8 R-Rated Musicals That Shocked Traditional Audiences

Musicals are a strange but enigmatic affair. They center around a singular conceit; the show must go on with musical numbers. While this puts them at odds with some audiences, others love the sudden break out into song. Most musicals have a reputation for being family friendly, but there are just as many R-rated counterparts that shock and delight.

Be it on stage or the screen, some musicals push boundaries, explore adult themes, and rile common tastes. The best explicit musicals, however, use adult content to make a measurable impact. Like controversial great art, the best R-rated musicals cross the line with purpose and poise. Let's explore 8 R-rated musicals that shocked traditional audiences.

When Trey Parker and Matt Stone's "The Book of Mormon" hit Broadway, it was a revelation. Tickets sold out instantly and stayed that way for months. For good reason, too; the show was sweet, insightful, and downright filthy. While the show purposefully set out to offend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which it did, it endeared just as many Mormons thanks to its wide-eyed look at only America's home-cooked religion.

There's plenty of coming-of-age tales out there, but none took as unflinching and raw a look at youth as Steven Sater's "Spring Awakening." Chock-full full complicated themes around love, abuse, teen pregnancy, and puberty, it earned plenty of controversy. The original play "Spring Awakening" by Frank Wedekind faced bans and even threats of theatre closure when it first released.

It was repulsive, unsettling, and even grim, but Pink Floyd's 1982 musical drama film "The Wall" set a standard for rock musicals that followed. Based on the Pink Floyd album of the same name, "The Wall" takes a surreal look at the trappings and setbacks of rock superstardom. Its fascist aura and authoritarian imagery helped it develop a cult following. It also brought controversy to the band members well into the contemporary era.

Leave it to Trey Parker and Matt Stone to hit it out of the park consistently with dirty musicals. Early seasons of "South Park" suggested some latent musical talent lurking in the pair's wheelhouse. Once the show reached success, the creators showcased their musical acumen with the film "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut." It was crude, even disgusting, but featured enough quality music to earn it an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch" explored a non-binary singer's journey through life and rock and roll. The musical, released in 1998, explored complicated themes of identity, trauma, and independence. This earned it a Tony Award, but ironically, later retrospectives cast aspersion on the show's perceived tropes.

Suffice it to say that Sweeney Todd is a beloved character. First appearing in a Victorian penny dreadful, Todd made his way through the western cultural pantheon throughout the ensuing years. His musical iteration, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" by Stephen Sondheim, explores the character in depth. It also explores the constant splatter of fake blood across the stage.

Whether presented on the stage or the silver screen, the reputation of Richard O'Brien's "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" precedes it. It's a charming, zany, and scandalous tribute to old horror and science fiction B-movies. It also pulls no punches when it comes to offensive, insinuating humor. While R-rated, its endearing, if not incomprehensible, story helped it spawn a franchise and a true cult following.

The release of the musical "Chicago" brought together a who's who of Broadway, including John Kander and Bob Fosse. It's a satirical and cynical look at criminal justice when faced with the power of celebrity. It also features plenty of R-rated content, including profanity, innuendo, intoxication, and violence.