As we move into
the present day in our examination of the musical, we see an increase in the
reliance on visual spectacle. Like we saw last time in our discussion of Hair’s use of rock, many productions
incorporate a variety of musical genres including hip hop and opera. Many
theatrical productions during this modern era rely on old forms of
entertainment such as recordings, films, etc. You may have noticed the
abundance of Disney films re-produced on Broadway during the last few decades.
One of my favorites just traveled to Cincinnati this past year, The Lion King:
As in previous
generations, theater still often draws from literary sources such as Wicked, originally a book by Gregory
Maguire that tells an alternative story about the witches of Oz. Some
productions tell new tales such as Avenue
Q, a story created by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx that addresses the
stresses that many young adults encounter as they grow up and gain
responsibility. The show is known for its use of puppets controlled by
unconcealed puppeteers alongside human performers.
What is your
favorite modern musical? Next time we’ll take a look at one of this period’s
most famous productions: Rent.
