Lights, Lyrics, Action: The Musical Theatre Genre
You may have heard of Lin-Manuel Miranda, maybe Andrew Lloyd Webber, or maybe even Jorge Rivera-Herrans. Whoever the director or composer may be, musical theatre has been around for over a thousand years, and even modern-day musicals have been around for 160 years. From the Greeks holding plays of comedy and tragedy during 5th Century BCE to modern composers sharing historic events and people through song and dance for over 160 years.
No matter if you listen to or watch musicals like Hamilton or Epic the Musical, for example, you will find each musical has their own mix of emotions and drama. Epic was originally a senior thesis project that Herrans started in 2019 during his time at University of Notre Dame. He has said that he was inspired by Homer’s The Odyssey which was later developed into it’s own major film adaptation in 2026 by Christopher Nolan. Herrans spent years developing the project before it went viral on TikTok, ultimately turning his college endeavor into a massive global phenomenon.Now this musical is combines the story of Odysseus and the Odyssey with a fictional twist of adventures. Compared to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton which follows the life of Alexander and Eliza Hamilton through their lives. One brings mytholgy to life while the other brings history to the present.
Now heres where things with musicals get a bit confusing, since most of the musicals originate from broadway or even story books and playwrites, many are then adapted into movies or live action series. But within these adaptations, rarely do we see a copy and paste version. Take The Phantom of the Opera for example, originally it was novel by Gaston Leroux, the phantom aka Erik Destler has no nose , sunken glowing yellow eyes, and skin so yellow and tightly stretched across his skull that it resembles rotting parchment, whereas in the stage adaptation by Andrew Lloyd Webber and movie adaptation by Joel Schumacher the phantom’s face was put so that only his upper right side of his face. Even all the music that Webber composed for the stage adaptation, while some were never in the actual novel, the rest were briefly described by Leroux.
Back to the history of musical theatre, it has developed over hundreds of years and combines acting, singing, music, and dancing to tell stories. Although modern musical theatre is most closely associated with Broadway, its history can be traced back much further. Many early forms of theatre used music and movement to help tell stories, creating the foundation for the musical performances we know today.
One of the earliest influences came from ancient Greece, where plays often included singing, music, and dancing. As theatre continued to develop throughout Europe, music became an important part of dramatic performances. During the 1600s and 1700s, opera became especially popular and demonstrated how music could be used to express emotions, develop characters, and move a story forward. These ideas eventually influenced other forms of musical entertainment.
During the 1800s, lighter forms of musical theatre, including operettas, became popular. Unlike traditional opera, operettas often included more spoken dialogue, comedy, and simpler musical styles. These performances helped influence American musical entertainment. In the United States, vaudeville, minstrel shows, burlesque, and musical comedies became popular forms of entertainment during the late 1800s and early 1900s. These different styles helped create the environment in which modern musical theatre could develop.
As these forms of entertainment became more popular, New York City became an important center for theatre. Broadway grew into one of the most recognized places for musical productions, and musicals began becoming more connected to their stories and characters. A major turning point came in 1927 with Show Boat. The musical was important because its songs and dances were closely connected to the plot instead of simply being separate entertainment numbers. This helped move musical theatre toward the story-driven style audiences recognize today.
This development continued into the 1940s and 1950s, which are often considered part of the Golden Age of musical theatre. During this period, composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II created influential productions such as Oklahoma!, South Pacific, and The Sound of Music. These musicals continued the idea of using songs to develop characters and move the story forward. Their success also helped establish the musical as one of America's major forms of popular theatre.
As society changed during the 1960s and beyond, musical theatre began exploring new subjects and styles. Productions such as West Side Story addressed serious issues such as violence, discrimination, and conflict while still using music and dance as important parts of the story. During the 1970s and 1980s, shows such as A Chorus Line and Les Misérables continued to expand what a musical could be by focusing on personal struggles, social issues, and more dramatic storytelling.
Musical theatre continued to change during the 1990s and 2000s as new musical styles and technologies influenced productions. Shows such as Rent, The Lion King, and Chicago brought different sounds, visual styles, and subjects to the stage. Musicals also began drawing more inspiration from rock, pop, hip-hop, and other types of popular music.
Today, musical theatre continues to evolve while keeping the basic elements that have been part of it throughout history. Modern productions can combine traditional theatre with different musical genres, cultures, technology, and performance styles. From ancient Greek performances to Broadway productions, musical theatre has continued to change with its audiences while using music, acting, and dance to tell stories.