Broadway – American Cultural Icons

The fantasy genre has existed since primitive peoples conjured up concepts of Olympians and other fantastical myths. Fantasy has changed with society in an effort to portray the values the society aims to achieve. The Olympians had the same ailments as Greek citizens to show that everything is flawed. While the Grimm brothers showed that there are few happy endings, the modern American fairy tale seeks to justify motives for villainy and represent flawed protagonists.

American culture has moved towards greater acceptance of different lifestyles. The stories of American culture have evolved to try to keep up with this new moral system. The most prominent example of this new mind set is the villain of various stories being portrayed as a hero or anti-hero. Examples from children’s literature to Broadway have captured cultural interests. Children’s literature, such as The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, try to teach children to accept everyone as they truly are, even if they are a murderous wolf. The musical Wicked serves to reveal the motives behind the misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West. She is really a victim of the truly evil forces in this world, popularity and circumstance.

American storytelling has also evolved to view classical heroines more skeptically. As Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, is portrayed as being in the right, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz are shown to be in the wrong. It is told to the audience that Dorothy did not land on top of the Wicked Witch of the East by accident; she was summoned there to kill her. This skepticism is also evident in the popular television show Once Upon a Time. Snow White and Prince Charming are still the heroes, but they are forced to make tough moral choices. They have to send their daughter away to be an orphan in order to save their kingdom; however, this sacrifice makes one question their parenting skills.

These and other American fairy tales truly reveal the morality of society.

The city of Baltimore has seen its fair share of minorities. Most recently the movie and musical Hairspray highlighted the effects that racism had on this city. Since the inception of this bay city on the Chesapeake, the history of Baltimore has been deeply routed with rivalries between factions.

In 1634 the English settled the colony of Baltimore. The charter was granted to George Calvert, the Lord of Baltimore. He settled this colony as a refuge for the persecuted Catholics in England; regardless of its original purpose, Maryland would not remain a Catholic haven for long. Protestant settlers came in from other American colonies and formed a lower class; moreover this new social structure caused more strife among the protestants and Catholics.

Flash forward to the time period Hairspray is set in. Its a musical time period piece portraying the horrors of racism even in the liberal north. Every African American from Motor-mouth Mable to Seaweed is cast aside because of their race, no one judges them for their talent. Enter Tracy Turnblad, the big-boned dancer, who shakes up the entire Baltimore entertainment industry. She sides with the African-American community in an attempt to allow everyone the right to dance. While the period tale of racism is not to be missed, the real story is presence of a new minority.

Obesity is a growing problem in America. The reaction to Tracy’s size was an indicator of the future of American high schools and American culture in general. Those who are larger are now looked down upon. It is a shame that American culture has become so predictable; furthermore the brilliance of this musical cannot be overstated. Hairspray gives hopes to the overweight masses that in the end they can get the popular guy or defeat their blonde-haired nemesis. The allegory of American hatred towards past and present minorities makes Hairspray one of the most applicable musicals written to date.