Original Musicals

This year was truly the year of the musical adaptation.

Almost none of the notable new musicals to hit broadway featured original stories; all but The Prom and Head Over Heels were based on movies or television shows. They are Mean Girls, Frozen, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical, King Kong, and The Band’s Visit. Escape to Margaritaville, The Cher Show, and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical have been omitted due to their overwhelming lack of notability.

First up, Mean Girls was generally a disappointment due to unmemorable music and less than fetch lyrics. An actual line from the show reads, “Imagine a party with dresses and cake and singing and dancing and cake.” But it did boast an impressive cast and a witty book by Tina Fey herself.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical exhibited similar faults to the pitfalls of Mean Girls. Its score featured songs from over 15 artists including John Legend and Sara Bareilles. While intriguing in theory, the score lacked synergy or any consistency. Without memorable music, SpongeBob’s main selling point was its colorful design, and its title character (played by Ethan Slater).

The same can be said for Frozen, which did little innovating and drew mostly (if not entirely) from the reputation of the film. That being said, some new songs were written for the musical, and it was praised for its performances (particularly Caissie Levy as Elsa). But overall Frozen ended up being just another big budget behemoth.

But the standalone disaster this year was King Kong. Critics described this mess of a show as “spirit-crushing” and “a car wreck of clichés.” Its star was a 2,000 pound puppet portraying the giant ape. But even after draining the 35 million dollar budget into making this animatronic come to life, it still received mixed reviews. Overall, it was cited as a musical lowpoint of 2018.

On the other end of the spectrum is The Band’s Visit; it is an understated, critic’s pick and a Tony Award winning best musical. Boasting some of the best music, acting, and writing of the year, The Band’s Visit is truly a masterpiece. It is also arguably one of the most diverse shows of the year, as its cast features entirely middle eastern actors and actresses. All around, The Band’s Visit is the strongest musical of the year.

But in my opinion, the most exciting new musical this year was The Prom. Not only does it have an entirely original story, but it also has been praised for its music and dance. But the true reason for its fanfare is its focus on LGBTQ stories. Viewers of the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will remember that The Prom showcased the first LGBTQ kiss in the history of the parade (stirring up quite a bit of controversy in the process). Overall, The Prom is an exciting addition to the broadway community.

Another show to showcase the LGBTQ community was Head Over Heels; a jukebox musical featuring the songs of the Go-Go’s. Head Over Heels was especially progressive as it not only features significant themes surrounding being transgender but it also features a transgender actress. This forward thinking content could lead the way for more diverse theater for years to come.

Original Plays

The only original play worth talking about this year is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

When I first read the reviews, I thought there was no way it could live up to the hype. The script reads like fan fiction, and the story is garbage; it is beyond repair. But I could not have been more wrong. It is a force to be reckoned with.

This two-part technical masterpiece showcases some of the best and most unique staging, music (yes, music), and design in recent memory. Not to mention the beyond belief onstage magic tricks. To my astonishment, the technical innovations and flawless direction were more than enough to redeem the script.

To stick by the show’s motto, I will #Keepthesecrets, but let me assure you, it must be seen to be believed.

Revivals

Some of the best productions on broadway this year were the revivals. All the revivals were extremely strong, both plays and musicals.

The standout play for many was Angels In America. It was praised for its design and for its performances, especially from Andrew Garfield and Nathan Lane. Three Tall Women was another standout play for many. The performance of Glenda Jackson, one of the three leading ladies was especially acclaimed.

Perhaps the most exciting and energetic musical revival this year was Once on this Island. It received wide praise for its creative staging for a theater in the round and its simplistic design consisting of a sand covered stage and a small pool of water.

My Fair Lady’s set was also applauded. But its most notable aspect was the updating to the story for the modern #metoo era. In the recent revival, the leading female Eliza, was portrayed as a strong determined woman who was responsible for her own success as opposed to a meek women who owes her life to a man.

The final revival, Carousel was praised mostly for its incredible dance. Choreographer Justin Peck even won the Tony for Best Choreography.

Overall, many of the revivals overcame outdated, and obsolete ideals and managed to create a beautiful, impactful adaptation.

Live Musicals

Jesus Christ Superstar Live was the only live musical to grace our screens this year, and it was one of the best we’ve seen yet. I would attribute its success partially to its brilliant casting, and choice of show. But mostly, Jesus Christ Superstar Live was so successful because it mimicked the most closely the style of a stage production as opposed to trying to film in the style of a movie.

Previous live musicals like A Christmas Story Live and Peter Pan Live employed the use of multiple, huge soundstage sets. But Jesus Christ Superstar Live went the route of a more traditional stage production with only one stage and a unit set, making the show feel more intimate.

This production was very well received so it will likely bode well for many more live musicals in the future.

Adaptations (Musical to Other)

As we know this was a year packed with adaptations from TV or film to musicals. But, another kind of adaptation took place this year as well. Dear Evan Hansen, the standout new musical of 2017 was adapted this year into a young adult novel and plans were made for a motion picture adaptation.

This might mark a turning point in the reception of popular musicals. Traditionally broadway has been contained to a very small group. But more recent musicals like Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen are beginning to become more mainstream and reach a much larger audience, as demonstrated by Dear Evan Hansen’s recent novelization and the laying of the groundwork for a movie adaptation.

Who knows where the world of theater could expand to next?

Local

This year saw a dramatic change in administration of our RHS spring musical. The director of the past 4 years Cynthia Baer sadly stepped down from the position. So this year we welcome a new director, Kevin Archambault.

He will be directing the musical, Little Shop of Horrors as his premiere RHS production. Kevin is a graduate at St. Edward’s University with a degree in theater and an experienced Director/Choreographer. He has traveled all over the country for his craft but now works mainly at the Center for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck where he is the Assistant Artistic & Managing Director. He even wrote the book to an upcoming musical Boiler Room Girls that will premiere at the Center for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck later this year.

Looking Forward

Many dramatic trends were charted in the past year, but which will continue on into the new year?

Firstly, jukebox, biographical musicals aren’t going anywhere. This genre, beginning with Beautiful: The Carole King Musical in 2013, has only taken off. 2018 saw the opening of both Summer: The Donna Summer Musical and The Cher Show, two shows that follow very closely in the footsteps of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. 2019 has already announced a Temptations jukebox musical called Ain’t Too Proud, so this genre is not likely to disappear any time soon.

Also, as I have previously noted, musical adaptations are more popular than ever. Beetlejuice the musical, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and Tootie the musical have already been announced for a 2019 run and are all based on movies. The popular adaptation Be More Chill of the novel of the same name is also on the road to broadway in 2019.

Something else we can look forward to are increasingly innovative and different revivals. In the style of Once on this Island and the other revivals this year, Oklahoma! is coming back to broadway as a transformed, reimagined beast. Hopefully revivals like this will continue to look forward not back.