History Main / MusicalExposition

* ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerryTheMovie'' first song ''Friends to the end'' has a WideEyedIdealist cocker spaniel named Puggsy teaching Tom and Jerry how to be friends. Almost every song of the movie (e.g. "''Money is such a beautiful word''") turns out to be a blatant excuse to turn the movie into a poorly-executed musical. The latter song has the two main villains, Aunt Figg and Mr.Lickboot, singing of their FatalFlaw: {{Greed}}. Lampshaded by WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'', Duloc's StepfordSuburbia nature is revealed by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X81AoBcVnaA a bunch of singing animatonics.]]

* "Oo-De-Lally" from ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood'' introduces Robin Hood and Little John as a pair of {{Loveable Rogue}}s, and how they have to keep running from the Sheriff's men.

Supertrope to IWantSong and VillainSong, in which TheProtagonist and the villain, respectively, sing about their desires and motives. Also a supertrope to TheVillainSucksSong, a song that provides characterization for the villain that is sung by someone other than the villain, as well as IAmSong, a song that establishes a character's motivations and personality. Supertrope to ExpositoryThemeTune.

* Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' opens with "The Bells of Notre Dame" which sets up the story and introduces both TheHero and the villain.

* While ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'' is not a musical film, it has one song in the beginning, "Kuzco", that sets up the main character as a vain, selfish, and laid-back ruler.
* "The Gospel Truth" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'' tells how Zeus defeated the titans and became the King of Olympus. Its DarkReprise introduces Hades as the BigBad. Both are sung by a literal GreekChorus.

* ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerryTheMovie'' first song ''Friends to the end'' has a WideEyedIdealist cocker named Puggsy teaching Tom and Jerry how to be friends. Almost every song of the movie (e.g. "''Money is such a beautiful word''") turns out to be a blatant excuse to turn the movie into a poorly-executed musical. The latter song has the two main villains, Aunt Figg and Mr.Lickboot, singing of their FatalFlaw: {{Greed}}. Lampshaded by WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic.

Supertrope to IWantSong and VillainSong, in which TheProtagonist and TheVillain, respectively, sing about their desires and motives. Also a supertrope to TheVillainSucksSong, a song that provides characterization for the villain that is sung by someone other than the villain, as well as IAmSong, a song that establishes a character's motivations and personality. Supertrope to ExpositoryThemeTune.

* Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' opens with "The Bells of Notre Dame" which sets up the story and introduces both TheHero and TheVillain.

Sometimes {{Exposition}} comes in subtle forms, like FlavourText or InnerMonologue. Sometimes it's more a little direct, using an OpeningScroll or lengthy {{Infodump}}. And sometimes, {{Exposition}} comes with a full orchestra and choreography.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'': In "King Yakko" Yakko explains in song to the people of Anvilania why he has been crowned.
-->'''Yakko:''' I bet you all are wondering / Who is this young unknown? / And why am I inheriting / The Anvilanian throne? ... The bottom of the family tree / Starts with Yakko; that is me. / I'm the cousin to the sister / Of son's niece's brother / Of the uncle's daughter's father / Of the nephew's sister's mother / And my grandpa's only cousin / Was the King's daughter's sibling, / But they're all gone
-->'''Crowd:''' So that is why
-->'''Yakko:''' I am now your king!
* During the ''WesternAnimation/BackToTheFuture'' episode "[[Recap/BackToTheFutureTheAnimatedSeriesS1E10DickensOfAChristmas Dickens of a Christmas]]", Doc takes his family and Marty to [[Creator/CharlesDickens Dickensian]] England to beat the heat wave that's currently roasting Hill Valley. While there, they encounter a group of Christmas carolers, who have a tendency to respond to any question asked with an improvised verse to the tune of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Eventually, Marty tells them to stop it, and they do give the next explanation in speech, but it doesn't last.
* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'' episode "Hercules and the Prometheus Affair" has a Prometheus Academy teacher telling Hercules the story of their namesake...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin by song]].
* "Mountain Town" from ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'': Introduces us to the setting and the characters' personalities that will drive the plot.

* During the ''WesternAnimation/BackToTheFuture'' episode
[[Recap/BackToTheFutureTheAnimatedSeriesS1E10DickensOfAChristmas Dickens of a Christmas]]", Doc takes his family and Marty to [[Creator/CharlesDickens Dickensian]] England to beat the heat wave that's currently roasting Hill Valley. While there, they encounter a group of Christmas carolers, who have a tendency to respond to any question asked with an improvised verse to the tune of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Eventually, Marty tells them to stop it, and they do give the next explanation in speech, but it doesn't last.

* During the ChristmasEpisode of ''WesternAnimation/BackToTheFuture'', Doc takes his family and Marty to [[Creator/CharlesDickens Dickensian]] England to beat the heat wave that's currently roasting Hill Valley. While there, they encounter a group of Christmas carolers, who have a tendency to respond to any question asked with an improvised verse to the tune of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Eventually, Marty tells them to stop it, and they do give the next explanation in speech, but it doesn't last.

-->--'''WebVideo/HonestTrailers''''s alternative lyrics to "Do You Want To Build A Snowman" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}}''

-->--'''WebVideo/HonestTrailers''''s alternative lyrics to "Do You Want To Build A Snowman" from ''Disney/{{Frozen}}''

* While the first song from ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', "Arabian Nights", just sets the mood rather than giving exposition, the second song "One Jump Ahead" introduces Aladdin as the main character and establishes that he's a thief who just steals to survive.

* "Belle" from ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'' follows the opening narration that introduced the Beast. It establishes how the female lead is a bookworm and doesn't fit in the little town she lives in.
* While ''Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove'' is not a musical film, it has one song in the beginning, "Kuzco", that sets up the main character as a vain, selfish, and laid-back ruler.
* "The Gospel Truth" from ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'' tells how Zeus defeated the titans and became the King of Olympus. Its DarkReprise introduces Hades as the BigBad. Both are sung by a literal GreekChorus.
* Disney's ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' opens with "The Bells of Notre Dame" which sets up the story and introduces both TheHero and TheVillain.
* Disney's ''Disney/{{Pocahontas}}'' begins with a pair of songs: "The Virginia Company" gives some background on the colonists' motivations, while "Steady As the Beating Drum" shows the lifestyle of the Native Americans.
* "Oo-De-Lally" from ''Disney/RobinHood'' introduces Robin Hood and Little John as a pair of {{Loveable Rogue}}s, and how they have to keep running from the Sheriff's men.

* The title song of ''Disney/TheSwordInTheStone'' tells of how England fell into turmoil following the death of the king and the appearance of the sword in the stone. A narrator then provides a bit more exposition about the sword as we segue into the beginning of the story.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseTheMovie'' has several of them. "Happily Ever After" summarizes the backstory of each of the four main characters (basically a five-minute recap of the CharacterDevelopment each of them went through over the course of [[WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse the series]]), and "[=System/BOOT.pearl_final(3).Info=]" explains each gem type's role in the FantasticCasteSystem of Homeworld.

* The song 'Six Months Out of Every Year' is used by the baseball fans' and their wives to set up the story of {{Damn Yankees}}, as well as give us some information about the fictional Washington Senators. The baseball fans tell viewers about the team that can't catch a break, while the wives sing of their loneliness while their husbands pour all their affection into caring about baseball.

* In {{Shrek}}, Duloc's StepfordSuburbia nature is revealed by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X81AoBcVnaA a bunch of singing animatonics.]]

* ''TomAndJerryTheMovie'' first song ''Friends to the end'' has a WideEyedIdealist cocker named Puggsy teaching Tom and Jerry how to be friends. Almost every song of the movie (e.g. "''Money is such a beautiful word''") turns out to be a blatant excuse to turn the movie into a poorly-executed musical. The latter song has the two main villains, Aunt Figg and Mr.Lickboot, singing of their FatalFlaw: greed. Lampshaded by NostalgiaCritic.

** "Oh What a Circus" gives a cynical overview of Eva Peron's influence on Argentina, as well as establishing the emotional impact her death has on many people. It then segues into the flashback that makes up the bulk of the film.

* During the ChristmasEpisode of ''WesternAnimation/BackToTheFuture'', Doc takes his family and Marty to Dickensian England to beat the heat wave that's currently roasting Hill Valley. While there, they encounter a group of Christmas carolers, who have a tendency to respond to any question asked with an improvised verse to the tune of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Eventually, Marty tells them to stop it, and they do give the next explanation in speech, but it doesn't last.

* ComicBook/DeCapeEtDeCrocs: The Selenites' backstory is revealed by singers [[CrazyPrepared who evidently rehearsed for the occasion]]. Bombastus starts singing along, which gets him odd looks from Don Lope and Armand.

-> ''Do you want some exposition?
->Some information through a song?''
--> - WebVideo/HonestTrailers's alternative lyrics to "Do You Want To Build A Snowman" from ''Disney/{{Frozen}}''

* ''Theatre/{{Evita}}'' is SungThrough, so all its exposition is this by necessity.

* During the ChristmasEpisode of ''WesternAnimation/BackToTheFuture'', Doc takes his family and Marty to Dickensian England to beat the heat wave that's currently roasting Hill Valley. While there, they encounter a group of Christmas carolers, who have a tendency to respond to any question asked with an improvised verse to the tune of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Eventually, Marty tells them to stop it, and they do give the next explanation in speech., but it doesn't last.
* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'' episode "Hercules and the Prometheus Affair" has a Prometeus Academy teacher telling Hercules the story of their namesake...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin by song]].

''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'': In "King Yakko" Yakko explains in song to the people of Anvilania why he has been crowned.