| Growing up in Philadelphia and later working in | | | | producers' attitudes regarding political correctness and |
| Manhattan gave me an early sense of musicals and | | | | social commentary. Westside Story is being sung in |
| their impact on the cultural scene. I saw one big | | | | Spanish when a Latin (a Shark) is performing and |
| musical production at the old Shubert Theatre in the | | | | English when a white American (a Jet) is singing. It's |
| late '40s, but I was exposed to the songs from | | | | interesting. I don't know if it's something I will enjoy, but it |
| Oklahoma, South Pacific and The Music Man through | | | | is a different twist. Hair, the block-buster Vietnam |
| the '50's. During the next decade, while living in the city, I | | | | protest musical is back with it's modernized anti-war |
| was able to see many grand productions: Camelot, | | | | theme. However, I don't know if the concept will work |
| Westside Story, Hello Dolly and more, including the | | | | without the military draft or if the lyrics will shock us as |
| protest shows. | | | | they did when it opened in the late 1960's. These are |
| Over the years, the tone and format of musicals | | | | playing on Broadway, and since my home is on the |
| changed. Cabaret, Chorus Line and Annie, as I see it, | | | | west coast, I haven't seen either production yet - |
| where the last big traditional musicals - dialogue, burst | | | | maybe on the next trip to New York. |
| into song, then repeat until the final curtain falls -- | | | | Of course revivals of great shows have always been |
| before giving way to the operatic musical where | | | | a way for producers to make money without starting |
| everything was sung, dialogue and all. It was the era of | | | | the process from scratch. Showboat and Porgy and |
| Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. Then | | | | Bess are two that have had successful reruns in |
| we had Chicago, The Producers and Wicked (a show | | | | recent years. And the classics are playing to |
| devoid of one single song I can remember, let alone try | | | | audiences in smaller theatres, small towns and dinner |
| to hum or whistle) followed by Mama Mia (you had to | | | | shows around the country, bringing Broadway to those |
| be an Abba fan to see this more than once) and | | | | who want to relax and be entertained. The movie |
| Jersey Boys (which I loved because I liked the Frankie | | | | version of most of the above mentioned shows are |
| Valli and the Four Seasons). Pre-boomers are | | | | available on DVD. And, while these don't offer the |
| fortunate to have lived through the period of | | | | excitement of live performances; it's still a great way |
| spectacular musicals. | | | | to forget the cares of the world, if only for a couple of |
| Now there are some reprieves appearing on the great | | | | hours. |
| white way that have been modified to express the | | | | |