What Was Before the Golden Age of Musical Theatre?

Musical Theatre|Theater

The Golden Age of Musical Theatre is considered to be the period from 1943 to 1960, a time when the world was engaged in the second World War and had just emerged from the Great Depression. This era of musical theatre is often referred to as a “golden age” because it produced some of the most iconic musicals, with some of the most memorable songs and characters, as well as captivating stories. The musicals of that time are still being seen on stages today, with their music and stories remaining timeless.

But what was before this golden age? Before the turn of the 20th century, musicals were often seen in vaudeville shows.

Vaudeville was popular in North America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and featured an array of variety acts such as magicians, comedians, dancers and singers. These types of performances eventually evolved into what we now call “musicals” or “Broadway shows”.

In Europe during this time period, operettas were popular among audiences. Operettas were lighter and more comedic than operas, but still featured singing by performers.

Many operettas were based on romantic topics such as love or family relationships. These performances included comedic dialogue between characters in addition to songs that further advanced their story lines.

The Golden Age of Musical Theatre was preceded by a variety of theatrical performances that shared similar characteristics with modern-day musicals. Vaudeville shows provided entertainment for audiences through a combination of comedy, singing and dancing while operettas provided comic relief through light-hearted stories set to music. Both forms provided insight into what would come later in musical theatre history – namely characters telling stories through song and dance numbers that captivated audiences all over the world for many years to come.

Conclusion: The Golden Age of Musical Theatre was preceded by vaudeville shows and European operettas which provided entertainment for audiences through a combination of comedy, singing and dancing while also advancing story lines through songs sung by characters. While these forms differed from what we now know as “musicals” they did provide insight into what would come later in theatrical history – namely characters telling stories through song and dance numbers that captivated audiences all over the world for many years to come.