Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs,
spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a
musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words,
music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an
integrated whole. Although musical theatre overlaps with other theatrical
forms like opera and dance, it may be distinguished by the equal importance
given to the music as compared with the dialogue, movement and other
elements. Since the early 20th century, musical theatre stage works have
generally been called, simply, musicals.
Although music has been a part of dramatic presentations since ancient
times, modern Western musical theatre emerged during the 19th century,
with many structural elements established by the light opera works of
Jacques Offenbach in France, Gilbert and Sullivan in Britain and the works of
Harrigan and Hart in America. These were followed by Edwardian musical
comedies, which emerged in Britain, and the musical theatre works of
American creators like George M. Cohan at the turn of the 20th century. The
Princess Theatre musicals (1915–1918) were artistic steps forward beyond
the revues and other frothy entertainments of the early 20th century and led
to such groundbreaking works as Show Boat (1927), Of Thee I Sing (1931)
and Oklahoma! (1943). Some of the most famous musicals through the
decades that followed include My Fair Lady (1956), The Fantasticks (1960),
Hair (1967), A Chorus Line (1975), Les Misérables (1985), The Phantom of
the Opera (1986), Rent (1996), Wicked (2003) and Hamilton (2015).
Musicals are performed around the world. They may be presented in large
venues, such as big-budget Broadway or West End productions in New York
City or London. Alternatively, musicals may be staged in smaller venues,
such as off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, regional theatre, fringe theatre, or
community theatre productions, or on tour. Musicals are often presented by
amateur and school groups in churches, schools and other performance
spaces. In addition to the United States and Britain, there are vibrant musical
theatre scenes in continental Europe, Asia, Australasia, Canada and Latin
America.
