re: Teaser Trailer for Spielberg’s “West Side Story”

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As a straight male, I just never could get into this -- or any musical for that matter.

But, in this case, it's worse. A bunch of killer gang members just all of a sudden break out in song and dance? What the F*CK?

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I'll take a stab at this because I can relate. I spent the majority of my life thinking that way.

Until I realized The Blues Brothers was a musical. A damn good one. It became a gateway... to appreciating Grease.

Then I realized the appeal of musicals as I perceive it is that another layer of the story is told through the imagination of characters. They imagine life being more perfect than it is. They want to be more than what they are. The songs and dances are also intended to make you feel something more than just stories told through carefully constructed dialogue.

Give Blues Brothers another watch. Then Grease. See if something clicks. Then take your girl to see Westside Story. Profit.