Back in the glory days of musical theater, the topics of choice made a lot of sense. There was Camelot, based around the legend of King Arthur. Carousel was about the attraction of an old time country fair.Oklahoma focused on…well, Oklahoma, while South Pacific dwelled on… that’s right, the South Pacific. And West Side Story… well suffice it to say it told the story of desperate young lovers torn between two gangs of street toughs vying for control of the city streets.
Actually, we could be talking a new and revised version of Chicago. (Sorry, Chicagoans)
The point is, musicals were inspired by grand themes, widescreen spectaculars with soundtracks that spawned popular songs which were forever part of the popular musical vernacular.
These days, however, with the rare exception of Hamilton, the modern musical rarely contributes to the conscience of the mass marketplace, and it really hasn’t on a grand scale since the early ‘60s. Granted, Broadway shows like Phantom of the Opera, Rent, A Chorus Line, and Annie did boast a memorable hit or two, but for the most part, the days of musicals boasting a veritable hit parade that courted mass appeal have long since passed. Likewise, the soaring storybook premises have become somewhat predictable and inconsequential. Consequently, Broadway gobbles up a show like Cats…which is…about Cats. Starlight Expressrevolved around skating. And Chess? Well, one presumes it’s about the intellectual version of checkers…..READ MORE