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Pre-1920s
Prior to the boom of traditional musical theatre in the 1920s, musical productions were generally operatic. This period was known as the "golden age of opera." This period ended with the arrival of broadway musicals, somewhat similar to that what we have today. This period is actually the focus of the longest-running show on broadway, "The Phantom of the Opera". -
The Black Crook debuts
The Black Crook, considered the first broadway musical, debuted on broadway. The show was described as a combination of French Romantic ballet and German melodrama. The Black Crook played 474 performances and paved the way for the future of musical theater. -
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The Jazz Age
By the early 1920s, the musical theatre had started to become a mainstream form of entertainment. Operettas continued as a mainstay of theater entertainment. During this period Jazz became a hugely popular music genre and had a large impact on the beginning of broadway musicals During this time book and movie musicals became increasingly popular. A main aspect of these musicals is large spectacular dance numbers. -
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The Golden Age
Considered by many to be the peak of musical theatre popularity (for both stage and screen), the golden age was a beautiful time when show tunes played on the radio and Broadway began to flourish. Musicals were heavy in dance numbers and embraced the development of the plot. -
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Post-Golden Age
The 1960s presented much more experimentation. Shows like Hair and Fiddler on the Roof presented musical audiences with something different than they had previously been accustomed to. Hair is an example of a shift towards rock, and Fiddler allowed for more diversity on stage. Many musicals also had deeper meanings during this time, unlike the leave your head at the door kind of show tunes normally seen on broadway. -
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Pre-Contemporary
During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, we began to see an even larger range of music genres and plots. This was also when big emotions started pouring out into epic. This period had a large variety of new stories based on a variety of topics and had much more diverse casts. Many of these shows are reveered as the best of bradway. -
Phantom of the Opera opens
A musical based on the Gaston LeRoux novel, The Phantom of the Opera follows the story of Christine Daae, a chorus girl in an opera company, and her encounters with the mysterious and sometimes murderous phantom.
The show opened to rave reviews and has now become the longest-running show on broadway lasting for 36 years. -
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Contemporary
Between 2000 and 2017 there was a large variety of shows expanding upon that of the last era of broadway. Many shows turned to pop and rock music with some intense ballads that would be draws for the shows. Many shows during this period were based on other works like Wicked, Waitress, Natasha Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. -
Hamilton opens
Hamilton, based on a book about the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton, opens to significant acclaim and breathes a new life into musical theater. Hamilton has resonated with large populations because it gave representation to people of color, immigrants, and women. -
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Current shows
As of recent many current and upcoming shows seem to be following the trend of nostalgia. With shows like Beetlejuice, Pretty Woman, and Back to the Future, producers are playing on the crowd's love for the original work. Some original shows like A Strange Loop and Six are paving the way for original work and new storytelling styles.