What is the difference between Play and Musical? - ProProfs Discuss
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What is the difference between Play and Musical?

Asked by Jasmijn , Last updated: Apr 18, 2024

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5 Answers

J. Alfie

J. Alfie

I Write for myself and many other clients. Blog post, Article writing and writing for ProProfs is my daily thing.

J. Alfie
J. Alfie, Content Writer, Masters in Literature, Dallas,Texas

Answered Dec 04, 2020

A play is a form of literature that is typically written by a playwright. A play reveals a story through dialogue and sometimes will include a narrator who participates as a storyteller. A play typically occurs on the stage and is known as a straight play because it is performed from a dialogue script. A play may include music, but the music does not determine the course of the play.

A play tends to focus more on the characters and the story, as opposed to the music. Musicals, on the other hand, focus on the music. A musical might have a script for the spoken words, but songs drive the story's bulk. A musical can be performed in the form of an opera or pop musical rampant with pop tunes.

Musicals are often compared to the movies because they comprise many different art forms, including acting, directing, singing, dancing, and a plethora of others. Musicals are generally more uplifting than a regular play. Examples of plays include Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, Death of a Salesman, Hamlet, and A Raisin in the Sun. Examples of musicals include Cats, Grease, The Wizard of Oz, and Westside Story.

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Maxence

Maxence

Have keen interest in writing, traveller by heart.

Maxence
Maxence , Writer, Vienna

Answered Nov 27, 2020

The main difference between a play and a musical is a musical will be able to tell what the story is with the use of song and dance numbers. While there may be some dialogues in between, expect that there is a lot of singing and dancing that will get the message across to the audience. For plays, there may not be any song and dance numbers that are available. They would stick to the spoken dialogue that people would need to listen to so that they can understand the stories better. Take note that there are some changes over the past years with musicals and plays. There are some musicals that would now require spoken dialogues so that they will be properly understood.
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C. Bernthal

C. Bernthal

Its kind of my job to give answers

C. Bernthal
C. Bernthal, Teacher, MA, P.hD, Seattle

Answered Aug 13, 2020

A play is a classic form of entertainment, which is usually written by a playwright. The story is enacted and told through dialogue, and it will often have a narrator who is the storyteller. A play typically takes place on a stage, and it can sometimes have music; however, there is a distinction between the play and the musical. Music is not the primary form of communication for telling the tale.

There are various types of plays, including comedy, satirical drama, and tragedy. A musical, on the other hand, is a story set to music, and a musical may have a script for when they do speak. However, the crux of the story is told through the words of the songs.

A musical can be delivered in the style of an opera or pop musical show with pop songs. Musicals are popular as movies because they can encompass many different art forms. They are an imaginative presentation of music, dance, and drama.

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Christian Jackson

Christian Jackson

Christian Jackson
Christian Jackson, Content Developer, Austin

Answered Aug 11, 2020

There is a clear difference between a play and a musical; the only similarity is that they send a message across. Musicals tell a story with a song and dance while play uses the spoken dialogue to pass across its message.

A play is usually written as a playwright takes the form of a drama with a narrator who acts as the storyteller. The play takes place on the stage, which can also be referred to as straight play. There are different types of play, ranging from comedy, tragedy, and satirical drama.

Musicals can be presented in the form of an opera or a pop music show with pop tunes. A play showcases the talent of the playwright and allows few people to show their artistic talent, while musicals reveal literary and also the musical talent of other artists.

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B. Denton

B. Denton

Who wants to travel all the world and capture all the moment in his camera.

B. Denton
B. Denton, Traveler, journalism, Greater Manchester

Answered Jul 29, 2020

It can sometimes be confusing to know the difference between a play and a musical because they seem to be the same in the beginning. When you say a musical, this is supposed to give a story that will be shown off with the use of song and dance numbers.

There are definitely a lot of songs that will be sung. A play will also be able to tell a story, but instead of using a lot of songs and instead of dancing a lot, there will be a lot more spoken dialogues. Take note that people will have different preferences with what they want to watch more. Some would prefer musicals, while others would prefer plays.

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