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There is nothing like a live performance of Broadway music. And today's shows include music by contemporary and rock artists, as well as revivals of the old favorites. The first show to introduce the concept of musical theater was called 'The Black Crook'. It was five hours long and it ran for nearly five hundred performances, beginning in September of 1866 in New York City. It wasn't really a musical as we know them today, but it did introduce the idea of music with a storyline or plot of a play. During the 1800s and early 1900s most musicals like musical reviews where singers would sing one song after another, without any story or book. But 'Show Boat' changed all that. It opened in December of 1927, at the Ziegfeld Theater. The music for this show was integrated into the story, and music was scattered throughout the play, with songs and lyrics about the characters and story. The show ran for over 500 performances in a theater owned by the famous Flo Ziegfeld whose previous shows included lots of music and lavish costumes and choreography but no plot. 'Porgy and Bess' opened in 1935, with music written by George Gershwin, Songs like 'Summertime', and 'It Ain't Necessarily So', became instant standards and the show broke the color barrier for Broadway musicals. 'Oklahoma' opened in 1943 at the St. James Theater (the same theater that today houses the Broadway hit musical, 'The Producers'). Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the music for 'Oklahoma', and also contributed to 'Show Boat'. Today, the music from 'Oklahoma' is well-known all over the world and the show is a class that is revived in community and regional theater groups all over the country. The musical 'Guys and Dolls' was first staged in 1950, with music written by Frank Loesser, and songs like 'Luck Be a Lady'. It was sharp, romantic and diverse in its musical style. In 1957, Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics and Leonard Bernstein wrote the music for 'West Side Story'. Since then, Sondheim has become the best known Broadway composer of today, and has written shows like 'Company', 'Sweeney Todd', 'Sunday in the Park with George, 'Assassins', and 'The Frogs'. Cabaret performers, popular vocalists and superstars have recorded Sondheim's music. Singers like Barbra Streisand, Barbara Cook, Mandy Patinkin and many more respect and admire his musical compositions and sing them frequently. In recent decades, rock operas and musicals like 'Hair', 'Cats', 'Wicked' and 'Rent', have reinvented the music of Broadway. Disney revitalized the Times Square district and brought new musicals to Broadway that were based on animated films like 'The Lion King', and 'Beauty and the Beast'. In recent years, contemporary composers like Billy Joel and others have brought the Juke Box Musical craze to a fever pitch, spawning shows like 'Movin' Out, the 'Jersey Boys', 'Mama Mia', and more. The Broadway musical of today has something for everyone. Teenagers, children and adults alike flock to musicals to enjoy performances and sing along. If you are not yet a fan of the Broadway musical tradition, get to New York and spend a week seeing the newest musical shows Broadway offers. If you are already a Broadway musical fan, jump on your favorite CD web site or pick up a newspaper to discover the newest musical shows and cast recordings. With recent revivals of the breath-taking 'Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris', and new musicals like 'The Light in the Piazza' by Adam Guettel, the Broadway music of today satisfies every taste.
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