Editing Musical theatre (section)

== History ==
=== Early antecedents ===
{{Main|Development of musical theatre}}
[[File:Opera backdrop..gif|thumb|left|A view of [[Rhodes]] by [[John Webb (architect)|John Webb]], which was painted on a backshutter for the first performance of ''[[The Siege of Rhodes]]'' (1656)]]
The antecedents of musical theatre in Europe can be traced back to the [[theatre of ancient Greece]], where music and dance were included in stage comedies and tragedies during the 5th century BCE.<ref>{{cite web|last=Thornton|first=Shay| url=http://www.tuts.com/season07/wonderful_study.pdf|title=A Wonderful Life|publisher=[[Theatre Under The Stars (Houston)|Theatre Under the Stars]]|location=Houston, Texas|page=2|date=2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127051412/http://www.tuts.com/season07/wonderful_study.pdf|access-date=May 26, 2009|archive-date=2007-11-27}}</ref><ref>[[Noël Goodwin|Goodwin, Noël]]. [https://www.britannica.com/art/theatre-music/The-history-of-theatrical-music "The history of theatrical music"], Britannica.com, accessed August 4, 2021; and Blakeley, Sasha and Jenna Conan. [https://study.com/academy/lesson/history-of-musical-theatre-lesson-for-kids.html "History of Musical Theatre: Lesson for Kids – Early Musicals"], Study.com, accessed August 4, 2021</ref> The music from the ancient forms is lost, however, and they had little influence on later development of musical theatre.<ref name=KenrickShort>[[John Kenrick (theatre writer)|Kenrick, John]]. [http://www.musicals101.com/stagecap.htm "A Capsule History"], Musicals101.com, 2003, accessed October 12, 2015</ref> In the 12th and 13th centuries, religious dramas taught the [[liturgy]]. Groups of actors would use outdoor [[Pageant wagon]]s (stages on wheels) to tell each part of the story. Poetic forms sometimes alternated with the prose dialogues, and liturgical chants gave way to new melodies.<ref>Hoppin, pp. 180–181</ref>

The European [[Renaissance]] saw older forms evolve into two antecedents of musical theatre: [[commedia dell'arte]], where raucous clowns improvised familiar stories, and later, [[opera buffa]]. In England, Elizabethan and Jacobean plays frequently included music,<ref>Lord, p. 41</ref> and short musical plays began to be included in an evenings' dramatic entertainments.<ref>Lord, p. 42</ref> Court [[masque]]s developed during the [[Tudor period]] that involved music, dancing, singing and acting, often with expensive costumes and a complex [[stage design]].<ref>Buelow 2004, p. 26</ref><ref>Shakespeare 1998, p. 44</ref> These developed into sung plays that are recognizable as English operas, the first usually being thought of as ''[[The Siege of Rhodes]]'' (1656).<ref name=Buelow328>Buelow, p. 328</ref> In France, meanwhile, [[Molière]] turned several of his farcical comedies into musical entertainments with songs (music provided by [[Jean-Baptiste Lully]]) and dance in the late 17th century. These influenced a brief period of [[Opera in English|English opera]]<ref name="Carter">Carter and Butt 2005, p. 280</ref> by composers such as [[John Blow]]<ref>Parker 2001, p. 42</ref> and [[Henry Purcell]].<ref name=Buelow328/>

From the 18th century, the most popular forms of musical theatre in Britain were [[ballad opera]]s, like [[John Gay]]'s ''[[The Beggar's Opera]]'', that included lyrics written to the tunes of popular songs of the day (often spoofing opera), and later [[pantomime]], which developed from commedia dell'arte, and [[comic opera]] with mostly romantic plot lines, like [[Michael Balfe]]'s ''[[The Bohemian Girl]]'' (1845). Meanwhile, on the continent, [[singspiel]], [[comédie en vaudeville]], [[opéra comique]], [[zarzuela]] and other forms of light musical entertainment were emerging. ''The Beggar's Opera'' was the first recorded long-running play of any kind, running for 62 successive performances in 1728. It would take almost a century afterwards before any play broke 100 performances,<ref>The first was ''[[Tom and Jerry, or Life in London]]'' (1821)</ref> but the record soon reached 150 in the late 1820s.<ref name="dgillan.screaming.net">Gillan, Don. [http://www.stagebeauty.net/th-frames.html?http&&&www.stagebeauty.net/th-longr.html "Longest Running Plays in London and New York"], Stage Beauty (2007), accessed May 26, 2009</ref><ref name=Parker1196>Parker (1925), pp. 1196–1197</ref> Other musical theatre forms developed in England by the 19th century, such as [[music hall]], [[melodrama]] and [[burletta]], which were popularized partly because most London theatres were licensed only as music halls and not allowed to present plays without music.

Colonial America did not have a significant theatre presence until 1752, when London entrepreneur William Hallam sent a company of actors to the colonies managed by his brother [[Lewis Hallam|Lewis]].<ref name=Wilmethp.182>Wilmeth and Miller, p. 182</ref> In New York in the summer of 1753, they performed ballad-operas, such as ''The Beggar's Opera'', and ballad-farces.<ref name=Wilmethp.182/> By the 1840s, [[P. T. Barnum]] was operating an entertainment complex in lower Manhattan.<ref>Wilmeth and Miller, p. 56</ref> Other early musical theatre in America consisted of British forms, such as burletta and pantomime,<ref name=KenrickShort/> but what a piece was called did not necessarily define what it was. The 1852 Broadway [[extravaganza]] ''The Magic Deer'' advertised itself as "A Serio Comico Tragico Operatical Historical Extravaganzical Burletical Tale of Enchantment."<ref name=Kenrick>Kenrick, John. [http://www.musicals101.com/erastage.htm "History of Stage Musicals"], Musicals101.com, 2003, accessed May 26, 2009</ref> Theatre in New York moved from downtown gradually to midtown from around 1850 and did not arrive in the Times Square area until the 1920s and 1930s. New York runs lagged far behind those in London, but [[Laura Keene]]'s "musical burletta" ''[[The Seven Sisters (play)|Seven Sisters]]'' (1860) shattered previous New York musical theatre record, with a run of 253 performances.<ref>Allen, p. 106</ref>

=== 1850s to 1880s ===
[[File:Circa-1879-DOyly-Carte-HMS-Pinafore-from-Library-of-Congress2.jpg|thumb|upright|Poster, c. 1879]]
Around 1850, the French composer [[Hervé (composer)|Hervé]] was experimenting with a form of comic musical theatre he called [[opérette]].<ref name=Lubbock>[[Mark Lubbock|Lubbock, Mark]]. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/937354 "The Music of 'Musicals'"]. ''[[The Musical Times]]'', vol. 98, no. 1375 (September 1957), pp. 483–485, accessed 17 August 2010</ref> The best known composers of [[operetta]] were [[Jacques Offenbach]] from the 1850s to the 1870s and [[Johann Strauss II]] in the 1870s and 1880s.<ref name=KenrickShort/> Offenbach's fertile melodies, combined with his librettists' witty satire, formed a model for the musical theatre that followed.<ref name=Lubbock/> Adaptations of the French operettas (played in mostly bad, risqué translations), [[Victorian burlesque|musical burlesques]], music hall, pantomime and burletta dominated the London musical stage into the 1870s.<ref name=Bond>[[Jessie Bond|Bond, Jessie]]. [https://www.gsarchive.net/books/bond/intro.html Introduction to ''The Life and Reminiscences of Jessie Bond''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421204843/https://www.gsarchive.net/books/bond/intro.html |date=2012-04-21 }}, reprinted at ''The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive'', accessed March 4, 2011</ref> 

In America, mid-19th century musical theatre entertainments included crude [[variety show|variety revue]], which eventually developed into [[vaudeville]], [[minstrel show]]s, which soon crossed the Atlantic to Britain, and Victorian burlesque, first popularized in the US by British troupes.<ref name=KenrickShort/> [[Kurt Gänzl]] considers ''The Doctor of Alcantara'' (1862), with music composed by [[Julius Eichberg]] and a book and lyrics by Benjamin E Woolf, to be the "first American musical",<ref>[[Kurt Gänzl|Gänzl, Kurt]]. [http://operetta-research-center.org/first-american-musical-doctor-alcantara-1862 "The First American Musical: ''The Doctor of Alcantara'' (1862)"], ''Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre'', via ''Operetta Research Center'', 15 June 2020</ref> though he also points to even earlier works.<ref>[[Kurt Gänzl|Gänzl, Kurt]]. [https://kurtofgerolstein.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-black-crook-or-how-to-invent-history.html "'''The Black Crook'', or How to Invent History"], Kurt of Gerolstein, June 20, 2018</ref> A hugely successful musical entertainment that premiered in New York in 1866, ''[[The Black Crook]]'', combined dance and some original music that helped to tell the story. The spectacular production, famous for its skimpy costumes, ran for a record-breaking 474 performances.<ref>Reside, Doug. [http://www.nypl.org/blog/2011/06/02/musical-month-black-crook "Musical of the Month: ''The Black Crook''"], [[New York Public Library for the Performing Arts]], June 2, 2011, accessed June 21, 2018</ref> The same year, ''The Black Domino/Between You, Me and the Post'' was the first show to call itself a "musical comedy". In 1874, ''[[Evangeline (1874 musical)|Evangeline or The Belle of Arcadia]]'', by [[Edward E. Rice]] and [[J. Cheever Goodwin]], based loosely on [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow|Longfellow’s]] ''[[Evangeline]]'', with an original American story and music, opened successfully in New York and was revived in Boston, New York, and in repeated tours.<ref name=Miller>Miller, Scott. [https://www.newlinetheatre.com/musicalcomedy.html "Curtain Up, Light the Lights: 1874–1900"], New Line Theatre, 2008, accessed 7 July 2024</ref> Comedians [[Edward Harrigan]] and [[Tony Hart (theater)|Tony Hart]] produced and starred in musicals on Broadway between 1878 (''The Mulligan Guard Picnic'') and 1885. These musical comedies featured characters and situations taken from the everyday life of New York's lower classes. They starred high quality singers ([[Lillian Russell]], [[Vivienne Segal]] and [[Fay Templeton]]) instead of the ladies of questionable repute who had starred in earlier musical forms. In 1879, ''The Brook'' by Nate Salsbury was another national success with contemporary American dance styles and an American story about "members of an acting company taking a trip down a river ... with lots of obstacles and mishaps along the way".<ref name=Miller/>

As transportation improved, poverty in London and New York diminished, and street lighting made for safer travel at night, the number of patrons for the growing number of theatres increased enormously. Plays ran longer, leading to better profits and improved production values, and men began to bring their families to the theatre. The first musical theatre piece to exceed 500 consecutive performances was the French operetta ''[[The Chimes of Normandy]]'' in 1878 (705 performances).<ref name="dgillan.screaming.net"/><ref>Gänzl and Lamb, p. 356</ref> English [[comic opera]] adopted many of the successful ideas of European operetta, none more successfully than the series of more than a dozen long-running [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] comic operas, including ''[[H.M.S. Pinafore]]'' (1878) and ''[[The Mikado]]'' (1885).<ref name=Lubbock/> These were sensations on both sides of the Atlantic and in Australia and helped to raise the standard for what was considered a successful show.<ref name=WeAll>Kenrick, John. [http://www.musicals101.com/usafter.htm "G&S in the USA" at the musicals101 website] ''The Cyber Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre, TV and Film'' (2008). Retrieved on 4 May 2012.</ref> These shows were designed for family audiences, a marked contrast from the risqué burlesques, bawdy music hall shows and French operettas that sometimes drew a crowd seeking less wholesome entertainment.<ref name=Bond/> Only a few 19th-century musical pieces exceeded the run of ''The Mikado'', such as ''[[Dorothy (opera)|Dorothy]]'', which opened in 1886 and set a new record with a run of 931 performances. Gilbert and Sullivan's influence on later musical theatre was profound, creating examples of how to "integrate" musicals so that the lyrics and dialogue advanced a coherent story.<ref name=Jones10>Jones, 2003, [https://books.google.com/books?id=WqQH31qkYNoC&pg=PA9 pp. 10–11]</ref><ref>Bargainnier, Earl F. "W. S. Gilbert and American Musical Theatre", pp. 120–133, ''American Popular Music: Readings from the Popular Press'' by Timothy E. Scheurer, Popular Press, 1989 {{ISBN|0-87972-466-8}}</ref> Their works were [[Cultural influence of Gilbert and Sullivan#Musical theatre and comedy|admired and copied]] by early authors and composers of musicals in Britain<ref>[http://books.guardian.co.uk/authors/author/0,,-248,00.html PG Wodehouse (1881–1975)], guardian.co.uk, Retrieved on 21 May 2007</ref><ref>[http://home.lagrange.edu/arobinson/wodehousegilbert.htm "List of allusions to G&S in Wodehouse"], Home.lagrange.edu, accessed May 27, 2009</ref> and America.<ref name=WeAll/><ref>Meyerson, Harold and Ernest Harburg ''Who Put the Rainbow in the Wizard of Oz?: Yip Harburg, Lyricist'', pp. 15–17 (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1993); and Bradley, p. 9</ref>

=== 1890s to the new century ===
{{further|Edwardian musical comedy}}
[[File:Cover of the Vocal Score of Sidney Jones' The Geisha.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Cover of the Vocal Score of [[Sidney Jones (composer)|Sidney Jones]]' ''The Geisha'']]
''[[A Trip to Chinatown]]'' (1891) was Broadway's long-run champion (until ''[[Irene (musical)|Irene]]'' in 1919), running for 657 performances, but New York runs continued to be relatively short, with a few exceptions, compared with London runs, until the 1920s.<ref name="dgillan.screaming.net"/> Gilbert and Sullivan were widely pirated and also were imitated in New York by productions such as [[Reginald De Koven]]'s ''[[Robin Hood (De Koven opera)|Robin Hood]]'' (1891) and [[John Philip Sousa]]'s ''[[El Capitan (operetta)|El Capitan]]'' (1896). ''A Trip to Coontown'' (1898) was the first musical comedy entirely produced and performed by African Americans on Broadway (largely inspired by the routines of the [[minstrel show]]s), followed by [[ragtime]]-tinged shows. Hundreds of musical comedies were staged on Broadway in the 1890s and early 20th century, composed of songs written in New York's [[Tin Pan Alley]], including those by [[George M. Cohan]], who worked to create an American style distinct from the Gilbert and Sullivan works. The most successful New York shows were often followed by extensive national tours.<ref>Mark Evan Swartz's ''[[Oz Before the Rainbow]]'' describes the enormous train trips required of the cast of the 1903 smash hit, ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1902 musical)|The Wizard of Oz]]'', which tour ran for nine years, including on the road. [https://books.google.com/books?id=X_7VbOGM8iMC&q=%22Oz+before+the+rainbow%22 "Oz Before the Rainbow: L. Frank Baum's ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' on Stage and Screen to 1939"]. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000 {{ISBN|0-8018-6477-1}}</ref>

Meanwhile, musicals took over the London stage in the [[Gay Nineties]], led by producer [[George Edwardes]], who perceived that audiences wanted a new alternative to the [[Savoy opera|Savoy]]-style comic operas and their intellectual, political, absurdist satire. He experimented with a modern-dress, family-friendly musical theatre style, with breezy, popular songs, snappy, romantic banter, and stylish spectacle at the [[Gaiety Theatre, London|Gaiety]] and his other theatres. These drew on the traditions of comic opera and used elements of burlesque and of the Harrigan and Hart pieces. He replaced the bawdy women of burlesque with his "respectable" corps of [[Gaiety Girls]] to complete the musical and visual fun. The success of the first of these, ''[[In Town (musical)|In Town]]'' (1892) and ''[[A Gaiety Girl]]'' (1893) set the style for the next three decades. The plots were generally light, romantic "poor maiden loves aristocrat and wins him against all odds" shows, with music by [[Ivan Caryll]], [[Sidney Jones (composer)|Sidney Jones]] and [[Lionel Monckton]]. These shows were immediately widely copied in America, and [[Edwardian musical comedy]] swept away the earlier musical forms of comic opera and operetta. ''[[The Geisha]]'' (1896) was one of the most successful in the 1890s, running for more than two years and achieving great international success.

''[[The Belle of New York (musical)|The Belle of New York]]'' (1898) became the first American musical to run for over a year in London. The British musical comedy ''[[Florodora]]'' (1899) was a popular success on both sides of the Atlantic, as was ''[[A Chinese Honeymoon]]'' (1901), which ran for a record-setting 1,074 performances in London and 376 in New York.<ref name=Parker1196/> After the turn of the 20th century, [[Seymour Hicks]] joined forces with Edwardes and American producer [[Charles Frohman]] to create another decade of popular shows. Other enduring Edwardian musical comedy hits included ''[[The Arcadians (musical)|The Arcadians]]'' (1909) and ''[[The Quaker Girl]]'' (1910).<ref>See, generally, Index to ''The Gaiety'', a British musical theatre publication about Victorian and Edwardian musical theatre.</ref>

=== Early 20th century ===
[[File:Victor herbert.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Victor Herbert]]]]
Virtually eliminated from the English-speaking stage by competition from the ubiquitous Edwardian musical comedies, operettas returned to London and Broadway in 1907 with ''[[The Merry Widow]]'', and adaptations of continental operettas became direct competitors with musicals. [[Franz Lehár]] and [[Oscar Straus (composer)|Oscar Straus]] composed new operettas that were popular in English until World War I.<ref>Kenrick, John. [http://www.musicals101.com/who22.htm Basil Hood], ''Who's Who in Musicals: Additional Bios XII'', Musicals101.com, 2004, accessed May 7, 2012</ref> In America, [[Victor Herbert]] produced a string of enduring operettas including ''[[The Fortune Teller (operetta)|The Fortune Teller]]'' (1898), ''[[Babes in Toyland (operetta)|Babes in Toyland]]'' (1903), ''[[Mlle. Modiste]]'' (1905), ''[[The Red Mill]]'' (1906) and ''[[Naughty Marietta (operetta)|Naughty Marietta]]'' (1910).

In the 1910s, the team of [[P. G. Wodehouse]], [[Guy Bolton]] and [[Jerome Kern]], following in the footsteps of [[Gilbert and Sullivan]], created the "[[Princess Theatre, New York City|Princess Theatre]] shows" and paved the way for Kern's later work by showing that a musical could combine light, popular entertainment with continuity between its story and songs.<ref name=Jones10/> Historian [[Gerald Bordman]] wrote:
{{blockquote|These shows built and polished the mold from which almost all later major musical comedies evolved. ... The characters and situations were, within the limitations of musical comedy license, believable and the humor came from the situations or the nature of the characters. Kern's exquisitely flowing melodies were employed to further the action or develop characterization. ... [Edwardian] musical comedy was often guilty of inserting songs in a hit-or-miss fashion. The Princess Theatre musicals brought about a change in approach. P. G. Wodehouse, the most observant, literate and witty lyricist of his day, and the team of Bolton, Wodehouse and Kern had an influence felt to this day.<ref name=Quarterly>Bordman, Gerald. "Jerome David Kern: Innovator/Traditionalist", ''[[The Musical Quarterly]]'', 1985, Vol. 71, No. 4, pp. 468–473</ref>}}

The theatre-going public needed escapist entertainment during the dark times of [[World War I]], and they flocked to the theatre. The 1919 hit musical ''[[Irene (musical)|Irene]]'' ran for 670 performances, a Broadway record that held until 1938.<ref name=Hellz>Kenrick, John. [http://www.musicals101.com/1930bway3.htm Hellzapoppin – History of The Musical Stage 1930s: Part III – Revues], Musicals101.com, accessed October 8, 2015</ref> The British theatre public supported far longer runs like that of ''[[The Maid of the Mountains]]'' (1,352 performances) and especially ''[[Chu Chin Chow]]''. Its run of 2,238 performances was more than twice as long as any previous musical, setting a record that stood for nearly forty years.<ref name=Salad>[http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_s/salad_days.htm "Salad Days History, Story, Roles and Musical Numbers"] guidetomusicaltheatre.com, accessed March 16, 2012</ref> Even a revival of ''The Beggar's Opera'' held the stage for 1,463 performances.<ref name=h1598>Herbert, p. 1598</ref> Revues like ''[[The Bing Boys Are Here]]'' in Britain, and those of [[Florenz Ziegfeld]] and his imitators in America, were also extraordinarily popular.<ref name=Kenrick/>

[[File:Sallysm.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Sheet music from ''[[Sally (musical)|Sally]]'', 1920]]
The musicals of the [[Roaring Twenties]], borrowing from vaudeville, [[music hall]] and other light entertainments, tended to emphasize big dance routines and popular songs at the expense of plot. Typical of the decade were lighthearted productions like ''[[Sally (musical)|Sally]]''; ''[[Lady, Be Good (musical)|Lady, Be Good]]''; ''[[No, No, Nanette]]''; ''[[Oh, Kay!]]''; and ''[[Funny Face (musical)|Funny Face]]''. Despite forgettable stories, these musicals featured stars such as [[Marilyn Miller]] and [[Fred Astaire]] and produced dozens of enduring popular songs by Kern, [[George Gershwin|George]] and [[Ira Gershwin]], [[Irving Berlin]], [[Cole Porter]] and [[Rodgers and Hart]]. Popular music was dominated by musical theatre standards, such as "[[Fascinating Rhythm]]", "[[Tea for Two (song)|Tea for Two]]" and "[[Someone to Watch Over Me (song)|Someone to Watch Over Me]]". Many shows were [[revue]]s, series of sketches and songs with little or no connection between them. The best-known of these were the annual ''[[Ziegfeld Follies]]'', spectacular song-and-dance revues on Broadway featuring extravagant sets, elaborate costumes and beautiful chorus girls.<ref name=KenrickShort/> These spectacles also raised production values, and mounting a musical generally became more expensive.<ref name=Kenrick/> ''[[Shuffle Along]]'' (1921), an all-African American show, was a hit on Broadway.<ref>Krasner, David. ''A Beautiful Pageant: African American Theatre, Drama and Performance in the Harlem Renaissance, 1910–1927'', Palgrave MacMillan, 2002, pp. 263–267</ref> A new generation of composers of operettas also emerged in the 1920s, such as [[Rudolf Friml]] and [[Sigmund Romberg]], to create a series of popular Broadway hits.<ref>[[Anne Midgette|Midgette, Anne]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/29/theater/operetta-review-much-silliness-in-a-gilt-frame.html "Operetta Review: Much Silliness In a Gilt Frame"], ''The New York Times'', March 29, 2003, accessed December 1, 2012</ref>

In London, writer-stars such as [[Ivor Novello]] and [[Noël Coward]] became popular, but the primacy of British musical theatre from the 19th century through 1920 was gradually replaced by American innovation, especially after World War I, as Kern and other [[Tin Pan Alley]] composers began to bring new musical styles such as [[ragtime]] and [[jazz]] to the theatres, and the [[Shubert Brothers]] took control of the Broadway theatres. Musical theatre writer [[Andrew Lamb (writer)|Andrew Lamb]] notes, "The operatic and theatrical styles of nineteenth-century social structures were replaced by a musical style more aptly suited to twentieth-century society and its vernacular idiom. It was from America that the more direct style emerged, and in America that it was able to flourish in a developing society less hidebound by nineteenth-century tradition."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Lamb|first=Andrew|author-link=Andrew Lamb (writer)|date=Spring 1986|title=From Pinafore to Porter: United States-United Kingdom Interactions in Musical Theater, 1879–1929|journal=[[American Music (journal)|American Music]]|volume=4|issue=British-American Musical Interactions|page=47|publisher=University of Illinois Press|location=Chicago|issn=0734-4392|jstor=3052183|doi=10.2307/3052183}}</ref> In France, ''comédie musicale'' was written between in the early decades of the century for such stars as [[Yvonne Printemps]].<ref>Wagstaff, John and [[Andrew Lamb (writer)|Andrew Lamb]]. [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/18492 "Messager, André"]. ''Grove Music Online'', Oxford Music Online, accessed 15 March 2018 {{subscription required}}</ref>

=== ''Show Boat'' and the Great Depression ===
Progressing far beyond the comparatively frivolous musicals and sentimental operettas of the decade, Broadway's ''[[Show Boat]]'' (1927) represented an even more complete integration of book and score than the Princess Theatre musicals, with dramatic themes told through the music, dialogue, setting and movement. This was accomplished by combining the lyricism of Kern's music with the skillful libretto of [[Oscar Hammerstein II]]. One historian wrote, "Here we come to a completely new genre – the musical play as distinguished from musical comedy. Now ... everything else was subservient to that play. Now ... came complete integration of song, humor and production numbers into a single and inextricable artistic entity."<ref name=history>Lubbock (2002)</ref>

[[File:Rodgers and Hart NYWTS.jpg|left|thumb|[[Rodgers and Hart]]]]
As the [[Great Depression]] set in during the post-Broadway national tour of ''Show Boat'', the public turned back to mostly light, escapist song-and-dance entertainment.<ref name=Quarterly/> Audiences on both sides of the Atlantic had little money to spend on entertainment, and only a few stage shows anywhere exceeded a run of 500 performances during the decade. The revue ''[[The Band Wagon (musical)|The Band Wagon]]'' (1931) starred dancing partners Fred Astaire and his sister [[Adele Astaire|Adele]], while Porter's ''[[Anything Goes]]'' (1934) confirmed [[Ethel Merman]]'s position as the First Lady of musical theatre, a title she maintained for many years. Coward and Novello continued to deliver old fashioned, sentimental musicals, such as ''[[The Dancing Years]]'', while Rodgers and Hart returned from Hollywood to create a series of successful Broadway shows, including ''[[On Your Toes]]'' (1936, with [[Ray Bolger]], the first Broadway musical to make dramatic use of classical dance), ''[[Babes in Arms]]'' (1937) and ''[[The Boys from Syracuse]]'' (1938). Porter added ''[[Du Barry Was a Lady]]'' (1939). The longest-running piece of musical theatre of the 1930s in the US was ''[[Hellzapoppin (musical)|Hellzapoppin]]'' (1938), a revue with audience participation, which played for 1,404 performances, setting a new Broadway record.<ref name=Hellz/> In Britain, ''[[Me and My Girl]]'' ran for 1,646 performances.<ref name=h1598/>

Still, a few creative teams began to build on ''Show Boat''{{'}}s innovations. ''[[Of Thee I Sing]]'' (1931), a political satire by the Gershwins, was the first musical awarded the [[Pulitzer Prize]].<ref name=KenrickShort/><ref>[http://www.pulitzer.org/awards/1944 1944 Pulitzer awards], Pulitzer.org, accessed July 7, 2012</ref> ''[[As Thousands Cheer]]'' (1933), a revue by [[Irving Berlin]] and [[Moss Hart]] in which each song or sketch was based on a newspaper headline, marked the first Broadway show in which an African-American, [[Ethel Waters]], starred alongside white actors. Waters' numbers included "[[Supper Time]]", a woman's lament for her husband who has been lynched.<ref>Connema, Richard. [http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/sanfran/s75.html "San Francisco: ''As Thousands Cheer'' and ''Dear World''"], TalkinBroadway.org (2000), accessed May 26, 2009</ref> The Gershwins' ''[[Porgy and Bess]]'' (1935) featured an all African-American cast and blended operatic, folk and jazz idioms. ''[[The Cradle Will Rock]]'' (1937), directed by [[Orson Welles]], was a highly political pro-[[trade union|union]] piece that, despite the controversy surrounding it, ran for 108 performances.<ref name=Kenrick/> Rodgers and Hart's ''[[I'd Rather Be Right]]'' (1937) was a political satire with [[George M. Cohan]] as President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], and [[Kurt Weill]]'s ''[[Knickerbocker Holiday]]'' depicted New York City's early history while good-naturedly satirizing Roosevelt's good intentions.

The motion picture mounted a challenge to the stage. Silent films had presented only limited competition, but by the end of the 1920s, films like ''[[The Jazz Singer]]'' could be presented with synchronized sound. [[Sound film|"Talkie"]] films at low prices effectively killed off [[vaudeville]] by the early 1930s.<ref>Kenrick, John. [http://www.musicals101.com/1927-30film2.htm "History of Musical Film, 1927–30: Part II"], Musicals101.com, 2004, accessed May 17, 2010</ref> Despite the economic woes of the 1930s and the competition from film, the musical survived. In fact, it continued to evolve thematically beyond the gags and showgirls musicals of the ''Gay Nineties'' and ''Roaring Twenties'' and the sentimental romance of operetta, adding technical expertise and the fast-paced staging and naturalistic dialogue style led by director [[George Abbott]].<ref name=KenrickShort/>

=== The Golden Age (1940s to 1960s) ===
[[File:Rodgers and Hammerstein and Berlin and Tamiris NYWTS.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|[[Rodgers and Hammerstein]] (left and right) and [[Irving Berlin]] (center) at the [[St. James Theatre]] in 1948]]

==== 1940s ====
The 1940s began with more hits from Porter, [[Irving Berlin]], Rodgers and Hart, Weill and Gershwin, some with runs over 500 performances as the economy rebounded, but artistic change was in the air. [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]]'s ''[[Oklahoma!]]'' (1943) completed the revolution begun by ''[[Show Boat]]'', by tightly integrating all the aspects of musical theatre, with a cohesive plot, songs that furthered the action of the story, and featured dream ballets and other dances that advanced the plot and developed the characters, rather than using dance as an excuse to parade scantily clad women across the stage.<ref name=Rubin438/> Rodgers and Hammerstein hired ballet choreographer [[Agnes de Mille]], who used everyday motions to help the characters express their ideas. It defied musical conventions by raising its first act curtain not on a bevy of chorus girls, but rather on a woman churning butter, with an off-stage voice singing the opening lines of ''[[Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin']]'' unaccompanied. It drew rave reviews, set off a box-office frenzy and received a [[Pulitzer Prize]].<ref>[http://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-category/260 Special Awards and Citations – 1944], The Pulitzer Prizes, accessed January 7, 2018</ref> [[Brooks Atkinson]] wrote in ''The New York Times'' that the show's opening number changed the history of musical theatre: "After a verse like that, sung to a buoyant melody, the banalities of the old musical stage became intolerable."<ref name=Heritage>[[John Steele Gordon|Gordon, John Steele]]. [http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1993/1/1993_1_58.shtml ''Oklahoma!''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100804175330/http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1993/1/1993_1_58.shtml |date=2010-08-04 }}. Retrieved June 13, 2010</ref> It was the first "blockbuster" Broadway show, running a total of 2,212 performances, and was made into a hit film. It remains one of the most frequently produced of the team's projects. William A. Everett and [[Paul R. Laird]] wrote that this was a "show, that, like ''Show Boat'', became a milestone, so that later historians writing about important moments in twentieth-century theatre would begin to identify eras according to their relationship to ''Oklahoma!''".<ref>Everett and Laird, p. 124</ref>

[[File:Mary Martin 1.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=Portrait of a woman in her mid-thirties, with long curly hair and wearing an old-fashioned blouse with string tie|[[Mary Martin]] starred in several Broadway hits of this era]]
"After ''Oklahoma!'', Rodgers and Hammerstein were the most important contributors to the musical-play form... The examples they set in creating vital plays, often rich with social thought, provided the necessary encouragement for other gifted writers to create musical plays of their own".<ref name=history/> The two collaborators created an extraordinary collection of some of musical theatre's best loved and most enduring classics, including ''[[Carousel (musical)|Carousel]]'' (1945), ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'' (1949), ''[[The King and I]]'' (1951) and ''[[The Sound of Music]]'' (1959). Some of these musicals treat more serious subject matter than most earlier shows: the villain in ''Oklahoma!'' is a suspected murderer and psychopath; ''Carousel'' deals with spousal abuse, thievery, suicide and the afterlife; ''South Pacific'' explores miscegenation even more thoroughly than ''Show Boat''; the hero of ''The King and I'' dies onstage; and the backdrop of ''The Sound of Music'' is the [[Anschluss|annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938]].

The show's creativity stimulated Rodgers and Hammerstein's contemporaries and ushered in the "Golden Age" of American musical theatre.<ref name=Heritage/> Americana was displayed on Broadway during the "Golden Age", as the wartime cycle of shows began to arrive. An example of this is ''[[On the Town (musical)|On the Town]]'' (1944), written by [[Betty Comden]] and [[Adolph Green]], composed by [[Leonard Bernstein]] and choreographed by [[Jerome Robbins]]. The story is set during wartime and concerns three sailors who are on a 24-hour shore leave in New York City, during which each falls in love. The show also gives the impression of a country with an uncertain future, as the sailors and their women also have. [[Irving Berlin]] used sharpshooter [[Annie Oakley]]'s career as a basis for his ''[[Annie Get Your Gun (musical)|Annie Get Your Gun]]'' (1946, 1,147 performances); [[Burton Lane]], [[E. Y. Harburg]] and [[Fred Saidy]] combined political satire with Irish whimsy for their fantasy ''[[Finian's Rainbow]]'' (1947, 725 performances); and Cole Porter found inspiration in [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' for ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]'' (1948, 1,077 performances). The American musicals overwhelmed the old-fashioned British Coward/Novello-style shows, one of the last big successes of which was Novello's ''[[Perchance to Dream (musical)|Perchance to Dream]]'' (1945, 1,021 performances).<ref name=h1598/> The formula for the Golden Age musicals reflected one or more of four widely held perceptions of the "American dream": That stability and worth derives from a love relationship sanctioned and restricted by Protestant ideals of marriage; that a married couple should make a moral home with children away from the city in a suburb or small town; that the woman's function was as homemaker and mother; and that Americans incorporate an independent and pioneering spirit or that their success is self-made.<ref>Rubin and Solórzano, pp. 439–440</ref>

==== 1950s ====
{{Further|Musical film}}
[[File:Richard Burton and Julie Andrews Camelot.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Julie Andrews]] with [[Richard Burton]] in ''Camelot'' (1960)]]
The 1950s were crucial to the development of the American musical.<ref>Marks, Peter. [https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/98/09/27/reviews/980927.27markst.html "Opening Nights"], ''The New York Times'', September 27, 1998, accessed July 14, 2019</ref> [[Damon Runyon]]'s eclectic characters were at the core of [[Frank Loesser]]'s and [[Abe Burrows]]' ''[[Guys and Dolls]]'', (1950, 1,200 performances); and the [[California Gold Rush|Gold Rush]] was the setting for [[Alan Jay Lerner]] and [[Frederick Loewe]]'s ''[[Paint Your Wagon (musical)|Paint Your Wagon]]'' (1951). The relatively brief seven-month run of that show did not discourage [[Lerner and Loewe]] from collaborating again, this time on ''[[My Fair Lady]]'' (1956), an adaptation of [[George Bernard Shaw]]'s ''[[Pygmalion (play)|Pygmalion]]'' starring [[Rex Harrison]] and [[Julie Andrews]], which at 2,717 performances held the long-run record for many years. Popular Hollywood films were made of all of these musicals. Two hits by British creators in this decade were ''[[The Boy Friend (musical)|The Boy Friend]]'' (1954), which ran for 2,078 performances in London and marked Andrews' American debut, and ''[[Salad Days (musical)|Salad Days]]'' (1954), which broke the British long-run record with a run of 2,283 performances.<ref name=h1598/><ref name=Salad/>

Another record was set by ''[[The Threepenny Opera]]'', which ran for 2,707 performances, becoming the longest-running off-Broadway musical until ''[[The Fantasticks]]''. The production also broke ground by showing that musicals could be profitable off-Broadway in a small-scale, small orchestra format. This was confirmed in 1959 when a revival of [[Jerome Kern]] and [[P. G. Wodehouse]]'s ''[[Leave It to Jane]]'' ran for more than two years. The 1959–1960 [[off-Broadway]] season included a dozen musicals and revues including ''[[Little Mary Sunshine]]'', ''The Fantasticks'' and ''[[Ernest in Love]]'', a musical adaptation of [[Oscar Wilde]]'s 1895 hit ''[[The Importance of Being Earnest]]''.<ref>Suskin, Steven. [https://archive.today/20120719051547/http://web.playbill.com/news/article/81129-ON_THE_RECORD_Ernest_In_Love_Marco_Polo_Puppets_and_Maury_Yeston "On the Record: ''Ernest In Love'', ''Marco Polo'', Puppets and Maury Yeston"], ''Playbill'', August 10, 2003, accessed May 26, 2009</ref>

[[File:Leonard Bernstein 1971.jpg|left|thumb|upright|[[Leonard Bernstein]], 1971]]
''[[West Side Story]]'' (1957) transported ''Romeo and Juliet'' to modern day New York City and converted the feuding Montague and Capulet families into opposing ethnic gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. The book was adapted by [[Arthur Laurents]], with music by [[Leonard Bernstein]] and lyrics by newcomer [[Stephen Sondheim]]. It was praised by critics for its innovations in music and choreography<ref>{{cite news | author = Kerr, Walter | url = http://www.westsidestory.com/archives_herald2.php | title = {{-'}}West Side Story{{'-}} | work = New York Herald Tribune | date = September 27, 1957 | access-date = August 19, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110926222813/http://www.westsidestory.com/archives_herald2.php | archive-date = September 26, 2011 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071013132852/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,809976,00.html "Theater: New Musical in Manhattan (''West Side Story'')"], ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', October 7, 1957</ref> but was less commercially successful than the same year's ''[[The Music Man]]'', written and composed by [[Meredith Willson]], which won the [[Tony Award for Best Musical]] that year.<ref>{{cite news | title = Conversations with Sondheim | first = Frank | last = Rich | url = http://partners.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000312mag-sondheim.html?scp=1&sq=conversations%20with%20sondheim&st=cse | work = [[The New York Times]] Magazine | date = March 12, 2000 | access-date = May 26, 2009 }}</ref> ''West Side Story'' would get a [[West Side Story (1961 film)|film adaptation]] in 1961, which proved successful both critically and commercially.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/02/19/west_side_story_tops_best_movie_musical_/ |title=West Side Story Tops Best Movie Musical |date=19 February 2007 |publisher=Starpulse.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070222014926/http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/02/19/west_side_story_tops_best_movie_musical_| archive-date=22 February 2007 |access-date=4 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Pirie|first=David|author-link=David Pirie|date=1981|title=Anatomy of the Movies|publisher=[[Macmillan Inc.]]|location=New York|page=[https://archive.org/details/anatomyofmovies00piri/page/254 254] |isbn=0-02-597540-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/anatomyofmovies00piri/page/254}}</ref> Laurents and Sondheim teamed up again for ''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]'' (1959), with [[Jule Styne]] providing the music for a story about [[Rose Thompson Hovick]], the mother of the titular stripper [[Gypsy Rose Lee]]. 

Although directors and choreographers have had a major influence on musical theatre style since at least the 19th century,<ref>[[W. S. Gilbert]] and his choreographer [[John D'Auban]] helped transformed Victorian musical theatre production styles. See Vorder Bruegge, Andrew (Associate Professor, Department Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance, Winthrop University). [http://faculty.winthrop.edu/vorderbruegg/winthropweb/vitaindex/gilbert.html "W. S. Gilbert: Antiquarian Authenticity and Artistic Autocracy"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510212618/http://faculty.winthrop.edu/vorderbruegg/winthropweb/vitaindex/gilbert.html |date=2011-05-10}}. Victorian Interdisciplinary Studies Association of the Western United States annual conference, October 2002. Retrieved 26 March 2008; and "Mr. D'Auban's 'Startrap' Jumps". ''The Times'', 17 April 1922, p. 17</ref> George Abbott and his collaborators and successors took a central role in integrating movement and dance fully into musical theatre productions in the Golden Age.<ref name=KenrickDance>Kenrick, John. [http://www.musicals101.com/dancestage3.htm "Dance in Stage Musicals – Part III"], Musicals101.com, 2003, accessed August 14, 2012</ref> Abbott introduced ballet as a story-telling device in ''On Your Toes'' in 1936, which was followed by [[Agnes de Mille]]'s ballet and choreography in ''Oklahoma!''.<ref>Block, Geoffrey (ed.) [https://books.google.com/books?id=QLxEdG6HJ9sC&q=carousel+rodgers ''The Richard Rodgers Reader'']. New York: Oxford University Press US, 2006. {{ISBN|978-0-19-531343-7}}, pp. 194–195</ref> After Abbott collaborated with Jerome Robbins in ''On the Town'' and other shows, Robbins combined the roles of director and choreographer, emphasizing the story-telling power of dance in ''West Side Story'', ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' (1962) and ''[[Fiddler on the Roof]]'' (1964). [[Bob Fosse]] choreographed for Abbott in ''[[The Pajama Game]]'' (1956) and ''[[Damn Yankees]]'' (1957), injecting playful sexuality into those hits. He was later the director-choreographer for ''Sweet Charity'' (1968), ''Pippin'' (1972) and ''Chicago'' (1975). Other notable director-choreographers have included [[Gower Champion]], [[Tommy Tune]], [[Michael Bennett (theater)|Michael Bennett]], [[Gillian Lynne]] and [[Susan Stroman]]. Prominent directors have included [[Hal Prince]], who also got his start with Abbott,<ref name=KenrickDance/> and [[Trevor Nunn]].<ref>Dickson, Andrew. [https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2011/nov/18/trevor-nunn-life-in-theatre "A life in theatre: Trevor Nunn"], ''The Guardian'', 18 November 2011, accessed August 15, 2012</ref>

During the Golden Age, automotive companies and other large corporations began to hire Broadway talent to write [[industrial musical|corporate musicals]], private shows only seen by their employees or customers.<ref>{{NewMusicBox|id=john-kander-passing-through-curtains|title=Passing Through Curtains|composer-link = John Kander | composer = John Kander|author=[[Frank J. Oteri]]|conducted=April 7, 2010|published=May 1, 2010}}</ref><ref>Ward, Jonathan. [http://www.furious.com/perfect/industrialmusicals.html "Recruit, Train and Motivate: The History of the Industrial Musical"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040803175455/http://www.furious.com/perfect/industrialmusicals.html |date=2004-08-03 }}, March 2002, ''Perfect Sound Forever''</ref> The 1950s ended with [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]]'s last hit, ''The Sound of Music'', which also became another hit for Mary Martin. It ran for 1,443 performances and shared the Tony Award for Best Musical. Together with its extremely successful [[The Sound of Music (film)|1965 film version]], it has become one of the most popular musicals in history.

==== 1960s ====
In 1960, ''The Fantasticks'' was first produced off-Broadway. This intimate allegorical show would quietly run for over 40 years at the Sullivan Street Theatre in [[Greenwich Village]], becoming by far the longest-running musical in history. Its authors produced other innovative works in the 1960s, such as ''[[Celebration (musical)|Celebration]]'' and ''[[I Do! I Do!]]'', the first two-character Broadway musical. The 1960s would see a number of blockbusters, like ''[[Fiddler on the Roof]]'' (1964; 3,242 performances), ''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' (1964; 2,844 performances), ''[[Funny Girl (musical)|Funny Girl]]'' (1964; 1,348 performances) and ''[[Man of La Mancha]]'' (1965; 2,328 performances), and some more risqué pieces like ''[[Cabaret (musical)|Cabaret]]'', before ending with the emergence of the [[rock musical]]. In Britain, ''[[Oliver!]]'' (1960) ran for 2,618 performances, but the long-run champion of the decade was ''[[The Black and White Minstrel Show]]'' (1962), which played for 4,344 performances.<ref name=h1598/> Two men had considerable impact on musical theatre history beginning in this decade: [[Stephen Sondheim]] and [[Jerry Herman]].

[[File:Peters in 08.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Bernadette Peters]] (shown in 2008) has starred in five Sondheim musicals]]
The first project for which Sondheim wrote both music and lyrics was ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' (1962, 964 performances), with a book based on the works of [[Plautus]] by [[Burt Shevelove]] and [[Larry Gelbart]], starring [[Zero Mostel]]. Sondheim moved the musical beyond its concentration on the romantic plots typical of earlier eras; his work tended to be darker, exploring the grittier sides of life both present and past. Other early Sondheim works include ''[[Anyone Can Whistle]]'' (1964, which ran only nine performances, despite having stars [[Lee Remick]] and [[Angela Lansbury]]), and the successful ''[[Company (musical)|Company]]'' (1970), ''[[Follies]]'' (1971) and ''[[A Little Night Music]]'' (1973). Later, Sondheim found inspiration in unlikely sources: the opening of Japan to Western trade for ''[[Pacific Overtures]]'' (1976), a legendary murderous barber seeking revenge in the [[Industrial Revolution|Industrial Age]] of London for ''[[Sweeney Todd (musical)|Sweeney Todd]]'' (1979), the paintings of [[Georges Seurat]] for ''[[Sunday in the Park with George]]'' (1984), fairy tales for ''[[Into the Woods]]'' (1987), and a collection of presidential assassins in ''[[Assassins (musical)|Assassins]]'' (1990).

While some critics have argued that some of Sondheim's musicals lack commercial appeal, others have praised their lyrical sophistication and musical complexity, as well as the interplay of lyrics and music in his shows. Some of Sondheim's notable innovations include a show presented in reverse (''[[Merrily We Roll Along (musical)|Merrily We Roll Along]]'') and the above-mentioned ''Anyone Can Whistle'', in which the first act ends with the cast informing the audience that they are mad.

Jerry Herman played a significant role in American musical theatre, beginning with his first Broadway production, ''[[Milk and Honey (musical)|Milk and Honey]]'' (1961, 563 performances), about the founding of the state of Israel, and continuing with the blockbuster hits ''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' (1964, 2,844 performances), ''[[Mame (musical)|Mame]]'' (1966, 1,508 performances), and ''[[La Cage aux Folles (musical)|La Cage aux Folles]]'' (1983, 1,761 performances). Even his less successful shows like ''[[Dear World]]'' (1969) and ''[[Mack and Mabel]]'' (1974) have had memorable scores (''Mack and Mabel'' was later reworked into a London hit). Writing both words and music, many of Herman's [[show tune]]s have become popular standards, including "[[Hello, Dolly! (song)|Hello, Dolly!]]", "We Need a Little Christmas", "I Am What I Am", "Mame", "The Best of Times", "Before the Parade Passes By", "Put On Your Sunday Clothes", "It Only Takes a Moment", "Bosom Buddies" and "I Won't Send Roses", recorded by such artists as [[Louis Armstrong]], [[Eydie Gormé]], [[Barbra Streisand]], [[Petula Clark]] and Bernadette Peters. Herman's songbook has been the subject of two popular musical revues, ''[[Jerry's Girls]]'' (Broadway, 1985) and ''[[Showtune (musical)|Showtune]]'' (off-Broadway, 2003).

The musical started to diverge from the relatively narrow confines of the 1950s. Rock music would be used in several Broadway musicals, beginning with ''[[Hair (musical)|Hair]]'', which featured not only rock music but also nudity and controversial opinions about the [[Vietnam War]], race relations and other social issues.<ref>Wollman, p. 12.</ref>

=== Social themes ===
After ''Show Boat'' and ''[[Porgy and Bess]]'', and as the struggle in America and elsewhere for minorities' [[civil rights]] progressed, Hammerstein, [[Harold Arlen]], [[Yip Harburg]] and others were emboldened to write more musicals and operas that aimed to normalize societal toleration of minorities and urged racial harmony. Early Golden Age works that focused on racial tolerance included ''[[Finian's Rainbow]]'' and ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]''. Towards the end of the Golden Age, several shows tackled Jewish subjects and issues, such as ''[[Fiddler on the Roof]]'', ''[[Milk and Honey (musical)|Milk and Honey]]'', ''[[Blitz!]]'' and later ''[[Rags (musical)|Rags]]''. The original concept that became ''[[West Side Story]]'' was set in the [[Lower East Side]] during Easter-Passover celebrations; the rival gangs were to be Jewish and [[Italian-American|Italian]] [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]. The creative team later decided that the Polish (white) vs. [[Puerto Rican people|Puerto Rican]] conflict was fresher.<ref>{{cite news | title = The Growth of an Idea | first = Arthur | last = Laurents | author-link = Arthur Laurents | url = http://www.leonardbernstein.com/studio/element.asp?FeatID=8&AssetID=18 | work = New York Herald Tribune | publisher = Primate, LLC | date = August 4, 1957 | access-date = May 26, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071212040338/http://www.leonardbernstein.com/studio/element.asp?FeatID=8&AssetID=18 | archive-date = December 12, 2007 }}</ref>

Tolerance as an important theme in musicals has continued in recent decades. The final expression of ''West Side Story'' left a message of racial tolerance. By the end of the 1960s, musicals became racially integrated, with black and white cast members even covering each other's roles, as they did in ''Hair''.<ref>Horn 1991, p. 134.</ref> Homosexuality has also been explored in musicals, starting with ''Hair'', and even more overtly in ''[[La Cage aux Folles (musical)|La Cage aux Folles]]'', ''[[Falsettos]]'', ''[[Rent (musical)|Rent]]'', ''[[Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical)|Hedwig and the Angry Inch]]'' and other shows in recent decades. ''[[Parade (musical)|Parade]]'' is a sensitive exploration of both [[anti-Semitism]] and historical American racism, and ''[[Ragtime (musical)|Ragtime]]'' similarly explores the experience of immigrants and minorities in America.

=== 1970s to present ===

==== 1970s ====
After the success of ''Hair'', [[rock musical]]s flourished in the 1970s, with ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]'', ''[[Godspell]]'', ''[[The Rocky Horror Show]]'', ''Evita'' and ''[[Two Gentlemen of Verona (musical)|Two Gentlemen of Verona]]''. Some of those began as "[[concept album]]s" which were then adapted to the stage, most notably ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' and ''Evita''. Others had no dialogue or were otherwise reminiscent of opera, with dramatic, emotional themes; these sometimes started as concept albums and were referred to as [[rock opera]]s. Shows like ''[[Raisin (musical)|Raisin]]'', ''[[Dreamgirls (musical)|Dreamgirls]]'', ''[[Purlie]]'' and ''[[The Wiz]]'' brought a significant African-American influence to Broadway. More varied musical genres and styles were incorporated into musicals both on and especially off-Broadway. At the same time, Stephen Sondheim found success with some of his musicals, as mentioned above.

[[File:Public Theatre Astor Library Building from south.jpg|thumb|''[[A Chorus Line]]'' was one of 55 productions that [[Joseph Papp]]'s [[The Public Theater|Public Theatre]] has brought to Broadway]]
In 1975, the dance musical ''[[A Chorus Line]]'' emerged from recorded group therapy-style sessions [[Michael Bennett (theater)|Michael Bennett]] conducted with "gypsies"&nbsp;– those who sing and dance in support of the leading players&nbsp;– from the Broadway community. From hundreds of hours of tapes, [[James Kirkwood Jr.]] and [[Nick Dante]] fashioned a book about an audition for a musical, incorporating many real-life stories from the sessions; some who attended the sessions eventually played variations of themselves or each other in the show. With music by [[Marvin Hamlisch]] and lyrics by [[Edward Kleban]], ''A Chorus Line'' first opened at [[Joseph Papp]]'s [[Public Theater]] in lower Manhattan. What initially had been planned as a limited engagement eventually moved to the [[Shubert Theatre (Broadway)|Shubert Theatre]] on Broadway<ref>Barnes, Clive. [http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?_r=1&html_title=&tols_title=A%20CHORUS%20LINE%20(PLAY)&pdate=19750522&byline=By%20CLIVE%20BARNES&id=1077011428934&oref=slogin "Theater Review": ''A Chorus Line''"]. ''The New York Times'', May 22, 1975</ref> for a run of 6,137 performances, becoming the longest-running production in Broadway history up to that time. The show swept the Tony Awards and won the [[Pulitzer Prize]], and its hit song, ''[[What I Did for Love (A Chorus Line)|What I Did for Love]]'', became a standard.<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/search/songs/what+i+did+for+love "Song search: What I Did for Love]", [[AllMusic]], accessed October 11, 2016</ref>

Broadway audiences welcomed musicals that varied from the golden age style and substance. [[John Kander]] and [[Fred Ebb]] explored the rise of [[Nazism]] in Germany in ''[[Cabaret (musical)|Cabaret]]'', and murder and the media in [[Prohibition]]-era ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]'', which relied on old [[vaudeville]] techniques. ''[[Pippin (musical)|Pippin]]'', by [[Stephen Schwartz (composer)|Stephen Schwartz]], was set in the days of [[Charlemagne]]. [[Federico Fellini]]'s autobiographical film ''[[8½]]'' became [[Maury Yeston]]'s ''[[Nine (musical)|Nine]]''. At the end of the decade, ''Evita'' and ''Sweeney Todd'' were precursors of the darker, big budget musicals of the 1980s that depended on dramatic stories, sweeping scores and spectacular effects. At the same time, old-fashioned values were still embraced in such hits as ''[[Annie (musical)|Annie]]'', ''[[42nd Street (musical)|42nd Street]]'', ''[[My One and Only (musical)|My One and Only]]'', and popular revivals of ''No, No, Nanette'' and ''Irene''. Although many film versions of musicals were made in the 1970s, few were critical or box office successes, with the notable exceptions of ''[[Fiddler on the Roof (film)|Fiddler on the Roof]]'', ''[[Cabaret (1972 film)|Cabaret]]'' and ''[[Grease (film)|Grease]]''.<ref>Kenrick, John. [http://www.musicals101.com/1970film.htm "The 1970s: Big Names, Mixed Results"], History of Musical Film, musicals101.com, accessed July 11, 2014</ref>

==== 1980s ====
[[File:Sir Cameron Mackintosh.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Cameron Mackintosh]]]]
The 1980s saw the influence of European "[[megamusical]]s" on Broadway, in the West End and elsewhere. These typically feature a pop-influenced score, large casts and spectacular sets and special effects – a falling [[chandelier]] (in ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera]]''); a helicopter landing on stage (in ''[[Miss Saigon]]'') – and big budgets. Some were based on novels or other works of literature. The British team of composer [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]] and producer [[Cameron Mackintosh]] started the megamusical phenomenon with their 1981 musical ''[[Cats (musical)|Cats]]'', based on the poems of [[T. S. Eliot]], which overtook ''A Chorus Line'' to become the longest-running Broadway show. Lloyd Webber followed up with ''[[Starlight Express]]'' (1984), performed on roller skates; ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (1986; also with Mackintosh), derived from the [[The Phantom of the Opera (novel)|novel of the same name]]; and ''[[Sunset Boulevard (musical)|Sunset Boulevard]]'' (1993), from the 1950 [[Sunset Boulevard (film)|film of the same name]]. ''Phantom'' would surpass ''Cats'' to become the longest-running show in Broadway history, a record it still holds.<ref name=EL250>Everett and Laird, pp. 250–256</ref><ref name=AH206>Allain and Harvie, pp. 206–207</ref> The French team of [[Claude-Michel Schönberg]] and [[Alain Boublil]] wrote ''Les Misérables'', based on the [[Les Misérables|novel of the same name]], whose 1985 London production was produced by Mackintosh and became, and still is, the [[Long-running musical theatre productions|longest-running musical in West End and Broadway history]]. The team produced another hit with ''Miss Saigon'' (1989), which was inspired by the Puccini opera ''[[Madama Butterfly]]''.<ref name=EL250 /><ref name=AH206 />

The megamusicals' huge budgets redefined expectations for financial success on Broadway and in the West End. In earlier years, it was possible for a show to be considered a hit after a run of several hundred performances, but with multimillion-dollar production costs, a show must run for years simply to turn a profit. Megamusicals were also reproduced in productions around the world, multiplying their profit potential while expanding the global audience for musical theatre.<ref name=AH206 />

==== 1990s ====
[[File:Audra McDonald (1).jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Audra McDonald]]]]
In the 1990s, a new generation of theatrical composers emerged, including [[Jason Robert Brown]] and [[Michael John LaChiusa]], who began with productions off-Broadway. The most conspicuous success of these artists was [[Jonathan Larson]]'s show ''[[Rent (musical)|Rent]]'' (1996), a rock musical (based on the opera ''[[La bohème]]'') about a struggling community of artists in Manhattan. While the cost of tickets to Broadway and West End musicals was escalating beyond the budget of many theatregoers, ''Rent'' was marketed to increase the popularity of musicals among a younger audience. It featured a young cast and a heavily rock-influenced score; the musical became a hit. Its young fans, many of them students, calling themselves RENTheads, camped out at the [[Nederlander Theatre]] in hopes of winning the lottery for $20 front row tickets, and some saw the show dozens of times. Other shows on Broadway followed ''Rent'''s lead by offering heavily discounted day-of-performance or standing-room tickets, although often the discounts are offered only to students.<ref>{{cite news | title = Broadway Rush, Lottery and Standing Room Only Policies |url= http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/82428-Broadway-Rush-Lottery-and-Standing-Room-Only-Policies| first = Matthew | last = Blank | publisher = PlayBill | date = March 1, 2011|access-date=March 1, 2011 }}</ref>

The 1990s also saw the influence of large corporations on the production of musicals. The most important has been [[Disney Theatrical Productions]], which began adapting some of [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney's]] animated film musicals for the stage, starting with ''[[Beauty and the Beast (musical)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' (1994), ''[[The Lion King (musical)|The Lion King]]'' (1997) and ''[[Aida (musical)|Aida]]'' (2000), the latter two with music by [[Elton John]]. ''The Lion King'' is the [[List of highest-grossing musicals|highest-grossing musical]] in Broadway history.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www2.broadwayworld.com/grossescumulative.cfm?sortby=totaltotalGross&orderby=desc | title = Cumulative Broadway Grosses by Show| website = BroadwayWorld.com| access-date = | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140111204548/http://www2.broadwayworld.com/grossescumulative.cfm?sortby=totaltotalGross&orderby=desc | archive-date = January 11, 2014| url-status = live}}</ref> ''[[The Who's Tommy]]'' (1993), a theatrical adaptation of the rock opera ''[[Tommy (The Who album)|Tommy]]'', achieved a healthy run of 899 performances but was criticized for sanitizing the story and "musical theatre-izing" the rock music.<ref>{{cite news | title = Critic's Notebook; Damping 60's Fire of 'Tommy' for 90's Broadway |url= http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9F0CE0DB113CF934A15757C0A965958260 | first = John | last = Pareles | newspaper = The New York Times | date = April 27, 1993|access-date=June 28, 2012 }}</ref>

Despite the growing number of large-scale musicals in the 1980s and 1990s, a number of lower-budget, smaller-scale musicals managed to find critical and financial success, such as ''[[Falsettoland]]'', ''[[Little Shop of Horrors (musical)|Little Shop of Horrors]]'', ''[[Bat Boy: The Musical]]'' and ''[[Blood Brothers (musical)|Blood Brothers]]'', which ran for 10,013 performances.<ref>[https://solt.co.uk/about-london-theatre/facts-and-figures/ "The top 20 longest-running productions in West End history. Correct as of 7 February 2020"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705131849/https://solt.co.uk/about-london-theatre/facts-and-figures/ |date=5 July 2020}}, Society of London Theatre. Retrieved 9 August 2021</ref> The topics of these pieces vary widely, and the music ranges from rock to pop, but they often are produced off-Broadway, or for smaller London theatres, and some of these stagings have been regarded as imaginative and innovative.<ref>{{cite news | title = A glorious musical romp – with bite! | first = Pete | last = Shaw | url = http://www.broadwaybaby.com/edinburgh/fringe/reviews/batboy | publisher = Broadway Baby | year = 2006 | access-date = May 26, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928043409/http://www.broadwaybaby.com/edinburgh/fringe/reviews/batboy | archive-date = September 28, 2007 }}</ref>

==== 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>