The Healing Power of Musical Theater

Musical theater literally saved America during the Great Depression and nobody talks

about this enough. While families were losing everything in the 1930s, shows like Wizard

of Oz became pure escapism. People would spend their last coins to forget reality

for two hours. Then came the Golden Age in the 40s and 50s with Oklahoma and My Fair Lady

proving musicals weren't just entertainment, they were cultural therapy. Fast forward to

today and Hamilton is teaching history better than textbooks while Wicked is breaking box office

records nightly. What started as comic operas in the 1600s became America's most powerful

storytelling medium, combining music, dance, and drama to process everything from