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Period: to
Contextual Studies for Music Theatre 1927 until the present day
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Good News
There were 557 performances of a play with the score composed by Ray Henderson. The play was about a wealthy football hero who has to pass an exam to play a main game and win the girl he loves. The play inspired "The Varsity Drag," a Charleston-style number that became an international dance craze. -
Show Boat
December 27, 1927 Show Boat
There were 572 performances of the show which was produced by Florenz Ziegfeld, Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II and covers subjects of alcoholism, racism, interracial relationships and romance.
The storyline about the survival of inhabitants on Mississippi show boat during period of the 1880's to the 1920s. Songs from the show are well known through the ages, "Make Believe," "Old Man River" and "You Are Love. -
Blackbirds of 1928
4 January 1928 Blackbirds of 1928. This production opened at the Liberty Theatre and ran for 518 performance and became the longest running all-black show on Broadway. Some of the cast still wore burnt cork to look "blacker" under stage lights, and one backdrop depicted a huge smiling black character eating some watermelon sitting on a plantation fence. -
Bitter Sweet
2 July 1929 Bitter Sweet There were 647 performances of the play about a British heiress who gives up her wealth to marry a poor Viennese composer. The man she loved dies in a duel and she goes on to become famous in opera. The lesson she learnt was to choose love over everything else, and many years later, she told the story to a young girl.
The shows opening coincided with a stock market crash and despite the good reviews, Ziegfeld could not keep it running for more than 159 performances. -
Mr Cinders
15 July 1929. Mr Cinders The music was written by Vivian Ellis & Richard Myers, and the libretto by Clifford Grey & Greatorex Newman. It ran for 528 performances and was a male version of the Cinderella story. The song, "Spread a Little Happiness," became a British anthem of hope during the 1930s Depression. -
Of Thee I Sing
December 26, 1931 Of Thee I Sing
There were 441 performances of this show written by George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin , George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The production story was about a President who gets elected because he married the woman he loved.
It was the first musical ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama and was the longest running Broadway musical during the decade of the 1930s. -
Porgy and Bess
October 10, 1935 Porgy and Bess There were 124 performances of this show written by
George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward to adapt his novel, Porgy, to the hit play about a community of poor black families living in the dockside tenements of Charleston during the time of the Great Depression. Porgy and Bess became more popular over the years with many Broadway revivals in 1942 ( there were 286 performances), 1952 (there were 305 performances), and 1976 (there were 129 performances). -
On Your Toes
April 11, 1936 On Your Toes There were 463 performances of the Rodgers and Hart's play starring Ray Bolger as a classical music professor and vaudeville dancer tangled in the world of classical ballet. Choreographer George Balanchine staged several numbers, including the "Slaughter On Tenth Avenue Ballet." The score boasted "There's a Small Hotel" and "Its Got to Be Love. -
Babes in Arms
April 14, 1937 Babes In Arms
There were 289 performances of the Rodgers and Hart's play of teenagers putting on a show to raise money for their parents who were Vaudeville performers. The songs which became famous are "My Funny Valentine," "Where or When," "Johnny One Note" and "The Lady is a Tramp." The leads of the cast were Alfred Drake and The Nicholas Brothers. -
The Boys From Syracuse
November 23, 1938 The Boys From Syracuse There were 235 performances of the Rodgers & Hart's adaptation of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors. The story is about two sets of identical twins who have been long-lost for many years who get caught up in hilarious identity mix-ups in ancient Greece. -
Let's Face It
Let's Face It (October 29th 1941) The production by Cole Porter ran for 547 performances and featured Eve Arden and Danny Kaye. The story was about three wealthy wives who got revenge on their cheating husbands by matching themselves up with three soldiers as gigolos. The score included the songs, "Let's Not Talk About Love" and "You Irritate Me So." -
This is the Army
July 4, 1942 This is the Army There were 113 performances of this production making fun of life in the Army. revue with an all-Army cast poking lighthearted fun at the trials of military life. Berlin performed the song, "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning,". This is the Army toured the US, had a hit London run, and was made into a popular film, eventually earning over $9 million for the Army's Emergency Relief Fund. -
Something For The Boys
Something For the Boys (1943 - 422 performances) is the perfect example of what most musical comedies tried to be in the early 1940s, relying on a major star, an unlikely plot situation, and a few wacky comic twists. Ethel Merman played a wartime factory worker who inherits property adjacent to a military base in Texas. While there, she falls in love with a bandleader/soldier and finds that her dental fillings pick up radio signals. -
Oklahoma!
[Oklahoma!](<ahref='http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/oklahoma.htm)' >Oklahoma!</a>
Oklahoma! is a musical based on the story of 'Green Grow the Lilacs' by Lynn Riggs. Rodgers and Hammerstein developed this musical based on the way they new they could incorporate folk songs and square dancing into a show.The show made it debut on 31st March 1943 on Broadway. The leads were played by Alfred Drake & Joan Roberts -
Guys and Dolls
The music and lyrics were written by Frank Loesser and was one of the most successful shows. It was first shown in 46th Street Theatre in Broadway on 24 Nov 1950 and ran for 1200 performance.
http://www.musicalheaven.com/g/guys-and-dolls/ The first successful revival was at the National Theatre in London. The leads were played by Robert Alda, Vivian Blaine, Sam Levene, Isabel Bigley -
The King and I
The King and I (1951 - 1,246 performances) was based on Anna Leonowens real life experiences tutoring the royal family of Siam in the 1860s. The clash of Eastern and Western cultures sets Anna and the King on a collision course, further complicated by their unspoken feelings for each other. Gertrude Lawrence, who had suggested the project, played the Welsh schoolteacher. At Mary Martin's urging, the little-known Yul Brynner was cast as the King. -
Paint Your Wagon
Paint Your Wagon Paint your Wagon was written by Fredick Loewe (Also wrote my fair lady)
This is a musical western comedy which is set in the mining gold-era in California.
Paint your wagon debuted on Broadway November 12th 1951. The show ran only ran for 289 performances.
The show made its west end apperance on Feburary 11th 1953. The lead roles were played by James Barton, Olga San Juan, Tony Bavaar -
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady My Fair Lady was written by Fredrick Loewe which was based on George Bernardshaw's book Pygamalion. The show debuted Mark Hallinger Broadhurst Theatre. The show ran for a staggering 2717 performances. Rex Harrison starred in the Orignal debut of the musical alongside Julie Andrews and then starred again in the 1981 revival in the role of Henry Higgins -
West Side Story
West Side Story West Side Story is musical written by Stephen Sodheim based of the famous William Shakespeare play 'Romeo and Juilet' The story talks about two ethinic gangs rivarly called the Jets (Puerto Rican) and the Sharks (Causcasian) based in New York city.
The musical premiered in 1957 at the Winter Garden Broadway Theatre, It ran for 732 performances.
It is currently playing at the Palace Theatre from March 19th 2009. -
How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Stats abouts How to Succeed in Business This is a musical written by Frank Loesser which was based on the 1952 book with the same name. The musical first opened on October 14th 1961 on 46th Street Theatre. It ran for a total of 1417 performances!
It was revived back on the broadway on March 23rd 1995 with Matthew Broderick starring in the lead role of Finch, This ran for a total of 548 performances. -
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof Fiddler on the Roof was the first musical to have ever an astonshing 3,242 performances on broadway on its debut. The musical is inspired by 'Teyve and his daughters' which follows the life of Teyve the Milkman a Jew, living in a turn of the 21st century russia. Written by Joseph Stein -
Cabaret
CabaretThe Rauchy modern musical called Cabaret was written by Joe Masteroff based on the book which was written by Christopher Isherwood called 'Goodbye Berlin'.
The musical is based in a nightclub in the 1930's Berlin just when the Nazi party was rising into power. The musical has been revived and rewritten for each performance countless times. The premier of this show debuted on November 20th 1966 for a total of 1165 performances. The show is currently on Broadway at the Studio 54 from April 24th -
Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a musical written by Stephen Sodheim based on the Old london folk lore tale of the demon barber of fleet street. A barber who partnered up with the local pie maker Mrs Lovett to help improve both business by using victims from Todd's murders.
The Musical debuted March 1st 1971 at the Uris Theatre and performed 557 shows. The show was then revived in 2005 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. -
A Chorus Line
Chorus LineA Chorus Line is a musical written by James Kirkwood Jr and Nicholas Dante is based on 25 dancers of dancers auditioning for 8 parts within the chorus. The show was a heavily dance performed show such as White Christmas, 42nd Street and Carousel. The show opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on July 25th 1975.
The show ran for 6137 performances this was the longest and the most show ever performed by a broadway musical till it was surpassed by Cats in 1997 and again 2011 by Chicago. -
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in TexasThe 1970s based musical is aout a borthel that is active on the Outskirts of Texas.
The show debuted on Broadway July 19th 1978 for 1584 performances. The entire show was based on the real life event of Edna milton who ran a brothel on the outskirts of Texas for 58 years. The sheriff originally suffering with marital problems refused to shut it down. -
Blood Brothers
Blood BrothersBased in Liverpool, Blood Brother tales the story of two borthers seperated at birt.
The Musical written by Willy Russell debuted on the West End in 1983 at the Lyric theatre in London but shortly closed in October after only running for 6 months. The show has been revived numerous times with star studded names involved. -
Into The Woods
Into The WoodsBased on a collection of Fairytales, Into the woods is a tale of famous fairytales retold by the Grimm brothers tales which were intertwined within Sodheim's dark musical. The Musical made its debut in San Deigo at The Old Globe Theatre on the $th Decemeber 1986. This was Sondheims 14th Musical that was produced. -
HONK!
HONK! The MusicalWritten by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe which was based on The Hans Christan Anderson tale of 'The Ugly Duckling' which tells the story of How the duckling learns to dicovers who he really is and how different isnt always bad. The Show debuted The Watermill Theatre in 1993 Then the west end in 1999. The show is now often shown across the UK thoughout amateur and professional companies. -
RENT
RENTRENTDebuting on January 25th 1996, RENT premiered on Broadway and made a massive impact to the music theatre world. Based on a group of young bohemians living in New York East village suffering to maintain friendships and relationships also suffering with AIDS. The show ran for a staggering 12 years till in September 2008. Written by Jonathan Larson -
Bat Boy:The Musical
Bat Boy The MusicalBased in West Virginia, A half boy/half bat creature is discovered in a cave. The creature is raised and looked after by the Local Dr.Thomas Parker. The show debuted in New York at the Union Sqaure Theatre. It then made it UK debut in 2005. Written by Keythe Farley & Brian Flemming. -
The Producers
The ProducersThe Producers opened April 19th 2001 to the public running for 2502 performances, Starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick which also starred in the film adaption in 2005.
The entire show is based on Mel Brooks 1968 film based with the same name. -
Billy Elliot the Musical
Billy Elliot the Musical1984-85 during Maggie Thatchers reign as prime minster, The North suffered as miners went on strike against the police force and the goverment to show how closing the mines is going to cause unemployment. The show also talks about a young by named Billy Elliot who is surrounded by depression and struggles with his family after his mothers passing.Written by Lee Hall -
Rock of Ages
Rock of AgesBased in the era of when Rock and Roll,Heavy Metal were not only music but a lifestyle, We follow the story of a young small town girl as she turns up to LA and meets a big city rocker. The show debuted in the west end on April 7 2009,It is still running in broadway and has passed over 2000 shows as of September 28th 2014. Written by Chris D'Arienzo -
Matilda the Musical
Matilda The Musical Based of the famous children Novel by Roald Dahl, Dennis Kelly adapted the story into a musical which had the music written by Tim Minchin. It follows the tradtional story of the young girl who is surrounded by negativity from school and home, but conquers them with her vivid creative imagination.After a 12 week trial in Stratford upon Avon, Matilda opened on April 11 2013 at the Shubert Theatre,London and is still currently running in the west end. -
The Bodyguard the Musical
The Bodyguard the MusicalWritten by Alexander Dinelaris based of the 1992 award winning movie, The Bodyguard finally made its musical debut October 15th 2012 at the West End. All the songs that are involved with the musical are all Whitney Houston songs and is a musical which had no original material written for it. The show closed in 2013. -
I Can't Sing! The X Factor Musical
I Can't Sing! The X Factor MusicalBased of ITV talent search show named 'The X Factor' Harry Hill decided to take on the musical world with the show 'I Can't Sing! The X Factor Musical'
The Show opened in the west end on March 26th but suffered with Issues on it's preview nights and then maintained problems with the techicnical sides of the show as the audience were left 50 minutes in an interval. The show shut down six weeks after opening night.
