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-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
-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
-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
The Avant-Garde Musical
-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
-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
-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
-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
-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
-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)
-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)