Do Football and Musical Theater Mix?

There is a secret club of straight men who dig catchy high notes and delightful dance numbers — and you can count Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins among them.

Cousins, who led the team to a division title last year, is a big fan of musical theater off the field. He sang in a choir in high school and was an avid singer and dancer in local theater, appearing in a production of “Oklahoma,” in which he sang the opening number.

“I don’t know all the words, but I’m a big Broadway fan,” Cousins said last week during a news conference. “I love musical theater — my mom kind of raised me on that. When the Super Bowl was in New York City a couple of years ago, I went to a Broadway show and just was blown away. I went to the Chicago Theater a lot growing up.”

[lz_ndn video=31702367]

He’s not the only Redskin to appreciate a night at the theater. Vernon Davis, a tight end for the team and a native Washingtonian, has been to a production of “Hamilton.” Davis discovered the two men’s common bond by hearing Cousins sing in the locker room.

“Sometimes he’ll stand at his locker and he’ll start singing,” Davis told NBC. “I was talking with him. ‘Dude, you know that song? I was at that play this weekend.'”

Former Redskins long snapper Trevor Matich defended Cousins in an interview on WMAL Radio in Washington last week. “Real men do whatever they want and don’t care what anyone says,” Matich said. “So real men will do musical theater if they want to and they will enjoy it and like it, and not be dissuaded by people who would excoriate them for it. Kirk Cousins is a real man.”

Pop singer and sex symbol Robbie Williams also loves musical theater. Williams, Cousins, and Davis enjoy music, dancing, clothing, and hairstyles of particular taste and quality.

The real truth is that men like these have no trouble finding women. Men who take musical theater classes in schools usually are outnumbered by women. These men score brownie points with women for being cultured. Those who can show women they enjoy the fine arts, musicals, and beauty are seen as well-rounded and interesting.

Look at actor Hugh Jackman, who played the lead character Jean Valjean in the musical “Les Miserables.” The musical tells the powerful story of a man looking to redeem his sins by doing good for others. He shows compassion to the poor, helps a dying prostitute, and takes in her illegitimate daughter as his own.

The songs of “Les Miserables” dig deep within the human soul and express the struggles and joys of the human experience. “One Day More” is infectiously hopeful, and Valjean’s “Bring Him Home” is touchingly heartfelt and powerful.

Related: Why Amazon’s ‘Grand Tour’ is a Raging Success

In decades past, the Hollywood musical was a popular film genre that featured masculine men such as Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Kirk Cousins brings back a fearlessness among men about approaching and appreciating this art form. And rightfully so.

Musical theater should not be owned by any one group. It’s a creative medium for everyone.