Is it possible to be revolutionary at this point?

I don't think so. You can be innovative, but I think the days of revolutionary musicals are behind us.

I think it would be very difficult. They say there are only 15 original plotlines (or is it 13?) I mean, Rent was inspired by La Boheme, yet was considered revolutionary in its updating of the material. I think the only way to be different is your approach. Everything's been covered!

I think this is shown in Doyle's stagings. I know I'm VERY disagreed with, but I think his focus on the material brings a new depth. I love to see revivals where the show is looked at from a completely new place, and I think that's the future.

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If you can anticipate how something will be revolutionary, wouldn't that negate its revolutionariness?

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Updated On: 6/18/07 at 01:02 PM

Exactly, Kringas.

We won't know what revolutionary is until we see it - and even then it might take a few years before we even realize that it was. If that made any sense whatsoever..

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I completely agree

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I think theatre is a revolutionary artform in and of itself. It's the nature of the art of itself that it constantly reinvents, revises and outdoes itself, and that is that not revolution in its most simplistic form? Creativity is its own revolution.

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I think as we continue to evolve there will be more issues to dramatize and revolutionize the theatre. I'm sure people had the same thoughts seeing the original productions of Hair and Cabaret that there was nothing left to discuss and that we had gone as far as we could go. Personally, I would like to see The Fix make it to Broadway with corrupt politics and political scandals as the main themes of the show it would be like the Chicago revival in the sense that it was all a little too outlandish originally, but now it's not so far from the truth.

What is revolutionary?

I think the producers that get behind a show with a sound, message, idea, etc... is revoultionary.

Broadway, I think, is a business.

The shows that are good business are what really becomes revolutionary. Unfortunately, who the hell really knows what will be revolutionary?

For example:

Hair - a true rock musical on Broadway ("You're Own Thing", was a much better off-broadway show was the true first, but it didn't stand the test of time) It's musical libretto is for the most part a book of lists, but the feel represented a generational voice that had not been presented on Broadway.

Jesus Christ Superstar - took an ancient story and translated into the sound of the Now generation

Company - The relationship musical

Oh! Calcutta! - wieners and boobies.

The Wiz - take a white bread story and add a black sensibility. OK, it had been done with Hello Dolly, but Pearl Bailey didn't Ease on Down the Road

A Chorus Line - nuff said

La Cage aux Folles - The first "embraced" opening gay musical

Baby - A show about pregnancy?!?!?

Starlight Express - The show that had a set that was better than the actual show (which John Napier reminded us when he took the best set design Tony for Les Miz)

Carrie - face it. before this, what other show had a he said / she said following with such verocity

Falsettos - the gay off-broadway Marvin triology that made it to Broadway with only the two final acts

Rent - The AIDS musical. Never mind that Falsettos had already done it with more heart

The Lion King - The puppet show

The Producers - The old fashioned musical that winks at itself

and then ummmmm.... ummmmm.....



At this point, I really feel like Xanadu is the next revolutionary musical.

NO!!!!!

HEAR ME OUT!!!!!

Xanadu on Broadway has managed to do what no other show that was based on a film managed to do: make a show from a movie and say we know it wasn't the greatest movie, but so many of you enjoyed it - have a freakin' good time! Xanadu took the (knowing) wink and took it to the Nth degree. It actually surpassed The Producers without being totally crass.

And I'm done defending Xanadu.

Back on topic....

I think there will possibly always be something revolutionary on Broadway. Chances are you will know when it occurs when there are two camps: those who hate the show and those who love the show.

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Updated On: 6/12/07 at 01:55 AM

I'd argue that the secret to SPRING AWAKENING isn't that it's supposedly 'revoloutionary', but that it's simple and rather traditional. A poster on another board referred to it as "DAWSON'S CREEK with a rock score".

Which was also said (minus the 'rock' part) about WICKED.

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I would think that the next step in musical development would be catering to the current trend in pop music: Hip Hop/R&B/Rap. I haven't heard the show, but it sounds like IN THE HEIGHTS might be leading us in that direction. But I'm wondering if a rap-thru (hehe) piece would work in the near future for fear of it not being taken seriously and just looking stupid. (Trapped in the Closet, example #1) It would take some good craftsmen to make it work.

And I agree with the statements about not being revolutionary until it happens. We won't know til it gets here.

Any opinions on who the revolutionary writers/directors will be? Anyone in particular that stands out at this point?

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Well I think it depends on what kind of revolution you want. Do you want to see a revolution of the sort of things Broadway musicals are about (which would be difficult) or do you want to see a revolution of the way Broadway musicals are told (i.e. the structure and presentation of a musical).

Because we're already seeing the latter, with the moving trend towards jukebox musicals and musicals that are basically staged popular movies.

I think it is impossible to be revolutionary. Even with the so called revolutionary musicals, if you really try hard enough you can find another earlier show that did something similiar. The musical itself is an artform that is derivative of another artform that grew into its own entity. Now we've sort of coming full circle and back into operetta.

Things like In the Heights and Spring Awakening are fun and "revolutionary" because they are promiment examples of the sorts of musicals you don't see very often. I don't think producers and the people who create musicals should become obsessed with trying to be as hep as possible though. Those two shows work because they are honest.

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That's true. Oklahoma is about the only show I can think of where that happened (pretty much every single show written afterwards was written in the Oklahoma style). Company also had a gradual but long effect on the musical theater.

I suppose the Euro musicals don't really count since they were all written by the same people.

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