We need to bring back the Musical Theatre genre.
I said it, and I meant it.
Listen, I love a good pop or rock or rap musical as much as the next guy. In fact, I probably like them MORE than the next guy assuming that whoever is in fact next did not grow up with a lifetime of musical theatre experience. I spent all of high school (and psh... definitely only high school) jamming out to the angsty sounds of Next to Normal. I listen to the Hamilton soundtrack to rev up for any major event. I mean, if you're not listening to the song Whipped in to Shape from Legally Blonde the Musical while you work out, you have no business being at the gym.
The blend of musical theatre with popular culture is incredibly special and incredibly important. It proved that musical theatre can remain to be a relevant and living thing in a world that is decidedly moving towards technology, streaming, and screens. By allowing theatre to delve into areas of more contemporary music, we saw a resurgence of musical theatre relevance that we have not seen in some time.
Both the albums to Hamilton and Six sat at the top of the charts for some time. No, not the musical theatre charts: THE CHARTS. The use of popular music styles on Broadway has given new life to musicals about artists. MJ and Beautiful had the full power of an original Broadway musical while also being autobiographical.
Yet, if everyone is alternative, no one is.
The decision by many composers to use a popular sound was to make a point. It was to shake things up. It was to be different, edgy, and unique. As shown above, it worked. However, when everyone starts to make the same cool and exciting choice, the choice stops being cool and exciting.
The shock value of having radio-style music on Broadway has started to fade. People come to the theatre now largely expecting to hear beats that bring back memories of Britney Spears.
As this allure fades, producers are desperate to keep Broadway modern, exciting, interesting. Many have remarked that every show on Broadway now seems to be the musical version of a movie. You are not wrong. This is indicative of the desperation of modern producers to excite people. They are trying to show something flashy and exciting while capitalizing on the nostalgia factor of seeing an old film you used to love.
There is a better nostalgia tactic.
Rather than fighting to make Broadway a song-and-dance interpretation of the Oscars, we need to see a return to classic musical theatre.
Musical Theatre is a genre of its own, and that is a fact we seem to be continuously forgetting as modern theatre movies farther and father away from this well loved form. Songs from shows such as Bye Bye Birdie and Guys and Dolls used to have lasting independent potential, outside of the lives of their shows.
This is not to say that we need to see a Broadway stage that only has re-runs. In fact, I think I'm saying the opposite. More composers should start writing within the confines of the classic musical theatre genre because, as is the way of trends, it has become the alternative choice.
The world now expects to hear about the next pop musical, but where are we going to get the next classic sound? Any singer will tell you that there is a difference between the way you sing pop music and the way you sing for musical theatre. They are different sounds that should be honored as such.
Again, I love pop musicals.
I really do. They are probably 9/10 of my personality. However, an entirely pop-takeover of Broadway would be a desperate disservice to the foundation of theatre and entertainment that has made New York the unique creative hub that it is.
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