Musical theatre, just as an other popular form of entertainment, has recognizable trends. Broadway is the most well-known hub of musical theatre, drawing countless types of audience members every day. There are forty Broadway theaters currently in operation, housing both musicals and plays. Plays seem to be a bit less trendy and attract more specific audiences, while many musical attract large tourist crowds.
The popularity of musicals to tourists and people who may not know a lot about theatre, often makes them follow more popular trends to draw crowds. I find myself dividing current Broadway musicals into roughly five categories. Not all musicals fit into these categories, and I'm sure more categories exist, but these seem to be some of the most popular and typical Broadway musicals.
1. The Based-on-Blockbuster-Movie Musical
Musicals based on movies are becoming increasingly common because they draw large audiences of movie fans and usually have fleshed-out story lines already established. The Mean Girls musical has been in talks for years, and we're all still waiting patiently for its arrival. Some current Broadway musicals based on movies include "Finding Neverland," "Kinky Boots," "School of Rock-The Musical," "Aladdin," and "The Lion King." Disney musicals tend to draw families because they are appropriate for young children while also appealing to parents who grew up with the classic films.
2. The Jukebox Musical
Jukebox musicals are stories based around a popular artist's songs and often lives. Some current Broadway jukebox musicals include "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," "On Your Feet," and "Jersey Boys." "Beautiful" has garnered a lot of attention, and Jessie Mueller won a Tony Award for her portrayal of the icon, Carole King. Jukebox musicals attract audiences from the artist's age group and fan base, leading to many long-running shows and awards.
3. The Based-on-NY Times-Best-Seller-Musical
Musicals based off books are becoming increasingly popular and drawing both niche and general public audiences. Current examples are "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," "Matilda," "Les Miserables," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "Fun Home." "Matilda" falls into multiple categories because the original book by Roald Dahl was made into a 1996 film, and it is now a hit musical on Broadway and London's West End. Some of the basis for musicals come as a surprise; for example, I did not know that "The Phantom of the Opera" was based off of the 1911 novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux.
4. The Historical Musical
Some current Broadway blockbusters include "Hamilton" and "Allegiance." Lin-Manuel Miranda's current hit musical "Hamilton" is based on the life and legacy of the founding father himself and was created by Miranda after he was inspired by Ron Chernow's biography. Also, "Allegiance" is based off its leading man's (George Takei) experiences in Japanese internment camps following the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
5. The Revival
Revivals remain popular as classic musicals draw audiences and retell wonderful stories from the recent and distant past. A few examples are "Spring Awakening," "The King and I," "Fiddler on the Roof," and "The Color Purple." Spring Awakening is being revived after its original 2006 Broadway premier (a pretty quick turn around), but has been re-imagined from the Deaf West Theatre production to include both hearing and non-hearing actors. The current Spring Awakening revival is a perfect example or reviving a show for a specific purpose and more than succeeding.
6. The Almost-Completely-Original Musical
Some current examples are "Wicked," "The Book of Mormon," and "Something Rotten!" However, one could argue that "Wicked" is a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," and therefore based on a movie. "Something Rotten!" is loosely based on the origins of the first musical, and could be considered historic. Finally, "The Book of Mormon" is based on the Mormon religion and its stereotypes, so could be based on a book. Moral of the story: while these musicals are almost completely original, nothing's completely new. Someone got the idea from somewhere and built upon it to make a unique story. That's the beauty of theater: artists interpret events to make them into beautiful works of art to be shared with audience from all over the world.
