10 musicals and their composers. Best musicals based on literary classics

2. The origin of the musical. Origins………………………………………….. 3
- Ministerel-show
- Spiri?chuels
- Jazz
3 . Musical related genres………………………………………..... 6
4. Development of the musical. Notable composers and performances…………. 6
- music style (influence of jazz, ragtime, hippie ideas)
- components of the musical

Definition of "musical"

What is Musical?
The Musical Encyclopedia answers this as follows: "A musical stage genre that uses the expressive means of music, dramatic, choreographic and operatic arts. Their combination and interconnection gave the musical a special dynamism, a characteristic feature of many musicals was the solution of serious dramaturgical problems with simple artistic means for perception."
musical- a musical, or, as they often write and say, a musical - an abbreviated form of the concepts Musical comedy (musical comedy) and Musical play (musical play, musical performance) -it is a stage work in which songs and dialogues, music and dances are mixed. The musical is one of the most fashionable genres of modern musical theater. Some consider it just an American variety of operetta. This is not big mistake. Art genres tend to develop, and the operetta has changed its national and genre specificity more than once. The sentimental and melodramatic operettas of I. Kalman and F. Lehar were so unlike the Viennese operetta of the late 19th century, and the musical comedies of Soviet authors were so different from Western productions that sometimes they also gave reason to talk about them as a new genre. The words "this is not an operetta" were well known to many operetta authors of the 20th century. But it was in the American musical theater that the qualitative leap took place, which allows many to consider the musical as an independent stage genre, although it is in close relationship and continuity with the operetta.
The origins of this genre are operetta, comic opera, vaudeville, burlesque. Plots for musicals are often taken from well-known literary works, from world dramaturgy, such as “My wonderful lady by Bernard Shaw, "Kiss me Kat!" by Shakespeare, "The Man from La Mancha" by Cervantes, "Oliver!" and "Open House Night" by Dickens. Musicals are one of the most commercial theater arts. This is due to their entertainment and expensive special effects.stories.

The origin of the musical. origins
The art of telling stories through songs dates back to time immemorial. The ancient Greeks included music and dance in their theatrical productions as early as the 5th century BC. Some of them wrote special songs for each musical, others used existing ones. These plays combined humor, political and social satire, and anything else that could entertain the masses. With the help of songs, it was possible to comment on actions, talk about what was happening. The Romans copied almost all the forms and traditions of the Greek theater, but they also made some changes. In particular, they began to pad shoes with metal to better hear the movement of dancers, which began to emphasize the importance of special effects.
The birthplace of the musical is rightfully the United States of America. The American way of development, in political or cultural spheres, is considered special. Historians call it "American way". Due to the large number of immigrants and Puritans, theatrical art in America could not develop in the same way as the European one did.
The Puritans, who fought not only for the purity of faith, but also for the purity of life, imposed on people the opinion that the theater is a low, hypocritical genre. They were sure that a person can get spiritual development only through asceticism and intellect - neither one nor the other, according to the Puritans, was not in the theater. Despite such a hard and unbearable oppression, the American theater did not disappear, but some of its genres never came to light. Until the 19th century, the theater in America was outlawed, countercultural, so crude, simplified forms of it flourished. The actors were mostly immigrants from Europe, or "black Americans", they added their folk folk to the theatrical performances. Thus, by the second half of the 19th century, a formation took place. Performances in the American theater were mostly entertaining. First, a thing appears, and then a person thinks about how to name it. This is how these performances are named. "Minister-show"(the term itself appeared in 1837) - the name itself speaks of the irony of its creators. Despite the fact that the tradition of dressing up as blacks took place among the home performances of white settlers in America as early as the end of the 17th century, minstrel shows developed as an integral form of entertainment art in the late 1820s. in USA. The impetus for the popularity of the minstrel show was given by performances Thomas Dartmouth Rice, in particular its number "Jim Crow"- musical composition and dance imitating the Negro style. The popularity of this number was so wide that Rice took the pseudonym "Jim Crow" and toured America and Europe. Following in his footsteps in the 1830s. similar instrumental-vocal ensembles and solo performers began to appear. By the mid 1840s. minstrel shows, also called "Ethiopian" shows (which, in addition to music and dancing, included small comedy skits with dialogue, sketches, etc.) have become one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the US, especially in the northern states. The minstrels parodied the life and manners of the Negroes, often presenting them in the most ugly way as lazy, stupid, and boastful slaves. The show's humor was blunt with the use of wordplay. Often there was a satire on current politics on behalf of a rustic slave. There were practically no blacks among the minstrels, only from the mid-1850s. the first completely Negro troupes of minstrels began to appear. Paradoxically, they also made up their faces, making them look like theatrical mask. Negro minstrel shows also gathered an audience who wanted to see the performance of real blacks. However, the originally racist nature of the minstrel show hindered its development among black performers (especially in the South).
With the ever-increasing abolitionist tendencies in North American society, minstrel shows were seen in this light as a conduit for the ideas of slavery. At the same time, in many states of the South, minstrel shows were gradually banned, as there they were associated with the entertainment of the northerners. During the Civil War, the minstrel show industry began to decline: by this time, similar genres were gaining popularity. variety shows, vaudeville and musical comedies. Tours of small minstrel troupes moved further to the periphery. At the same time, in New York, the minstrel genre was transformed into huge, richly decorated shows with the participation of foreign acrobats and other circus elements; soon black makeup was no longer mandatory in such performances. In the 1870s V music department Menstrel Show entered spiritual Negro songs, spirituals. In this case, the songs were not imitated, but directly borrowed from itinerant black musicians.The source of Negro spirituals are spiritual hymns brought to America by white settlers. The theme of spirituals was biblical Old Testament stories, which were adapted to the specific conditions of everyday life and life of blacks and were subjected to folklore processing. They combine the characteristic elements of African performing traditions (collective improvisation, characteristic rhythm with a pronounced polyrhythm (polyrhythm), glissand sounds, untempered chords, special emotionality) with the stylistic features of American Puritan hymns that arose on the Anglo-Celtic basis. Spirituals have a question-answer (responsible) structure, which is expressed in the dialogue of the preacher with the parishioners.
By the beginning of the 20th century, the minstrel show genre had completely outlived its usefulness and continued to exist only in the rural areas of the southern states. By 1919, only three significant minstrel troupes remained. Such a fascination with the culture of the "blacks", although at first joking, could not but have consequences. Its most remarkable consequence was the birth - jazz. Jazz was actively used on the stage for staging burlesque performances, and performances in the spirit of farce vaudeville. These productions have already been staged with the participation of actors and musicians. Jazz became so popular that by the start of World War II, it was hard to find an entertainment show throughout America that did not include jazz elements. From primitive Negro music, jazz turned into music that tells about the philosophy of American life and, as a result, the dramatic genre of performances also changed. Jazz united all the previously disparate genres - this is how the musical was born.
In the productions of the musical, various special effects are actively used, unique tricks are created from which the viewer is breathtaking!

Musical-related genres
As has been repeatedly said, jazz was a great impetus to the development of the musical culture, so jazz performances will no doubt be distant, but still relatives of the musical. If we proceed from the fact that the musical has absorbed much that is characteristic of dramatic productions - i.e. theatrical, then related genres will include:
- drama
- melodrama
- comedy
- tragedy
- tragicomedy
- farce
- farce vaudeville

Musical development. Famous composers and musicals. Music style.
In the years preceding the First World War, the talented emigrants Herbert, Friml, Romberg gave impetus to the active development of the musical in America. In the period of the 20s and 30s, with the advent of new American composers Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Col Porter, the musical takes on a true American flavor. The libretto became more complicated, the influence of jazz and ragtime became noticeable in the rhythms, typical American turns appeared in the songs. Many songs from musicals have become musical classics. The acting skills of the singers have increased significantly. Gershwin won the Pulitzer Prize for the first time in 1932 for his work on the musical Of Thee I Sing (1931). The premiere of his famous opera "Porgy and Bess" took place in New York at the end of 1935 and cast consisted of classically trained African-American singers - a bold artistic choice for the time.
With the joint work of Rogers and Hammerstein, productions such as "Oklahoma!" (1943), their first musical. Its action takes place in 1906 in Oklahoma, near the city of Claremore. Then the new state of Oklahoma was created on the so-called Indian territory. The play is based on the idea of ​​friendship and cooperation between different groups of the population of the state: between its original inhabitants - cattle breeders and newcomers from the neighboring state of Missouri - farmers. In the center of the plot is a love story between cowboy Curly MacLaine and a young girl, Lori Williams, who works on her own farm. "Oklahoma!" can claim the title of the first musical in modern understanding words. For the first time, vocals and dance routines were combined into a complete story, based on a serious dramatic script based on the 1931 play The Lilacs Are Turning Green by Lynn Riggs. Prior to this, in musical comedies, songs were plug-in numbers that had little to do with the plot.
"Carousel (1945), « South Pacific », distinguished by a high level of dramaturgy. They had resounding success at the public.
Musical "South Pacific" created by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein, based on James Michener's novel A Pacific Story (1948). The libretto was written by Hammerstein in collaboration with Joshua Logan. In the center of the plot is the issue of racial discrimination. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1949. South Pacific was an instant hit and was nominated for ten Tony Awards and won in all categories, including the Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Musical and Best Libretto. Many songs subsequently became very famous: "Bali Ha "i", "I" m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair", "Some Enchanted Evening", "Happy Talk", "Younger than Springtime", "I" m in Love with a Wonderful Guy". From 1950 to 1955, a national tour of the musical took place in the United States, which was staged in 118 cities in five years. The role of Nellie Forbush in these productions was performed by American actress Janet Blair. In 1958, the film of the same name was shot. the roles were played by Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor.

The 2008 version of The South was declared Best New Production of a Classical Musical and won awards for Best Director, Lead Actor, Costume Design, Lighting and Sound.
To write a musical "My Fair Lady" (1956) Frederick Lowe, composer of music, and Alan Lerner, writer of libretto and lyrics, were inspired by the drama of Bernard Shaw "Pygmallion". It is not surprising that the plot of their joint work repeats the drama of Shaw, which tells how the main character, being originally an ordinary flower girl, becomes a charming young lady. According to the plot of the musical, during the dispute between the professor of phonetics and his friend, the linguist, such a transformation took place. Eliza Doolittle moved into the scientist's house to go through the difficult path of education. In the end, at the embassy ball, the girl passes the difficult exam with brilliance. The musical premiered on March 15, 1956. In London, the performance was given only in April 1958. Rex Harrison acted as the professor-teacher, and Julie Andrews got the role of Eliza. The show immediately gained wild popularity, tickets for it were sold out six months in advance. This turned out to be a real surprise for the creators. As a result, the performance was given 2717 times on Broadway, and 2281 times in London. The musical was translated into eleven languages ​​and played in more than twenty countries. "My Fair Lady" won Tony awards. In total, over 5 million recordings of the musical with its original Broadway cast have been sold. In 1964, the film of the same name was released, and Warner Brothers bosses paid a record $5.5 million for the right to film the musical. Eliza was played by Audrey Hepburn, and Rex Harrison became her partner, having moved to the cinema from the stage. And the success of the film was overwhelming - it was nominated for 12 Oscars and won 8 of them. The musical is so loved by the audience that it can now be seen in London. After the Second World War, the plot of musicals became more serious, there appeared "West Side Story" (1957) Leonard Bernstein. Based on Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet", while the action takes place in modern New York. The expressiveness of the dances indicated the growing importance of choreography. The action takes place in New York in the mid-1950s, telling about the confrontation between two street gangs - "Rockets" ("Jets"), descendants of white immigrants, and "Sharks" ("Sharks"), Puerto Ricans. The protagonist, former Rocket member Tony, falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. Drama, relaxing music and raising acute social problems, although not immediately, brought the musical world fame. The musical compositions written by Bernstein for the musical became very popular. In total, the musical includes 11 musical numbers: "Something's Coming", "Maria", "America", "Somewhere", "Tonight", "Jet Song", "I Feel Pretty", "A Boy Like That", "One Hand, One Heart", "Gee, Officer Krupke" and "Cool". The original 1957 Broadway production (directed and choreographed by Harold Robbins and produced by Robert Griffith and Harold Prince) was the debut of obscure librettist Stephen Sondheim on Broadway. The premiere took place on September 26 on the stage of the theater "Winter Garden". The musical was shown 732 times before going on a world tour. The musical won the 1957 Tony Award for Choreography but lost to The Music Man for Best Musical. The production also won an Oscar in 10 out of 11 nominations. The 1961 film of the same name, based on the musical script, was also awarded. Currently, the musical is often staged in educational institutions, regional theaters and even world-class opera houses.

In the late 60s of the XX century, under the influence of new musical styles, a new understanding of the musical as a genre comes. In a psychedelic musical "Hair" (1967) reflected then fashionable ideas hippie, thereby earning the production the title "Primitive American Lyrical Rock Musical".Music written by Galt McDermot, lyrics by James Rado and Jerome Ranyi. The premiere took place in New York on October 17, 1967. In April 1968, it moved to one of the stages of Broadway, where it ran for 1,873 performances. In the same year, it was staged in Los Angeles and London. In November 1999, the Moscow Variety Theater showed an American author's version of the musical, staged by director Bo Crowell and producer Michael Butler together with the Stas Namin Moscow Theater of Music and Drama. Then the production was adapted and in January 2000 the premiere of the Russian version took place at the Theater of the Young Spectator. The musical is still successfully staged at the Stas Namin Moscow Theater of Music and Drama.
Since the 70s, the number of performances has been reduced, but the scenery and costumes of new musicals are becoming more luxurious. Drastic changes in the concept of the musical were presented by the production "Jesus Christ Superstar" ("Jesus Christ Superstar" 1971) Music for the work was written by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Weber, and Tim Rice created the libretto. Initially, it was planned to create a full-fledged opera, using modern musical language and all relevant traditions - the arias of the main characters should have been present. difference this musical from the traditional ones in that there are no dramatic elements, everything is based on recitatives and vocals. Here, rock music is combined with classical history, modern vocabulary is used in the lyrics, and the whole story is told exclusively through songs. All this made "Jesus Christ Superstar" a super hit. The story is about the last seven days of the life of Jesus, which pass before the eyes of Judas Iscariot, disappointed by the teachings of Christ. The plot begins with the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and ends with the execution of the saint. The opera was first performed in the form of an album in 1970, on which the main role was performed by the vocalist Deep bands Purple by Ian Gillan. The role of Judas was played by Murray Head, and Mary Magdalene was voiced by Yvonne Elliman. In 1971, the musical appeared on Broadway. Many note that in the production, Jesus is portrayed as the first hippie on the planet. The production lasted only a year and a half on stage, but it received a new breath in London in 1972. The main role was played by Paul Nicholas, and Judas was embodied by Stefan Tate. This version of the musical became more successful, lasting for eight whole years. Based on the work, as usual, a feature film was also shot by director Norman Jewison. Oscar in 1973 for the best music went to this particular work. The film is interesting not only for its excellent music and vocals, but also for its unusual interpretation of the theme of Jesus, which appears in an alternative traditional point of view. This musical is often referred to as a rock opera, the work has generated a lot of controversy and has become a cult for the hippie generation. "Jesus Christ Superstar" is still relevant today and has been translated into many languages. For more than 30 years, the musical has been staged all over the world - on the stages of Australia, Japan, France and Mexico, Chile and Germany, Great Britain and the USA.
The serious theme of the musical "Evita" ("Evita", 1978) proved the long way that the genre has traveled during its development. The idea of ​​​​creating a musical appeared by chance - in October 1973, Tim Rice heard the end of a radio program in the car, which dealt with Evita Peron. The woman was the wife of the Argentine dictator Juan Peron, the poet was interested in her life story. His co-author, Lloyd Webber, was initially unenthusiastic about the story, but eventually agreed to work on it. Rice thoroughly studied the history of his main character, for this he spent a lot of time in London libraries and even visited distant Argentina. That's where the main part of the storyline was born. Tim Rice introduced a narrator into the musical, a certain Che, whose prototype was Ernesto Che Guevara. The story itself tells about Eva Duarte, who came to Buenos Aires at the age of 15 and became first a famous actress, and then the wife of the country's president. The woman helped the poor, but also contributed to the reign of dictatorship in Argentina. "Evita" combined various musical styles, with Latin American motifs as the basis of the score. The first demos of the musical were presented to critics at the first festival in Sidmonton, and then the recording of the album began at the Olympic studio. Evita was the actress Julie Covington, and Che was the young singer Colm Wilkinson. The role of Peron went to Paul Jones. The album was a great success - half a million copies were sold in three months. Despite the fact that "Evita" was officially banned in Argentina, getting the record was considered a matter of prestige. The musical was released on June 21, 1978, directed by Hal Prince. In his production, the role of Evita went to Elaine Page, and Che was played by the famous rock singer David Essex. The play was so successful that it was named the best musical of 1978. The main actress herself received an award for her performance in Evita. The very first weeks after the release of the recording of the musical on the disc made it gold. On May 8, 1979, the premiere of "Evita" took place in America, in Los Angeles, and four months later the performance came to Broadway. The popularity of "Evita" proved 7 "Tony" awards received by her. The success of the musical allowed him to visit many countries - Korea, Hungary, Australia, Mexico, Japan, Israel and others. 20 years after the birth of the musical, it was decided to make a film based on it. The director was Alan Parker, the main role, Evita Peron, was played by Madonna, the role of Che was entrusted to Antonio Banderas, Peron was played by Jonathan Pryce. The film featured a new song by Webber and Rice, "You Must Love Me," which won an Oscar for Best Original Song.
Webber's creation "Cats" ("Cats", 1981). The basis for this popular musical was a cycle of children's poems by T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, published in England in 1939. The collection spoke with irony about the habits and habits of cats, but human traits were easily guessed behind these features. Elliot's poems appealed to Andy Lloyd Webber, who throughout the 70s composed music for them slowly. And so, by 1980, the composer had collected enough material to transform it into a musical. Since the British are very fond of cats, their show was doomed to success. In addition to Webber, the team included producer Cameron McIntosh, director Trevor Nunn, artist John Napier and choreographer Gillian Lynn. But during the stage implementation of the songs, it turned out that there was no sensible plot. However, thanks to Eliot's widow, drafts and letters from the poet were found, from which the authors of the musical were able to piece together ideas for compiling the plot outline of the play. In "Cats" special requirements were made for the artists - it was not enough to sing well and speak clearly, you also had to be very plastic. It turned out that in England itself it was almost impossible to recruit a troupe of 20 such actors, so pop singer Paul Nicholas, actress Elaine Page, young dancer and singer Sarah Brightman, and Royal Ballet star Wayne Sleep were included in the cast. The "Cats" theater was created by its own designer - John Napier, as a result there is no curtain at all, and the stage and the hall merge into a single space. The action takes place not frontally, but throughout the depth. The scene itself is framed as a dump - there are mountains of picturesque garbage on it, but in fact the scenery is equipped with sophisticated equipment. Actors, with the help of complex multi-layered make-up, appear in the form of graceful cats. Their bodysuits are hand-painted, their wigs are made of yak wool, their tails and collars are made of wool, and they wear shiny collars. The musical first appeared before the eyes of the public on May 11, 1981 in London, and hit Broadway a year later. As a result, "Cats" was able to become the longest-running production in the history of British theater until its closing on May 11, 2002. In total, 6,400 performances were given, the production was seen by more than 8 million people, and the creators were able to earn about 136 million pounds. And in the States, the musical broke all possible records. Already in 1997, the number of performances exceeded 6100, which made it possible to call the performance the main long-liver of Broadway. As a result, for all the time "Cats" were delivered more than 40 times, the total number of viewers in 30 countries exceeded 50 million, the songs were performed in 14 languages, and the total amount of fees was $ 2.2 billion. The musical received many awards, among them the most famous are the Laurence Olivier Award, the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, 7 Tony Awards, the Molière Award in France. Recordings of the Broadway and London original compositions received a Grammy.
Another popular work of Webber was the musical "Phantom of the Opera"("The Phantom of the Opera"), which combines elements of detective and thriller. Sarah Brightman and Andrew Lloyd Webber's collaboration on Cats led to their marriage in 1984. For his wife, the composer created "Requiem", but this work could not show the talent of the singer on a large scale. Webber therefore decided to create a new musical, which became the Phantom of the Opera, based on the 1910 novel of the same name by the Frenchman Gaston Leroux. romantic but dark story talks about living in a dungeon under Paris Opera a mysterious being with supernatural powers. The main role in the production, Christina Daae, went, of course, to Sarah Brightman. The male part was performed by Michael Crawford. In the first part of Christina's lover, Raoul, Steve Barton played. Richard Stilgoe worked on the libretto with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Charles Hart wrote the lyrics. Theatrical artist Maria Bjornson gave the Phantom the famous mask and insisted on the decision to lower the infamous falling chandelier not on the stage, but directly on the audience. The Phantom of the Opera premiered on October 9, 1986 at the Royal Theatre, even members of Her Majesty's family attended. And in January 1988, the first Broadway production of the musical took place, it took place at the New York Majestic Theater. The Phantom of the Opera became the second longest-running musical in Broadway history, after Cats. As a result, about 11 million people watched the show in New York alone. The musical was staged in 18 countries, about 65 thousand performances were given, more than 58 million people watched it there, and total number viewers around the world has already exceeded 80 million. As a result - well-deserved awards and prizes, numbering more than 50. The musical received three Laurence Olivier awards and 7 Tony awards, 7 Drama Desk awards, and the Evening Standard award. The total income from the Phantom of the Opera amounted to 3.2 billion dollars. The novel inspired the directors to create as many as seven films, the last of them, filmed in 2004, was nominated for an Oscar three times, the same Webber was the producer and composer.

The Anglo-American monopoly of musicals ended in 1985 when a French production premiered on the London stage. "Les Misérables" ("Les Miserables") Composer Claude-Michel Schonberg and librettist Alain Boublil have given a second birth to Victor Hugo's already classic Les Misérables. Work on the creation of the musical was carried out for two years. The result was a two-hour sketch, then converted into a concept album with a circulation of 260,000 copies. An engraving depicting little Cosette has become a kind of hallmark of the musical. The stage version was presented on September 17, 1980 at the Palais des Sports in Paris. As a result, the performance was watched by more than half a million people. The role of Jean Valjean was played by Maurice Barrier, Javert was played by Jacques Mercier, Fantine by Rose Laurence and Cosette by Fabienne Guyon. The concept album "Les Misérables" appealed to the young director Peter Ferago, who attracted English producer Cameron Mackintosh to work. This made it possible to create a truly high-class show. A professional team worked on the production - directors Trevor Nunn and John Caed, and Herbert Kretzmer adapted the text into English with the help of the creators of the musical. As a result - the premiere of the performance under the auspices of the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican Theater on October 8, 1985. To date, Les Misérables has been shown most frequently at London's Palace Theatre, with more than 6,000 performances of the musical taking place there. In 1987, "Les Miserables" came to Broadway, so began their procession around the world. Although the performance is more than twenty years old, it is still on the stages of world theaters. Les Misérables has been translated into many languages, including exotic ones such as Japanese, Mauritanian and Creole. In total, this musical was staged in 32 countries around the world. The creations of Schonberg and Boublil were eventually seen by more than 20 million people. The high level of the musical as a genre proves "Miss Saigon" ("Miss Saigon"), a modernized version of Puccini's Madama Butterfly.At the beginning of the twentieth century, Puccini captivated the public with his romantic opera Madama Butterfly. In the last quarter of the last century, the love story of a girl from the East and a soldier from the West received a new incarnation. In 1975, the Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon, and fourteen years later, Miss Saigon was crowned on the London music scene.
The idea to create a musical about tragic love born during the Vietnam War came about by chance. In 1985, Schonberg's attention was drawn to a photograph published in one of the magazines - it depicted a Vietnamese woman and her little daughter at the airport in Ho Che Min (formerly Saigon). The girl had to board a plane and fly to the United States, where her father, a former American soldier, was waiting for her. The mother decided to part with her daughter in the hope that her father would provide her with a better future. Schoenberg recalls how the woman's silent grief struck him: she was more terrible than the most bitter tears. To sacrifice one's happiness in order to give happiness to one's child is, according to the composer, "the highest sacrifice." A similar sacrifice was made by the heroine of Giacomo Puccini's famous opera Madama Butterfly, who killed herself in the name of her son's happiness. "Miss Saigon" is, in the words of Alain Boublil, "first of all tragic story love, not a story about the Vietnam War", but the motif of the clash of different cultures, religions and races, which escalated into senseless bloodshed, gives this story an epic dimension.
In the definition of a musical as a genre, there is a point according to which a musical synthesizes theater and dance in itself, that is, ballet, pop choreography, and modern choreography will be elements of the musical. In the musicals of the last decade, strip plastic has become widespread: elements of light eroticism plus classical ballet. For the first time something similar was shown on stage many years ago in the musical "Chicago". There, with the help of strip plastics, the last, farewell conversation of two lovers was shown, one of whom is doomed to die at the hands of the other that evening. Ballet in its purest form is now rarely found in modern musicals, but elements of the ballet school are always present. So, for example, the dance of street cats in the musical "Cats" of the same name is nothing more than a ballet female part. An interesting approach to the definition of genres related to the musical was taken by Soviet music critics. The musical was considered a kind of operetta. Quote for reflection: “Today, the musical, as a genre of low operetta, is represented by groups of two types: first of all, these are Broadway theaters of one play, created with the aim of promoting and exploiting one work, and the other type is touring opera groups. They are created with the aim of showing in the provinces a series of simple stage performances. No matter how stupid it may seem, modern music criticism also recognizes that opera and operetta are two musical genres that can and should be considered related to the musical.
The three main components of a musical- music, lyrics and libretto. The libretto of a musical refers to the "play" or story of the show - in fact its spoken (not vocal) line. However, "libretto" can also refer to dialogue and lyrics together, like a libretto in an opera. Music and lyrics together form a musical score. The interpretation of the musical by the creative team greatly influences the way the musical is presented. The creative team includes a director, a music director, and usually a choreographer. The production of musicals is also creatively characterized by technical aspects such as sets, costumes,
etc.................

A musical, or musical comedy, is a stage work in which songs and dialogues, music and dances are mixed. The progenitors of this genre are operetta, vaudeville and burlesque. Musicals are one of the most commercial theater arts. This is due to their entertainment and expensive special effects. It is believed that the first musical was staged in 1866 in New York and was called Black crook.

The beginning of the 20th century gave an active impetus to the development of the genre in America, and the 30s, coupled with the work of talented composers Gershwin, Porter and Kern. The 60s brought new ideas to musicals, over time the number of performances began to decrease, but the scenery and costumes became more magnificent.

In 1985, the monopoly of the United States and England on musicals was broken by the French with their Les Misérables. Today, musicals, timidly born in the USSR in the 70s, are popular in Russia. Let's talk about ten of the most famous works this genre throughout its history.

"My Fair Lady" Frederick Lowe, the composer of music, and Alan Lerner, the author of the libretto and lyrics, were inspired to write the musical by Bernard Shaw's drama "Pygmallion". It is not surprising that the plot of their joint work repeats the drama of Shaw, which tells how the main character, being originally an ordinary flower girl, becomes a charming young lady. According to the plot of the musical, during the dispute between the professor of phonetics and his friend, the linguist, such a transformation took place. Eliza Doolittle moved into the scientist's house to go through the difficult path of education. In the end, at the embassy ball, the girl passes the difficult exam with brilliance. The musical premiered on March 15, 1956. In London, the performance was given only in April 1958. Rex Harrison acted as the professor-teacher, and Julie Andrews got the role of Eliza. The show immediately gained wild popularity, tickets for it were sold out six months in advance. This turned out to be a real surprise for the creators. As a result, the performance was given 2717 times on Broadway, and 2281 times in London. The musical was translated into eleven languages ​​and played in more than twenty countries. "My Fair Lady" won Tony awards. In total, over 5 million recordings of the musical with its original Broadway cast have been sold. In 1964, the film of the same name was released, and Warner Brothers bosses paid a record $5.5 million for the right to film the musical. Eliza was played by Audrey Hepburn, and Rex Harrison became her partner, having moved to the cinema from the stage. And the success of the film was overwhelming - it was nominated for 12 Oscars and won 8 of them. The musical is so loved by the audience that it can now be seen in London.

"Sounds of music". The German film "Von Trapp Family" became the basis for this musical. In 1958, the idea was transferred from cinema to the stage by screenwriters Howard Lindsay and Russell Cruz, producer Richard Holliday and his wife, Mary Martin, who was an actress. The picture told about an Austrian family who, fleeing the Nazis, went to America. The plot of the film was not invented, it was based on the book of Maria von Trapp, who was a direct participant in those events. Mary Martin herself at that time was a celebrity of the musical theater, in this case it was a serious dramatic role. However, the actress could not refuse to perform in a new role as a singer. At first, the authors decided to arrange the production with the help of folk songs and religious hymns of the von Trapp family. However, Mary insisted that a song written specifically for her be present. With the help of composer Richard Rogers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein, new musical numbers appeared in the play, and the musical was born. It premiered on Broadway on November 16, 1959. Mary Martin's partner was Theodor Bickel, who played the role of Captain von Trapp. Mary Martin was so popular that the public was eager to see the premiere of the musical with her participation, providing generous fees. The Sound of Music won 8 Tony Awards and was played 1443 times. The original album even won a Grammy. In 1961, the musical began its US tour, at the same time the show opened in London, where it was staged for 6 years, becoming the longest-running American musical in the capital of England. In June 1960, filmmakers from 20th Century Fox purchased the film rights to the production for $1.25 million. Although the plot of the film was different from the play, but it was he who brought the "Sound of Music" truly worldwide fame. The film premiered on March 2, 1965 in New York and won 5 of the 10 Oscars it was nominated for. Subsequently, more attempts were made to film the musical, but this did not prevent its popularity as an independent performance. In the 1990s, The Sound of Music was played in Greece and Israel, Finland and Sweden, Peru and China, Iceland and the Netherlands.

"Cabaret". For this legendary performance, Christopher Isherwood's "Berlin Stories" were taken as the basis, telling about life in Germany in the early 30s. Another part of the story comes from John Van Druten's play I Am the Camera, about the love affair between a young American writer and Berlin cabaret singer Sally Bowles. Fate brought young Brian Roberts, an aspiring writer, moonlighting with lessons in the capital of Germany in the early 30s. Here he meets Sally, falls in love with her, getting a lot of new and unforgettable sensations. Only now the singer refuses to follow the guy to Paris, breaking his heart. The cabaret, which was once a symbol of freedom, gradually begins to fill in the course of the action with people with a swastika on their sleeves ... The premiere of the musical took place on November 20, 1966. The production was carried out by the famous Broadway director Harold Prince. Music by John Kanzer with lyrics by Fred Ebb and libretto by Joe Masteroff. The original cast featured Joel Gray as the entertainer, Jill Haworth as Sally, and Bert Cliff as Cliff. The production withstood 1165 performances, receiving all the same 8 Tonys. In 1972, the film "Cabaret" directed by Bob Foss was released. Joel Gray played the same role, but Liza Minnelli brilliantly embodied Sally, while Michael York played Brian. The film received 8 Oscars. An updated version of the musical appeared before the audience in 1987, and where without Joel Gray? But in 1993 in London and 1998 on Broadway he had already begun his own journey. new musical"Cabaret" directed by Sam Mendes. And this version has received numerous awards, being submitted 2377 times. The musical was finally closed on January 4, 2004, for how long?

"Jesus Christ Superstar". Music for the work was written by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Weber, and Tim Rice created the libretto. Initially, it was planned to create a full-fledged opera, using modern musical language and all relevant traditions - the arias of the main characters should have been present. The difference between this musical and traditional ones is that there are no dramatic elements, everything is based on recitatives and vocals. Here rock music is combined with classical history, the texts use modern vocabulary, and the whole story is told exclusively through songs. All this made "Jesus Christ Superstar" a super hit. The story is about the last seven days of the life of Jesus, which pass before the eyes of Judas Iscariot, disappointed by the teachings of Christ. The plot begins with the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and ends with his execution. The opera was first performed in the form of an album in 1970, on which the main role was performed by the vocalist of the group deep purple Ian Gillan. The role of Judas was played by Murray Head, and Mary Magdalene was voiced by Yvonne Elliman. In 1971, the musical appeared on Broadway. Many note that in the production, Jesus is portrayed as the first hippie on the planet. The production lasted only a year and a half on stage, but it received a new breath in London in 1972. The main role was played by Paul Nicholas, and Judas was embodied by Stefan Tate. This version of the musical became more successful, lasting for eight whole years. Based on the work, as usual, a feature film was also shot by director Norman Jewison. Oscar in 1973 for the best music went to this particular work. The film is interesting not only for its excellent music and vocals, but also for its unusual interpretation of the theme of Jesus, which appears in an alternative traditional point of view. This musical is often referred to as a rock opera, the work has generated a lot of controversy and has become a cult for the hippie generation. "Jesus Christ Superstar" is still relevant today and has been translated into many languages. For more than 30 years, the musical has been staged all over the world - on the stages of Australia, Japan, France and Mexico, Chile and Germany, Great Britain and the USA.

"Chicago". The musical was based on an article in the Chicago Tribune dated March 11, 1924. Journalist Maureen Watkins spoke about a variety show actress who killed her lover. In those days, stories about sex crimes were very popular, it is not surprising that Watkins continued to write on similar topics. On April 3, 1924, her new note about married woman who shot her boyfriend. These crime stories there was a great deal of publicity, and this had an effect on Maureen, who eventually left the newspaper and began studying law at Yale. It was there that a woman, as an educational task, created the play "Chicago". The day before the onset of 1927, the premiere of the play "Chicago" took place on Broadway, it withstood 182 performances, in 1927 and in 1942 films were made based on the play. The rebirth of the plot was given by Bob Foss, the famous Broadway director and choreographer. He attracted the composer Dojn Kander, and he and Fred Ebb worked on the libretto. The score of "Chicago" itself was a brilliant stylization of American hits of the 20s, and the presentation of the musical material was similar to vaudeville. The story tells about the corps de ballet dancer Roxy Hart, who dealt with her lovers in cold blood. In prison, a woman meets Velma Kelly and other criminals. Roxy was able to get away with the help of sly lawyer Billy Flynn - the court found her innocent. As a result, the world of show business was enriched by the "duet of two sparkling sinners", Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart. The musical premiered on June 3, 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre. The role of Roxy went to Gwen Verdon, Velma was played by Chita Rivera, and Billy was played by Jerry Orbach. In London, the musical appeared only 4 years later, and the production had nothing to do with the brainchild of Bob Fosse. The performance ran for 898 showings in America and 600 in the West End and was eventually closed. However, the show was revived in 1996 under the direction of Walter Bobby and choreographer Ann Rinking. The first performances in the City Center caused such a stir that it was decided to continue the shows on Broadway. The role of Roxy was played by Rinking herself, Bebe Neuwirth played Velma, and James Naughton played Flynn. This production received 6 Tony awards, as well as a Grammy for best album. In 1997, the musical came to London's Adelphi Theatre, and the production won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical. In an updated form, the performance was shown all over the world - Canada, Australia, Holland, Argentina, Japan, Mexico, Russia and other countries. In 2002, the Miramax film was released with stars Renee Zellweger (Roxy), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma) and Richard Gere (Billy Flynn). The project was directed and choreographed by Rob Marshall. The picture received the Golden Globe in the category "Best Musical or Comedy" and won 6 Oscars out of 12 for which it was nominated. In Russia, the musical was staged by Philip Kirkorov, who himself embodied the role of a skilled and corrupt lawyer.

Evita. The idea of ​​​​creating a musical appeared by chance - in October 1973, Tim Rice heard the end of a radio program in the car, which dealt with Evita Peron. The woman was the wife of the Argentine dictator Juan Peron, the poet was interested in her life story. His co-author, Lloyd Webber, was initially unenthusiastic about the story, but eventually agreed to work on it. Rice thoroughly studied the history of his main character, for this he spent a lot of time in London libraries and even visited distant Argentina. That's where the main part of the storyline was born. Tim Rice introduced a narrator into the musical, a certain Che, whose prototype was Ernesto Che Guevara. The story itself tells about Eva Duarte, who came to Buenos Aires at the age of 15 and became first a famous actress, and then the wife of the country's president. The woman helped the poor, but also contributed to the reign of dictatorship in Argentina. "Evita" combined various musical styles, with Latin American motifs as the basis of the score. The first demos of the musical were presented to critics at the first festival in Sidmonton, and then the recording of the album began at the Olympic studio. Evita was the actress Julie Covington, and Che was the young singer Colm Wilkinson. The role of Peron went to Paul Jones. The album was a great success - half a million copies were sold in three months. Despite the fact that "Evita" was officially banned in Argentina, getting the record was considered a matter of prestige. The musical was released on June 21, 1978, directed by Hal Prince. In his production, the role of Evita went to Elaine Page, and Che was played by the famous rock singer David Essex. The play was so successful that it was named the best musical of 1978. herself main actress received an award for her performance in Evita. The very first weeks after the release of the recording of the musical on the disc made it gold. On May 8, 1979, the premiere of "Evita" took place in America, in Los Angeles, and four months later the performance came to Broadway. The popularity of "Evita" proved 7 "Tony" awards received by her. The success of the musical allowed him to visit many countries - Korea, Hungary, Australia, Mexico, Japan, Israel and others. 20 years after the birth of the musical, it was decided to make a film based on it. The director was Alan Parker, the main role, Evita Peron, was played by Madonna, the role of Che was entrusted to Antonio Banderas, Peron was played by Jonathan Pryce. The film featured a new song by Webber and Rice, "You Must Love Me," which won an Oscar for Best Original Song.

"The Outcasts". Composer Claude-Michel Schonberg and librettist Alain Boublil have given a second birth to Victor Hugo's already classic Les Misérables. Work on the creation of the musical was carried out for two years. The result was a two-hour sketch, then converted into a concept album with a circulation of 260,000 copies. An engraving depicting little Cosette has become a kind of hallmark of the musical. The stage version was presented on September 17, 1980 at the Palais des Sports in Paris. As a result, the performance was watched by more than half a million people. The role of Jean Valjean was played by Maurice Barrier, Javert was played by Jacques Mercier, Fantine by Rose Laurence and Cosette by Fabienne Guyon. The concept album "Les Misérables" appealed to the young director Peter Ferago, who attracted English producer Cameron Mackintosh to work. This made it possible to create a truly high-class show. A professional team worked on the production - directors Trevor Nunn and John Caed, and Herbert Kretzmer adapted the text into English with the help of the creators of the musical. As a result - the premiere of the performance under the auspices of the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican Theater on October 8, 1985. To date, Les Misérables has been shown most frequently at London's Palace Theatre, with more than 6,000 performances of the musical taking place there. In 1987, "Les Miserables" came to Broadway, so began their procession around the world. Although the performance is more than twenty years old, it is still on the stages of world theaters. Les Misérables has been translated into many languages, including exotic ones such as Japanese, Mauritanian and Creole. In total, this musical was staged in 32 countries around the world. The creations of Schonberg and Boublil were eventually seen by more than 20 million people.

"Cats". The basis for this popular musical was a cycle of children's poems by T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, published in England in 1939. The collection spoke with irony about the habits and habits of cats, but human traits were easily guessed behind these features. Elliot's poems appealed to Andy Lloyd Webber, who throughout the 70s composed music for them slowly. And so, by 1980, the composer had collected enough material to transform it into a musical. Since the British are very fond of cats, their show was simply doomed to success. In addition to Webber, the team included producer Cameron McIntosh, director Trevor Nunn, artist John Napier and choreographer Gillian Lynn. But during the stage implementation of the songs, it turned out that there was no sensible plot. However, thanks to Eliot's widow, drafts and letters from the poet were found, from which the authors of the musical were able to piece together ideas for compiling the plot outline of the play. In "Cats" special requirements were made for the artists - it was not enough to sing well and speak clearly, you also had to be very plastic. It turned out that in England itself it was almost impossible to recruit a troupe of 20 such actors, so pop singer Paul Nicholas, actress Elaine Page, young dancer and singer Sarah Brightman, and Royal Ballet star Wayne Sleep were included in the cast. The "Cats" theater was created by its own designer - John Napier, as a result there is no curtain at all, and the stage and the hall merge into a single space. The action takes place not frontally, but throughout the depth. The scene itself is framed as a dump - there are mountains of picturesque garbage on it, but in fact the scenery is equipped with sophisticated equipment. Actors, with the help of complex multi-layered make-up, appear in the form of graceful cats. Their bodysuits are hand-painted, their wigs are made of yak wool, their tails and collars are made of wool, and they wear shiny collars. The musical first appeared before the eyes of the public on May 11, 1981 in London, and hit Broadway a year later. As a result, "Cats" was able to become the longest-running production in the history of British theater until its closing on May 11, 2002. In total, 6,400 performances were given, the production was seen by more than 8 million people, and the creators were able to earn about 136 million pounds. And in the States, the musical broke all possible records. Already in 1997, the number of performances exceeded 6100, which made it possible to call the performance the main long-liver of Broadway. As a result, for all the time "Cats" were staged more than 40 times, the total number of viewers in 30 countries exceeded 50 million, the songs were performed in 14 languages, and the total amount of fees was 2.2 billion dollars! The musical received many awards, among them the most famous are the Laurence Olivier Award, the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, 7 Tony Awards, the Molière Award in France. Recordings of the Broadway and London original compositions received a Grammy.

"Phantom of the Opera". Sarah Brightman and Andrew Lloyd Webber's collaboration on Cats led to their marriage in 1984. For his wife, the composer created "Requiem", but this work could not show the talent of the singer on a large scale. Webber therefore decided to create a new musical, which became the Phantom of the Opera, based on the 1910 novel of the same name by the Frenchman Gaston Leroux. A romantic but dark story tells about a mysterious creature with supernatural powers living in a dungeon under the Paris Opera. The main role in the production, Christina Daae, went, of course, to Sarah Brightman. The male part was performed by Michael Crawford. In the first part of Christina's lover, Raoul, Steve Barton played. Richard Stilgoe worked on the libretto with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Charles Hart wrote the lyrics. Theatrical artist Maria Bjornson gave the Phantom the famous mask and insisted on the decision to lower the infamous falling chandelier not on the stage, but directly on the audience. The Phantom of the Opera premiered on October 9, 1986 at the Royal Theatre, even members of Her Majesty's family attended. And in January 1988, the first Broadway production of the musical took place, it took place at the New York Majestic Theater. The Phantom of the Opera became the second longest-running musical in Broadway history, after Cats. As a result, about 11 million people watched the show in New York alone. The musical was staged in 18 countries, about 65 thousand performances were given, more than 58 million people watched it there, and the total number of viewers around the world has already exceeded 80 million. As a result - well-deserved awards and prizes, numbering more than 50. The musical received three Laurence Olivier awards and 7 Tony awards, 7 Drama Desk awards, and the Evening Standard award. The total income from the Phantom of the Opera amounted to 3.2 billion dollars. The novel inspired the directors to create as many as seven films, the last of them, filmed in 2004, was nominated for an Oscar three times, the same Webber was the producer and composer.

"Mama Mia" The popularity of the songs of the ABBA group is so great that the idea of ​​creating a whole musical based on them, which came to the mind of producer Judy Kramer, is not surprising. The basis of the musical was 22 songs legendary band. In the original, all the songs were performed by women, so a story was developed about a mother and daughter - people of two different generations. For a story to be worthy famous hits, the writer Katherine Johnson was invited, who came up with a story about a family living on the Greek islands. As a result, the viewer is attracted not only by musical hits, but also by the plot, in which music is closely interwoven. The songs were divided into dialogues, having received new intonations. The production was directed by Phyllida Loyd and composed by ABBA member Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson. The result is a romantic comedy that is ironic and quite modern. There are two main lines in the musical - a love story and the relationship of two generations. The plot of "Mama Mia" is filled with comedic situations that take place against the background of the cheerful compositions of "ABBA", the characters communicate quite witty, and their costumes are bright and original. The characteristic logo of "Mama Mia" has become the image of a happy bride, as a result, it has become a kind of brand, recognizable all over the world. The plot of the musical is as follows. Young Sophie is soon preparing to become a bride. She is going to invite her father to the wedding to take her to the altar. Only the girl's mother, Donna, never talked about him. Sophie found her mother's diary, which told about her relationship with three different men, as a result, an invitation is sent to all of them. When guests begin to arrive at the wedding, the most interesting thing happens ... At the end of the action, mom marries with Sophie. The first test of "Mama Mia" was its pre-premiere screening in London on March 23, 1999. The audience was in complete delight - they did not sit still throughout the performance, but danced in the aisles, clapped and sang along. The real premiere took place on April 6, 1999. The London successful production led to the fact that the musical was staged in 11 more countries around the world, and the musical's box office there reaches $ 8 million weekly! Today "Mama Mia" was seen by more than 27 million people, daily numbers of visits increase by 20 thousand. The musical has grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide. During the rental, the show visited 130 major cities, and the album recording the very first performance went platinum in the US, Korea and Australia, double platinum in the UK, and gold in Sweden, New Zealand and Germany. In 2008, the musical was filmed, it was attended by such stars as Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan, and the same Phyllida Loyd became the director.

Only after many years, long and painful work, the musical is born. The big day of the premiere is coming.

1. “My Fairy Lady” (1956)

Frederic Lowe (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (libretto and lyrics) analyzed the dramatic material of Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion and decided to write a musical. The plot of the musical largely repeats Shaw's play, the story of the transformation of the main character from a vulgar flower girl into a charming young lady.

Professor of Phonetics Henry Higgins makes a bet with his linguistic colleague, Colonel Pickering, to turn a London flower girl named Eliza Doolittle into a real lady. Eliza moves into the professor's house, learning is not easy, but, in the end, she begins to make progress. At the embassy ball, Eliza passes the exam with brilliance. The ending of the musical is optimistic - Eliza returns to her teacher Higgins.

The musical premiered on March 15, 1956. The London premiere took place in April 1958. The role of Higgins was played by Rex Harrison, and Eliza was played by Julie Andrews. The show immediately became wildly popular, tickets were sold out six months in advance. However, the overwhelming success of the musical was a complete surprise for its creators.

The musical was performed 2,717 times on Broadway and 2,281 times in London. It was translated into eleven languages, including Hebrew, and was successfully performed in more than twenty countries. The musical received 6 Tony awards. The original Broadway cast recorded over five million copies sold, and George Cukor's film of the same name was released in 1964. Warner Brothers paid a record $5.5 million for the film rights to the musical. The role of Eliza went to Audrey Hepburn, and Rex Harrison successfully moved from the stage to the big screen. The film was nominated for an Oscar and received eight of the 12 statuettes.

The musical “My Fair Lady” is still loved by the public and, thanks to producer Cameron Mackintosh and director Trevor Nunn, the show can now be seen in London.

2. “The Sound of Music” (The Sound of Music) (1959)

In 1958, American screenwriters Howard Lindsay and Russell Cruz, together with producer Richard Holliday and his wife, actress Mary Martin, teamed up to work on a play based on the German film The Von Trapp Family. The film tells about an Austrian family who, fleeing Nazi persecution, were forced to leave their homeland and go to America. The story was not invented - the film was based on a book written by Maria von Trapp, a direct participant in the events described.

Mary Martin was a musical theater star, and although this time it was a dramatic performance, she could not deny herself the pleasure of performing as a singer. Initially for musical arrangement For the production, the authors were going to use folk songs and religious hymns from the repertoire of the von Trapp family. However, Mary wanted to perform a song written especially for her. Composer Richard Rogers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein helped Martin in this. They composed completely new musical numbers, turning the play into the musical "The Sound of Music".

November 16, 1959 premiered on Broadway. The play was directed by David Jay Donahue. The main role, of course, was played by Mary Martin, the role of Captain von Trapp - Theodor Bickel. The audience, in love with Mary Martin, struggled to get into the musical, which provided him with excellent fees.

The Sound of Music was played 1,443 times and won 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and the original album won a Grammy. In 1961, the musical toured the United States, and in the same year the show opened in London, where it ran for more than six years, thus becoming the longest-running American musical in the history of the West End.

In June 1960, 20th Century Fox acquired the film rights for $1.25 million. The plot of the film was somewhat different from the story told in the play, but it was in this version that The Sound of Music gained worldwide fame. The film had its world premiere in New York on March 2, 1965. The picture was nominated for an Oscar in 10 categories, of which it won five.

The film adaptation did not become the last page in the history of the musical, it is still loved by the public and is staged all over the world. In the 90s, the show could be seen in the UK, South Africa, China, the Netherlands, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Peru, Israel and Greece.

3. "Cabaret" (Cabaret) (1966)

Literary basis This legendary performance was inspired by Christopher Isherwood's "Berlin Stories" about Germany in the early 1930s and John Van Druten's play "I Am a Camera". The musical tells about the romance of a young American writer Cliff Bradshaw and singer from the Berlin cabaret "Kit-Kat Club" Sally Bowles.

In Berlin in the 1930s, the fate of a young Englishman Brian Roberts, an aspiring writer forced to earn extra money by lessons, throws. Acquaintance with the American cabaret singer Sally gives Brian a fresh, unforgettable experience. The writer and the singer fell in love with each other, but they are destined to survive the separation. Sally refuses to go to Paris with her beloved, Cliff leaves Berlin with broken hearted. Cabaret, the last refuge of the spirit of freedom, is filled with people with swastikas on their sleeves...

The premiere took place on November 20, 1966. The production was directed by the famous Broadway director Harold Prince, John Kantser wrote the music, song lyrics - Fred Ebb, libretto - Joe Masteroff. The original cast included Joel Gray (entertainer), Jill Haworth (Sally), Bert Convy (Cliff) and others.

The production withstood 1,165 performances and received 8 Tony awards, including in the Best Musical nomination. In 1972, Bob Fossey's Cabaret was released with Joel Gray (entertainer), Liza Minnelli (Sally) and Michael York (Bryan). The film received eight Oscars.

In 1987, Joel Gray again played the role of the entertainer in the revival of the show. In 1993, in London, and then five years later, on Broadway, a completely new production of Cabaret, created by director Sam Mendes, opened. This version of the play has also received numerous awards. The musical went through about 2,377 performances and 37 previews and closed on January 4, 2004.

4. Jesus Christ Superstar (1971)

"Jesus Christ" was conceived by Andrew Lloyd Webber (composed music) and Tim Rice (libretto) not as a traditional musical, but as a full-fledged opera written in modern musical language, observing all operatic traditions (hero's aria, chorus, heroine's aria, etc.). d.). Unlike traditional musicals, "Jesus Christ" has no dramatic pieces - everything is built on vocals and recitatives. The combination of rock music with classical motifs, the use of modern vocabulary in the lyrics, their high quality, the so-called sung-through principle (the whole story is told exclusively through songs, without the use of unsung dialogues) made “Jesus Christ Superstar” a real hit.

The musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” tells about the last seven days of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, seen through the eyes of his disciple Judas Iscariot, who was disillusioned with what the teachings of Christ had become. The plot covers the period from the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to his execution at Golgotha.

The opera was first heard in the form of an album in 1970, on which the main role was played by Ian Gillan, who is the vocalist of the “golden composition” of Deep Purple, the role of Judas was played by Murray Head, Mary Magdalene by Yvonne Elliman. On the Broadway stage, the musical was first shown in 1971. Some critics believe that Jesus was portrayed as the first hippie on earth. The Broadway production only lasted 18 months.

A new production of the musical was created at the London theater in 1972, the role of Jesus was played by Paul Nicholas, Judas - Stephen Tate. This production was more successful, ran on stage for eight years and became the longest-running musical. American director Norman Jewison made a feature film based on the work in 1973. In 1974, the film received an Oscar for Best Music. In addition to great music and vocals, the film is interesting for its unusual interpretation of the theme of Christ, which is an alternative to orthodox Christianity.

One of the most famous musicals, also called rock opera, generated a lot of controversy and became a cult work for a whole generation of hippies, without losing its relevance today. “Jesus Christ Superstar” was translated into different languages, has been repeatedly staged and has been staged for more than 30 years on the stages of Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Bulgaria, France, Sweden, America, Mexico, Chile, Panama, Bolivia, Germany, Japan and the UK.

5. "Chicago" (Chicago) (1975)

On March 11, 1924 in Chicago, Illinois, the Chicago Tribune published an article by journalist Maureen Dallas Watkins about a certain variety actress who had killed her boyfriend. Because sex crime stories were especially popular with readers, another article by Watkins appeared on April 3, 1924. This time it was about a married woman who shot her lover. The buzz that accompanied these and other crime stories made a deep impression on Maureen. Later, leaving the newspaper, she went to study drama at Yale University. It was there, as an educational assignment, that she wrote the play "Chicago".

On December 30, 1926, Chicago opened on Broadway. The play withstood 182 performances, in 1927 the film of the same name was shot, and in 1942 the film "Roxy Hart" directed by William Velman with Ginger Rogers in the title role was released.

Bob Fossey, the famous choreographer and Broadway director, could not pass by such a plot. Fossey brought in composer John Kander and librettists Fred Ebb and Bob Fossey to implement the project. The score of “Chicago” is a brilliant stylization of American hits of the late 20s, and in terms of the way the musical material is presented and its theme, “Chicago” is very close to vaudeville.

This is the story of corps de ballet dancer Roxie Hart, who murdered her lover in cold blood. Once in prison, Roxy meets Velma Kelly and other killers. Roxy is helped out by the prison warden, Matron Mama Morton, and the sly lawyer Billy Flynn. The court finds Roxy innocent, but this does not bring her joy. In the final scene of the musical, the entertainer announces the debut of "the duo of two sparkling sinners," queens of the Chicago underworld, Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart. They made their way into show business.

The musical premiered at the 46th Street Theater on June 3, 1975 with Gwen Verdon as Roxy, Chita Rivera as Velma and Jerry Orbach as Billy. Chicago only opened in the West End in 1979. This production had nothing to do with the performance of Bob Fossey. After 898 performances on Broadway and 600 showings in the West End, the show was cancelled. In 1996, the show was revived under the direction of Walter Bobby and choreographer Ann Rinking. The four performances played at the City Center were received with such enthusiasm that the producers of the show decided to move it to Broadway. The cast included Ringing herself as Roxy, Bebe Neuwirth as Velma, James Naughton as Billy Flynn and Joel Gray as Amos. Chicago has won six Tony Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Album.

In 1997 the musical opened at London's Adelphi Theatre. London's "Chicago" was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for "Best Musical", and Ute Lemper - as " Best Actress musical." The performance was remastered in Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Holland, Argentina, Germany, Sweden, Mexico, Japan, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal and Russia.

At the end of 2002, the Miramax film studio released a film adaptation of the musical with Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma), Renee Zellweger (Roxy) and Richard Gere (Billy Flynn), directed and choreographed by Rob Marshall. The film "Chicago" was enthusiastically received by the public and was awarded the "Golden Globe" in the category "Best Musical or Comedy". In addition, the picture was nominated for an Oscar in 12 categories, of which it won six.

6. Evita (1978)

In October 1973, Tim Rice was driving a car and accidentally heard the end of a radio broadcast. The program was about Evita Peron, the wife of the Argentine dictator Juan Peron, and this story interested the poet. Tim Rice felt that Eva's life story could well be the subject of a new musical. His co-author Lloyd Webber was unenthusiastic about the idea, but on reflection he agreed.

Rice studied the biography of the main character of his future musical in detail, walking through London libraries and traveling to Argentina, where he wrote most of the storyline. “Evita” combines various musical styles, the score includes Latin American motifs. Tim Rice introduces a narrator, a certain Che (whose prototype is Ernesto Che Guevara), into the musical.

In the summer of 1976, the first demo recordings of a new musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were presented to guests at the first Sidmonton Festival. Soon the studio "Olympic" began recording the album. The part of Evita was performed by the actress Julie Covington, the young singer Colm Wilkinson became Che, and Peron was performed by Paul Jones. Album had wild success. Already three months after its release, the number of copies sold was 500 thousand, and even in Argentina, where the disc was banned, every self-respecting family considered it necessary to purchase it.

Celebrity director Hal Prince began work on the production. Elaine Page became the new Evita, and the famous rock singer David Essex was invited to play the role of Che. Evita premiered on June 21, 1978. The play was a huge success and won the West End Theater Society award for "Best Musical of 1978", Elaine Page received the award for Best Actor in a Musical. The disc with the recording of the original London line-up of Evita went gold in the first weeks after it went on sale.

On May 8, 1979, Evita opened in Los Angeles. Four months after the American premiere, on September 21, 1979, the same cast performed for the first time on Broadway. Evita has won the hearts of the public and received 7 Tony awards.

After the success on Broadway, the musical was staged in a huge number of countries: Australia, Spain, Mexico, Austria, Japan, Israel, Korea, South Africa, Hungary. Filming began twenty years after Evita was born. Directing was entrusted to Alan Parker, Madonna played Eva Peron, Spanish film star Antonio Banderas was invited to the role of Che, British actor Jonathan Pryce was Peron. Especially for the film, a new song was written - “You must love me”, which brought its authors an Oscar.

7. Les Misérables (1980)

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo received its second birth in a musical created by composer Claude-Michel Schonberg and librettist Alain Boublil. Work on the musical lasted two years and, finally, a two-hour sketch of the future musical was recorded. With the help of librettist Jean-Marc Nathel, this sketch was turned into a concept album, which was released in 1980 and sold 260,000 copies. The hallmark of the musical was an engraving depicting a little Cosette.

The stage version was presented to the Parisians on September 17, 1980 at the Palais des Sports. The performance was attended by over half a million people. Maurice Barrier played the role of Jean Valjean, Jacques Mercier - Javert, Rose Laurence - Fantine, Marie - Eponina, Fabienne Guyon - Cosette.

In 1982, the young director Peter Ferago, who really liked the concept album Les Misérables, brought it to the attention of British producer Cameron Mackintosh. McIntosh turned the project into a show of the highest class. A strong team worked on the creation of the new version of the musical "Les Misérables": directors were Trevor Nunn and John Caed, English text composed by Herbert Kretzmer in close collaboration with the creators of the musical. The performance was staged at the Barbican Theater under the auspices of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The premiere of the new version of the musical took place on October 8, 1985. The most “long-lived” production of the musical “Les Misérables” is proud of the Palace Theater in London. In total, the performance was shown in this theater more than six thousand times.

In 1987, Les Misérables crossed the Atlantic and settled on Broadway, thus beginning their triumphal march around the world. Despite the fact that the musical is already over twenty years old, it does not leave the stage and continues to be very popular all over the world. Les Misérables has been translated into many languages: Japanese, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, German, Polish, Swedish, Dutch, Danish, Czech, Spanish, Mauritanian, Creole, Flemish, Finnish, Portuguese. In total, the musical “Les Misérables” was seen by residents of two hundred cities in thirty-two countries of the world. The creation of Alan Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg was watched by more than 20 million viewers around the world.

8. "Cats" (Cats) (1981)

The basis for "Cats" was a cycle of children's poems by T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, published in 1939 in England. This is a collection of ironic sketches of feline characters and habits, behind which various human types are easily guessed.

Andrew Lloyd Webber began writing songs based on Eliot's poetry in the early 70s. By 1980, the composer had accumulated enough musical material, which was decided to be processed into a musical. The cat show was destined for success: the British are known for their love for these animals. The musical team consisted of talented people - producer Cameron Mackintosh, director Trevor Nunn, stage designer John Napier and choreographer Gillian Lynn.

When it came to stage performance of Webber's songs, the main problem faced by the creators of the musical was the lack of a plot. Fortunately, thanks to the widow of T. S. Eliot, Valerie, the authors had at their disposal letters and drafts of the poet, from which they fished out bit by bit ideas for the plot outline of the play.

There were special requirements for the actors of the musical - they had to not only sing well and have perfect diction, but also be extremely plastic. In the UK, it was not easy to recruit a troupe of 20 people, so the line-up of the performers included the premiere of the Royal Ballet Wayne Sleep, and pop singer Paul Nicholas, and actress Elaine Paige, and young singer and dancer Sarah Brightman.

In the "Cats" theater, created by designer John Napier, there is no curtain, the hall and the stage are a single space, and the action takes place not frontally, but throughout the depth. The stage is designed as a dump and is a mountain of picturesque rubbish, the scenery is equipped with sophisticated electronics. The actors are transformed into graceful cats with layered make-up, hand-painted leotards, yak hair wigs, fur collars, tails and glittery collars.

The musical premiered on May 11, 1981 in London, and a year later the play opened on Broadway. Until its closing on May 11, 2002, the performance was in London with great success, earning the title of the longest-running theatrical production in history. English theater(over 6,400 performances). The musical "Cats" broke every conceivable record in the United States. In 1997, after 6,138 performances, the musical was recognized as the number one Broadway longevity. Over 8 million people have watched the London production in 21 years, and its creators have earned £136 million.

During its existence, the musical was staged more than forty times, it was visited by more than 50 million viewers in thirty countries, translated into 14 languages, and the total amount of fees in currently exceeded $2.2 billion. Cats' awards include the Laurence Olivier Award and the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, seven Tony Awards, and the French Molière Award. Recordings from both the London and Broadway original cast were awarded Grammys.

9. The Phantom of the Opera (1986)

The birth of the musical began in 1984, when British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber married the young actress and singer Sarah Brightman. Based on the voice of Sarah, Lloyd Webber composed "Requiem", but he wanted to show his wife's talent in a larger work. This work was the musical "The Phantom of the Opera", created based on the novel of the same name. French writer Gaston Leroux. This is a dark and romantic story about a supernatural creature that lived in a dungeon under the Paris Opera.

Sarah Brightman played the role of the main character - Christina Daae. Home men's party performed by Michael Crawford. The role of Christina's lover, Raul, was played by Steve Barton in the premiere cast. The libretto was written by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd-Webber, the lyrics were written by Charles Hart. Theater artist Maria Bjornson conceived the famous Phantom mask and insisted that the infamous falling chandelier be lowered onto the audience rather than onto the stage.

The musical premiered on October 9, 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre, in the presence of members of the royal family. The first Broadway production of Ghost premiered at New York's Majestic Theater in January 1988. It became the second longest-running play in Broadway history, after Cats, with 10.3 million viewers.

Over 65,000 performances of The Phantom have been performed in 18 countries, including Japan, Austria, Canada, Sweden, Germany and Australia. Productions of The Phantom of the Opera have received more than 50 prestigious awards, including three Laurence Olivier Awards and 7 Tony Awards, 7 Drama Desk Awards, and the Evening Standard Award. The Phantom of the Opera won the sympathy of more than 58 million viewers from all over the world. Almost 11 million people have already watched it in New York alone, and over 80 million worldwide. Income from ticket sales for the Phantom of the Opera exceeded $ 3.2 billion.

10. “Mamma Mia” (Mamma Mia) (1999)

The idea of ​​creating an original musical based on ABBA songs belongs to producer Judy Kramer. The basis of the musical is 22 songs of the group. Since in the original all the songs were performed by women, as starting point a story was offered about a mother and daughter, about two generations. It was necessary to come up with a story worthy of the famous hits of the Swedish quartet. The writer Katherine Johnson came to the rescue, writing a story about a family living on the Greek islands. History is of no less interest to the viewer than songs. Katherine was able to logically build the songs into a single storyline, the songs are broken into dialogues and colored with new intonations. The music was written by Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and directed by Phyllida Lloyd.

"Mama Mia" is a modern, ironic, romantic comedy in which two main lines appear: a love story and a relationship between two generations. The plot of the performance is an interweaving of comedic situations, which are emphasized by the cheerful music of ABBA, original costumes and witty dialogues of the characters. The essence of the project is also expressed in the characteristic logo "Mama Mia" - the image of a happy bride. This picture has become an internationally recognized brand.

A young girl Sophie is about to get married. She wants to invite her father to the wedding to take her to the altar. But she doesn't know who he is, as her mother Donna never talked about him. Sophie finds her mother's diary, in which she describes relationships with three men. Sofia decides to send invitations to all three. All the most interesting things begin to happen when guests arrive for the wedding ... Mom gets married at the same time as her daughter.

The first test of the musical "Mama Mia" took place on March 23, 1999, when a pre-premiere screening took place in London. Then the reaction of the audience could be described in one word - delight: people in the hall did not sit in their seats for a minute - they danced in the aisles, sang along and clapped. The premiere took place on April 6, 1999.

After the London production, the musical "Mamma Mia" is staged in parallel in 11 different places around the world. 11 worldwide productions gross more than $8 million per week. More than 27 million - the total number of viewers around the world who visited the musical "Mama Mia". More than 20,000 people visit the Mama Mia musical every day around the world.

US$1.6 billion worldwide box office revenue from Mama Mia.

For eight years of hire, the musical was staged in more than 130 major cities. The album recording the first production of "Mama Mia" became "platinum" in the US, Australia and Korea; double platinum in the UK and gold in Germany, Sweden and New Zealand.

Most Popular Musical

The famous musical "The Phantom of the Opera" by Andrew Lloyd Weber was written, among other things, in order to give his wife, singer Sarah Brightman, an opportunity (it was she who became the first performer of the main female role) to demonstrate the full scale of his talent. The literary basis was the "Gothic" detective novel "The Phantom of the Opera" by Gaston Leroux. The musical premiered in 1986 at the Royal Theater in London, and two years later the play was staged on Broadway. The Phantom of the Opera was received with enthusiasm: in New York alone, more than 11 million people watched it. The musical was staged in 18 countries of the world, received more than 50 awards, 7 films were made based on it. The last of them, filmed in 2004 by Joel Schumacher (with Webber himself acting as producer), won the love and recognition of both viewers and critics, and received three Oscar nominations.

Fiddler on the Roof premiered on Broadway in 1964. Based on Sholom Aleichem's novel Tevye the Milkman, the play was choreographed by Jerome Robbins, the libretto was written by Joseph Stein, and the music was written by Jerry Bock. The musical quickly won recognition: the original production won nine Tony awards and did not leave the stage for almost nine years, after which it was resumed three more times. In 1971, Norman Jewis made a film based on the musical, which won three Oscars and a Golden Globe.

The basis for the legendary musical created by the composer Frederick Low and librettist Alan Lerner, served as the drama of Bernard Shaw "Pygmallion". The musical version of the story about a phonetics professor who turns a street flower girl into a "real lady" and falls in love with her along the way was first presented to the public in 1956, and soon gained wild popularity both on Broadway and in London. The musical was translated into 11 languages, and in 1964 a film was released starring Audrey Hepburn. The film version was also a resounding success, receiving 12 Oscar nominations - and winning eight of them.

Music for the cult musical was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the libretto was written by Tim Rice. "Jesus Christ Superstar" was conceived as a full-length opera, where there are no "spoken" episodes, only vocals and recitatives. The rock opera was released as an audio album in 1970, and the recording became an instant hit. In 1971, the musical was staged on Broadway, in 1972 - in London, in 1973 - a film version appeared, shot by Norman Jewison and awarded an Oscar for best music. "Jesus Christ Superstar" is staged in many countries of the world and is considered one of the symbols of the "hippie generation".

The world-famous musical was born out of famed composer Andy Lloyd Webber's love of Old Possum's Practical Cat Book, Eliot's cycle of children's poems. For many years, Webber in the "background" wrote music to these poems - and as a result, the accumulated material was transformed into a musical. The premiere took place in London in 1981, and a year later "Cats" went to Broadway. And they became the most "long-playing" musical in history, without leaving the stage for 20 years (6400 performances), was staged in 30 countries, broke all possible box office records and collected an impressive collection of theater and music awards.

In 1924, Chicago Tribune journalist Maurice Watkins published a series of articles about women who had killed their husbands or lovers. Later, she left the newspaper and entered the Faculty of Law - but the memory of the newspaper hype around this kind of crime remained with her. And once, as a study assignment, she wrote the play "Chicago". The play went on Broadway, it was even made into a movie. And many years later, the famous Broadway director and choreographer Bob Foss turned "Chicago" into a musical, the music for it, stylized as the 20s, was written by John Kander. The premiere took place in 1975, the musical was staged on Broadway and in London several times and traveled around the world. In 2002, the film version of the musical was released with Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, which received 6 Oscars and a Golden Globe.

Basis for "Cabaret". there were Christopher Isherwood's stories about life in Germany in the pre-war decade, during the formation of Nazism - and John Van Druten's play "I Am a Camera" about the love between a Berlin cabaret singer and an aspiring American writer. The musical, staged by renowned director Harold Prince, premiered on Broadway in 1966. The libretto was written by Joe Masteroff, the lyrics were written by Fred Ebb and the music was written by John Canzer. The play was awarded eight Tony awards and received a permanent "registration" on Broadway. And in 1972, a film version was released, directed by Bob Foss with the brilliant Liza Minnelli in the title role and received 8 Oscars.