| There is nothing like a live performance of | | | | sharp, romantic and diverse in its musical |
| Broadway music. And today's shows include | | | | style. |
| music by contemporary and rock artists, as | | | | |
| well as revivals of the old favorites. | | | | In 1957, Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics |
| | | | and Leonard Bernstein wrote the music for |
| The first show to introduce the concept of | | | | 'West Side Story'. Since then, Sondheim has |
| musical theater was called 'The Black Crook'. | | | | become the best known Broadway composer of |
| It was five hours long and it ran for nearly | | | | today, and has written shows like 'Company', |
| five hundred performances, beginning in | | | | 'Sweeney Todd', 'Sunday in the Park with |
| September of 1866 in New York City. | | | | George, 'Assassins', and 'The Frogs'. |
| | | | |
| It wasn't really a musical as we know them | | | | Cabaret performers, popular vocalists and |
| today, but it did introduce the idea of music | | | | superstars have recorded Sondheim's music. |
| with a storyline or plot of a play. | | | | Singers like Barbra Streisand, Barbara Cook, |
| | | | Mandy Patinkin and many more respect and |
| During the 1800s and early 1900s most | | | | admire his musical compositions and sing them |
| musicals like musical reviews where singers | | | | frequently. |
| would sing one song after another, without | | | | |
| any story or book. | | | | In recent decades, rock operas and musicals |
| | | | like 'Hair', 'Cats', 'Wicked' and 'Rent', |
| But 'Show Boat' changed all that. It opened | | | | have reinvented the music of Broadway. |
| in December of 1927, at the Ziegfeld Theater. | | | | |
| | | | Disney revitalized the Times Square district |
| The music for this show was integrated into | | | | and brought new musicals to Broadway that |
| the story, and music was scattered throughout | | | | were based on animated films like 'The Lion |
| the play, with songs and lyrics about the | | | | King', and 'Beauty and the Beast'. |
| characters and story. | | | | |
| | | | In recent years, contemporary composers like |
| The show ran for over 500 performances in a | | | | Billy Joel and others have brought the Juke |
| theater owned by the famous Flo Ziegfeld | | | | Box Musical craze to a fever pitch, spawning |
| whose previous shows included lots of music | | | | shows like 'Movin' Out, the 'Jersey Boys', |
| and lavish costumes and choreography but no | | | | 'Mama Mia', and more. |
| plot. | | | | |
| | | | The Broadway musical of today has something |
| 'Porgy and Bess' opened in 1935, with music | | | | for everyone. Teenagers, children and adults |
| written by George Gershwin, Songs like | | | | alike flock to musicals to enjoy performances |
| 'Summertime', and 'It Ain't Necessarily So', | | | | and sing along. |
| became instant standards and the show broke | | | | |
| the color barrier for Broadway musicals. | | | | If you are not yet a fan of the Broadway |
| | | | musical tradition, get to New York and spend |
| 'Oklahoma' opened in 1943 at the St. James | | | | a week seeing the newest musical shows |
| Theater (the same theater that today houses | | | | Broadway offers. |
| the Broadway hit musical, 'The Producers'). | | | | |
| | | | If you are already a Broadway musical fan, |
| Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the music for | | | | jump on your favorite CD web site or pick up |
| 'Oklahoma', and also contributed to 'Show | | | | a newspaper to discover the newest musical |
| Boat'. Today, the music from 'Oklahoma' is | | | | shows and cast recordings. |
| well-known all over the world and the show is | | | | |
| a class that is revived in community and | | | | With recent revivals of the breath-taking |
| regional theater groups all over the country. | | | | 'Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in |
| | | | Paris', and new musicals like 'The Light in |
| The musical 'Guys and Dolls' was first staged | | | | the Piazza' by Adam Guettel, the Broadway |
| in 1950, with music written by Frank Loesser, | | | | music of today satisfies every taste. |
| and songs like 'Luck Be a Lady'. It was | | | | |