Broadway

Broadway

1866

Musical theatre in New York City, near Times Square. This a very respected theatre, where many musicals became popular. There are 1,761 seats.

The Black Crook

1866

The Black Crook was the first broadway musical performed in 1866, created by Charles M. Barry’s. It added dance and original music to tell a story. This musical was incredibly successful because during the Civil War, people had to work a lot. When the Black Crook premiered, women could finally leave their homes and go to the theatre and enjoy the show. It eased the stressful times for Americans.

Fred Astaire

May 10, 1899

Died 1987. Astaire was a choreographer, dancer, and musical filmmaker. He danced in films and on stage. Him and his partner, Ginger Rogers, made 10 movies together. One of them is called, “Swing Time.” His dance style is considered to be a combination of ballet, tap and ballroom dancing. He starred in over 30 films from 1938 to 1968. He was a big influence on musical comedy films.

Wizard of Oz

Jan 21, 1903

A musical by Glen MacDonough and L. Frank Baum, based on the 1900 novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Performed in the Majestically Theatre in broadway New York City. Played through October 1903.

Ginger Rogers

Jul 16, 1911

American singer, dancer, actress, and choreographer during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Partnered with Fred Astaire and made 10 musical films together.

Gene Kelly

Aug 23, 1912

Died 1996. Jazz and tap Dancer, singer, choreographer, actor, and comedian. He was the lead actor in Singing In The Rain, And choreographed the dances. He was very athletic. He took dance classes at age 7 but stopped and joined sports. Was in law school but switched to a dance career. MGM studios. He also danced in “Anchors Aweigh.”

Jerome Robbins

Oct 11, 1918

Died 1988. He was considered the “Show Doctor” because he was able to fix broadway show issues. He danced all genres; modern dance, jazz, ballet, and did theatre. In 1944 he started doing stage works in broadway. Jerome created choreography for individuals based on their characteristics, made the dace unique to them. He was in Fancy Free, West Side Story, and more.

Showboat

Dec 27, 1926

Jerome and Hammerstein’s broadway show. First broadway show to combine music, dancing, drama, and setting. It was revolutionary for its time because all other shows before were only for comic relief. Showboat played through May 4th, 1929.

Golden Age

1930

The 1930s - 1940s was considered “The Golden Age” of Hollywood because this was a time period when film making was revolutionary.

Porgy and Bess

Oct 10, 1935

Porgy and Bess is an English American opera composed by George Gershwin. It was first performed September 30, 1935 in the Colonial Theatre in Boston, then premiered in Broadway October 10th that same year.

Oklahoma!

1943

First musical composed by Rodgers and Hammerstein. It tells the story of a farm girl Laurey Williams and her courtship by two rival suitors, cowboy Curly McLain and the sinister farmhand Jud Fry. A famous part of Oklahoma! Is the Dream Ballet scene. It consisted of ballet but a musical theatrical style. This musical revived art form, being the first stage production to integrate themes, plot and character and was the first musical to release an original cast recording. It was an instant success.

Rodgers and Hammerstein

1944

Richard Rodgers (1902 –1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960) Were a dynamic musical theatre duo. They were writing musicals during the Golden Age, transforming broadway forever. Some of the successful works they wrote were Oklahoma!, South Pacific, King and I, Cinderella, and the Sound of Music. They one 34 Tony awards and many more different awards.

7 brides for 7 brothers

1954

A musical film with acrobatic dance, ballet movements, Modern, and social dance.

Michael Jackson

Aug 29, 1958

Also known as, “King of Pop,” Jackson was a huge influence on pop culture. He created complex dance techniques, such as “the moonwalk,” and a move where he stood straight, and bent his knees standing on his toes. His moves became very popular, no one had seen his style before. Jackson was an artistic dancer and made a statement with his style. He considered his music videos and performances to be short films because they had a deeper meaning, and the dancers were highly choreographed. Died 2009

Rocky Horror Picture Show

1975

First musical comedY horror film. Tim Curry was the lead. It filmed over six weeks with a budget of $1.4 million. The famous floating red lips that sing the film's opening song "Science Fiction Double Feature" were inspired by Man Ray's 1936 painting "The Lovers." It is a popular movie.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Mar 1, 1979

Musical thriller from Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler. Not much dance was in this film, during the 80s and 90s musicals drifted away from dancing.

Beauty and the Beast

1991

Beauty and the Beast Broadway show ran until 2007, making this show the 10th longest running Broadway production ever.

Lion King Musical

1997

This musical is based on the Disney film by Walt Disney in 1994. This is the most expensive budget musical in the world. The budget was $28.6million, and the gross earnings is $47million, and counting. This musical is a favorite to many people, that is why it is still on broadway today. It has been awarded the Tony Award for best musical show. It also won best choreography, best costume design, best direction of a musical, and best lighting design.

Hamilton

2015

This musical, Hamilton, tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, first secretary of the treasury, blending hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway styles, filmed from the Richard Rogers Theater in New York. Continues to show today. Budget was $12.5million.

The Greatest Showman

2018

Featuring catchy musical numbers, exotic performers and daring acrobatic feats, Barnum's mesmerizing spectacle takes the world by storm to become the greatest show on Earth.