TOP 10 TUESDAY: Platonic Relationships in Musical Theatre

With the focus of Valentine's Day, much of February is often spent talking about love in all its guises, and whilst romantic love tends to be the focus, it is also a wonderful opportunity to celebrate those beautiful platonic relationships in theatre that make us believe in real love. Along with guest writer, quality human being and close friend of mine Megan O'Neill, here are our picks for the top ten unbreakable musical theatre friendships. And since we will be discussing major plot points, a SPOILER ALERT is in place...

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10. WAITRESS

Jenna, Becky & Dawn

Charity Angel Dawson, Sara Bareilles and Caitlin Houlahan

The only trio to feature on this list, with central figure Jenna Hunterson, the eponymous waitress in "Joe's Diner", stuck in a loveless, abusive marriage, with best friends and fellow waitresses Becky and Dawn also experiencing no shortage of romantic chagrin for various reasons. Though the musical is largely a romantic comedy, exploring themes of abuse, empowerment and self-discovery, the importance of unconditional friendship and sisterhood is also never skimped on, and Jenna, Becky and Dawn all support one another through their respective trials and tribulations.

Even in the face of infidelity, with Jenna cheating on her abusive husband Earl with the attractive, charming Doctor Pomatter, and Becky finding comfort in the arms of employer Cal, the strength of their bonds as chosen family outweigh any judgement of one another. And it’s through the fierce, unwavering support of Becky and Dawn that Jenna finds the strength to leave her husband and start a new life.

9. ANYTHING GOES

Reno & Moonface

Moonface (Robert Lindsay) and Reno (Sutton Foster)

There are friendships based on love, trust and mutual respect, and then there are those where the pair just revel in the chaos and stirring up trouble, and it's in the latter camp where evangelist turned nightclub singer Reno Sweeney, and "public enemy number 13" gangster Moonface Martin fall with ease. These two loveable rogues and old friends both find themselves aboard the S. S. American, one of them sailing to England to perform, the other fleeing authorities and attempting to blend in with the other passengers. They are bonded through their respective statuses as outsiders, as well as their love of shenanigans, as they work together to manipulate situations aboard the cruise liner.

Their age difference is something that works to their advantage, as they are both fully aware of their own and the other's strengths, complimenting one another well. But more importantly, they never judge the other, both fully accepting of their respective flaws; they actively embrace their differences in experience, and use it to their advantage. When other friendships have been forgot, theirs will still be hot!

8. THE OUTSIDERS

Ponyboy & Johnny

Johnny (Sky Lakota Lynch) and Ponyboy (Brody Grant)

Much of the material in the Tony Award winning smash hit "The Outsiders" focusses on the important of the greaser brotherhood, and how they always have each other's backs no matter what rival gang the socs throw at them, so there are several options from which to choose, such as the unlikely friendship between Ponyboy and Cherry, both from opposite sides of the divide, or that of the young Curtis and Dally, the hardened, rebellious greaser who is fiercely protective of him. It's the friendship between Ponyboy and best friend in the whole world Johnny Cade though that is by far the most sturdy and unbreakable bond in the show. These ride or die besties, united by a shared vulnerability and sensitivity that separates the pair from the generally more hardened, roughhousing nature of the remaining Greasers.

Additionally, they are each naturally very protective of one another, especially in the case of Ponyboy given Johnny's traumatic past experiences being picked on and beaten senseless by rival gang socs, and even stick by one another after Johnny, in an act of defiant self defence, kills a member from the opposite side of the divide. The most touching, heartbreaking moment is, grief-stricken from the death of his best friend, Ponyboy discovers a letter written by Johnny prior to his death. Reading this out ("Stay gold") we see Johnny plead with his friend not to allow this brutal world to consume his purity and goodness which, in many ways, was at the very heart of what the pair were to each other.

7. HEATHERS

Veronica & Martha

Martha (Erin Morton) and Veronica (Lorna Courtney)

The internal struggle as to whether you want to be seen as popular or as a good person is a struggle when one is in high school, and that is at the very heart of primary protagonist Veronica's journey from nobody to royalty. The hardest part of this transition is the insistence of the titular "Heathers" that she ditch best friend since diapers Martha Dunnstock, which arguably puts the pair's friendship to the ultimate test, as whilst Veronica is seen as useful, and her skills of forgery could be used by the popular kids, the same sadly cannot be said of Martha. There is something to be said, however, for how Veronica tries to distance herself from her childhood best friend, which isn't done out of cruelty, but rather to protect her from the inherently cruel nature of the Heathers and their entourage, as well as from JD and his psychopathic rampage.

This is a classic example of being cruel to be kind, as in spite of her integration with the popular kids, and subsequent relationship with the troubled JD, she never stops caring for Martha. What she sometimes loses track of, though, is how dangerous he actually is, and Martha wants to protect her, as well as the wider school, from his influence. Veronica eventually makes amends by admitting that she messed up, and reminds Martha that although she can't guarantee what will happen next, their friendship will always be here to help them make it through, which for each of them is their own happy ending.

6. SHREK

Shrek & Donkey

Brian D'Arcy James and Daniel Breaker

When the misunderstood, albeit ill-tempered ogre Shrek has his swamp designated as a dumping ground for all fairytale characters by the egomaniacal Lord Farquad, things do become rather crowded, leading to him taking a journey to see this wannabe king to give him a piece of his mind. Along the way, he encounters a talking donkey, whom he rescues from Farquaad's guards, scaring them away in the process, and allowing the newly liberated creature to join him as his guide. Though the pair are initially mismatched, with Shrek's guarded, cynical nature clashing mightily with Donkey's giddy optimism and perkiness, the latter's refusal to be intimidated by the ogre's ghastly facade results in his emotional defences eventually breaking down.

Shrek eventually allows himself to stop being so fearful of letting people in, and though having Fiona in his life arguably softens him, it is Donkey's persistence, as well as reassurance that he isn't afraid of his green counterpart, that ultimately breaks down his barriers, and this solidifies their friendship. This also allows Shrek to learn to love himself, and accept that his life is enriched through having other people in it, and though the pair often get on each other's nerves, this ends up becoming a major part of their collective banter.

5. BACK TO THE FUTURE

Doc & Marty

Doc Brown (Roger Bart) and Marty (Olly Dobson)

Both undeniably falling under the category of black sheep, high schooler Marty McFly, and mad scientist Doctor Emmett L Brown fill in a void the other desperately needs filling. Marty finds in Emmett the paternal figure his own father, a defeatist shadow of a man, couldn't offer him, as well as the mentorship and excitement that, stuck in his dysfunctional family, he had craved. Doc Brown, meanwhile, is appreciative of Marty's loyalty and companionship, as well as the fact that, unlike many others in the town, he doesn't treat him like a common madman, rather seeing the genius in his various hair-brained schemes. The pair each see in the other more than other people see in them, for Marty, Doc doesn't see the failure with no future, and for Doc, Marty doesn't see an outcast, and is never too proud to ask for help.

Like with Reno and Moonface, the pair's age gap presents them with an opportunity for a wider scope of understanding of each other, their mutual love of zany schemes is what drew them together, and the strong mutual trust and respect, as well as full emotional honesty, are what keep them together, even driving Marty to accidentally travel back in time to save him from dying.

4. BE MORE CHILL

Jeremy & Michael

Jeremy (Will Roland) and Michael (George Salazar)

One thing you can't deny about us nerds is that we will stick together no matter what, even if one of us is possessed by a super computer chip in our head. Jeremy and Michael have been friends for many years, united by their shared love of all things nerdy, from zombie themed video games to niche beverages, though neither have ever been socially capable in any way, with both being major social pariahs in high school. So when Jeremy, driven by his desire to become more "popular", seeks out the "SQUIP", he loses all sense of himself to the sentient micro computer, leaving Michael feeling excluded and abandoned.

Though the friendship hits a serious low point after Jeremy abandons Michael at a party, culminating in the song "Michael in the bathroom", the anxious, dishevelled teen doesn't give up on his best friend. He never lets the hurt caused get the better of him, and reminds himself that his friend would never hurt him deliberately; he knows Jeremy's patterns, and his determination to help and stick by him ultimately help snap him out from under the Squip's influence. The pair reconcile, and through mutual understanding and empathy, the bond between the two grows stronger than before.

3. THE BOOK OF MORMON

Price & Cunningham

Elder Price (Kevin Clay) and Elder Cunnigham (Conner Peirson)

Kevin Price is about as close to most people's idealised young mormon missionary as one can get, handsome, peppy, and charismatic, determined to spread the word about the church of Latter Day Saints, though it is often his ego and sense of pride that prove to be his undoing. Enter one Arnold Cunningham, a young man who, in pretty much every way, is the polar opposite of Price: chubby, socially awkward, and almost aggressively nerdy. So when the pair are matched together at the missionary training centre, there is more than a bit of trepidation from at least one of them, not least because of Arnold's "little problem" of bending the truth to get out of tight spots.

This is a most unlikely friendship, and one of the most definitive examples of an "opposites attract" partnership. Cunningham's lack of self confidence, and idolisation of Price, end up holding him back, however it is Price's abandonment of his post, and their partnership, which proves to be the catalyst for the self confessed "follower" to step up and become the leader he never knew he could be. Price though, by means of having his eyes opened to an alternate way of looking at the world, equally learns from Cunningham, and the pair grow stronger together through being able to meet one another in the middle, growing to genuinely care for each other.

2. COME FROM AWAY

Hannah & Beulah

Beulah (Astrid van Wieren) and Hannah (Q. Smith)

Though the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11th were arguably a time of great fear and anxiety for the vast majority of us, none more so than those with loved ones who were in the immediate vicinity of New York City on that fateful date. One of the 7,000 people stranded in rural Newfoundland, Hannah has a decidedly more stressful experience than other passengers, as her son is a firefighter working in the city at the time, and spends much of the time agonisingly waiting for a phone call to confirm that he is alive and well. Though she is in a strange, remote place, miles away from home, she finds a great deal of comfort in one Beulah Davis, a central figure and Gander Academy teacher, who proves to be a beacon of hope and kindness.

Beulah proves to be exactly the friend Hannah needs in this difficult time, as through her unwavering kindness and compassion, she is a perpetual source of solace and hope, as the pair share cups of tea, lighting candles and plenty of stupid jokes. Even after it is revealed that her son is gone, a tragic victim of the attacks, this friendship remains strong, the distance separating the pair proving a drop in the ocean compared to the strength of their bond. Out of the darkness, they and many others around them found an inextinguishable light that shows just how potent a force kindness can be.

1. WICKED

Glinda & Elphaba

Elphaba (Idina Menzel) and Glinda (Kristin Chenoweth)

Unadulterated loathing is how this unlikely partnership kicks things off, as the perpetually popular, pink-clad Galinda, and naturally green-skinned social outcast Elphaba are forced to cohabit during their days at Shiz University. Initially, much like many of her peers, Galinda is ill at ease with her roommate's unconventional appearance, whereas Elphaba simply despises the superficial nature of how Galinda operates. Through perseverance, and a little bit of kindness, the pair do indeed, end up changing for good, with Glinda learning, through Elphaba, what it truly means to be good, and Elphaba in turn learning not to underestimate anyone's intelligence, especially when it comes in a different form.

The pair learn how to show up for one another, as well as own their own mistakes and forgive the other for theirs, which helps them grow both individually and as a partnership, constantly having each others' backs, and dropping their respective barriers. In many ways this is the ultimate musical theatre friendship, as not only do both learn from one another, but they both grow to further accept themselves through the other. "Wicked" is a prime example of not judging a book by its cover, and learning to appreciate each other in spite of our differences, which is why it takes the top spot.

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Did we miss any important ones? Which are your favourite unbreakable musical theatre friendships? Let me know in the comments down below, or via Instagram.