The Main Figures in Musical Theatre

 The first two (or three) main figures in musical theatre are Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein the second. Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern were known for popularizing modern musical theatre through show boat (1927). However, Hammerstein is much more known for his work with Rodgers, the two becoming an unstoppable duo. From the sound of music to Oklahoma, their work will forever be remembered. Any theatre student worth their salt will know Rodgers and Hammerstein (see left), and further nerds(me) will even know that Richard Rodgers(my third favorite theatre) has a theatre named after him on Broadway, cementing his legacy. Jerome Kern is also a legend in his own right, but due to him largely working on movie musicals, he is not remembered in live theatre as much. 

ALW!!

Andrew Lloyd Webber is another major figure, known for creating successful musicals. From Cats to the Phantom of the opera, he is known for writing long running shows. Phantom ran for the longest, closing very recently, much to the dismay of me. He continues to create iconic shows to this day, and despite the poor reception of some of his later shows (not even the amazing Carrie hope fletcher could carry Bad Cinderella), he is still an icon. I’m proud to say he was one of my top artists and left a very nice message on Spotify wrapped. He is the inspiration for many writers, and is undoubtedly one of the most successful composers, with him being the first composer to have three musicals running on Broadway and the West End simultaneously. 

No musical is complete without its dancing, and the choreographer is as important as the scriptwriter. That is why Bob Fosse is remembered even today. Despite only winning a tony for one show, that being Pippin, his choreography has made many shows far more memorable and enjoyable. One of my personal favorite examples is Chicago. Chicago may have glitz and glam, but without the iconic choreography, the story wouldn't be as memorable as it is today. He wrote all that jazz, a semi-autobiographical musical about his life and work. Tired of the prim and proper dance, he leaned heavily into the darker and more vaudeville side of dance. While his raunchy dances did earn some criticism, and often needed to be removed, the style did help usher in a new generation of darker shows as well as the MTV era. 

Now onto the man, the myth, the legend, Stephen Sondheim. Stephen Sondheim is known for his innovative musical composition, and the complexity that he brought to stage. Any musical theatre fan has likely spent hours perfecting the complex lyrics and tempo of ‘your fault’ from Into the Woods. His non-linear method of storytelling as seen in Into the Woods and unusual stories as seen in Sweeney Todd have inspired many. He has been cited as an inspiration by many artists, most notably Johnathon Larson, whose autobiographical musical ‘Tick Tick Boom…’ heavily features Sondheim as a mentor figure. Sondheim enjoyed a long and very successful career, with accolades to prove it. His books have served as an education to countless composers after him. Revivals of his shows are running on Broadway even after his demise two years ago.

OH LOOK AT THOSE EYES

This guy is practically everywhere right now, so of course he ended up on this list. Lin Manuel Miranda is most known for Hamilton, but he has dabbled in many other forms, appearing in everything from Disney movies to the new Percy Jackson show. Hamilton hit like a bomb, and revolutionized many people into becoming musical theatre fans. While I always loved musicals, Hamilton was definitely the turning point in my life towards insanity, so I knew LMM deserved a mention. He has made musical theatre more accessible to people, and we can’t deny the impact that popularizing shows for the general public has.