-
Period: to
Golden age of Opera pre
Musical shows were mainly operatic in nature prior to the boom of traditional musical theatre in the 1920s. The "golden period of opera," as some refer to it, was when opera and operettas were at their most popular. However, towards the turn of the twentieth century, a few musicals began to appear here and there.
Opera/Operettas and Vaudeville are two popular trends. -
Period: to
The Jazz Age (1920-1939)
Musical theatre began to gain popularity in the early 1920s. Operettas remained popular, but many of the productions began to incorporate a considerable jazz flavor. Glamourous showgirls, lighthearted acts, musical revues, and larger-than-life dance sequences were all popular at the time. It was also at this period that book musicals and film musicals began to develop. -
Period: to
The Golden Age (1940-1959)
The golden age was a wonderful time when showtunes aired on the radio and Broadway began to blossom, and it is considered by many to be the pinnacle of musical theatre popularity (for both stage and cinema). Musicals featured a lot of dance routines and were big on plot development. -
Period: to
Post-Golden Age (1960-1969)
The 1960s are often thrown in with the Golden Age of musicals as a whole, although there was a significant shift in style during this time. With rock musicals like Hair and more ethnically diverse musicals like Fiddler on the Roof, there was a lot more experimenting in the 1960s. There was also a trend toward musicals with more complex and thought-provoking stories. -
Period: to
Pre-Contemporary (1970-1999)
We began to see an even wider range of music genres and stories in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. This is also when epic/mega musicals like Miss Saigon and Les Misérables began to express strong emotions. During these years, revue musicals began to make a resurgence as well. This was a delightful grab-bag period with one surprise musical after another, thanks to the imaginative plots, enormous budgets, and rising cultural variety. -
Period: to
Contemporary (2000-2019)
There was also a wide spectrum of show styles from 2000 to 2019. However, it was at this time that we began to witness more musicals based on other works, particularly movies and musical records (jukebox musicals). In these two decades, pop/rock music had a significant influence (think Dear Evan Hansen and Waitress). Additionally, comedy was a major trend, with programs such as Avenue Q and Book of Mormon becoming mega hits.