Welcome to The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals! I am truly grateful that out of all the places you could be right now, you’ve chosen to be here. In January 2024, I was talking with one of my best friends about what show I’d like to work on when we discovered the rights to TGWDLM had been released to the public. With both of us being long time Starkid fans, we rushed to the board with it. I recall pitching it as a “horror comedy meta-drama that everyone will love, whether they love musicals or hate them. It’s, like, a zombie show.” A year later, the show is here, and my understanding of it has unsurprisingly evolved.

On the surface, this is a show where the musical body snatchers (the aliens) are the villains. When you look deeper, there’s a case that the very existence of musicals is the antagonistic force of the story, as it begs our protagonist to participate. I would argue that the characters’ complacency is the true threat. Complacency to work the easy, unfulfilling job. Complacency of the daily grind that lacks any joy. Complacency because their relationships are good enough and what they deserve.

What the apotheosis offers the characters of the show is not actually evolution, but stagnation. Every day, we are also pressured into complacency, but it usually isn’t as obvious as a meteor strike followed by a full out musical number.

But maybe you’re a real-life Paul who was brought to this show because you also don’t like musicals, and maybe this is all coming across as superficial and is validating your opinion. To you Pauls in the audience, I hope that you laugh a lot and enjoy the show. Don’t worry about that other stuff. If we can get even one Paul to like musicals after the performance, we will consider this endeavor a success.

Thank you to the cast, crew, and all of you here in the audience for joining me on this journey to Hatchetfield.

Cheers!

– Abigail Ford