Musicals without Romance

[ggersten]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 11:33am

My daughter asked me if there were any musicals which weren't about romance or have romance as an element. And, frankly, I was stumped. So, I was trying to come up with shows where romance is not a major element of an A plot or B plot and there's no song. (And revues don't count)

Possibilities we came up with:

Cats - but other daughter says there is a dance between Victoria and Mr. Mistoffeles which might count.

Annie - for productions where there is no Grace/Warbucks connection

1776 - except that He Plays the Violin probably eliminates it

Man of La Mancha - Don Quixote has platonic love for Aldonza as Dulcinea. There are anti-romance elements, though.

Charlie & Chocolate Factory - ???

The Wiz - there are songs about family love - but not romance

Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat - ???

Billy Elliot - There is Grandma's Song, though....

We wondered about Starmites and Starlight Express - but no one in our family has seen those shows.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 11:39am

Arguably, The Book of Mormon. Cunningham and Nablungi are sort of flirty but it's not romantic. They even cut a line in previews where Cunningham calls her hot.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 11:40am

Pacific Overtures? There's no real romance as part of the show.

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 11:41am

I agree with some of the items from your list - Man of La Mancha, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Wiz, and Joseph...Dreamcoat are all without romance (unless you count Pharoah's wife trying to hit on Joseph, which isn't really romantic because it is all one-way).

I would add The Wizard of Oz to that list also.

Regarding Starlight Express, it does have romance - there is a couple that breaks up, with one partner singing U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D as a result.

 

[ABitOnTheSide]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 1:18pm

1776 features beautifully romantic scenes with John and Abigail. Read their letters some time, they truly loved each other.

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 1:49pm

Spongebob, (arguably) Jesus Christ Superstar, Matilda, Tommy

[annang]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 1:52pm

Assassins? There's that sequence with Guiteau trying to kiss an unwilling Sara Jane Moore, but I don't think I'd call that "romance."

[MauraLovesMusicals]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 1:52pm

godspell

[little_sally]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 1:59pm

Caroline, or Change?

[MyLife]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 2:03pm

King Kong

A Chorus Line - Zach and Cassie had a past romance but I wouldn't say there is romance on the line itself

Altar Boyz

[title of show]

 

[little_sally]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 2:28pm

MyLife said: "King Kong

A Chorus Line - Zach and Cassie had a past romance but I wouldn't say there is romance on the line itself

Altar Boyz

[title of show]

"

Al and Kristine are married in A Chorus Line and there's a bunch of references to it but it's super romantic per say.

 

[GottaHaveAGimmick]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 2:36pm

Next to Normal?

Dear Evan Hansen?

[MauraLovesMusicals]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 2:37pm

GottaHaveAGimmick said: "Next to Normal?

Dear Evan Hansen?"

n2n has the whole natalie and henry subplot and deh has evan and zoe

 

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 3:08pm

Both Starmites and Starlight Express have romantic subplots.

[MyLife]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 4:17pm

little_sally said: "
Al and Kristine are married in A Chorus Line and there's a bunch of references to it but it's super romantic per say."

We never said that all the characters had to be single! At most Al and Kristine hold hands. Depends on how the OP is defining romance. Maybe I'm too liberal :P

For that matter, all these stray cats in Cats you know are getting some behind the loose tires in the back.

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 5:37pm

The Band’s Visit?

EDIT: Nope. This is TOUGH. 

Updated On: 10/11/18 at 05:37 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 5:57pm

The Scottsboro Boys!

[OKBroadwayFan]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 6:25pm

MyLife said: "King Kong

King Kong is basically a love triangle between Kong,  Jack, and Ann.

"

 

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 7:20pm

Uh, Hamilton?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 7:34pm

poisonivy2 said: "Uh, Hamilton?"

Uh, Alexander and Eliza's marriage is one of the focal points of the show...

[angoradebs]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 7:45pm

OKBroadwayFan said: "MyLife said: "King Kong

King Kong is basically a love triangle between Kong, Jack, and Ann.

"

There is no Jack character in the musical

 

[LLW2]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 7:51pm

War Paint.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 8:06pm

MAN OF LA MANCHA does not belong on the list. The show features the late medieval/early Renaissance concept of Platonic romance--note the capital P because the concept was actually based on Plato, as opposed to our generic uses of (lowercase p) platonic love to mean "in the friend zone".

In the medieval conception, romantic love was always directed at a woman who was physically unattainable (she was usually married to someone else). See Dante. But this concept of romance was the origin of the idea of romantic love between husband and wife, a notion popularized by plays such as ROMEO AND JULIET. So although there's no question that Don Quixote and Aldonza are going to have sex, theirs is very much a "romantic" relationship in the oldest sense of the concept.

Updated On: 10/11/18 at 08:06 PM

[leighmiserables]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 8:18pm

SpongeBob SquarePants
The Lightning Thief 
Godspell 
[title of show]
Mary Poppins (arguably)
Matilda
Runaways

 

 

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 9:30pm

Arguably the musical Chicago. Roxie's relationships with Fred and Amos are over before the story begins. And, despite a lot of sexual tension, there are no romances during the story proper.