Which musicals do teens mostly enjoy?

Maybe in the 90s.

What kinds of "teens" are you referring to? BroadwayCon demographics? In which case I'd include Heathers, Hamilton, and Shrek.

But more importantly, what's this for? A performance/party/something else?

It's such a subjective topic, honestly. Some teens are into the contemporary like the ones mentioned above - Wicked, Hamilton, Heathers, next to normal, and Spring Awakening, etc. Some are into the more classic and "complicated" like the work of Sondheim. You can't really peg too closely what teens are into, because it's pretty subjective just like any other group of theatergoers.

Updated On: 4/18/16 at 12:00 AM

laughingplace said: "Rent has been closed for over 7 years now. How on earth can it be a teen favourite."

Well the Broadway production was filmed as well as the movie adaptation. It definitely is still a favorite with young people.

laughingplace said: "Rent has been closed for over 7 years now. How on earth can it be a teen favourite. "



Shows don't have to be running to make a lasting impression.

I teach at a middle school performing arts magnet school in a larger, fairly affluent Midwestern city (I'm just trying to establish background).

My hardcore theater kid--the ones counting the days until they leave for camp at Interlochen and Stagedoor Manor--tend to go back and forth between whatever (typically classic) production they did at school or locally and whatever is hot on broadway. Right now, I've got kids fawning over Hamilton, Shuffle Along (which only one has seen, but in their words, "Because Audra!), and Alladin.

For my less hardcore group, Hamilton is huge. But so are the shows that have toured here recently, with Matilda finding the most love from my kids by a large majority, and with Kinky Boots and Cinderella distant runners up. Most felt If/Then was a bore, but had strong performances by Jackie Burns and Janine DaVita.

And then there's Wicked.

Some claim to be past Wicked and totally over it, but my kids are 11-13. Most aren't.

And that's okay. I'm glad they've found something as important as the arts at such a young age. I teach them geography and help build and support their dreams, whether it's to be Jenny in a musicalized version of Forrest Gump they figure will premiere in 2028 (She's also writing it) or be the 76th sound guy at Phanto

So what musicals do teenagers like? It depends. Ask them.

Most teens would probably cite RENT and WICKED as their favorites.

Shows like LEGALLY BLONDE or AVENUE Q are also popular for teens.

I say this as someone who was a teen not long ago and who still associates with many.

I was a teen recently (2005-2012) and when I was a teen, some musicals my friends and I loved were: Spring Awakening, Rent (because we had seen the movie and couldn't tell that it wasn't wonderful), Wicked, Book of Mormon, Avenue Q, Legally Blonde...they all had that teenage sensibility. These days, I know my best friends younger sister and her theater friends were obsessed with Heathers last year for reasons that escape me. She was trying to get into Hamilton but I think it's a little dense for her (though I told her the first time I listened to it i had to really just sit and kind of let it wash over me because there was just so much music).

"I find that the teens I'm with are generally fixated on shows they're performing (or recently performed) and what's currently cool on Broadway. Hamilton is full-on obsession. School of Rock, American Idiot, Heathers, Newsies, Next to Normal, Avenue Q, Book of Mormon are all high on their list as well. "



I totally agree with you and will add when my daughters were teenagers they loved "Les Miserables" even though it opened before they were born.

Sorry, this is off-topic, but are you not the same "CoolDogeGuy" that's on QuizUp?

Anyway, Heathers used to be the teen musical.

Book of Mormon is hugley popular with teens, and Newsies as well

Thank you guys!

Updated On: 4/25/16 at 10:10 AM