Megamusicals Over the Last 50 Years
Megamusicals Over the Last 50 Years
Megamusicals Over the Last 50 Years
By Rylee Vogel
What Is a Megamusical?
What qualifies as a megamusical? Defining the genre isn’t as simple as it seems. Shows such as Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, and Les Misérables are undoubtedly megamusicals, but why? The challenge in defining a megamusical is that for every descriptive category, there are always major exceptions. Still, there are certain characteristics that when put together the label “megamusical” can be applied. These include spectacle, scale, commercial reach, and emotional range.
Spectacle
The baseline requirement of a megamusical is the spectacle. These productions captivate audiences with elaborate sets, dramatic lighting, dynamic costumes, and extravagant choreography. Often, they feature large casts and full-ensemble numbers that are excellent in creating emotion and excitement in the audience. These are numbers like “One Day More” from Les Misérables or “Masquerade” in Phantom of the Opera. The size of the production matters. A megamusical is never intimate. It is built on scale, grandeur, and a “larger-than-life” presence that separates it from traditional Broadway or West End shows.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and the “Mega Mix”
Andrew Lloyd Webber is perhaps the most influential megamusical composer of all time. The majority of his shows either qualify outright or were strong attempts at megamusicals, only disqualified by lack of commercial success. One of his hallmarks in a musical is the “mega mix”. This is a fantastical, post-finale, high energy mashup number. It blends all of the show’s key songs and choreography and is a high energy spectacle number. It is a fun way to send the audience out on an electric note. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat popularized this idea and helped set the mega mix as a hallmark of the megamusical. Of course, serious or tragic megamusicals such as Les Misérables, Sunset Boulevard, or Wicked generally forgo the mega mix as it would undercut their emotional impact of the show. However, the majority of upbeat and uplifting musicals feature a dazzling mega mix to close it out.
Sung-Through Scores
Another common trait of megamusicals is a sung-through score. Instead of alternating between spoken dialogue and songs, the story flows almost entirely through music. This allows the plot to be driven by music alone and tends to keep the momentum of the show moving in a dramatic and upward direction. A prime example of this is Webber’s Cats. There is no spoken dialogue in the musical. Instead, the story is told through various songs and poems set to music that build a mystical world full of grandeur and spectacle. Similarly, Les Misérables uses a sung-though score that build emotional depth and connection. The energy of each number builds o last until the ultimate finale. That said, not every megamusical fits into the “sung-through” category. For instance, Stephen Schwartz’s Wicked is dialogue heavy, yet its scale, spectacle, and cultural impact still give it the title of a contemporary megamusical. Again, in the world of musical theater, exceptions make the rule, and the genre is not so easily defined.
Innovative and Evocative
Megamusicals often push the limits of what was thought possible onstage. In Webber’s Starlight Express, the whole cast performs on roller blades, doing incredible tricks and stunts. The stage is completely transformed into a racetrack! Disney’s The Lion King revolutionized stagecraft with Julie Taymor’s groundbreaking puppetry and costume design. It was a huge success that is still running to this day. Miss Saigon stunned the audience by landing a full-size helicopter on stge. It was a technical feat that had never been experienced before on a stage and redefined the theatrical spectacle. These moments are a part of why megamusials stick in our memory. They show the audience something they couldn’t imagine possible until it was seen on the stage.
Commercial Success and Risks
A great megamusical is an investment. The elaborate sets, large casts, and complicated technology are expensive. As a result, the commercial success of a project often determines whether they are remembered as triumphs or failures. For every hit, there are, unfortunately, flops:
- The Lord of the Rings (2007) was not well received and struggled to condense the epic trilogy into one show.
- Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (2010) became infamous for technical disasters despite its U2 score.
- King Kong (2018) impressed audiences with its massive puppet; however, the story failed to connect with audiences and ultimately could not fill the seats.
- Starlight Express underperformed in its original run, as it lacked popularity with audiences due to its odd nature; however, it found immense later success in international revivals (it is currently a long running show in Germany).
These examples show that even with groundbreaking ideas, commercial viability is the ultimate judge.
Influx in the 80s
Though some megamusicals have existed before the last 50 years (i.e. Jesus Christ Superstar 1971), the 1980s were the golden years for the genre. This was due to the partnership between British Producer Cameron Mackintosh and composers like Andrew Lloyd Webber, Alain Boublil, and Claude-Michel Schönberg. The “British invasion” (another name for this era of musical theater) consisted of these English musicals making their way to Broadway. This migration included Cats, Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, and Mis Saigon. All of these shows not only dominated London and New York, but they also gained immense international audiences in places like Germany, Canada, and Japan. The scale of these megamusicals was widespread. Another reason for the influx was the aggressive merchandising and pushing of musicals into the mainstream. Megamusicals became a brand in themselves. This commercialization has led to a bit of debate amongst theater critics and patrons alike. People often found megamusicals to lack intimacy and argue that they appear overly commercial. These critiques still exist today. When people are making fun of the extravagance of the theater, this is often the genre they are poking fun at. However, the popularity of these musicals has undoubtedly caused the industry to evolve, regardless positive or negative opinion. Megamusical songs have become cannon, and it is very di icult to find people who have not ever heard of the mysterious Phantom of the Opera.
Disney Hits the Scene
In the 1990s, Disney entered the megamusical world with Beauty and the Beast (1994), The Lion King (1997), and later Aladdin and Frozen. These productions emphasized spectacle and family-friendly storytelling. Disney widened the Broadway audience, drawing in people who may not have otherwise attended live theater, and reinforced the megamusical model as both viable and profitable.
The Contemporary Megamusical
While the 1980s defined the genre, the 2000s and 2010s saw a new wave of megamusicals. Many jukebox musicals fall into this category. This includes shows like Mamma Mia!, Moulin Rouge!, and & Juliet. They are popular amongst audiences and hold great spectacle opportunity. Wicked (2003) became one of Broadway’s longest-running hits, with sweeping storytelling, groundbreaking effects, and enduring cultural impact. Its use of fly systems and costumes was revolutionary, and the show remains a cultural phenomenon to this day. Hamilton (2015) marked a turning point in the contemporary megamusical genre. Though its staging was less extravagant than earlier megamusicals, its sung-through score, full ensemble, commercial success, and groundbreaking use of rap placed it firmly in the genre.
What’s Next?
Today, both Broadway and the West End are not short on megamusicals. Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Wicked, and Hamilton continue their long runs and bring in large audiences daily. Then, there are new megamusicals that are joining the ranks such as Moulin Rouge! and Back to the Future. Both of these shows combine elements of the traditional stage and pop culture in a way that is captivating. Social media, streaming, and touring have expanded megamusicals’ reach beyond the box office. Success now also depends on viral moments, online visibility, and merchandise sales. The financial stakes are higher than ever, but so are the opportunities for innovation. The next generation of megamusicals will face these pressures while striving to deliver unforgettable spectacle.
Conclusion
For the past fifty years, megamusicals have sculpted the musical theater landscape. They are loved by some, mocked by others, and yet they remain undeniably e ective. They fill theaters around the world and have inspired generations of theatergoers. Be it a crashing chandelier, helicopter landing, rollerblading trains, or rapping founding fathers, megamusicals remind us of the theaters’ unique ability to bring people together through spectacle, music, and creativity. You can love them or hate them, but the megamusical is here to stay!
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