Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. From Broadway musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables to local community theatre productions, musicals have been entertaining audiences for centuries.
The earliest form of musical theatre was called ‘opera’ which began in the 16th century in Italy. Opera combined music, drama and dance to tell stories using a combination of recitative (sung speech) and arias (songs).
In 17th century England, the first form of musical theatre was seen through masques – lavish theatrical productions featuring costumes, music, dancing and special effects. These masques often featured stories based on Greek or Roman myths or biblical themes.
In the 18th century, German composer Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf wrote Singspiele – a type of opera that was popular in Vienna at the time. These Singspiele were often light-hearted comedies with minimal plot but plenty of singing and dancing.
The 19th century saw the rise of operettas – lighthearted comic operas with spoken dialogue between songs. Operettas were popular throughout Europe but had their biggest success in Vienna with works such as Die Fledermaus (1874) by Johann Strauss.
In the late 1800s, American composer Stephen Foster wrote works that combined traditional European operetta elements with African-American spirituals and folk songs. This new style of musical theatre would become known as ‘musical comedy’.
The 20th century
Broadway
The 20th century saw the development of Broadway musicals which combined complex plots with more sophisticated music than earlier forms of musical theatre.
A key figure in this development was composer George Gershwin who created works such as Porgy & Bess (1935) and An American in Paris (1928). Other composers such as Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II created classics such as Oklahoma! (1943) which set a new standard for Broadway musicals.
“West End” Musicals
Musicals also found success in London’s West End during this time with shows such as My Fair Lady (1956) by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. This period also saw the emergence of rock-musicals such as Hair (1967) by Galt MacDermot and Jesus Christ Superstar (1971) by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
“Jukebox” Musicals
In recent years there has been an increase in ‘jukebox’ musicals – shows based on existing pop songs from bands like ABBA or Queen. Some examples include Mamma Mia! (1999), We Will Rock You (2002), Jersey Boys (2005), Rock Of Ages (2009) and Kinky Boots (2013).
Conclusion
What is the history behind Musical Theatre? Musical Theatre has been around for centuries; beginning with Opera in Italy during the 16th century followed by Masques in England during the 17th century before evolving into Operettas during the 18th century. In America during the 19th century Musical Comedy was born before finally leading to 20th Century Broadway Musicals. In recent years ‘Jukebox’ Musicals have become increasingly popular.
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