Evolving
Pretty soon high standards were being set for the American theatre. One thing led to another and the sound was being redefined as well as the sound of the American musical. Musicals began to come out that would leave landmarks on the stage and soon enough other musicals would continue to follow. Broadway would soon rule the stage. Great composers like Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, The Gershwins, Roger and Hammerstein, and Cole Porter would change our entertainment. As Kurt Ganzl says from his book The Musical: A Concise History, "These composers would change our entertainment and would grace us with their presence." These composers are mentioned more than once and they began to complete their own scores. Harrigan and Hart were introduced and after them followed Gilbert and Sullivan who came in 1871 and they went to 1896. These two sets of composers redefined the American musical, 1st by innovation and 2nd by imitation. In the early 1900’s George M. Cohan and Victor Herbert gave musicals a new sound and style. Jerome Kern, Guy Boulton and P.G. Wodehouse later went on to revise this sound. In the same years ad Kern, Boulton and Wodehouse came Florenz Ziegfield who introduced his follies. Broadway musical comedy started to gain worldwide influence in the 1920’s. In the 1930’s the musical stage became more popular than before and this is where Cole Porter came in with Rodger and Hart as well. In the 1930’s musicals like Of Thee I Sing, On Your Toes and Anything Goes were presented. Pal Joey and Lady in the Dark were important landmarks because they opened the way for more realistic musicals. Oklahoma! was a musical that was a landmark because it set a new high standard. Oklahoma came in the 40’s/50’s. It was one of the longest running musicals on Broadway and because of it musicals would start to have more than 800 performances on the Broadway stage. Along with Oklahoma! came Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me Kate, The King and I, Gypsy and My Fair Lady. In the 1960’s Hello Dolly!, Fiddler on the Roof and Hair took the stage. Hair was a landmark to the Broadway musical stage. Later the 70’s and 80’s brought hits such as A Little Night Music, A Chorus Line, No No Nanette, Sweeny Todd, Evita, Cats, Les Miserables, Company, Follies, Miss Saigon and Phantom of the Opera. In the 1990’s Crazy For You, Sunset Boulevard, Lion King, RENT and Titanic were introduced. At the end of the 20th century musicals like Fosse, Footloose and Saturday Night Fever were presented.
