Emo musicals list
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11 musicals that are secretly really emo

Great theater can make you feel happiness and despair; it can make you laugh and cry. It’s no mystery that musicals can be over the top (we’re looking at you, Cats), but that doesn’t mean some of them don’t have a dark side.

That being said, from stage to screen, we present to you 10 musicals that are secretly emo. Check them out below!

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1. Bat Boy: The Musical

Bat Boy: The Musical was inspired by a story in the tabloid Weekly World News. A young boy discovered in a cave, half-human, half-bat, is taken to veterinarian Dr. Parker and ushered into his home where he’s taught how to be “normal.” Although Parker’s family accepts him, the rest of the town isn’t as welcoming. In this tale, Bat Boy must flee ignorant townspeople all while navigating feelings of love.

2. Hadestown

Inspired by Greek myths and gods, this musical features jazz, soul and rock. Now, that may not sound super scene, but bear with us. The tale of Orpheus and Eurydice is a tragic one filled with despair and lost love. The two are separated after Eurydice follows Hades to his underworld factory, Hadestown, and she signs a contract which states she can’t leave without his permission. Crushed with anger and sadness, Orpheus makes the trek into the underworld to get her back. If that doesn’t sound like a setup for your next favorite sad love song, we don’t know what is.

3. The Count Of Monte Cristo

Travel back in time with The Count Of Monte Cristo. Based on Alexandre Dumas’ book, a young sailor is accused of treason and thrown into jail on his wedding day. After many years, he escapes and, following a tip from a fellow inmate, finds treasure hidden on the island of Monte Cristo. Wealthy and free, he’s now ready to take his retribution on those who have wronged him. Containing lyrics such as “I’ll deliver hell to your doorstep,” and “history is the story told by people who survive,” paired with haunting strings, you can’t help but want to sit by a clouded window and look out into the distance as you listen to them sing.

4. Little Shop Of Horrors

An insecure flower shop assistant, a sweet salesclerk, a sadistic, leather-wearing dentist and a man-eating venus flytrap: What more could you possibly ask for? After a plant mysteriously appears in the shop’s window during an eclipse, it thrusts the store into fame as it grows miraculously. The catch? The plant has a hunger for human blood and will do just about anything to get it.

5. Jekyll & Hyde

Jekyll & Hyde, based on the book by Robert Louis Stevenson, shows just how bad things can get when you try to do something good. Dr. Henry Jekyll wants to prove to the world that man’s evil side can be completely removed from someone so that there’s only good left. Unfortunately, as most dark stories must go, his experiments result in failure, and cost him friendships, love and life. Filled with secrets, murder and romance, this musical will suck you in, chew you up and and leave you “lost in the darkness,” forever conflicted about what it means to understand the difference between good and evil.

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6. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

Sweeney Todd is such an emo musical that even Tim Burton had to make a movie based on it. In this macabre thriller, a young gentleman is charged for a crime he didn’t commit and sent to carry out his sentence in Australia. After 15 years, Sweeney Todd is back, ready for vengeance. Though his main target is evil Judge Turpin, who has Todd’s daughter as his ward and wishes to marry her (gross, we know), the barber’s willing to wait patiently for the perfect moment to exact his revenge. That doesn’t mean he won’t slit a few throats along the way though.

7. Phantom Of The Opera

If you haven’t heard of this musical, we’re going to assume you’ve been living under a rock. Filled with drama, suspense and a love triangle that is sure to make your head spin, Phantom of the Opera is probably one of the most tragic musicals that exists. Hiding behind a mask, the phantom tries to entice ballerina and singer Christine Daae to fall in love with him, making sure she gets the best roles in the opera and sending her gifts after her performances. Unfortunately, the young singer falls for Raoul De Chagny, upsetting the phantom and causing him to wreak havoc in the opera house.

8. Pop Punk High

A parody of the early 2000s, pop punk has never been obsolete at Pop Punk High. Introducing Derek, an unpopular teen whose parents don’t understand him and who’s in love with a girl who doesn’t know he exists. Life’s looking bleak until ghost/genie Avril Lavigne (who happened to be murdered and replaced with a look-alike) comes to save the day. Derek is granted three wishes to turn his life around, become pop punk and defeat his nemesis, Skeet.

9. Spring Awakening

Set in 19th-century Germany, a group of teenagers are going through puberty, struggling to figure out what it means to be an adult and the feelings that follow. If you watch this show, you better have tissues because it’s emotional. From star-crossed lovers to questioned identities, including stories of grief and heartache, this rock musical is quite the ride.

10. School Of Rock

School Of Rock, first a film, is now a successful Broadway rock musical. After his band kicks him out, Dewey Finn becomes a substitute teacher at a reputable prep school in order to pay the bills. Having no zero teaching experience, he falls back on what he knows: rock ’n’ roll. After discovering his students have a talent for music, Finn helps them form a band and enlist in the Battle Of The Bands.

11. Kinky Boots

You may remember hearing of this musical when Panic! At The Disco frontman Brendon Urie was cast as the main protagonist. Composed of music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots is the story of Charlie Price. After inheriting the business from his father, Price must team up with cabaret performer and drag queen Lola to make a line of high-heeled boots that will save the company. Based on true events, the unlikely duo learn how to get through their differences and make a pair of stilettos that the fashion industry has never seen.

Think we missed any? Let us know in the comments below!

See more: The 11 most punk films of all time

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