If there was once any style particularly plagued by means of field workplace issues in 2021, it was once the musical. The style simply could not catch a wreck financially, beginning with “Within the Heights.” In spite of nice opinions and promising pre-release buzz, the movie simplest grossed $43.8 million international. That to begin with appeared find it irresistible may simply be attributable to “Within the Heights” concurrently bowing on HBO Max. However then “Expensive Evan Hansen” cratered with simplest $19 million international whilst probably the most unexpected field workplace sadness was once “West Facet Tale,” which simplest grossed $18.2 million after 10 days of home launch.
A part of the issue right here was once that this yr’s musicals had been grim affairs. Whilst “Heights” and “Tale” had advertising emphasizing their buzziest songs, their plots involved heavy subject material like possible deportation and doomed romances, respectively. In the meantime, the narrative of “Expensive Evan Hansen” hinged on teenage suicide and nebulously outlined psychological well being problems. Examine that to “The Largest Showman,” which grappled with generic varieties of persecution (save for 2 particular circumstances of racism) quite than explicit oppression that might remind moviegoers of miserable real-world problems.
With an ongoing pandemic, movie theater consumers could have simply sought after bubbly confections, no longer initiatives that handled weighty issues. It did not lend a hand that titles like “Within the Heights” and “Expensive Evan Hansen” were not in response to musicals that most of the people is particularly aware of. All in all, the musical had an off-key 2021.
