RiverBender Blog: How Great Art Helps Us Understand
Once again this weekend, I found myself out late on a Sunday night, having a lot of fun but regretting it come Monday morning. But it was worth it, and why? Because I was at The Muny, and it was awesome.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
For those who aren’t aware, The Muny is a huge outdoor theater in Forest Park where they put on Broadway-level musicals every summer. I highly recommend making the trek out to St. Louis to see a Muny show if you’ve never been!
You can buy a ticket, or they have nearly 1,500 free seats open every night. Just get there early and you’re sure to enjoy the show.
This might come as a surprise to no one, but I’m a big musical theater fan. In high school, I spent my mornings in choir practice and my afternoons in rehearsal for our low-budget productions of Disney shows. The choir sang “Seasons of Love” from “Rent” and “It’s Quiet Uptown” from “Hamilton,” two solemn songs that I grinned through every time out of sheer joy that we were singing them.
So every chance I get to go to The Muny, I jump on it. I’ve seen some incredible shows there before, and I’m planning to come back a few times this summer to check out the musicals they have on deck.
After all, The Muny’s lineup this summer is pretty freaking cool. Between “Frozen” and “Evita” and “Dear Evan Hansen,” you’re sure to find something you enjoy. But this weekend, I sank into my seat and prepared to watch “Come From Away.”
This musical tells the true story of Newfoundlanders who welcomed 7,000 passengers when 38 planes were grounded at their small airport on Sept. 11, 2001. It’s an emotional story that blends the memories of thousands of people.
The Muny’s production featured real footage from the local news station on the screens, adding a shock of reality every time they flashed the grainy 2001 film of planes grounded at the airport, volunteers handing out blankets, and stranded travelers in line for food.
I was familiar with the show and knew that it was based on a true story, but it was powerful to see these folks’ memories played out on the stage. They say everyone remembers where they were when 9/11 happened. I was very young in 2001; it’s hard for me to remember. This show gave me a better understanding of the weight of that day and how it impacted our world.
That’s what good art does, of course: It helps you understand. You learn more about the world and the people who make it up. You learn their stories and their experiences and how these things shape our society.
As the curtain call ended and the houselights came on, I wiped away a few tears and filed out of the theater alongside the thousands of other Muny-goers. The walk back to the car was quiet as we all reflected on the story we had just experienced. This Monday morning, I’m still a little quiet, taking it all in, listening.
I’m also sleepy. Muny shows start at 8:15 p.m. Anyone who knows me knows that my bedtime is 9 p.m. I was dragging this morning as I drove to work, chugged my coffee, and checked my emails. But this is the tradeoff I made for the chance to go experience a beautiful story of community, and I’m pretty pleased with my decision.
This summer, I’ll be back at The Muny when I can go, and I look forward to seeing more great shows and stories played out on the stage. I always love going to performances and concerts; we have some incredible art right at our fingertips here in the Greater St. Louis region. I’ll take it all in if I can.
More like this:
- Most Popular
- Top Stories
- Most Recent
