Musicals have had some unique and off-the-wall themes. Yet, Love is Blind has to be the craziest to date, creating a song and dance about one of the most successful reality TV dating shows.
When you think of musicals, it is usually the classics such as Phantom of the Opera and Chicago that spring to mind. Yet the history of theatre has been littered with some leftfield productions. From Spiderman to The Evil Dead, the latest has been based on the reality TV show “Love is Blind”. With plenty of life lessons, it has a lot to teach us about love and likes.
Love Is Blind: The Improvised Musical
Love is Blind: The Musical has had a rapturous year. It started at The Players Theatre on Broadway, in August and September, and moved to Judy's Beat Lounge at Second City. It then went on a tour, playing at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.
The concept really is a unique theatre experience. If you are expecting a scripted and choreographed performance, then this is as far away as you can get. However, if you do like to laugh out loud while exploring the intricacies of relationships, it is definitely for you.
For those who have never seen the television show Love is Blind, the concept is quite simple. A couple is paired up, but don’t meet physically for ten days. They live in small pods, can talk to each other, and are given tasks and focal points. They can then decide if they want to get engaged, at which point they meet. Once in the real world, they interact with friends and family, and decide if they want to get married.
The musical riffs on this, bringing in audience interaction and improvised comedy. They decide on the characters, who then date and fall in love without ever really meeting. A journey follows this as it would on the show, which involves getting married and finding out what may tear them apart as the relationship continues.
Cultural Resonance: Reality Dating & Social Validation
A recent Swedish analysis from bedrageri.info shows that many reality-TV contestants are equally motivated by social media fame as they are by love. This is a dynamic beautifully echoed on stage in Love Is Blind: The Improvised Musical.
In their study, they looked at Love is Blind alongside three other reality television shows. These included The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, along with Love Island. Studying former contestants, each was given a rating based on their success in finding love in that format, compared to the number of social media influencers they gained. Overall, the shows found that 42.11% of those involved found lasting love, while 36.84% found some degree of success as influencers afterwards.
When broken down into individual formats, it really got interesting. For influencer ratings, Love Island came out on top with a 60% increase in social followers. Yet it had a paltry 0% love success rating, sharing it with The Bachelorette. The Bachelor made some improvement with a 28.57% love success rate, though both shows in their canon only increased followers between 14% and just over 16%.
What really stood out, however, was the Love is Blind format. This provided a 100% love success rating. Yet it also gave a 55% boost in social media followers, not far from Love Island's leading figure. Added to this was a further factor, which found that couples on reality television who stayed together also increased their social power. Those who stay in a relationship had an average of 58.7k followers, more than double the average of 30.9k for singles.
Implications for Theatre Audiences
While it may seem that this has little bearing on theatre audiences, it actually has quite a lot. It shows that love really does triumph. Despite the dark, tragic twists and turns often found in musicals and life, people still love a good romance, especially when it comes with a happy ever after. They get invested in it and want to see it grow and blossom.
This also has broader implications for the world of modern romance. While the drama and upsets are part of the allure of the show, it is real-world connections that people seek. Two-thirds of Gen Z think marriage is important, and amongst the social pages and online dating, they are searching for that human connection.
Theatre producers and writers may need to be aware of this when creating new ideas and formats. Just like those cooking up new reality formats will have to do, and consider that in this digital world, people still want romance. Formats like Love is Blind, though in the eyes of TV cameras and the public, still provide time to foster meaningful connections. If this can be harnessed, then social success and all that comes with it will follow.