It's a safe bet you will see productions of "Wicked" ranging from Broadway revivals to community theatre in 50 years or more. The story is timeless and universal, even assuming that the music will come off "dated" a half century from now.
"Piazza" will be around as well, at least as much as shows like "A Little Night Music." This one won't make its way into high schools, but colleges and a few ambitious community theatres should be doing it. And a full-fledged Broadway revival is likely in the next 30-40 years or so. And some opera companies will produce it, I'm sure.
I think you'll see a Broadway revival of Kiss of the Spider Woman (and perhaps even a movie version), because of the film successes of Kander & Ebb. But due to the subject matter, I wouldn't look for this one to pop up in many (or any) high schools, or even community theatres.
I think you'll see Phantom and Les Miz revived on Broadway 50-60 years from now... unless Phantom is still in its original run (!).
I'm guessing The Mystery of Edwin Drood should pop up on Broadway again in the next 10-15 years.
And 50 years from now, you're bound to see either The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast... if they aren't still running. Disney will see to that.
I'm curious as to how revivals such as the upcoming A Chorus Line will do, since it was such a product of its time. That should give us an indication of how a show like Rent will do in 30 or 40 years. My guess is that it will have lost its "relevant" impact, and be perceived as an appreciated time capsule, just as Hair is perceived now.
And Hairspray should fare as well as Bye-Bye Birdie... unless the upcoming film version tanks. If it does, it will damage the future perception of the show by people who haven't seen a good, large-scale production of it on stage... just as other "bad" film versions have hurt the integrity of their stage counterparts (see "The Wiz," "Brigadoon," "A Chorus Line," etc.)
But these nostalgia shows, like Birdie, Music Man or Grease will fade in time. Hairspray might suffer the same fate as well. They're all combinations of valentines and satires of bygone eras, and after a while, people just aren't around (or alive anymore) to appreciate a send-up of "the way it used to be." That will diminish their appeal greatly. Can you imagine a 1870s send-up of how nifty the 1840s used to be, complete with "in" references? Who can relate to that now? Same thing will happen to those shows, as the years go by.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Updated On: 7/23/06 at 10:20 AM
