Musical Theatre History

It is a fact that European composers had greater success on Broadway during the 1980s and early 1990s. Why should European composers be having greater success than American creators of musicals during the 1980s and early 1990s? Broadway can refer to several different things: A wide avenue in New York City, that runs the full length of Manhattan Collection of 40 theatres in the theatre district commonly known as Broadway Plays, musicals or special attractions performed on stage for an audience Musicals Form of theatre that combines music, songs, dialogue and dance Plays Form of theatre that includes scripted dialogue between characters Dates back to 1750, when New York city first had a presence of theatre However, Broadway was not popular until the 1900s with the inclusion of Vaudeville In the early 1900s, Broadway moved to theatres in Times Square From 1920-1930 Broadway theatres were built across 11 blocks in the city of New York, which is called the Theatre District A nickname for Broadway is “The Great White Way” because it was one of the first streets to have electric lights. Today, there are 40 different Broadway theatres in New York City Broadway theatres have enough seating for 500 people or more By the 1990s, less than five percent of the American public attended the theatre regularly, and most people went for years without even hearing a showtune. 1991 Music by Cy Coleman Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green Had no real substance, but had ingenious Ziegfeld-style production numbers. Songs: “Our Favorite Son” “I Never Met a Man I Didn’t Like” 1992 Ken Ludwig reworked the Gershwins’ Girl Crazy into a giddy musical comedy. Featured sensational choreography by Susan Stroman. Songs: “Embraceable You” “I Got Rhythm” “But Not For Me” Some adventurous shows… 1991 Music by Lucy Simon Book and lyrics by Marsha Norman Based on the Frances Hodgson Burnett novel. Songs: “A Bit of Earth” “Lily’s Eyes” 1993 Music and lyrics by Pete Townsend A stylish high-tech staging of The Who's popular 1969 rock opera. Song: “Pinball Wizard” The British brought in more mega-musicals, but the trend was losing steam… ASPECTS OF LOVE 1990 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s soap opera lost over $8,000,000. Song: “Love Changes Everything” SUNSET BOULEVARD 1994 Webber’s adaptation included divas Glen Close, Betty Buckley and Elaine Paige as Norma Desmond. Song: “With One Look” The $11,000,000 production had such a high weekly running cost that even a three year run could not turn a profit. WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND 1996 Andrew Lloyd Webber Opened in Washington, DC Never made it to Broadway Failed production 1991 The last lucrative "Brit hit.” Song: “The American Dream” “Bui Doi” 1994-2007 Broadway’s 8th longest running musical Songs: “Beauty and The Beast” “Be Our Guest” The first stage effort of Walt Disney Productions. Beauty and the Beast has been in cities all over the world. This has been translated into a rainbow of languages. Kids who loved the animated movie were delighted, parents were relieved to find a clean show, and the billions started rolling in. Souvenirs became a bigger money maker than ever. This show raked in over $1.4 billion dollars. 1997 - still running Music by Elton John Lyrics by Tim Rice Song: “Circle of Life” The Disney Corporation purchased and restored the theatre, opened a large retail shop next door, and planned an ultra-modern Disney hotel just up the block. People who had never been interested in the theatre lined up for The Lion King, and even a price hike to $80 a seat didn’t prevent the show from selling out for a year in advance. Tickets run from $80-$210 London soon had an identical production, and The Lion King became the most desired ticket on both Broadway and the West End until well into the next decade. By the late 1990’s, almost every show that made it to Broadway was a corporate product. With the average musical budget running over $8,000,000, it took a lot of people to finance a show, and they all wanted some say in the production. This left no room for amateurs or rebels. EXCEPT…. 1996-2008 Revival Off-Broadway 2011 Music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson Based on Puccini’s La Bohéme The production was nurtured for a year by a company. The composer's death on the night of the Off-Broadway dress rehearsal made Rent a cultural explosion. This production wins a Pulitzer prize. Song: “Seasons of Love” SEASONS OF LOVE After flourishing through most of the 20th Century, the Broadway musical was in sad condition at century's end. Shows that blatantly appealed to the lowest common cultural denominator thrived, while wit, melody and originality were embodied in revivals. Top SEVEN musicals of the 1990s 1. The Lion King 5,630+ 2. Beauty and the Beast 5,464 3. Rent 5,124 4. Miss Saigon 4,097 5. Crazy for You 1,622 6. Jekyll & Hyde 1,543 7. Fosse 1,108 .

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