Hi, Marty! I've been to a musical today and watched a whole cast dancing, performing and singing rock tunes. I was impressed by the direction, the well rehearsed actors and actresses, the live band and the song selection. The thing that catches my attention is: besides being expressive, the actor/actress isn't expressing him/herself since the songs are written by others and directed by a professional. I doubt I would be able to perform without a self-expression. I understand you know about art. So, I'd like to ask you for your perspective. Does musical theater lack substance?

" the actor/actress isn't expressing him/herself since the songs are written by others" is not true at all. The best artists in the world sing material written by others. A great artist finds something in a lyric or a melody that he can grab onto and make his own expression with. A true star can captivate you even without any personal connection to the lyrics.