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Ava Nociforo

Professor Jan Babcock

English 137H

November 10, 2022

The Evolution of Broadway Musicals: From the Golden Era to the Modern Era

It is a Friday night on Broadway. The bright marquees of 40 theaters illuminate your path

as you walk the streets of New York City. They entice you. They energize you. You look to your

left and see a swarm of tourists chittering among themselves as they wait in line. You join them,

ticket in hand. Your heart flutters. After what feels like an eternity of waiting, the grand doors

open, welcoming you into the theater. As you step inside, the sounds of New York City are

drowned out; you have escaped into a new world. An usher approaches you with a crisp, freshly

printed Playbill, the yellow logo gleaming as you page through. In the background, patrons are

buzzing with anticipation as the red velvet seats continue to fill. Then suddenly, a hush falls over

the audience. The orchestra tunes their instruments. The lights dim. The curtain rises. The show

has begun.

The History of Broadway

The show has indeed begun, but it is certainly not the first. Known as the theatre capitol

of the world, Broadway is a collection of “forty theaters from West 41st Street to West 53rd Street

between Sixth and Ninth Avenue in Midtown of New York City” where, eight times a week,

actors and actresses dazzle and amaze audiences in a spectacle of grandeur and talent (Kington).

In the 2018-2019 season alone, Broadway recorded a total of 14.8 million admissions, an all-
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time record (The Broadway League). But of course, audiences have been flocking to the Great

White Way for more than just three years. In 1750, Thomas Kean and Walter Murray established

the first Broadway theater in New York City. With only 280 seats, the theater largely produced

Shakespearean plays until 1866 when Broadway broke away from the expected and produced its

first musical, The Black Crook. Originally, Broadway was located in Union Square but by the

1900s, Broadway found its heart in Times Square where it is still located today. From the early

1900s to the 1920s, vaudeville dominated the Broadway circuit. With a booming economy and

roaring attitude, American theatre flourished in the 1920s until the 1930s came around to ruin the

fun. During the Great Depression, Broadway went dark; without the money to produce shows or

the audience to fill the seats, very few musicals could exceed more than 500 performances. But

with every depression, there is always a silver lining—or in this case, a gold lining. Just ten years

later, the 1940s heralded a new era of Broadway musicals: the Golden Era. Here, Broadway saw

a spike in attendance and grosses as new musicals rejuvenated the dying industry (Kington).

Since the start of the Golden Era, Broadway has been on a rapid incline. But with any industry of

longevity, Broadway musicals from the Golden Era drastically differ from the musicals

headlining Broadway today. As technology and cultural attitudes started to change, Broadway

followed suit, thus putting the “broad” in Broadway. Over the course of 80 years, Broadway

musicals—once rooted in romance, jazz, and traditional scores—have shifted away from its

golden age and transcended into an era where originality and innocence are superseded by raw

plotlines, extravagant production values, movie-musical adaptations, and contemporary scores.

Components of a Broadway Musical

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Typically, a Broadway musical consists of two acts separated with one 15-minute

intermission. Apart from musicals like Once On This Island and Come From Away (both of

which run under two hours), the average run time of a Broadway musical is two hours and thirty

minutes. Unlike a play, a musical’s narrative plot—the spine of the show—is enhanced by a

score of musical arrangements. Some musicals, like Cats and Les Misérables feature a sung-

through score while others, like Bye Bye Birdie and The Music Man, combine dialogue and

music to enhance the show’s plot. Of course, a Broadway musical would be nothing without its

cast. If a musical’s plot is the spine of the show, the cast is the back; they drive the show’s

narrative and breathe life into the music. Some musicals, like Wicked, feature a large and lively

ensemble while others, like Next To Normal, utilize a principle cast instead. Finally, a musical’s

production value (i.e., the sets and lighting effects) garnish the musical. Like any recipe for

entertainment success, the production value adds spice to a Broadway show. Combined, these

four elements—plot, score, casting, and production value—are the building blocks to any

Broadway musical and, throughout the past 80 years, have undergone the most significant

changes (Maslon).

Broadway’s Golden Era (1943-1964)

After a devastating decade of inactivity and crushing depression on Broadway, audiences

longed for revitalization and thrill. They hungered for the sentiment that once peppered and

flavored vaudeville-style musicals. Luckily for audience members, Broadway’s Golden Era

revived the sentiment that the Great Depression had killed. Following the aftermath of World

War II, homesick soldiers were yearning for a surge of nostalgia and escapism from the terrors of

war; furthermore, soldiers craved romance and fantasy to distract them from the tragedies of the

outside world. This desire for nostalgia, escapism, romance, and fantasy shaped the Golden Era,
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otherwise known as the era of “feel-good shows” (The BWW Team). Historically, the Golden

Era was Broadway’s greatest growth for musical theatre. With lush orchestrations and dreamy

dance sequences, musicals of the Golden Era were known for their driving narratives and

romantic plotlines (Kaiser). While large ensembles were integral to Golden Era musicals, the

plot centered primarily around two actors who fell in love, got married, and lived happily ever

after. There were often very few adversities for the characters to overcome and none that could

not be resolved with a quick solution (Higgins). The most prolific musical of the Golden Era was

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!. Oklahoma!, upon opening in 1943, was

an instant and unprecedented blockbuster. Running for a total of 2,212 performances, Oklahoma!

paved the way for other blockbuster musicals like Guys and Dolls (1950), My Fair Lady (1956),

Bye Bye Birdie (1960), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), and Hello,

Dolly! (1964) (The BWW Team).

The Score of the Golden Era

In keeping with the innocent and romantic sentiment of the time, musicals of the Golden

Era featured a legit and classical score with jazzy undertones (Higgins). Some of the most

influential and recognizable composers of the time were Rodgers and Hammerstein, Leonard

Bernstein, and a young Stephen Sondheim (The BWW Team). But above all, the Golden Era was

the era of the legit, female soprano. Characters like Laurey in Oklahoma! or Julie in Carousel,

for instance, were depicted as sweet-natured, innocent, and ingenuous young girls with a sweet,

soprano voice (Lister). Broadway’s first supreme soprano was a name we are undoubtedly

familiar with—the one and only Julie Andrews. Before her film debut as Mary Poppin in

Disney’s Mary Poppins, Andrews was a true diva of the stage. Not only did she originate the

roles of Eliza Dolittle in My Fair Lady (1956) and Guinevere in Camelot (1961), but she birthed
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a lineage of Broadway sopranos, one that would pave the way for modern sopranos of the

twenty-first century (Lister).

The Production Value of the Golden Era

Because musicals of the Golden Era were characterized by driving narratives, the

scenographers attempted to accurately represent the historical time-period of the plot.

Consequently, large and detailed sets were often designed to provide a realistic locale that

characters would believably inhabit. Whether it be a fully furnished midwestern living room in

Bye Bye Birdie or an embellished Salvation Army Church in Guys and Dolls, the practical and

accurate sets of the Golden Era complimented the psychologized acting and fantastical narratives

audiences sought. Most of all, the realistic sets of the Golden Era embodied the notion of

escapism and nostalgia that gave this era its fruition (Wolf).

The Plot Thickens: Broadway’s Rise of Politically Driven Musicals

By 1964, Broadway’s Golden Era was beginning to bronze over with Fiddler on the Roof

marking its official end. But in the streets, rioters and protesters were ringing in a new era of

Broadway: The Political Era of the 1970s. In 1968, American culture took a nosedive. A country

once idealized for its purity and innocence was suddenly consumed in a rampant counterculture

of sex, drugs, turbulence, protests, and unrest (Kurlansky). For America, 1968 was the year

where uproar and violence flowered in the grave of American innocence. For Broadway, it was

the year of Hair. If the 1940s- the mid-1960s was Broadway’s “era of innocence,” Hair

transformed Broadway into an era of “scandalizing politics.” Hair opened on Broadway on April

29, 1968. With its rock music, multiracial cast, scenes of nudity, and anti-war irreverence, Hair

was met with mixed reviews. At the time of Hair’s opening, Broadway was still rooted in a place
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of tradition, a place where romantic storylines and innocent endings profited. Hair, on the other

hand, saw no home in tradition. Rather, it found its home in the controversial counterculture of

the 60s. Unlike its predecessors, Hair had no structural or romanticized plot. Known as “The

American Tribal Love-Rock Musical,” Hair instead underscored themes of sex and drugs

(Mondello). Yet, despite its controversy, Hair became an instant Broadway hit. With its

emphasis on rock music, Hair served as the precursor to other rock musicals of the 1970s, such

as Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) and Grease (1972). By shifting away from the Golden Era’s

sense of nostalgia, Hair broke barriers on Broadway; its political plot and bold radicalism

created a bridge for future musicals with political plotlines, most notably being Miss Saigon

(1989).

A Change in Scenery

A change in plot was not the only shift in Broadway musicals during the 1970s. With the

rise of inflation, production costs in the late 1960s to the 1970s skyrocketed. Consequently,

Broadway producers could no longer afford to create the detailed and realistic sets popularized

by the Golden Era. Instead, Broadway sets become more conceptual and minimalistic in design,

otherwise known as the “poor-theatre performance-making technique” (Wolf). Musicals like

Cabaret (1966) and A Chorus Line (1975) contained little to no set, thus placing the emphasis on

the dancing and performance of the cast. In A Chorus Line, the set consists of a white line

painted across the stage and a mirror-backed staging, thus giving the illusion of an audition

room. Similarly, nothing more than a realist backdrop and furniture pieces adorn the stage in a

production of Cabaret (Wolf). Gradually, Broadway—in its musical score, plot, and production

value—was shifting further away from tradition and growing more fervently in contemporary.

The Mega Musicals of the 1980s

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Up until this point, Broadway was shifting further away from the traditions of the Golden

Era framework. Yet little to Broadway’s knowledge, an invasion was coming, one that would

completely revolutionize the face of American theatre. Like Paul Revere once exclaimed, the

British were coming, and they were bringing their new mega musicals with them as ammo.

Mega Musicals

Over in London’s West End, a new form of musical was taking form: the mega musical.

A mega musical, according to Jessica Sternfeld of the Indiana University Press, “is an epic,

dramatic show featuring recurring melodies in a sung-through score; huge, impressive sets; and

grand ideas” (Sternfeld). Mega musicals were, as the name implies, mega. Drawing on the

influences of rock musicals and detailed sets, mega musicals greatly remastered the production

values of musicals. Thanks to advancements in technology, mega musicals relied solely on

computers to control the sets and lighting throughout the show. As a result, musicals became

more digitalized and technical, thus ensuring that every performance mimicked the last.

Furthermore, the grandeur of the sets, the spectacular lighting effects, and lush, pop-rock

orchestrations wooed audiences, signifying that bigger is indeed better. After amassing great

success in London, British producer Cameron Mackintosh decided to import these mega

musicals to Broadway where they continue to shine today. Thus, these mega musicals found their

origins in London, but their impact and popularity have made them quintessentially American.

America in the 1980s

Back in America, a new global capitalism was emerging from the economic and

government policies of the newly elected President, Ronald Reagan. The 1980s witnessed the
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erosion of progressive social policies and individualistic mentalities. As the economy expanded,

the social agenda of the New Right became unabashedly conservative, thus suppressing the

liberal policies of the 1960s and 1970s. Once again, America was reverting back to the

“traditional” values of the 1950s, specifically in their view towards women. Suddenly, women

who benefitted from feminism in the 1970s now began to withdraw from it in the 80s (Wolf).

Consequently, feminism was taken for granted in America and soon, on the Broadway stage.

Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera

In the late 1980s, two mega musicals changed Broadway entirely—Les Misérables

(1987) and The Phantom of the Opera (1988).

Les Misérables—better known by its shorthand, Les Miz—first appeared in the West End

in 1985 before opening on Broadway two years later. Based on Victor Hugo’s French novel of

the same name, Les Miz is the most successful translated musical. During its tenure on

Broadway, Les Miz ran for a total of 6,680 performances which, to this day, have only been

outperformed by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats and The Phantom of the Opera (Kaiser). Since

its closure, Les Miz has continued to amass success and popularity through revivals and national

tours.

Like Les Miz, The Phantom of the Opera—better known by its shorthand, Phantom—

appeared first in the West End in 1986 before opening on Broadway in 1988. Based on Gaston

Leroux’s novel of the same name, Phantom is currently the longest-running Broadway show of

34 years and counting (Playbill). Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the musical is more

music than book with a pop-opera score sung almost entirely through.
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Together, Les Mis and Phantom reinvigorated Broadway. With their lavish production

value and innovative scores, these two mega musicals revived the Broadway industry and broke

several attendance records. But despite their success and impact, the grandiose sets cannot hide

the misogynistic plot that lay beneath the surface.

The Shift in Plot

Coupled with its shift in production value, mega musicals marked a significant shift in

plot. Given the conservative culture of 1980s America, mega musicals often reflected the

misogyny of the period in their plots. Les Miz and Phantom, for example, rely on old,

stereotypical gender binaries in their respective plots. By and large, Les Miz and Phantom

ignores feminism, instead giving women milquetoast roles. For example, in Les Miz, women act

solely as supporting characters with few songs, little stage time, and limited activity in the

narrative plot (Wolf). Characters like Fantine are depicted as prostitutes while others like

Éponine die shortly after their show-stopping solo. Instead, the narrative plot centers around men

like Jean Valjean, Marius, and Enjolaras who protect fight for France during the Revolution. In

Phantom, on the other hand, one woman stars as Christine while a few others portray smaller

roles. Although Christine is a significant character in the musical’s narrative arc, her role is

nothing more than a stereotypical muse to the principal men, The Phantom and Raoul (Wolf).

She is the object of Raoul’s and The Phantom’s affection, thus reducing her to a retrograde

representation of a woman.

Despite their antifeminist and misogynistic plotlines, Les Mis and Phantom have

undoubtedly left the most profound mark on twenty-first century Broadway with their shift in

production value, score, and plot.

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Twenty-first Century Broadway: 2000s-Present

Think back to that Friday night on Broadway. What do you see? Mean Girls?

Beetlejuice? Perhaps you see Wicked, Hamilton, or Dear Evan Hansen. It is not surprising that

your mind traces back to these productions. After all, they are all products of Broadway’s most

current era: The Modern Era.

The New ‘Hollywood’

With the rise of social media, smartphones, and pop-culture, Broadway has transformed

into a highly publicized industry that feeds off unoriginality (Hodge). Since the turn of the

century, Broadway has seen the birth of a new genre of musicals, one that makes the mega

musicals of the 80s seem insignificant—movie musicals. Unlike mega musicals, which are

adapted from classic novels, movie musicals are adapted from classic movies. However, since

the twenty-first century began, nearly half of Broadway musicals today are movie musicals, a

drastic shift in originality from Broadway’s Golden Era. According to Alexis Soloski of The

New York Times, 41% of new Broadway musicals today are based on preexisting films.

Comparatively, only 5% of new Broadway musicals from The Golden Era were based on films

(Soloski).

So, why now? Why has Broadway become the Hollywood of the east coast? According

to theatre journalist Matthew Hodge, only 25% of Broadway musicals today are profitable.

Unlike the 1960s, musicals today cost millions of dollars to produce. Before a musical can even

make it to Broadway, the producers must raise millions of dollars in investments and earn a

residence at an available theater. Then, producers must execute a marketing strategy to attract

audiences which often means adapting musicals from recognizable movies and films. According
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to The Economist, musicals based on films like The Lion King and Aladdin have a great revenue

that original musicals like The Book of Mormon (The Economist). As the twenty-first century

continues to spike, Broadway producers must follow the money or face eviction. Consequently, a

shift in economics has thus caused a shift in the originality and authenticity Broadway was once

known for.

Raw Plotlines

Fresh from the mega musicals of the 1980s, Broadway narratives were heavily

misogynistic. But as more contemporary musicals took to the stage, misogynistic plot lines were

refurbished by raw, serious, and melodramatic ones instead. For instance, musicals like Dear

Evan Hansen (2016) and Next To Normal (2009) center around themes of depression, anxiety,

and suicide. Similarly, musicals like Spring Awakening (2006), Kinky Boots (2013), and

Waitress (2016) brandish a plot rooted in sexuality, abortion, sex, and relationships. Once again,

this shift in plot reflects modern culture, only this time appealing to a younger generation of

Broadway babies: teenagers. With more relatable plots, teenagers are more likely to flock to the

theater, thus bolstering the pockets of Broadway producers.

Contemporary Scores

As previously alluded to, Broadway’s original soprano, Julie Andrew, birthed a lineage

of female sopranos. But as scores rely more on the contemporary influences of R&B, hip-hop,

and rap, “true sopranos” are becoming rarer (Lister). In 2016, Lin Manuel Miranda’s smash

musical, Hamilton, galvanized musical scores. Drawing on influences like rap and hip-hop,

Hamilton redefined musical theatre, shifting musicals’ scores from a classical, legit sound to one

more youthful and contemporary. Consequently, Broadway vocal categories have become
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blurred from the days of Julie Andrew. Instead, most female roles call for belters who can

alternate between jazz, belting, and classical styles (Lister). For instance, Kristin Chenoweth—

known best for her performance as Glinda in Wicked—had to alternate between the legit styles of

Julie Andrews to a grounded, belt-like sound over the arc of the show. Furthermore, Sierra

Boggess, known for her performance as Christine in Phantom and Ariel in The Little Mermaid,

alternates her voice from an operatic and legit sound to a contemporary, belting sound (Lister).

As a whole, this shift from traditional to contemporary scores have called for a shift in the female

voice too, signifying Broadway’s ever-growing developments.

Broadway: The Ever-Changing Art

From the Golden Era to the Modern Era, the Broadway musicals headlining marquees

today are nowhere near the titles our parents have grown up with; in just 80 years, Broadway

underwent four drastic changes to give us the twenty-first century score we belt in the car, the

plot we love to act out with our friends, and the sets we gawk at and admire today. As an

industry, Broadway has proven that it can keep up with demand and adjust to cultural attitudes

while still retaining the magic, charm, and ingenuity that put it on the map. But, as history has

proven, the future of Broadway musicals is never certain. For as long as politics remain

polarized, pop culture continues to evolve, and audiences continue to fill the seats, Broadway

will shift over and over. So, the next time you see that Friday night show on Broadway, think

about the influences that shaped the musical you are about to watch. And, most of all, enjoy the

show!
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Works Cited

BWW, Team. "What Was the Golden Age of Broadway?" BroadwayWorld.com. Wisdom Digital

Media, 19 Feb. 2022. Web. 11 Nov. 2022.

Higgins, Beau. "'The Evolution of the Broadway Musical'." BroadwayWorld.com. Wisdom

Digital Media, 30 Jan. 2009. Web. 13 Nov. 2022.

Hodge, Matthew. “21st-Century Broadway Musicals and the ‘Best Musical’ Tony Award:

Trends and Impact.” Arts, vol. 9, no. 2, May 2020, p. 58. Crossref, doi.org. 9. Nov. 2022.

Kaiser, DJ, "The Evolution of Broadway Musical Entertainment, 1850-2009: Interlingual and

Intermedial Interference" (2013). All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs). 1076,

Openscholarship.wustl.edu. 13 Nov. 2022.

Kington, Ani. “'Broadway: The History and Must See Shows!'.” InterExchange, InterExchange,

Inc, 23 Sept. 2013, Interexchange.org. 9 Nov. 2022.

Kurlansky, Mark. 1968: The Year That Rocked The World. New York City: Random House

Group, 2003. Print.

Lister, Linda. “The Broadway Soprano: The Lineage and Evolution from Julie Andrews to

Kristin Chenoweth.” American Music Teacher 04 2013: 37-9. ProQuest. 9 Nov. 2022.

Maslon, Laurence. “Elements of the Musical.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 1 Oct. 2012,

Pbs.org. 9 Nov. 2022.

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Mondello, Bob. "'Hair' at 50: Going Gray, But Its Youthful Optimism Remains Bouncy and Full-

Bodied." NPR. NPR, 01 May 2018. Web. 11 Nov. 2022.

Playbill. "The Phantom of the Opera (Broadway, Majestic Theatre, 1988)." Playbill. Playbill,

Inc. Web. 13 Nov. 2022.

Soloski, Alexis. “'Hamilton' Was Just the Beginning. Hollywood Loves Broadway, Again.” The

New York Times, The New York Times, 4 Nov. 2020, Nytimes.com.

Sternfeld, Jessica. "The Megamusical." Indiana University Press. The Trustees of Indiana

University, 02 June 2020. Web. 13 Nov. 2022.

The Broadway League. “The Demographics of the Broadway Audience 2018-2019 Season.”

Research Reports | The Broadway League, The Broadway League, Broadwayleague.com.

The Data Team. “Breaking Down Broadway.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 16

June 2016, Economist.com. 27 Oct. 2022.

Wolf, Stacy, 'The 1980s: “The Phantom of the Opera Is There Inside My Mind”, Changed for

Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical (2011; online edn, Oxford Academic,

22 Sept. 2011), Doi.org. 10 Nov. 2022.