Musicals and Operas Might Not Mix

Musicals and operas are two very different things, but more than ever before, composers are trying to blur the lines. According to The New York Times, this merging of genres does not work for one simple reason: they are too close to each other. But their slight differences do separate them.

So what are these disparities? Both have music and words and rely on both to convey a story; however, opera’s driving force is the music, while a musical’s is the words. That is why an opera can be appreciated in any language, but shows such as “Anything Goes” with witty lyrics may not translate. For The Times, the two could be successfully amalgamated if the composer stays firmly rooted in one area, only drawing influence from other genres.