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The Sound of Music
When Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” was released, it became an international hit. It had “1,443 performances in New York and 2,385 performances in London” (Brockett et al. 279). The play takes inspiration from the true story of the Von Trapp Family Singers that escaped out of Austria from the Nazi occupation in 1938. “The Sound of Music” provided numerous hits such as “Do Re Mi,” “My Favorite Things,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” and many others (279). -
Hair
Created by Ragni and James Rado, “Hair” brought rock to the musical scene and was even subtitled “The American Tribal-Love Rock Musical” (Brocket et al. 285). It had a limited story and simple settings, but its main appeal was the rock music that provided some “counterculture” to the mainstream venue. “Hair” was also the first Broadway musical to include nudity and obscene language. The show's songs became anthems that definined the "hippie" generation (285). -
Company: The Start of Concept Musicals
Concept musicals focus more on the central issue, event, or theme rather than the narrative (Brockett et al. 286). Sondheim took a liking to this form of musical and collaborated with Hal Prince to create their first concept musical “Company.” The show offered competing views on love, marriage, and commitment while also reflecting urban angst and uncertainty. “Company” had no chorus and used song and dance sequences. The show paved a path for later concept musicals to emerge. -
42nd Street Development Project
In the 1970s, 42nd street was full of strip clubs, adult bookstores, drug dealers, and prostitutes which forced the city to act (Brockett et al. 294). A collaboration between the City of New York and other private developers and investors helped transform an area that was avoided at all costs to a place that millions of people pass through each year (“42nd Street” para. 2). The transformation helped grow the musical scene with the buildings being refurbished into theatres.(Brockett et al. 294). -
Cats: The Peak of Mega Musicals
Mega musicals have melodramatic plots and loud and emotional songs with little to no dialogue (Brockett et al. 290). The most popular melodrama is Andrew Webber’s “Cats.” The show includes songs of different types such as pop, classical, and jazz with intriguing lighting and dance routines (291). As of 2015, “Cats” had run 11,343 performances and has won seven Tony Awards since 1988. It was also the longest running Broadway musical until it was surpassed by “Phantom of the Opera” (291). -
Disney Enters Broadway
In 1994, Disney entered Broadway with multiple stage versions of their animated movie “Beauty and the Beast” (Brockett et al. 294). This show was marked as the “most commercially successful new American musical since ‘A Chorus Line,’ and ushered in the era of the corporate musical” (294). Disney’s most famous musical is the stage interaction of “The Lion King,” which became the highest selling musical, gaining a gross income of over $6.2 billion in ticket sales. -
Mamma Mia!
“Mamma Mia!” arrived on Broadway at a very opportune time as it helped viewers escape from the still recovering scares of the September 11 terrorist attack (Brockett et al. 297). The show is based off the music of Swedish pop group ABBA which it uses to propel its story. Audiences were not only there for the story, but to also hear ABBA’s top hits from the 1970s to the early 1980s. The show is still on Broadway with 5,500+ performances, making it the longest jukebox musical (297). -
The Producers
“The Producers” was very successful by selling a record-breaking $3 million tickets in the first three days after opening (Grant para. 1). This musical was later converted into a movie and although the movie did not do as great as the original play, it did spawn a wave of other movie musicals in the early 2000s with the most successful one being “Hairspray” (Brockett et al. 296). “The Producers” won twelve Tony awards in 2001 (296). -
Jersey Boys
“Jersey Boys” was the first jukebox musical to win the Tony Award (Brockett et al. 297). It won the 2006 Tony Award for best musical and won the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Musical Recording (Broadwayleague para. 2). The show is based on the music and life of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. It is a bit different than other jukebox musicals as the show is rooted into the true story of The Jersey Boys rise from the rough streets. “Jersey Boys” set up the new market for jukebox musicals. -
The Book of Mormon
Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of “South Park,” came together with Robert Lopez to create the highly controversial yet highly successful musical “The Book of Mormon.” The show did provide some filthy and potentially offensive material, but Vogue described it as “possibly the funniest musical ever.” (Brockett et al. 299). The musical was successful with the top tickets going for as much as $447 and making up to $330 million in sales within the first 4 years. (299).