The Tony Awards
this week demonstrated the continuing devolution of musical theater into a
fringe phenomenon. Once upon a time, musical theater was an iconic American art
form; now, it has been divvied into Disney earners and social issues vaudeville
acts beloved by critics. Forget the days when Broadway offered something to
everyone. Now, Broadway offers something to a few, and nothing to most…..ToRead More…..
My Take - You may wish to read the comments as there is some potentially legitimate disagreement regarding the author's views, but I have to come back to the same question I have asked for years. Can you sing the songs of these plays? Can you even hum the tunes of modern musicals? Let's start with Camelot, in my opinion the greatest Broadway musical ever produced, and compare it with anything that has appeared on Broadway in the last 25 years. I would be willing to bet that most people who loved camelot can partially sing or hum at least five tunes right now. Can that be done with any of these modern......'hits'? And those plays like Jersey Boys and Mama Mia, that were take-offs on old songs, don't count.
Perhaps Broadway isn't dead, but I don't think it is unfair to declare it's just a little sick.
Perhaps Broadway isn't dead, but I don't think it is unfair to declare it's just a little sick.
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