When I first saw The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals in 2018, I fell in love with the comedy, the catchy songs, and the quirky characters. There were parts of it that made me laugh, and cheer, and other parts that made my stomach churn. The moments that gave me hope for humanity also showed me how close the edge we really are.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all got along, walked around with a song in our hearts and a smile on our faces? What if overnight the world became peaceful and just? It sounds like a dream, but think of the implications.

This is the beauty of fascism, living in harmony and working together for world peace… at any cost. But is forced happiness really worth the loss of individual agency? 

Since 2018, the world has become a very different place. This show’s themes of anti-fascism and forced idealism only hit harder since events like the pandemic and the backlash to health and safety standards, the insurrection, and the current presidential administration that threatens our own individuality and self expression. Each of these gained power not by an individual rising to the top, but by many individuals coming together in agreement. Fascism doesn’t work because it’s scary, it works because it’s enticing. Be careful what you fall for, because the moment you get carried away is the moment you give up. 

Even after all of this, The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals gives me hope because we aren’t under the same threat as our friends in Hatchetfield. It serves as a reminder of what makes us human, our flaws. It taught me that at the end of the day, being crabby to a customer or blowing off a coworker is proof that we are able to think for ourselves. 

In the dark times when it feels like conformity is demanded of us, we find strength in our shared humanity and in our individuality. In our co-workers, neighbors, teachers and friends, and the love we have for one another. We must use our agency to embrace each other as we are, and do our best to create the world we want to see.

I hope you enjoy Yorick Ensemble’s production of The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals as much as we enjoyed creating it. This is for you. 

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