A: Adam, I watched a singing competition television series recently. There were a few musical actors who sang beautifully. I sel

A：亚当，我最近看了一个歌唱竞赛类真人秀节目，里面有几个音乐剧演员，唱得真是太好听了。我没怎么看过音乐剧，听说你是这方面的专家，能给我讲讲音乐剧的知识吗?
B: Thank you, but I’m not an expert, just a big fan of musicals. So what do you want to know?
A：我想了解各国的音乐剧都有哪些特点。节目里有很多歌曲来自音乐剧，有些是美国的，有些是英国、法国的。这些歌曲的风格都不太一样。
B: Musicals in different countries do have their own styles and features. Maybe you have heard of Broadway and the West End, homes to the most famous musicals in the world.
A：对，我知道《猫》和《歌剧魅影》都在百老汇和西区上演过。去年《歌剧魅影》在世界各地巡演的时候，我还在北京看了一场呢。
B: Yes, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera have toured many times. There are also many excellent shows mainly performed locally in these two places. Broadway has produced a large number of original shows, including Wicked, which is one of the most popular productions in the US. The West End seldom produces shows of its own. Instead, many of its performances are created by other countries.
A：我明白了。那么除了英国和美国之外，还有哪些国家的音乐剧比较有特色呢?我听过一首法国音乐剧的歌曲，很有活力和激情，是不是法国音乐剧都是这样的风格?
B: Well, it depends on the specific scenes and the atmosphere. But generally speaking, French musicals are relatively pleasant to watch, even if it’s a sad story. Perhaps it’s because when actors of a French musical take the curtain call, there is usually a lively interaction between actors and audiences, and actors will invite audiences to join them in singing the most popular song in that musical. But the story of many French musicals doesn’t have very strong logic, especially compared to German and Austrian musicals.
A：那我有机会一定要看一场法国音乐剧，体验台上台下的现场互动。德国和奥地利也有很多音乐剧吗?它们和法国音乐剧有什么区别?
B: Germany and Austria have produced many musicals that describe the whole life of a famous person.4 Their styles are mostly serious and many stories are about the struggle and pain of the main characters. As for other differences of musicals in different countries, let’s find another time to talk about it. It’s a big topic.