The Phantom Of The Opera
In the 20th century musicals evolved, starting with Show Boat in 1927, with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Hammerstein later teamed up with Richard Rodgers, forming the iconic duo Rodgers and Hammerstein, and together they wrote Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, South Pacific and The King and I, along with many more. These shaped the way for playwrights and musicians like Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, who together wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera, along with many others. Cats is based on the poems of T.S. Elliot, and therefore gets most of its lyrics from his poetry, and The Phantom of the Opera is currently the longest running show on
Broadway, having run for almost 30 years. Containing elaborate sets and costumes and beautiful music, these shows exemplify musical theatre perfectly, and are still popular today. 21st century musicals such as the wildly popular Hamilton, written by Lin Manuel Miranda about the founding fathers, have evolved much since then. Hamilton is technically a rap opera, and consists of a cast of entirely minority races, despite the fact that all the characters they’re based on being white. This is revolutionary, as the casting of many musicals revolves around race, and most characters are white.
Broadway, having run for almost 30 years. Containing elaborate sets and costumes and beautiful music, these shows exemplify musical theatre perfectly, and are still popular today. 21st century musicals such as the wildly popular Hamilton, written by Lin Manuel Miranda about the founding fathers, have evolved much since then. Hamilton is technically a rap opera, and consists of a cast of entirely minority races, despite the fact that all the characters they’re based on being white. This is revolutionary, as the casting of many musicals revolves around race, and most characters are white.