Once one of the most dominant forces of mainstream cinema, the “movie musical” genre has seen a steady decline in both output and popularity since its debut in 1927 with The Jazz Singer. Now close to 100 years later, the genre may be on the brink of a public consciousness that might not be so different from its momentous beginnings.
In the early days of “talkies,” studios wanted to capitalize on the invention of synchronized audio in a significant way, leading them to a genre that could not exist at all without sound. The 1930s produced an abundance of musical films; an evolution of the vaudevillian stage tradition that was a prominent form of theatre in the early 20th century. This early style of movie musical was heavily influenced by extravagant production numbers from the likes of Busby Berkeley, whose most notable work includes choreography for 42nd Street, Footlight Parade, and Gold Diggers of 1933. These films had simple plots designed to highlight the song and dance numbers at the expense of having any significant story stakes. However, many would find a way to directly address the economic issues of the Great Depression and offer a hopeful promise for the future; lighthearted fare to say “everything is going to be ok.” The depression itself was a monumental contributor to the kinds of films that audiences would flock to see and the movie musical provided people with a sense of escape. As such, the pure entertainment value of the genre led to some of the more profitable films of the era, and the sheer number of original movie musicals being released at this time – dozens each year – would never be matched again.
Original musicals, written specifically for the screen, were the popular form of movie musicals for many years. However, when composing duo Rodgers and Hammerstein became a dominant force in the Broadway landscape, their plot-driven stage musicals ushered in a new era of prestige movie musicals that were now adaptations of stage musicals that already existed. In the 1950s and 1960s, nearly every successful Broadway stage musical would see an equally successful screen adaptation. Several would even go on to become Best Picture winners such as West Side Story and The Sound of Music, both from director Robert Wise, as well as Oliver! and My Fair Lady all in a span of eight years. However, of the ten movie musicals that have won Best Picture, only one was released in the last 50 years: Chicago in 2002.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the production of movie musicals took a tremendous hit as old Hollywood systems were being abandoned for darker films rooted in a grittier sense of realism. Outside of a few that became cult hits, a majority of movie musicals released in this era were either aimed at young children or financial failures. The exception was Walt Disney Studios, which has had its own unique peaks and valleys throughout history. The emergence of Disney animated musicals in the 1990s brought a new life to the genre that would ultimately change the course of stage musicals. Over the past 30 years, the commercial success of Disney on Broadway has led to a reverse trend of turning popular movies into musicals for the stage.
This cross-pollination of musicals across these two mediums has only grown over time as it’s increasingly been proven to work. Spending over $100 on a theatre ticket may feel like less of a risk if that person is already a fan of the movie. Universally, name recognition has proven valuable no matter what you’re marketing. In addition to finding financial success, this movie-to-musical pipeline has also been well-received critically. In the last twenty years, almost half of the Tony winners for Best Musical were originally movies that were later turned into stage musicals. Furthermore, several recent Tony seasons have had their Best Musical category entirely comprised of movies-turned-musicals. While many of these stage adaptations have music added after the movie, there’s also a sub-category of movies about musicians and music that is later expanded upon in stage form. The upcoming Broadway version of Sing Street, adapted from the 2016 film, features songs already in the movie in addition to new songs added to make the stage show feel like a complete musical. Jukebox musicals (which feature pre-existing songs from a variety of music genres) like Mamma Mia and Moulin Rouge! have also played successfully in both mediums. As art continues to evolve and the boundaries of different artforms continue to blur, we start to see all different kinds of storytelling that is no longer strictly defined by one classification.
The very principle of this crossover between cinema and musical theatre is that these forms have profoundly influenced each other over the course of history. Hitting milestones at similar points in time, they’ve essentially grown up together while passing the baton with a consistent exchange of material. Now in 2021, we find ourselves on the verge of witnessing the movie musical take its turn in the spotlight. This year alone is giving us a higher number of movie musicals than we’ve seen in a very long time. Currently set for release are screen adaptations of musicals: In the Heights, West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen, Tick Tick Boom, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, and Cyrano, as well as original movie musicals: Cinderella, Annette, Encanto, and Vivo. With a wide range of style and built-in popularity, there is something in this selection for everyone. In a moment where many studios are still wary to theatrically release their large blockbusters, In The Heights is primed to be one of the buzziest releases of the summer and will likely be a return to cinemas for many people of all ages. Where young people may be highly anticipating Dear Evan Hansen and Tick Tick Boom in the fall, their parents may feel a nostalgic pull towards West Side Story, while also eager to scrutinize Spielberg’s success at remaking a beloved classic. While cinephiles wait for Annette from the brazen French auteur Leos Carax, Disney fans wait for Encanto to contribute new entries to the Disney songbook. It’s not unreasonable to predict that several of these films could end up among the highest grossing of the year while also having strong awards potential next winter.
So how did we get here and what comes next?
It helps that the novelty and relevance of stage musicals are on the rise. A recent phenomenon such as Hamilton has found a far wider audience beyond those who already considered themselves musical theatre fans. Shows from popular music artists like Sara Bareilles and Alanis Morissette bring new people to the theater for Waitress and Jagged Little Pill. Shows that explore the internet, such as Dear Evan Hansen reach young people by using new strategies of digital marketing and fan culture. Like every other industry, theatre makers are using social media to bring a new level of accessibility to an art form that is traditionally not. As of this writing, the Ratatouille the Musical hashtag on TikTok has over 1.7 billion views. In a time of disconnection, people found a way to make something together and reach a large audience. As silly as it may seem, it’s also proof that musicals can carry a greater burden than many people may give them credit for.
As human beings, we have an intrinsic need to be entertained. It releases chemicals that make our bodies feel better and help us to heal. We now find ourselves in a time of healing; another big turning point in our history where movie musicals may once again affirm themselves as the ultimate form of pure entertainment. This time trading escapism for a more progressive promise for the future. Despite the way it’s turned out, the upcoming influx of movie musicals are not a direct result of the pandemic as a majority of these movies have been in development for years. Yet, what people now refer to as “The Golden Age of Movie Musicals” was not a direct result of the Great Depression so much as it was the advent of sound in film. The need found the art and the people showed up. How the movie musical genre moves forward from here relies on the success of the year ahead; whether or not we show up. The genre might not get another opportunity of this scale. With theatrical film distribution now at a growing risk of shrinking substantially, can the movie musical get “butts in seats?” Who knows?
But as Stephen Sondheim once wrote, “I got a feeling there’s a miracle due.”
