Top 10 Musicals that Changed the Face of Theatre

Musical Theatre is an ever evolving art form. Over the decades, the genre has gone from pure escapism to social commentary to gripping dramatic expression. For those who are curious as to how musicals have changed over the years and which shows influenced the changes, here is a list of the 10 shows that had the most impact on the great white way.

1) Little Johnny Jones - George M. Cohan wrote, starred and Directed this patriotic musical comedy which became the first musical to garner recordings of the songs. “Give My Regards to Broadway” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy” were the shows big hits.

2) Showboat - Became the first musical play to introduce serious issues into the storyline. It was a strong departure from the happy song and dance shows that preceded it. Oscar Hammerstein’s book and lyrics dealt with issues ranging from racial tensions to spousal desertion. “O’l Man River” and “Make Believe” were among the plays big songs.

3) The Cradle Will Rock - Marc Blitztien’s labor opera combined the political theatre of Bert Brecht with the popular jazz infused music of the 1930’s to create this inspiring piece. The show was so controversial that the government attempted to shut down the production. Director Orson Welles cleverly devised a way for the show to go on. He had his actors perform the show not from the stage, where equity regulations would have made them conform to the edicts of their union, but from the audience. The inspiring tale of the show’s premiere was turned into a hit film in the late 1990s by Tim Robbins.

4) Oklahoma! - Rodgers and Hammerstein successfully blended music, book and dance into one complete entity, using all three to progress plot and character. This was also the first American musical to release a complete original cast recording.

5) My Fair Lady - Alan Jay Lerner adapted Shaw’s masterpiece Pygmalion into possibly the most perfect musical of all time. Not only did it smash Broadway box office records but it was the first hit musical to not include a love story as its main theme.

6) Cabaret - Kander and Ebb’s musicalization of Chris Isherwood’s I Am A Camera not only delved into more serious themes in musicals but it also brought Brechtian flavor and political themes into the world of musical theatre.

7) Oliver - Lionel Bart’s retelling of Dickens classic “Oliver Twist” was the first British musical to become a major blockbuster in America, paving the way for other British writers and composers such as Anthony Newley, Leslie Bricusse and Andrew Lloyd Webber to invade New York.
Company - Stephen Sondheim’s landmark piece about marriage and relationships was the first “concept” musical. Relying on characterization, thoughts and themes over a linear plot, it was also the first collaboration between Sondheim and innovative director Hal Prince.

9) Evita - the British Mega Musical arrived on Broadway in the form of this Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber show and, for better or worse, the genre dominated Broadway into the mid 1990s.

10) Rent - Johnathan Larson’s biting story of AIDS, love, and social clash in New York burst onto the scene with a driving rock score, introducing the Gen X and Gen Y generations to live theatre.