Editing Musical theatre (section)

==== 2000s–present====
===== Trends =====
In the new century, familiarity has been embraced by producers and investors anxious to guarantee that they recoup their considerable investments. Some took (usually modest-budget) chances on new and creative material, such as ''[[Urinetown]]'' (2001), ''[[Avenue Q]]'' (2003), ''[[The Light in the Piazza (musical)|The Light in the Piazza]]'' (2005), ''[[Spring Awakening (musical)|Spring Awakening]]'' (2006), ''[[In the Heights]]'' (2008), ''[[Next to Normal]]'' (2009), ''[[American Idiot (musical)|American Idiot]]'' (2010) and ''[[The Book of Mormon (musical)|The Book of Mormon]]'' (2011). ''[[Hamilton (musical)|Hamilton]]'' (2015), transformed "under-dramatized American history" into an unusual hip-hop inflected hit.<ref>[[David Cote (writer)|Cote, David]]. [http://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/hamilton-1 "Theater Review. ''Hamilton''"], ''[[Time Out New York]]'', August 6, 2015</ref> In 2011, Sondheim argued that of all forms of "contemporary pop music", [[rapping|rap]] was "the closest to traditional musical theatre" and was "one pathway to the future."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sondheim|first1=Stephen|title=Look, I Made a Hat: Collected Lyrics (1981–2011) with Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Digressions, Anecdotes and Miscellany|date=2011|publisher=Alfred P. Knopf|location=New York|isbn=978-0-307-59341-2|page=xxi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dBSr1MLX3hkC&pg=PR21}}</ref>

However, most major-market 21st-century productions have taken a safe route, with revivals of familiar fare, such as ''[[Fiddler on the Roof]]'', ''[[A Chorus Line]]'', ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'', ''Gypsy'', ''Hair'', ''West Side Story'' and ''[[Grease (musical)|Grease]]'', or with adaptations of other proven material, such as literature (''[[The Scarlet Pimpernel]]'', ''[[Wicked (musical)|Wicked]]'' and ''[[Fun Home (musical)|Fun Home]]''), hoping that the shows would have a built-in audience as a result. This trend is especially persistent with film adaptations, including ''[[The Producers (musical)|The Producers]]'', ''[[Spamalot]]'', ''[[Hairspray (musical)|Hairspray]]'', ''[[Legally Blonde (musical)|Legally Blonde]]'', ''[[The Color Purple (musical)|The Color Purple]]'', ''[[Xanadu (musical)|Xanadu]]'', ''[[Billy Elliot the Musical|Billy Elliot]]'', ''[[Shrek (musical)|Shrek]]'', ''[[Waitress (musical)|Waitress]]'' and ''[[Groundhog Day (musical)|Groundhog Day]]''.<ref>Berman, Eliza. "On Broadway, It's Déjà Vu All Over – and Not Just for ''Groundhog Day'', ''Time'' magazine, May 15, 2017 issue, pp. 51–52</ref> Some critics have argued that the reuse of film plots, especially those from Disney (such as ''[[Mary Poppins (musical)|Mary Poppins]]'' and ''[[The Little Mermaid (musical)|The Little Mermaid]]''), equate the Broadway and West End musical to a tourist attraction, rather than a creative outlet.<ref name=Kenrick/>

[[File:Obama greets the cast and crew of Hamilton musical, 2015.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.35|The cast of ''[[Hamilton (musical)|Hamilton]]'' meets [[Barack Obama|President Obama]] in 2015]]
Today, it is less likely that a sole producer, such as [[David Merrick]] or [[Cameron Mackintosh]], backs a production. Corporate sponsors dominate Broadway, and often alliances are formed to stage musicals, which require an investment of $10&nbsp;million or more. In 2002, the credits for ''[[Thoroughly Modern Millie]]'' listed ten producers, and among those names were entities composed of several individuals.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/thoroughly-modern-millie-13138 |title=''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' |publisher=[[Internet Broadway Database|IBDB]] }}</ref> Typically, off-Broadway and regional theatres tend to produce smaller and therefore less expensive musicals, and development of new musicals has increasingly taken place outside of New York and London or in smaller venues. For example, ''Spring Awakening'', ''Fun Home'' and ''Hamilton'' were developed off-Broadway before being launched on Broadway.

Several musicals returned to the spectacle format that was so successful in the 1980s, recalling [[extravaganza]]s that have been presented at times, throughout theatre history, since the ancient Romans staged mock sea battles. Examples include the musical adaptations of ''[[Lord of the Rings (musical)|Lord of the Rings]]'' (2007), ''[[Gone with the Wind (musical)|Gone with the Wind]]'' (2008) and ''[[Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark]]'' (2011). These musicals involved songwriters with little theatrical experience, and the expensive productions generally lost money. Conversely, ''The Drowsy Chaperone'', ''Avenue Q'', ''[[The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee]]'', ''Xanadu'' and ''Fun Home'', among others, have been presented in smaller-scale productions, mostly uninterrupted by an intermission, with short running times, and enjoyed financial success. In 2013, ''Time'' magazine reported that a trend off-Broadway has been "immersive" theatre, citing shows such as ''[[Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812]]'' (2012) and ''[[Here Lies Love]]'' (2013) in which the staging takes place around and within the audience.<ref>Zoglin, Richard. [https://entertainment.time.com/2013/05/20/natasha-imelda-and-the-great-immersion-of-2013/ "Natasha, Imelda and the Great Immersion of 2013"], ''Time'' magazine, May 20, 2013, accessed April 6, 2014</ref> The shows set a joint record, each receiving 11 nominations for [[Lucille Lortel Awards]],<ref>Cox, Gordon. [https://variety.com/2014/legit/news/here-lies-love-great-comet-shatter-records-in-lortel-nominations-1201151316/ "Here Lies Love, Great Comet Shatter Records in Lortel Nominations], Variety, April 1, 2014, accessed April 7, 2014</ref> and feature contemporary scores.<ref>Clarke, David. [http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-CD-Reviews-NATASHA-PIERRE-AND-THE-GREAT-COMET-OF-1812-Original-Cast-Album-is-Astonishingly-Complex-20131222 "Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Original Cast Recording) is Astonishingly Complex"], Broadway World, December 22, 2013, accessed April 7, 2014</ref><ref>[[Ben Brantley|Brantley, Ben]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/24/theater/reviews/david-byrnes-here-lies-love-at-the-public-theater.html "A Rise to Power, Disco Round Included"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', April 23, 2013, accessed April 7, 2014</ref>

In 2013, [[Cyndi Lauper]] was the "first female composer to win the [Tony for] Best Score without a male collaborator" for writing the music and lyrics for ''[[Kinky Boots (musical)|Kinky Boots]]''. In 2015, for the first time, an [[Women in music|all-female writing team]], [[Lisa Kron]] and [[Jeanine Tesori]], won the [[Tony Award for Best Original Score]] (and [[Tony Award for Best Book|Best Book]] for Kron) for ''Fun Home'',<ref>Gioia, Michael. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/its-revving-up-the-next-generation-of-female-songwriters-share-their-hopes-for-the-future-355460 "It's Revving Up" – The Next Generation of Female Songwriters Share Their Hopes for the Future"], ''Playbill'', 2 August 2015</ref> although work by male songwriters continues to be produced more often.<ref>Purcell, Carey. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/fun-home-duo-make-history-as-first-all-female-writing-team-to-win-the-tony-350678#sthash.Pe3xUFFi.dpuf "''Fun Home'' Duo Make History as First All-Female Writing Team to Win the Tony"], Playbill, June 7, 2015, accessed November 7, 2015</ref>

===== Jukebox musicals =====
Another trend has been to create a minimal plot to fit a collection of songs that have already been hits. Following the earlier success of ''[[Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story]]'', these have included ''[[Movin' Out (musical)|Movin' Out]]'' (2002, based on the tunes of [[Billy Joel]]), ''[[Jersey Boys]]'' (2006, [[The Four Seasons (band)|The Four Seasons]]), ''[[Rock of Ages (musical)|Rock of Ages]]'' (2009, featuring classic rock of the 1980s), ''[[Thriller – Live]]'' (2009, [[Michael Jackson]]), and many others. This style is often referred to as the "[[jukebox musical]]".<ref name=Trends>Kaye, Kimberly. [http://www.broadway.com/buzz/152360/broadwaycom-at-10-the-10-biggest-broadway-trends-of-the-decade/ "Broadway.com at 10: The 10 Biggest Broadway Trends of the Decade"], Broadway.com, May 10, 2010, accessed August 14, 2012</ref> Similar but more plot-driven musicals have been built around the canon of a particular pop group including ''[[Mamma Mia! (musical)|Mamma Mia!]]'' (1999, based on the songs of [[ABBA]]), ''[[Our House (musical)|Our House]]'' (2002, based on the songs of [[Madness (band)|Madness]]) and ''[[We Will Rock You (musical)|We Will Rock You]]'' (2002, based on the songs of [[Queen (band)|Queen]]).

===== Film and TV musicals =====
{{Further|Musical film}}
[[File:Zac Efron and Zendaya Coleman in 2017.jpg|left|thumb|[[Zac Efron]] and [[Zendaya]] starred with [[Hugh Jackman]] in ''[[The Greatest Showman]]'']]
Live-action film musicals were nearly dead in the 1980s and early 1990s, with exceptions of ''[[Victor/Victoria]]'', ''[[Little Shop of Horrors (1986 film)|Little Shop of Horrors]]'' and [[Evita (1996 film)|the 1996 film of ''Evita'']].<ref name=Kenrick80s90s>Kenrick, John. [http://www.musicals101.com/1980film.htm "The 1980s"], History of Musical Film, musicals101.com, accessed July 11, 2014; and Kenrick, John. [http://www.musicals101.com/1990film.htm "The 1990s: Disney & Beyond"], History of Musical Film, musicals101.com, accessed July 11, 2014</ref> In the new century, [[Baz Luhrmann]] began a revival of the film musical with ''[[Moulin Rouge!]]'' (2001). This was followed by ''[[Chicago (2002 film)|Chicago]]'' (2002); ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film)|Phantom of the Opera]]'' (2004); ''[[Rent (film)|Rent]]'' (2005); ''[[Dreamgirls (film)|Dreamgirls]]'' (2006); ''[[Hairspray (2007 film)|Hairspray]]'', ''[[Enchanted (film)|Enchanted]]'' and ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007 film)|Sweeney Todd]]'' (all in 2007); ''[[Mamma Mia! (film)|Mamma Mia!]]'' (2008); ''[[Nine (2009 live-action film)|Nine]]'' (2009); ''[[Les Misérables (2012 film)|Les Misérables]]'' and ''[[Pitch Perfect]]'' (both in 2012), ''[[Into the Woods (film)|Into The Woods]]'', ''[[The Last Five Years (film)|The Last Five Years]]'' (2014), ''[[La La Land]]'' (2016), ''[[The Greatest Showman]]'' (2017), ''[[A Star Is Born (2018 film)|A Star Is Born]]'' and ''[[Mary Poppins Returns]]'' (both 2018), ''[[Rocketman (film)|Rocketman]]'' (2019) and ''[[In the Heights (film)|In the Heights]]'' and [[Steven Spielberg]]'s version of ''[[West Side Story (2021 film)|West Side Story]]'' (both in 2021), among others. [[Dr. Seuss]]'s ''[[How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (film)|How the Grinch Stole Christmas!]]'' (2000) and ''[[The Cat in the Hat (film)|The Cat in the Hat]]'' (2003), turned children's books into live-action film musicals. After the immense success of Disney and other houses with animated film musicals beginning with ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'' in 1989 and running throughout the 1990s (including some more adult-themed films, like ''[[South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut]]'' (1999)), fewer animated film musicals were released in the first decade of the 21st century.<ref name=Kenrick80s90s/> The genre made a comeback beginning in 2010 with ''[[Tangled]]'' (2010), ''[[Rio (2011 film)|Rio]]'' (2011) and ''[[Frozen (2013 film)|Frozen]]'' (2013). In Asia, India continues to produce numerous "Bollywood" film musicals, and Japan produces "Anime" and "Manga" film musicals.

Made for TV musical films were popular in the 1990s, such as ''[[Gypsy (1993 film)|Gypsy]]'' (1993), ''[[Cinderella (1997 film)|Cinderella]]'' (1997) and ''[[Annie (1999 film)|Annie]]'' (1999). Several made for TV musicals in the first decade of the 21st century were adaptations of the stage version, such as ''[[South Pacific (2001 film)|South Pacific]]'' (2001), ''[[The Music Man (2003 film)|The Music Man]]'' (2003) and ''[[Once Upon a Mattress]]'' (2005), and a televised version of the stage musical ''[[Legally Blonde (musical)|Legally Blonde]]'' in 2007. Additionally, several musicals were filmed on stage and broadcast on Public Television, for example ''[[Contact (musical)|Contact]]'' in 2002 and ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]'' and ''Oklahoma!'' in 2003. The made-for-TV musical ''[[High School Musical]]'' (2006), and its several sequels, enjoyed particular success and were adapted for stage musicals and other media.

[[File:Dove Cameron in October 2017.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Dove Cameron]] has starred in such TV musicals as ''[[Descendants (2015 film)|Descendants]]'', ''[[Hairspray Live!]]'' and ''[[Schmigadoon!]]'']]
In 2013, [[NBC]] began a series of live television broadcasts of musicals with ''[[The Sound of Music Live!]]''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2013/12/05/nbc-the-sound-of-music-bianco-review/3879119/ |title='Sound of Music' was a little off |author=Robert Bianco |work= USA TODAY |date= December 6, 2013 }}</ref> Although the production received mixed reviews, it was a ratings success.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/arts/television/a-network-is-buoyed-by-sound-of-music-ratings.html |title=NBC Says It Will Put On a Show, Again |author= Bill Carter |date= December 9, 2013 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Further broadcasts have included ''[[Peter Pan Live!]]'' (NBC 2014), ''[[The Wiz Live!]]'' (NBC 2015),<ref name=variety-ratings>{{cite news|title=''The Wiz Live'' Ratings Strong: NBC Musical Draws 11.5 Million Viewers|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/the-wiz-live-ratings-nbc-musical-1201653402/|access-date=4 December 2015|work=Variety}}</ref> a UK broadcast, ''[[The Sound of Music Live (2015)|The Sound of Music Live]]'' ([[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] 2015)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/dec/15/as-itv-prepares-for-the-sound-of-music-live-are-we-watching-tvs-future |title=As ITV prepares for The Sound of Music Live, are we watching TV's future? |author=Jane Martinson | date=15 December 2015|work=The Guardian}}</ref> ''[[Grease: Live]]'' ([[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] 2016),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/02/grease-live-makes-the-best-case-yet-for-the-tv-musical/458922/ |title=Grease: Live Makes the Best Case Yet for the TV Musical |author=Sophie Gilbert |date= February 1, 2016 |work=The Atlantic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-grease-live-surges-860957|title=TV Ratings: 'Grease Live' Surges on Fox, Nabs 12.2 Million Viewers|author=Michael O'Connell|date=February 1, 2016 |work=The Hollywood Reporter }}</ref> ''[[Hairspray Live!]]'' (NBC, 2016), ''[[A Christmas Story Live!]]'' (Fox, 2017),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/watch-this-first-glimpse-at-foxs-a-christmas-story-live |title=Watch This First Glimpse of Fox's A Christmas Story Live! |last=Fierberg |first=Ruthie |date=November 1, 2017 |website=Playbill |access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> and ''[[Rent: Live]]'' (Fox 2019).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Turchiano |first1=Danielle |title=Tinashe, Kiersey Clemons Among Cast for Fox's Live Version of 'Rent' |url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/fox-rent-live-musical-casting-tinashe-kiersey-clemons-brandon-victor-dixon-valentina-1202677983/ |work=Variety |date=29 October 2018}}</ref>

Some television shows have set episodes as a musical. Examples include episodes of ''[[Ally McBeal]]'', ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]'' ("The Bitter Suite" and "Lyre, Lyre, Heart's On Fire"), ''[[Psych]]'' ("[[Psych: The Musical]]"), ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' ("[[Once More, with Feeling (Buffy episode)|Once More, with Feeling]]"), ''[[That's So Raven]]'', ''[[Daria]]'', ''[[Dexter's Laboratory]]'', ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'', ''[[The Flash (2014 TV series)|The Flash]]'', ''[[Once Upon a Time (TV series)|Once Upon a Time]]'', ''[[Oz (TV series)|Oz]]'', ''[[Scrubs (TV series)|Scrubs]]'' (one episode was written by the creators of ''Avenue Q''), ''[[Batman: The Brave and the Bold]]'' ([[List of Batman: The Brave and the Bold episodes|"Mayhem of the Music Meister"]]) and ''[[That '70s Show]]'' (the 100th episode, "[[That '70s Musical]]"). Others have included scenes where characters suddenly begin singing and dancing in a musical-theatre style during an episode, such as in several episodes of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', ''[[30 Rock]]'', ''[[Hannah Montana]]'', ''[[South Park]]'', ''[[Bob's Burgers]]'' and ''[[Family Guy]]''.<ref>Cubillas, Sean. [https://www.cbr.com/family-guy-best-musical-numbers-ranked "''Family Guy'': 10 Best Musical Numbers"], CBR.com, March 9, 2020</ref> Television series that have extensively used the musical format have included ''[[Cop Rock]]'', ''[[Flight of the Conchords (TV series)|Flight of the Conchords]]'', ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'', ''[[Smash (TV series)|Smash]]'' and ''[[Crazy Ex-Girlfriend]]''.

There have also been musicals made for the internet, including ''[[Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog]],'' about a low-rent super-villain played by [[Neil Patrick Harris]]. It was written during the [[2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike|WGA writer's strike]].<ref>{{cite news | title = Exclusive: First Look at Joss Whedon's "Dr. Horrible" | first = Matt | last = Roush | url = http://www.tvguide.com/roush/Exclusive-Look-Joss-9886.aspx | publisher = TVGuide.com | date = June 30, 2008 | access-date = May 26, 2009 }}</ref> Since 2006, reality TV shows have been used to help market musical revivals by holding a talent competition to cast (usually female) leads. Examples of these are ''[[How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?]]'', ''[[Grease: You're the One That I Want!]],'' ''[[Any Dream Will Do (TV series)|Any Dream Will Do]],'' ''[[Legally Blonde: The Musical – The Search for Elle Woods]],'' ''[[I'd Do Anything (2008 TV series)|I'd Do Anything]]'' and ''[[Over the Rainbow (2010 TV series)|Over the Rainbow]].'' In 2021, ''[[Schmigadoon!]]'' was a parody of, and homage to, Golden Age musicals of the 1940s and 1950s.<ref>Edwards, Belen. [https://mashable.com/article/schmigadoon-original-songs-musicals-cinco-paul "The original songs in ''Schmigadoon!'' perfectly capture the joy of musicals"], Mashable, July 22, 2021</ref>

=====2020–2021 theatre shutdown=====
[[File:In The Heart Of The Beast Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota.jpg|thumb|Marquee of the [[In the Heart of the Beast Theatre]] in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]]]
The [[COVID-19 pandemic]] caused the [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performing arts|closure of theatres and theatre festivals around the world]] in early 2020, including all Broadway<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2020/10/09/broadway-coronavirus-shutdown-latest-timeline-for-possible-reopening-|title=Broadway League Extends Shutdown Until June 2021| website=www.ny1.com|access-date=Jan 18, 2021}}</ref> and West End theatres.<ref name="west end">{{cite news|url= https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/west-end-closure-august-covid-lockdown_51712.html|title= West End confirms closure until at least August| work=WhatsOnStage| date=3 June 2020}}</ref> Many performing arts institutions attempted to adapt, or reduce their losses, by offering new (or expanded) digital services. In particular this resulted in the [[online streaming]] of previously recorded performances of many companies,<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.timeout.com/theatre/best-streaming-theatre-shows-how-to-watch-online| title=The best theatre to watch online right now|website=Time Out Worldwide| access-date=2020-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406180726/https://www.timeout.com/theatre/best-streaming-theatre-shows-how-to-watch-online| archive-date=2020-04-06|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| last1=Convery|first1=Stephanie| url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/mar/20/livestreaming-schedule-music-art-literature-and-events-from-australia-and-beyond| title=Livestreaming schedule: music, art, literature and events from Australia and beyond|date=2020-03-20|work=The Guardian| access-date=2020-03-26|last2=Rawson|first2=Sharnee| issn=0261-3077| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326123210/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/mar/20/livestreaming-schedule-music-art-literature-and-events-from-australia-and-beyond|archive-date=2020-03-26|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/stage-shows-musicals-opera-free-stream-online_51198.html|title=Stage shows, musicals and opera you can watch online now for free {{!}} WhatsOnStage| website=whatsonstage.com|access-date=2020-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409070642/https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/stage-shows-musicals-opera-free-stream-online_51198.html|archive-date=2020-04-09|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as bespoke crowdsourcing projects.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://streams.culturaldigital.com/|title=Cultural Digital: Streams|last=Unitt|first=Chris|website=streams.culturaldigital.com|access-date=2020-04-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JC9gQn8-e_hL6vZGPBENdt_a3QEkcZVmbi3rv4_xNzE/htmlview#gid=0|title=Free Theatre Screenings – Google Drive|website=docs.google.com|access-date=2020-04-10}}</ref> For example, The [[Sydney Theatre Company]] commissioned actors to film themselves at home discussing, then performing, a monologue from one of the characters they had previously played on stage.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/stc-virtual|title=STC Virtual|website=Sydney Theatre Company|access-date=2020-04-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417210549/https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/stc-virtual|archive-date=2020-04-17|url-status=live}}</ref> The casts of musicals, such as ''Hamilton'' and ''Mamma Mia!'' united on Zoom calls to entertain individuals and the public.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Haylock |first1=Zoe |title=Hamilton Cast Reunion Happens in Separate Rooms |url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/04/john-krasinski-some-good-news-hamilton-cast.html |access-date=April 13, 2020 |work=Vulture |date=April 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413205734/https://www.vulture.com/2020/04/john-krasinski-some-good-news-hamilton-cast.html |archive-date=April 13, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/theatre/mamma-mia-original-west-end-cast-nhs-tribute-coronavirus-a4409146.html|title=Mamma Mia! original West End cast sing tribute in self-isolation to NHS and cast member with coronavirus|work=Evening Standard|date=7 April 2020|access-date=14 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414195936/https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/theatre/mamma-mia-original-west-end-cast-nhs-tribute-coronavirus-a4409146.html|archive-date=14 April 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Some performances were streamed live, or presented outdoors or in other "socially distanced" ways, sometimes allowing audience members to interact with the cast.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://theatreweekly.com/review-twelfth-night-live-from-the-maltings-theatre/|access-date=15 June 2020|title=Review: Twelfth Night Live from The Maltings Theatre – Theatre Weekly|date=12 June 2020}}</ref> Radio theatre festivals were broadcast.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000jvhz|access-date=13 June 2020|title=BBC Radio 3 – Free Thinking, The future of theatre debate}}</ref> Virtual, and even crowd-sourced musicals were created, such as ''[[Ratatouille the Musical]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/original-video-creators-tapped-to-provide-music-for-ratatouille-the-tiktok-musical-lucy-moss-to-direct|title=Original Video Creators Tapped to Provide Music for Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical; Lucy Moss to Direct|first=Dan|last=Meyer|date=December 17, 2020|website=Playbill|access-date=December 24, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/12/ratatouille-the-tiktok-musical-cast-wayne-brady-tituss-burgess-adam-lambert-1234661967/|title='Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical' All-Star Cast To Include Wayne Brady, Tituss Burgess & Adam Lambert|first=Greg|last=Evans|date=Dec 28, 2020|access-date=Jan 18, 2021}}</ref> Filmed versions of major musicals, like ''[[Hamilton (2020 film)|Hamilton]]'', were released on streaming platforms.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/may/12/disney-fast-tracks-hamilton-film-for-july-lin-manuel-miranda|title=The living room where it happens: Hamilton film to premiere on Disney+|work=The Guardian|date=12 May 2020}}</ref> Andrew Lloyd Webber released recordings of his musicals on YouTube.<ref>{{cite news|date=3 April 2020|title=Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Show Must Go On series: Musicals including Joseph to be streamed online for free|work=Evening Standard|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/theatre/andrew-lloyd-webber-musicals-stream-free-online-joseph-jesus-a4404846.html|url-status=live|access-date=10 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404150349/https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/theatre/andrew-lloyd-webber-musicals-stream-free-online-joseph-jesus-a4404846.html|archive-date=4 April 2020}}</ref>

Due to the closures and loss of ticket sales, many theatre companies were placed in financial peril. Some governments offered emergency aid to the arts.<ref name=":2">{{cite web| url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/arts-council-england-emergency-relief-fund-1814829|title=Arts Council England Has Launched a $190 Million Emergency Relief Package for Creative Organizations and Artists|date=2020-03-25|website=artnet News|access-date=2020-03-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327135630/https://news.artnet.com/art-world/arts-council-england-emergency-relief-fund-1814829|archive-date=2020-03-27|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/27-million-for-arts-organisations-in-new-targeted-support-package-20200408-p54ic8.html| title=$27 million for arts organisations in new targeted support package|last=Cooper|first=Nathanael|date=2020-04-08|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=2020-04-09| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200410220741/https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/27-million-for-arts-organisations-in-new-targeted-support-package-20200408-p54ic8.html|archive-date=2020-04-10|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Julia| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/arts/coronavirus-arts-bailout.html|title=Arts Groups, Facing Their Own Virus Crisis, Get a Piece of the Stimulus|date=2020-03-24| work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-03-27|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327072949/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/arts/coronavirus-arts-bailout.html|archive-date=2020-03-27|url-status=live}}</ref> Some musical theatre markets began to reopen in fits and starts by early 2021,<ref>Cave, Damien and Michael Paulson. [https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/27/theater/australia-theater-reopens-coronavirus.html "Broadway Is Dark. London Is Quiet. But in Australia, It's Showtime"], ''The New York Times'', February 27, 2021</ref> with West End theatres postponing their reopening from June to July,<ref>McPhee, Ryan. [https://www.playbill.com/article/uk-postpones-reopening-roadmap-west-end-theatres-will-no-longer-reopen-in-full-in-june "U.K. Postpones Reopening Roadmap; West End Theatres Will No Longer Reopen in Full in June"], ''Playbill'', June 14, 2021</ref> and Broadway starting in September.<ref>Garvey, Marianne. [https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/02/entertainment/broadway-returns-new-york/index.html "No curtain calls or intermissions. Broadway is back, but this act is different from before"], CNN, September 2, 2021</ref> Throughout 2021, however, spikes in the pandemic have caused some closures even after markets reopened.<ref>Blake, Elissa. [https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/jun/25/hamilton-come-from-away-among-shows-to-close-during-sydneys-snap-covid-lockdown "''Hamilton, Come From Away'' among shows to close during Sydney's snap Covid lockdown"], ''The Guardian'', June 25, 2021</ref><ref>[https://www.npr.org/2021/12/16/1065015609/theater-performances-canceled-covid-broadway-west-end "Broadway shows, newly reopened after COVID, face new cancellations"], NPR, December 16, 2021</ref>