A musical, also referred to as musical theater, is a play or movie that combines singing, spoken dialogue, acting and dancing. Musicals evolved from light opera in the early twentieth century. They differ from conventional operas in several ways, including that they contain much more spoken dialog, the music is generally popular music style rather than classical music, they are almost always performed in the local language or English, they typically include dancing as an essential part of the storytelling, and they utilize electronic amplification.
The word musical, when used as an adjective, can refer to sound that is melodious or tuneful, as opposed to sound that is lacking in tune, harsh, or annoying. It can also mean having to do with music, such as in the case of musical instruments. In addition, it can refer to people who have a great liking or talent for music, such as a musical family.