With how many musicals have stuck with modern pop culture, Heathers’ popularity seems to have no end in sight. Heathers: The Musical, released in 2010 and like the original 1988 film, continues to have relevance no matter how many years pass.
Both the musical and film follow the life of high school student Veronica Sawyer as she’s entangled with the ruthless clique, the Heathers, that rules Westerberg High.
Like all other media depicting high school struggles, Heathers: The Musical drew in a younger demographic. Teenagers found many of the themes within the musical relatable and liked how dark the story became when depicting its subject matter.
So, it was unsurprising when the musical helped foster an interest in theater for many young people. Many of the issues depicted in the musical and film, including bullying, suicide, mental health, and drug addiction, remain relevant in students’ lives. The internet also had a hand in the musical’s popularity, with many new viewers finding and listening to its soundtrack on websites like YouTube.
Heathers The Musical soon joined other popular musicals like Hamilton in gaining a dedicated online fanbase that would create numerous amounts of fan content, including fan art, animatics, song covers, and more.
Additionally, people have been using its soundtrack when creating fan content for other works, with fans finding similarities in its music lyrics with other storylines in other media.
With its catchy songs and 80s aesthetic that will eternally be nostalgic, Heathers: The Musical will still have a place in the future.
