--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You think, 'Musicals, they must always be…" description: "\"You think, 'Musicals, they must always be romantic' - You'd be surprised how few of them historically have ever been romantic.\" — Harold Prince" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9f/harold-prince-9151_always_you-think-musicals-they-must-always-be-r_3138757.jpg" --- # You think, 'Musicals, they must always be romantic'… ![“You think, 'Musicals, they must always be romantic' - You'd be surprised how few of them historically have ever been romantic.” quote by Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9f/harold-prince-9151_always_you-think-musicals-they-must-always-be-r_3138757.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9f/harold-prince-9151_always_you-think-musicals-they-must-always-be-r_3138757.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9f/harold-prince-9151_always_you-think-musicals-they-must-always-be-r_3138757.jpg) > “You think, 'Musicals, they must always be romantic' - You'd be surprised how few of them historically have ever been romantic.” [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Musicals are not inherently romantic; many defy that stereotype. **In simple terms:** Not all musicals are romantic. Key Takeaway Explore diverse musical narratives beyond romance. Themes musicals stereotype genre Mood curious analytical Type educational observational When to use this quote - theatre criticism - musical selection - educational curricula Key Concepts narrative expectation cultural perception Questions to Reflect On - Which non‑romantic musical surprised you? - How can we broaden musical expectations? A Different Perspective Romantic expectation may limit appreciation of other themes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musicals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musicals/) [Romantic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romantic/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I was very influenced by the musicals and romantic comedies of the 1930s. I admired Gene Harlow and such, which probably explains why, since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-hefner/i-was-very-influenced-by-the-musicals-and-romantic-comedies-of-the/) [Hugh Hefner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-hefner/) > [That's what I think musicals will come to. No backstage stories, nothing of that sort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincente-minnelli/that-s-what-i-think-musicals-will-come-to-no-backstage-stories/) [Vincente Minnelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincente-minnelli/) > [I think musicals can be more than what people imagine. That'll be the case with 'Matilda.' It's such a clever thing to stage. Parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertie-carvel/i-think-musicals-can-be-more-than-what-people-imagine-that-ll-be-the/) [Bertie Carvel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertie-carvel/) > [But I think musicals are going to have to deal with important subjects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincente-minnelli/but-i-think-musicals-are-going-to-have-to-deal-with-important-subjects/) [Vincente Minnelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincente-minnelli/) > [I think that both musicals and opera have a capacity to get to an inner emotional landscape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-taymor/i-think-that-both-musicals-and-opera-have-a-capacity-to-get-to-an/) [Julie Taymor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-taymor/) > [I think that of musicals - especially the big, splashy ones - require an actor that's also part cheerleader, too, and that's really tough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd-young/i-think-that-of-musicals-especially-the-big-splashy-ones-require-an/) [John Lloyd Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd-young/) > [I think musicals are a lowbrow, populist art form. And I don't mean lowbrow in a condescending way at all - they are designed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/i-think-musicals-are-a-lowbrow-populist-art-form-and-i-don-t-mean/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [Nowadays the audience has changed. No one can anticipate the audience. That's what I think musicals will come to. No backstage stories, nothing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincente-minnelli/nowadays-the-audience-has-changed-no-one-can-anticipate-the-audience/) [Vincente Minnelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincente-minnelli/) > [I don't think musicals are my thing. I'm not a big fan. Definitely have to get on the stage and do something like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-westwick/i-don-t-think-musicals-are-my-thing-i-m-not-a-big-fan-definitely-have/) [Ed Westwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-westwick/) > [I think when you start analyzing trends and start making shows for a particular audience, you are making a fatal move. I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/i-think-when-you-start-analyzing-trends-and-start-making-shows-for-a/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [Everything can't be a postage-stamp-sized project. Everything can't be a chamber piece. Musicals aren't even meant to be that, or identified with it... It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/everything-can-t-be-a-postage-stamp-sized-project-everything-can-t-be/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [Lyrics can't do what they do - or should do - when you're creating a musical with rock lyrics. There's plenty of room for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/lyrics-can-t-do-what-they-do-or-should-do-when-you-re-creating-a/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [A lot of '20s musicals were a hodgepodge of melodrama, mixed with operetta and romance, and then some sense of modernism and some sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/a-lot-of-20s-musicals-were-a-hodgepodge-of-melodrama-mixed-with/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [Many musicals you can take and throw in the garbage can because no one took the time to write a song you can care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-deyoung/many-musicals-you-can-take-and-throw-in-the-garbage-can-because-no/) [Dennis DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-deyoung/) > [In his musicals with Garland, Rooney was the sparkplug for prodigious entrepreneurship - that era's predecessor of the garage band, but with Gershwin tunes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-corliss/in-his-musicals-with-garland-rooney-was-the-sparkplug-for-prodigious/) [Richard Corliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-corliss/) ## More by Harold Prince > [I like to do everything you can possibly do before you go into rehearsal, because once we are in rehearsal or on the stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/i-like-to-do-everything-you-can-possibly-do-before-you-go-into/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [It's a terrible shame if you're born the brightest guy in your class. If you're not, then you have to hustle-and that's good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/it-s-a-terrible-shame-if-you-re-born-the-brightest-guy-in-your-class/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [I've never been able to understand where great artists come from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/i-ve-never-been-able-to-understand-where-great-artists-come-from/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [I feel so much more comfortable when I'm working on material which makes other people scratch their heads and ask, 'You're going to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/i-feel-so-much-more-comfortable-when-i-m-working-on-material-which/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [One thing is certain: We can't go back. The musical will never be the same as it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/one-thing-is-certain-we-can-t-go-back-the-musical-will-never-be-the/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [The truth of the matter is that I have lasted a long time, and with it comes both good and bad things. One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-i-have-lasted-a-long-time-and-with-it/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [I was nine. I saw Orson Welles in 'Julius Caesar.' It was involving, emotional, imaginative. I've never forgotten it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/i-was-nine-i-saw-orson-welles-in-julius-caesar-it-was-involving/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [Criticism is valuable... and self-congratulatory experiences are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/criticism-is-valuable-and-self-congratulatory-experiences-are-not/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [I'm a pragmatic man. I'll veer on the dangerous side, because I love dangerous subjects, but I won't shoot a show in the foot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/i-m-a-pragmatic-man-i-ll-veer-on-the-dangerous-side-because-i-love/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [Everything can't be a postage-stamp-sized project. Everything can't be a chamber piece. Musicals aren't even meant to be that, or identified with it... It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/everything-can-t-be-a-postage-stamp-sized-project-everything-can-t-be/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [I don't look back. I look forward and plan new shows. That's really feeding the most important part of working in the theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/i-don-t-look-back-i-look-forward-and-plan-new-shows-that-s-really/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [Collaboration is just, really, a group of people getting in a room with their eye on a very similar prize and wanting to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/collaboration-is-just-really-a-group-of-people-getting-in-a-room-with/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [I would like to see more new productions of new material by new composers/lyricists/book writers. I would like to see people take more chances.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/i-would-like-to-see-more-new-productions-of-new-material-by-new/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [When I was a 25-year-old kid, I raised $260,000 for my first show, 'The Pajama Game,' in such a homemade, pathetic, endearing way -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/when-i-was-a-25-year-old-kid-i-raised-260-000-for-my-first-show-the/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [I don't know why the guys with the big money don't find five terrific young producers and give each of them enough to commission…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/i-don-t-know-why-the-guys-with-the-big-money-don-t-find-five-terrific/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) [Explore all 75 Harold Prince quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You think, 'Musicals, they must always be romantic' - You'd be surprised how few of them historically have ever been romantic.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harold Prince" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/you-think-musicals-they-must-always-be-romantic-you-d-be-surprised/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/you-think-musicals-they-must-always-be-romantic-you-d-be-surprised/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9f/harold-prince-9151_always_you-think-musicals-they-must-always-be-r_3138757.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9f/harold-prince-9151_always_you-think-musicals-they-must-always-be-r_3138757.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9f/harold-prince-9151_always_you-think-musicals-they-must-always-be-r_3138757.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You think, 'Musicals, they must always be romantic' - You'd be surprised how few of them historically have…” — Harold Prince", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Harold Prince", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You think, 'Musicals, they must always...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/you-think-musicals-they-must-always-be-romantic-you-d-be-surprised/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/you-think-musicals-they-must-always-be-romantic-you-d-be-surprised/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```