The Legacy of the 1980s and 90s

Abstract

Whatever our individual tastes, few theatre historians would deny that the 1980s and 90s have been decades of great change for the musical. The exact legacy of this era and what it means for the future of the art form still remains to be seen, but there have already been significant changes in how we approach the creation of new musicals in Britain and America. In terms of musical drama, it seems to me that there are four areas in particular that will prove highly influential in how the art form develops in the coming years: the increased crossover between the musical and other performing arts; changes in commercial producing; the growing relationship between nonprofit and commercial producers; and finally the question of where the next generation of musical theatre directors will come from.