Musicals and Morality episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 6, 2025 · 33 MIN

Musicals and Morality

from The Medley of Extemporanea

For years, musical theater has been dogged by an aggressively moralistic stance on the part of audiences, who are unwilling to accept immoral behavior by characters in musicals unless it's roundly punished at the end of the story -- a stance the same audiences rarely take when it comes to straight plays and movies. What motivates this difference in approach, and what have been the effects on the art form?SONGS FEATURED:"Finale" from My Fair Lady"Entr'acte" from Carousel"Overture" from My Fair Lady"Dream Ballet" from Oklahoma!"Overture" from Oklahoma!"Words Fail" from Dear Evan Hansen"Finale" from Dear Evan Hansen"Everybody's Got the Right" from Assassins"November 22, 1963" from Assassins"Another National Anthem" from Assassins"Minstrel March/Hey Hey Hey Hey" from The Scottsboro Boys"Happiness" from Passion"I Wish I Could Forget You" from Passion

NOW PLAYING

Musicals and Morality

0:00 33:38

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Medley of Extemporanea?

This episode is 33 minutes long.

When was this The Medley of Extemporanea episode published?

This episode was published on October 6, 2025.

What is this episode about?

For years, musical theater has been dogged by an aggressively moralistic stance on the part of audiences, who are unwilling to accept immoral behavior by characters in musicals unless it's roundly punished at the end of the story -- a stance the...

Can I download this The Medley of Extemporanea episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!