daydreamer3]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 11:49am

What musicals make you laugh and make you cry? I'm asking because I've written a musical like that but some people have suggested that if I am writing a comedy, I shouldn't have such seriousness in the show as well.  

I just want to thank everyone for taking the time to respond to this post:) Your responses have been helpful!

 

Updated On: 6/4/19 at 11:49 AM

[broadwayresident]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 11:51am

Dear Evan Hansen

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 11:53am

I feel like this could apply a majority of musicals. It's pretty common to have musicals that are tough to place in either category of "drama" or "comedy" because they often contain elements of both. And even when you have straight-up dramatic musicals, there is usually some comic relief. And likewise, many musical comedies have some emotional components too. 

[Wick3]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 12:11pm

The Prom (especially if you see it without knowing anything about the show.)

 

 

 

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 12:20pm

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - insanely funny, and then Olive rips your heart into a million pieces

[artscallion]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 12:29pm

Grey Gardens

Sunday In The Park With George

Into the Woods

Assassins

Once

Really, there are thousands. It's a thing.

[sethepstein12]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 12:31pm

Legally Blonde

Dear Evan Hansen

Come From Away

[gleek4114]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 12:32pm

Falsettos immediately comes to mind. After I saw it in movie theaters I said “it’s fun then it’s not”.

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 12:44pm

Into the Woods

Falsettos

Dear Evan Hansen

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 12:47pm

Hedwig

Rent

The Great Comet

Come From Away

Fiddler on the Roof

My Fair Lady

[stlrod]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 1:42pm

Come From Away and if/Then

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 1:44pm

In recent memory, The Prom and Waitress both have a lovely balance of comedy and tears.

[kdogg36]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 1:53pm

The one that immediately comes to mind for me is Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

[EdEval]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 6:07pm

The Drowsy Chaparone made me laugh hysterical and I always cry through Les Mis.

[Shh_413]

Posted: 6/3/19 at 8:03pm

Fun Home is probably a recent example that has you feeling every single emotion on the scale and can turn on a dime. I'd say DEH too to some extent, but it has considerably less straight-up funny parts. Updated On: 6/3/19 at 08:03 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/4/19 at 3:10am

Daydreamer, your friends are being ridiculous. Yes, it's true, that long ago (from the time of Aristotle to roughly WWII, there were strict rules for comedies (dealt with the lower classes, ended in marriage, made people laugh) v. tragedies (dealt with the upper classes, ended in death, made people cry), but even then there were plays that didn't fully adhere to the rules of either genre; and those were called "tragicomedies".

But nowadays, just write a play that YOU would want to see. There are comedies that aren't funny and tragedies that are hysterical until there comes a moment when they are no longer funny.

Film and TV have only added to the genre-mixing.

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/4/19 at 9:15am

Matilda

Come From Away

Groundhog Day

[stoptheworld38]

Posted: 6/4/19 at 2:03pm

Come From Away for sure

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 6/4/19 at 2:34pm

Honestly all the best musicals do this. For me though,

Into the Woods

Sunday in the Park with George

Falsettos

[Daydreamer3]

Posted: 6/4/19 at 2:36pm

I just want to thank you for your response. I haven't seen Dear Evan Hansen yet but have tickets to see it when it finally gets to Rochester.

 

[mmFan]

Posted: 6/5/19 at 6:29am

For crying..

Dear Evan Hansen when I saw it in Toronto.  I saw it in NY but our seats were up in the balcony.  In Toronto,we were right upfront with "Evan" and I got very emotional.

Second show I ever cried at was Without You by Anthony Rapp (and mind you, I've had a few tears in Without You scene in Rent).

For laughing..

A long list

 

Updated On: 6/5/19 at 06:29 AM

[maryy_r0se]

Posted: 6/5/19 at 10:47am

Spring Awakening is the most cut and dry example for me personally. I saw a college production of it last year and definitely laughed a lot during several of the early scenes and full on wept during "Don't Do Sadness" and "Left Behind." It helped that the actor playing Moritz was absolutely phenomenal. There are professional actors that he could put to shame.

I cried six times when I saw Fun Home and definitely laughed a lot during "Changing My Major." I also cried during Next to Normal (sometimes even the soundtrack makes me tear up), and I always laugh some during "My Psychopharmacologist and I" although it's laughter mixed with discomfort so that might not be as good of an example.

Sometimes Rent, Dear Evan Hansen, and bare: a pop opera would make this list, but it varies by where I am mentally.