-
5 BCE
Greek Theater
The first ever known musical theater came from the Ancient Theater of Delphi in 5 B.C.E where actors would frequently use music and dance in their stage comedies and tragedies. -
"The Black Crook"
The first official musical theater piece that was titled "The Black Crook" was performed in NYC, combining music, dance, and theater. This musical was most well known for its scandalous costumes, elaborate sets, and had a plot that was based on a Faustian melodrama. It also featured a stranded Persian ballet troupe. -
Operetta
A new form of music that was titled "Operetta" started to become popular in the United States and Europe. This was a form of light opera that was more used for comedy and had more humorous tones that the original opera would have. The roots of Operetta go back to the popular theater genres at the time which were commedia dell'arte and vaudeville. It was often characterized by its spoken dialogue, songs, and creative dances. Jacques Offenbach was a composer well known for his impact on Operetta. -
"A Trip to Chinatown"
"A Trip to Chinatown" opened in New York City, and to this day it is considered the first musical comedy ever brought to life on stage. This musical consists of three acts and is a story about a widow who brings two young suburban couples into a big city restaurant and in the process brings romance to them, and to herself. Percy Gaunt wrote the music for this show and the book was written by Charles H. Hoyt. -
"The Wizard of Oz"
"The Wizard of Oz" premiered on Broadway, making it the first ever musical to be based on a novel. The author of this novel was Frank Baum, and his amazing storytelling and lovable characters made this musical a smashing success. Many people began creating their own takes on this Broadway show after its debut, such as producing a silent film adaptation which intrigued people outside of the world of theater to embark on a path of exploration. This musical is still being performed to this day. -
The Princess Theatre
The Princess Theatre was a small venue of about 299 seats located in New York City, located south of Time Square. This company produced a large number of low budget musicals that were affordable to the public, making it so much easier for people that hadn't been exposed to musical theater before to get invested. They had simple set changes (usually just one set for every act) and eschewed many operatic traditions. Jerome Kern and Guy Bolton were just two of the many amazing directors. -
"Show Boat"
"Show Boat" was a musical by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II that opened on Broadway. This specific show was considered a landmark in the development of serious musical theater. Hammerstein II went on to become one of the most well known and successful playwrights of the century, becoming partners with Richard Rodgers and writing various forms of musical, both comedic and serious. Classical musical theater, at this time, began to slowly become more popular. -
The Golden Age
During this time, musical theater truly began to rise in popularity. Many of the classic musicals known by so many today opened during this time period, such as "Anything Goes" which opened in 1934, and "Porgy and Bess" which opened in 1935. Rodgers and Hammerstein II were writing musical after musical, and they inspired other writers to put their ideas into the pool such as Frank Loesser and George Gershwin. -
"Oklahoma!"
The musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein II "Oklahoma!" revolutionizes musical theater. With its combination of complex plot, singing, and choreography, it was one of the most popular musicals during The Golden Age and inspired many other musicals to include comedy and serious aspects into their musicals. This is still to this day one of the staple musicals when it comes to classical musical theater. -
Culture Shock
The Golden Age continued rolling on with the release of musicals such as "The King and I" and "Fiddler on The Roof". One of the more famous musicals at this time, however, was a musical named "West Side Story", a musical based on the story of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, but taking place in upper Manhattan, NYC. This was one of the first musicals released having more of a focus on a minority group and embracing the Hispanic culture through dance styles and the tones of its songs. -
Rock n Roll
This period of musical theater is known for the introduction of Rock musicals. These shows had more of a modern style and completely strayed from the classical style of singing and dancing that people were used to. Musicals such as "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Hair" opened during this time, and opened people's eyes to a whole new world of possibilities. Many of the shows performed in the Rock era included colorful and elaborate set designs and costumes, reflecting the styles of that decade. -
"A Chorus Line"
The musical "A Chorus Line" became a smashing success to the public, not just because of its amazing singing and acting, but because of its amazing dance numbers and collaboration. Many people enjoyed this show because it provided a way for audiences to see just how stressful life could be for someone in the theater. This helped audiences understand more about what it was like auditioning and performing like your life depends on it. People say this musical made audiences appreciate actors more. -
Mega-musicals
In this time period, shows titled by the public as mega-musicals began to soar in popularity. These were musicals that had large casts and large budgets, meaning that they had more money to use when it came to marketing and set designs that would really knock the socks off anyone who was watching. These musicals included many more group vocal numbers than people were used to seeing, but the awe factor was higher than ever. Some famous musicals from this time were "Cats", and "Les Miserables". -
Contemporary Takeover
Musicals in this time period began exploring new topics and broadening the previous limits set in theater. Shows such as "Rent", and "Spring Awakening" were very popular in this era because of their plots, which consisted of real world happenings and more risque material. "Rent" in particular took place during the AIDS pandemic, which many of the audience members had lived through and remembered very well. Another famous musical at this time was "In The Heights" written by Lin Manuel Miranda. -
"Hamilton"
A not-so-new musical director/actor/writer named Lin-Manuel Miranda made history through a musical called "Hamilton", which was the first musical of its kind with its innovative blend of hip-hop, jazz, blues, and RB. Before this musical was released there were no other musicals where there was no actual spoken dialogue in between scenes. Hamilton also showed a side of inclusive through its predominately African American cast, which very much contradicts the time period of the musical on purpose -
Here and now
Musical theater still continues to evolve, incorporating diverse perspectives, styles, and technologies. Shows such as "Hadestown" and "Six" used the style inspired by "Hamilton" and have no dialogue between songs, but rather spoken poetry or rapping. Many of the newest musicals released are based on written novels, or are a musical version of a movie that already existed. Other musicals are based on famous singers of the past and present, such as new musicals called "MJ" and "Dolly".