Broadway Musical Theatre History

History of the broadway musical.

In 1866, "The Black Crook" was the first staged Broadway musical. The show ran for over an astounding five hours and for 474 performers. For decades, audiences made up of all nationalities, races and backgrounds have enjoyed coming to see a Broadway show filled with dance, song, laughter and tears. Some of the longest-running Broadway shows include "Cats," "The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Fantasticks" with each having over 7,000 productions. Broadway musical theater history is rich in shows that range from dramas to comedies to witches to lions, all which are unique and special to each of their fans.

The Black Crook

At the end of the Civil War, an actor named William Wheatley was trying to come up with ideas to keep this theater open at the corner of Broadway and Prince streets in New York City. Wheatley decided to run a melodrama play called "The Black Crook" for a couple weeks to draw in crowds. Wheatley and critics considered the show to be quite dull and boring. To spruce up the show, he struck up a deal with the Academy of Music to use their ballet troupe, orchestra and stage sets to create the first American Broadway musical. The show lasted for five hours, but as indication of the lasting tradition that has become Broadway and musical theater, Wheatley's audience loved every minute of the show.

Musical Greats

In 1891, the first electric marquis started advertising musicals and the leading cast at the West 23rd and Fifth Theater. As the musical became more popular, over time more and more theaters starting opening their doors to musical theater shows and casts. However, Broadway really became well-known thanks to Irving Berlin who wrote and composed some of the most famous musical shows and songs of the 20th century. Actors such as Al Jolson started to become icons of the Broadway musical stage.

Musical Across the Nation

Musical theater could be heard across the nation starting in the 1920s and 1930s on radios. By the 1940s, Broadway musicals had made their way to Hollywood and onto film. Some of the most famous musical films include those written and composed by Rogers and Hammerstein. As TV took off in the 1950s, snippets of Broadway musicals straight from New York City could be seen on variety shows.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Broadway musicals started to reshaped and become even more innovative. Composers such as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim are most recognized with younger generations of musical theater fans. Webber pushed the envelope with shows like "Jesus Christ Superstar," which combined religions with rock 'n' roll music. Sondheim took complicated melodic rhymes and changed what Broadway music could sound like. Today, fans all over the world can purchase their favorite Broadway musical cast albums and watch the annual Tony Awards show that honors the best in Broadway each year.

Mega-Productions

Most recently, Broadway musicals have gotten larger and more popular than ever. In the last decade, Broadway shifted by creating mega-productions with larger casts, sets and costumes in shows like Disney's "Lion King," "The Producers," "Wicked" and "Hair Spray." Also, during this time many older musicals, such as "West Side Story" and "Cabaret," were revived with new interpretations, casts and scenery.

The Future of Broadway

It seems that Broadway musical theater will always be popular. It has an ability to redefine itself and shape the shows and the entertainment value as time goes on and the world changes. Broadway, today, extends worldwide and has been translated into many different languages. Musical theater has a universal ability to entertain everyone who comes to the theater to see a show.

References

• Talkin' Broadway 101
• NYC Tourists: History of Broadway
• Musicals 101: Theatre in New York City

Resources

• Visit New York City: A Brief Early History of Broadway Plays
• Broadway: The American Musical Resources