1. The History of the Broadway Musical

2. Some background on Broadway…
Broadway theatre district
40 professional theatres
500+ seats
in midtown Manhattan
(Lincoln Center not pictured on this map)

3. Some background on Broadway…
Theatres that are considered “Off-Broadway” don’t meet those requirements ( seats)
Most new shows have try-out run off-Broadway or in other cities first
Majority of shows are musicals, which usually have longer run

4. Some background on Broadway…
Usually 8 performances a week; Monday is typically “dark”
Most shows are intended to make a profit for producers and investors (“backers” or “angels”)
Average cost to produce a Broadway musical = $10 million; $2.5 million for a play
Annual awards program = the Tony Awards
Equivalent of Broadway theatre in England is London’s West End

5. Some Musical Terminology…
A book musical = a musical play in which songs and dances are fully integrated into a well-made story
Book – story; script
Lyrics – the words in the songs; written by a lyricist
Composer – writes the music
The Score = music + lyrics
Libretto – book + lyrics; written by a librettist

6. Early “Musicals”
Burlesque – comic shows performed by all women; dance, singing, comedy sketches
Minstrel – comic shows performed in black-face
Vaudeville – variety show: musicians, jugglers, acrobats, comedians, animal acts, etc.
Revue – combines music, dance, and sketches; not much of a plot
Operetta – light opera with acting
Some people consider The Black Crook to be the first musical (1866)

8. Gilbert and Sullivan British songwriters
Wrote 14 comic operas in the late 1800s
H.M.S. Pinafore
The Pirates of Penzance
The Mikado

9. Florenz Ziegfeld
A producer
The Ziegfeld Follies ( )

10. Some famous Ziegfeld performers…
George M. Cohan (“Yankee Doodle Boy”)

11. Some famous Ziegfeld performers…
Bert Williams

12. Some famous Ziegfeld performers…
Fanny Brice

13. Show Boat 1927 First “real” Broadway musical Produced by Ziegfeld
Written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein
“Old Man River”
No curtain call

14. The 1920s… Jazz affected music and dance
Cinderella stories very popular
Walter Winchell (“The Big Apple”)

15. Shuffle Along
1921
First major successful African-American musical on Broadway
Written by Miller & Lyles and Sissle & Blake

16. Al Jolson Started in minstrel shows Famous for his “Mammy” songs
Starred in first “talking picture” – The Jazz Singer (1927)

17. 1930s -1940s Influences on Broadway The Depression
Many Broadway actors and musicians moved to Hollywood to work
Federal Theatre Project
World War II

18. Famous performers and musicians of this time…
Ethel Merman
Singer and actress; known for loud, brassy voice (“iron-lungs”)
Anything Goes
Annie Get Your Gun
Gypsy

19. Cole Porter Composer and lyricist Rich and sophisticated Anything Goes
Kiss Me, Kate

20. Irving Berlin composer and lyricist
“the greatest songwriter that has ever lived”
“White Christmas”
“God Bless America”
“Puttin’ on the Ritz”
This Is the Army
Annie Get Your Gun

21. George and Ira Gershwin
George = composer
Ira = lyricist
Girl Crazy
Porgy and Bess

22. Some names and shows from 1940s-1960s
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein
Rodgers = composer
Hammerstein = lyricist
“Golden Age” of musical theatre

23. Rodgers and Hammerstein
Oklahoma!
Carousel
The King and I
South Pacific
Cinderella
The Sound of Music

24. Alan Lerner and Frederick Loewe
Lerner = lyricist and librettist
Loewe = composer
My Fair Lady
Julie Andrews’ first big show
Brigadoon
Camelot

25. Big Shows and Big Names 1950s-
West Side Story
1957
Updated version of Romeo and Juliet
very controversial
Director/Choreographer = Jerome Robbins
Composer = Leonard Bernstein
Lyricist = Stephen Sondheim

26. Fiddler on the Roof Biggest hit of 1964
Director/choreographer = Jerome Robbins
Composer/lyricist team = Bock and Harnick
Signified the end of the “traditional” Broadway musical

27. John Kander and Fred Ebb
Kander = composer
Ebb = lyricist
Cabaret
Chicago
Fosse
Kiss of the Spider Woman

28. Bob Fosse Choreographer and director
Worked on Chicago and Cabaret with Kander and Ebb

29. Hair 1967 Rock musical Drugs, nudity

30. A Chorus Line Director/choreographer = Michael Bennett
Composer = Marvin Hamlisch
Called “The Dancers’ Project” = developed from interviews with working dancers

31. Jerry Herman Composer and lyricist Hello, Dolly! Mame
La Cage aux Folles

32. Stephen Sondheim Composer and lyricist
Oscar Hammerstein was his mentor and father-figure
Writes complex musicals about unlikely topics
Collaborated on many shows with Hal Prince and James Lapine

33. Stephen Sondheim A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Company
Sweeney Todd
Follies
A Little Night Music
Anyone Can Whistle
Assassins
Sunday in the Park with George
Pacific Overtures
Into the Woods
Bounce

34. Andrew Lloyd Webber English composer Phantom of the Opera
Jesus Christ Superstar
Cats
Evita
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Sunset Boulevard
The Woman in White

35. Cameron Mackintosh English producer
Premiered musicals in West End, then moved to Broadway
Les Miserables
Phantom of the Opera
Cats
Miss Saigon
Mary Poppins

36. Cameron Mackintosh
New style of publicity

37. Disney on Broadway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z941bdMLi6Y
Mary Poppins
High School Musical
High School Musical 2
Beauty and the Beast
Camp Rock
The Lion King
Newsies
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Tarzan
Future productions???
The Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Frozen
The Jungle Book
The Princess Bride

38. Rent 1996 Jonathan Larson – composer and lyricist
Rock music, sex, drugs, HIV/AIDS

39. The Producers 2001 Based on Mel Brooks’ 1967 movie
Music and lyrics by Mel Brooks
Record-breaking 12 Tony wins
Starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick

40. Wicked 2003 Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell and Pippin)
Based on the book by Gregory Maguire
Produced by Universal Studios
Broke box office records

41. Winners of the Tony for Best Musical since 2000…
Contact (2000)
The Book of Mormon (2011)
The Producers (2001)
Once (2012)
Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002)
Kinky Boots (2013)
Hairspray (2003)
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (2014)
Avenue Q (2004)
Fun Home (2015)
Spamalot (2005)
Hamilton (2016)
Jersey Boys (2006)
Spring Awakening (2007)
Starting in 1994, also gave Tony award for Best Revival of a Musical
In the Heights (2008)
Billy Elliott (2009)
Memphis (2010)

42. Hamilton
2015
Music, lyrics, and book by Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights)
Inspired by Ron Chernow’s bio of Hamilton
Record-breaking 16 Tony nominations; 11 wins
Hip-hop, rap