Love them or loathe them, musicals are having a moment and especially among your GenZ and Millennial colleagues.
From Hamilton to Mamma Mia! to The Greatest Showman and Wicked (which has been running in London’s West End for close to 20 years) audiences are turning up—and tuning in—like never before.
And the numbers are staggering.
According to Broadway News in January 2025 Hamilton had grossed over $1 billion worldwide, joining a handful of Broadway productions—such as “The Lion King,” “Wicked,” and “The Phantom of the Opera”.
In October 2025, Kwob Data cited “Spotify streams are just over 2.45 billion for The Greatest Showman, with its biggest hit, “This Is Me,” accounting for approximately 930 million streams.”
And Les Misérables remains one of the most performed productions of all time, now in its 39th year.
So, what’s going on with musicals?
It turns out, musicals hit a rare psychological jackpot. They combine rhythm, narrative, emotion, and performance—activating nearly every social circuit in the human brain. Neuroscientists call it synchronous bonding: when we sing or move together, our brains release oxytocin (the “trust hormone”), dopamine (the “motivation chemical”), and serotonin (the “mood stabilizer”). According to Psychology Today, “Developmental research has shown that synchrony is particularly important for creating a bond between parents and infants.”
So, there you have it. This pattern runs deep. We quite literally feel closer through shared rhythm and story.
And here’s where it gets interesting for workplaces.
If a large portion of your workforce is under 40 there’s a good chance they know The Greatest Showman or Hamilton word-for-word. Many are superfans who’ve found community in collective performance—karaoke nights, TikTok duets, or group sing-alongs.
These aren’t just fandoms. They’re proof that people crave stories and experiences they can belong to.
In this case, as in many, TikTok changed the game.
In June 2025 TikTok and London Theatre Direct launched a brand-new ticketing integration on the platform. In their announcement, they said, “This global-first for theatre links the magic of the stage with the power of social media, allowing creators to add a ticketing anchor directly to their videos, connecting content with the shows they love in just a few taps. The numbers say it all. In 2023, the West End hit a historic milestone with over 17 million attendees and £1 billion in revenue…. As an industry, we recognize it’s time to invest in the next generation of theatergoers. TikTok has become a modern-day discovery tool, breaking down barriers and helping people feel that theatre is for them.”
That’s what musicals deliver—and what great workplace cultures can do too: create safe spaces for expression; make people feel part of something bigger; blend the skills and talents of a wide range of individuals into a high performing whole, be they cast or audience.
So, the next time you’re thinking about how to bring your people together, skip the corporate script. Ask instead: what would a musical producer do?
And then drop a line to SongDivision of course! We know how making music together changes the game for your people.
