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Musical Theatre Timeline

1960s-present

End of the Golden Age

End of the Golden Age

-The idyllic settings of musical theatre were falling by the wayside

-Grittier, more realistic stories begin to appear (ex. West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof)

-No longer one unified "sound"; characters' age, ethnic background, etc. has a greater impact on how the music sounds

-The rise of the modern belt

The "New Guard"

-Composers who were writing "verismo" musicals

-Included composers and lyricists such as Sondheim, Harnick and Bock, Kander and Ebb

-Less interested in the beauty of the voice and more interested in how well the story is told

1960s-70s

-Musicals are tackling stories that are less grand, more relatable

-Including uncomfortable and taboo topics like divorce, sexuality, and aging

-Composers are demanding more from the singers both in range and athleticism in service of the story

-More verismo in this era

1960s-70s

The Avant-Garde Musical

Avant-Garde

-Avant-garde: new and unusual or experimental ideas

-Driven by the Civil Rights movement and reactions to the Vietnam War and the Sexual Revolution

-Shows like "The Wiz", "A Chorus Line", and "Jesus Christ Superstar" fall into this category

-Black American music was becoming a part of musical theatre ("The Wiz")

-"A Chorus Line" rejected the grandure of past musicals with a stripped-down set

1980s

-Commercialism, sponsorships, and spectacle-loving audiences shaped the style of musical

-"Proven material" like movies were being turned into Broadway musicals (sponsors and producers wanting a "sure thing")

-Continuing the verismo trend, shows addressed modern topics like the AIDS epidemic

-Sondheim came into his own with "Into the Woods" and "Sunday in the Park with George"

-"Cats" indicated a trend toward grander musicals and concept musicals with no single storyline

The British Invasion

-British composers began to gain traction on Broadway in the 70s but found a firm foothold by the 80s

-Andrew Lloyd Webber and Time Rice were two of the biggest names

-Megamusical: The MT version of Grand Opera - large scale sets, intricate costumes, and great vocal demands

-Rock musical: Incorporating rock elements like drum set, electric guitar, and synthesizer

The British Invasion

1990s

-Almost exclusive use of "proven material" to bank on nostalgia

-Composers turning to literature as well as movies for stories

-An "anything goes" time as far as musical styles

-The birth of the jukebox musical

1990s

Disney on Broadway

Disney of Broadway

-A huge double-edged sword

-Came from the success of the Disney Renaissance, giving productions massive budgets

-Banked on nostalgia and familiarity

-Brought in audiences who may not have been interested in Broadway musicals before

-Pushed the trend for Broadway towards the hellaciously expensive, ridiculously spectacled, and exceedingly exclusive in how actors were cast

-Made it very difficult for smaller productions and off-Broadway shows to be successful

2000s

-A renaissance for musicals

-New writers (Yazbeck, Guettel, Tesori, Miranda, and others)

-Original stories

-Return of high musical comedy and Romanticism (The Producers, The Light in the Piazza)

-A broadening of horizons (In the Heights, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Passing Strange)

-A focus on lead characters being the odd one out (Wicked, Hairspray)

2000s

2010s-Present

-Variety is the hallmark of the past 12 years

-As with most forms of art, we are in a time of "anything goes"; there's no one style or major trend

-Country and folk musicals emerge (Girl from North County, Hadestown)

-Biographical musicals (Beautiful, One Love)

-Continuation of Disney musicals and musicals based on movies and literature

-Continuation of broadening horizons (cultural inclusion, colorblind casting, hip hop and other modern musical styles)

2010-Present

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