The names of the authors of the most popular musicals. The most famous musicals

On August 19, 1957, the premiere of the musical “West Side Story” based on the play by Arthur Lorenz took place in Washington. It was the story of Romeo and Juliet, transferred to the realities of America at that time. The main characters - a Jewish young man Tony and an Italian Catholic Maria - belong to two hostile youth groups in New York, but, despite everything, they love each other. The musical instantly became a hit, and after the film adaptation in 1961, it only strengthened its position.

Musical is one of the most popular genres theatrical arts. After all, its plot is played out not only in words and actions, but also in songs and dances. In addition, musicals, as a rule, are distinguished by their mass appeal and brightness, which attracts viewers.

We decided to recall the most famous representatives of this genre.

"My Fair Lady"

In 1964, the film of the same name was released, in which Audrey Hepburn played the role of Eliza.

This musical is based on Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, which tells how the main character, flower girl Eliza Dolittle, becomes a charming lady. This transformation took place due to a dispute between a phonetics professor and his linguist friend. Eliza moved to the scientist's house to go through a difficult path of learning and transformation.

The musical premiered on March 15, 1956. The main role, Eliza, was played by Julie Andrews. The show immediately gained incredible popularity, and soon received several prestigious theater awards.

In 1964, a film of the same name was released, in which Audrey Hepburn played the role of Eliza.

"Sounds of music"

The German film "The Von Trapp Family" became the basis for this musical. The film told the story of an Austrian family who, fleeing the Nazis, went to America. The plot was based on the book by Maria von Trapp, a direct participant in those events.

The premiere took place on November 16, 1959. The musical received 8 Tony Awards. A film of the same name was released in 1965. Its plot was slightly different from the play, but it was he who brought the real world fame.

"Cabaret"

The plot of the legendary musical is based on the stories “Berlin Stories” by Christopher Isherwood about life in Germany in the early 30s. Another part of the story comes from John Van Druten's play I Am a Camera, which tells the story of the love between a young writer and Berlin cabaret singer Sally Bowles. Fate brought the hero to the capital of Germany in the early 30s. Here he meets Sally and falls in love with her. But she refused to follow him to Paris, breaking his heart.

The musical premiered on November 20, 1966. The production received 8 Tony Awards. In 1972, the film of the same name directed by Bob Fosse was released. The image of Sally was brilliantly embodied by Liza Minnelli.

"Jesus Christ Superstar"

The work generated a lot of controversy and became a cult favorite for the hippie generation.

The music for this musical was composed by Andrew Lloyd Weber. Unlike traditional productions, this one tells the entire story through songs alone. It also became original thanks to rock music and modern vocabulary in the lyrics. This made the production a real hit.

The story in it 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 rock opera was first performed as an album in 1970. main role it was performed by the lead singer of the group Deep Purple Ian Gillan. The work generated a lot of controversy and became a cult favorite for the hippie generation. A year later it was staged on Broadway.

"Chicago"

On March 11, 1924, in the Chicago Tribune, journalist Maureen Watkins wrote about a variety show actress who killed her lover—this became the starting point for the plot of the musical. Stories about sex crimes were very popular at the time, and Watkins continued to write about them. On April 3, 1924, her new note appeared about a woman who shot her boyfriend. Watkins later wrote the play Chicago.

The story of the musical tells the story of corps de ballet dancer Roxie Hart, who murdered her lover in cold blood. In prison, Roxy meets Velma Kelly and other criminals, and then hires lawyer Billy Flynn, with whose help he escapes punishment and at the same time becomes a real star. The musical premiered on June 3, 1975.

In 2002, the film “Chicago” was released with Renee Zellweger (Roxy), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma) and Richard Gere (Billy Flynn).

"Cats"

In “Cats” there is no curtain, and the stage merges with the audience into a single space.

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 ironically told about the habits and habits of cats, in which human traits were discerned. Elliott's poems appealed to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Everything about “Cats” is unusual - there is no curtain on the stage, it merges into a single space with the audience. The stage itself is designed like a landfill. The actors appear as graceful cats thanks to complex multi-layered makeup. Their costumes are hand-painted, and their wigs, tails and collars are made of yak wool. The musical was first shown on May 11, 1981 in London.

"Phantom of the Opera"

The Phantom of the Opera is based on the novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux. A romantic but dark story tells about a mysterious creature living in a dungeon under the Paris Opera supernatural powers. It falls in love with the young singer Christina and becomes her patron.

The premiere of The Phantom of the Opera took place on October 9, 1986 at the Royal Theater, even members of Her Majesty's family were present. The show became the longest-running musical in Broadway history, surpassing even Cats.

In 2004, the musical became a film in which Gerard Butler portrayed the masked ghost.

"Evita"

The idea of ​​creating a musical appeared by chance - in October 1973, Tim Rice heard the end of a radio program in his car, which was about Evita Peron, the wife of Argentine dictator Juan Peron. The story of her life interested the poet. The plot of the show tells how she came to Buenos Aires at the age of 15 and became famous actress, and then the wife of the country's president. This woman helped the poor, but at the same time contributed to the rise of dictatorship in Argentina.

The musical was released on June 21, 1978, and 20 years later it was decided to make a film based on it. It was directed by Alan Parker and starred Madonna.

"Mama Mia"

Popularity of songs ABBA so great that the idea of ​​​​creating a musical based on them is not surprising. The musical included 22 hits of the legendary quartet. Its authors were the male half of ABBA. The plot is as follows: Sophie is getting ready to get married. She is going to invite her father to the wedding to take her to the altar. Only the girl's mother, Donna, never spoke about him. Sophie found her mother's diary, which chronicled her relationships with three different men, resulting in an invitation being sent to all of them. When guests start arriving for the wedding, the fun begins...

This cheerful and vibrant musical was first shown to audiences in 1999, and in 2008 a film based on it with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried and other actors was released.

"Notre Dame de Paris"

The musical is based on Victor Hugo's novel "The Cathedral" Notre Dame of Paris».

The musical is based on Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris. It was first shown in Paris on September 16, 1998 and was included in the Guinness Book of Records as having the most successful first year of operation.

In the story, a young gypsy girl named Esmeralda attracts the attention of men with her beauty. Among them are the bishop of Notre-Dame Cathedral Frollo, the young handsome captain of the royal riflemen Phoebus and the ugly bell-ringer Quasimodo, Frollo's pupil.

Esmeralda falls madly in love with the most beautiful of them, Phoebus. He doesn't mind taking advantage of this, despite the fact that he has a fiancée, Fleur-de-Lys. Frollo is overwhelmed with jealousy and tormented by doubts - after all, he, as a priest, has no right to love a woman. Quasimodo admires the young gypsy, seeing in her that unattainable, unearthly beauty that is his complete opposite.

"Juno and Avos"

The musical is, without exaggeration, the most famous Russian production of this genre. Its premiere took place on July 9, 1981. The director was Mark Zakharov, and the main roles were played by Nikolai Karachentsov and Elena Shanina. It was based on the poem “Maybe” by Andrei Voznesensky.

According to the plot, Count Rezanov, having buried his wife, decided to devote all his strength to serving Russia. His proposals about the need to try to establish trade relations with North America did not meet with a response from the authorities for a long time, but finally he was ordered to go there. There he meets young Conchita and they fall in love. Circumstances force them to separate, but they manage to get married secretly. And although they will not be destined to see each other again, their love will live forever.

2. The birth of the musical. Origins…………………………………………………….. 3
- Minister show
- Spiri?chuels
- Jazz
3 . Genres related to the musical………………………………………………………..... 6
4. Development of the musical. Famous composers and productions…………. 6
- music style (influence of jazz, ragtime, hippie ideas)
- components of a musical

Definition of "musical"

What is a Musical?
The Musical Encyclopedia answers this as follows: “A musical stage genre that uses the expressive means of music, drama, choreography and opera. Their combination and interrelation gave the musical a special dynamism; a characteristic feature of many musicals was the solution of serious dramatic problems using artistic means that are not difficult to perceive.”
Musical- musical, or, as they often write and say, musical - an abbreviated form of the concepts Musical comedy (musical comedy) and Musical play (musical play, musical performance) -This 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 simply an American version of operetta. There is no big mistake in this. Genres of art tend to evolve, and operetta has changed its national and genre specifics more than once. The sentimental and melodramatic operettas of I. Kalman and F. Lehár were so different from the Viennese operetta of the late 19th century, and the musical comedies of Soviet authors were so different from Western products that sometimes they also gave rise to talking 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 American musical theater that a qualitative leap occurred that allows many to consider the musical as an independent stage genre, although in a relationship of close kinship and continuity with operetta.
The progenitors of this genre are considered operetta, comic opera, vaudeville, burlesque. Plots for musicals are often taken from famous literary works, from world drama, such as “My wonderful lady" by Bernard Shaw, "Kiss me, Kate!" by Shakespeare, “Man of La Mancha” by Cervantes, “Oliver!” and "Open Night" by Dickens. Musicals are one of the most commercial performing arts. This is due to their entertainment and expensive special effects.stories.

The birth 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 theater 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 and talk about what was happening. The Romans copied almost all forms and traditions of Greek theater, but they also made some changes. In particular, they began to line shoes with metal so that the movement of the dancers could be better heard, 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 "the American way". Due to the large number of immigrants and Puritans, theatrical art in America could not develop in the same way as European art.
The Puritans, who fought not only for the purity of faith, but also for the purity of life, imposed on people the opinion that theater was a low, theatrical genre. They were sure that a person could receive spiritual development only through asceticism and intellect - neither one nor the other, according to the Puritans, was present in the theater. Despite such a harsh and unbearable oppression, American theater did not disappear, but some of its genres never came to light. Until the 19th century, theater in America was illegal and countercultural, so crude, simplified forms flourished. The actors were mainly immigrants from Europe, or “black Americans”; they added their own personality to the theatrical performances. folk folk. Thus, by the second half of the 19th century, formation took place. Performances in the American theater were primarily entertaining. First a thing appears, and then a person thinks about what to call it. This is how these performances got their names "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 making up as blacks took place among the home performances of white settlers in America back in late XVII centuries, as a solid form entertainment arts Minstrel shows developed in the late 1820s. in USA. The performances gave the impetus to the popularity of minstrel shows Thomas Dartmouth Rice, in particular his number "Jim Crow"- musical composition and dance imitating the Negro style. The popularity of this act was so widespread that Rice took the pseudonym “Jim Crow” and toured America and Europe. In his footsteps in the 1830s. Similar instrumental and vocal ensembles and solo performers began to appear. By the mid-1840s. Minstrel shows, also called "Ethiopian" shows (which, in addition to music and dance, included short comedy skits with dialogue, skits, etc.) became one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the United States, especially in the northern states. Minstrels parodied the life and manners of blacks, often presenting them in the most unattractive way as lazy, stupid and boastful slaves. The show's humor was edgy with the use of wordplay. It was not uncommon to see satire on current politics from the perspective of a simple-minded slave. There were practically no blacks among the minstrels, only from the mid-1850s. The first all-black minstrel troupes began to appear. Paradoxically, they also made up their face, making it look like a theatrical mask. Negro minstrel shows also attracted audiences eager to see real blacks perform. However, the initially racist nature of the minstrel show hindered its development among black performers (especially in the South).
With ever-increasing abolitionist tendencies in North American society, minstrel shows turned out to be a conductor of the ideas of slavery in this world. At the same time, in many states of the South, minstrel shows gradually began to be banned, since there they were associated with the entertainment of 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. Touring small minstrel troupes moved further to the periphery. At the same time, in New York, the genre of minstrelsy was transformed into huge, richly decorated shows with the participation of foreign acrobats and other circus elements; Soon, black makeup ceased to be mandatory in such performances. In the 1870s. V music department The minstrel show included 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 subject matter of spirituals consisted of biblical Old Testament stories, which were adapted to the specific conditions of everyday life and everyday life of blacks and were subjected to folklore processing. They combine characteristic elements of African performing traditions (collective improvisation, characteristic rhythm with pronounced polyrhythm (polyrhythm), glissand sounds, untempered chords, special emotionality) with the stylistic features of American Puritan hymns that arose on an Anglo-Celtic basis. Spirituals have a question-and-answer (responsor) structure, expressed in a dialogue between the preacher and the parishioners.
By the beginning of the 20th century, the minstrel show genre had completely outlived its usefulness and continued to exist only in rural areas southern states. By 1919, only three significant minstrel troupes remained. Such a passion for black culture, although humorous at first, could not but have consequences. Its most remarkable consequence was the birth - jazz. Jazz was actively used on stage to stage 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 beginning of World War II, it was difficult to find an entertainment show in all of America that did not include jazz elements. From the primitive black music jazz turned into music that talks about the philosophy of American life and, as a result of this, the dramatic genre of performances also changed. Jazz united all previously separate genres - and thus the musical was born.
In the productions of the musical, various special effects are actively used, unique tricks are created that will take the viewer’s breath away!

Genres related to the musical
As has been said many times, jazz was a big impetus for the development of the musical culture, so jazz performances will undoubtedly be distant, but still, relatives of the musical. If we assume 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

Development of the musical. Famous composers and musicals. Stylistics of music.
In the years preceding the First World War, talented emigrants Herbert, Friml, and Romberg gave impetus to the active development of the musical in America. In the 20s and 30s, with the arrival of new American composers Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, and Cole Porter, the musical acquired a true American flavor. The libretto became more complex, the influence of jazz and ragtime became noticeable in the rhythms, and typical American turns appeared in the songs. Many songs from musicals have become musical classics. The acting skills of singers have increased significantly. In 1932, composer Gershwin was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the first time 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 the entire cast consisted of classically trained African-American singers - a bold artistic choice for the time.
Rodgers and Hammerstein's collaboration produced productions such as "Oklahoma!" (1943), their first musical. It takes place in 1906 in Oklahoma Territory, near the city of Claremore. Then the new state of Oklahoma was created in the so-called Indian Territory. The play is based on the idea of ​​friendship and cooperation between different groups of the state's population: between its original inhabitants - cowboy cattle breeders and newcomers from the neighboring state of Missouri - farmers. At the center of the plot - love story between cowboy Curly McClane and a young girl, Laurie Williams, working on her own farm. "Oklahoma!" can lay claim to being the first musical in modern understanding words. For the first time, vocal compositions and dance numbers were combined into a full-fledged story, which was based on a serious dramatic script, written based on the 1931 play The Lilacs Are Going Green by Lynn Riggs. Previously, in musical comedies, songs were insert numbers that had little to do with the plot.
"Carousel (1945) « South Pacific », distinguished by a high level of dramaturgy. They were a stunning success with the public.
Musical "South Pacific" created by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein based on James Michener's novel A Pacific Story (1948). The libretto was written by Hammerstein in collaboration with Joshua Logan. The plot centers on the issue of racial discrimination. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1949. South Pacific became an immediate success and was nominated for ten Tony Awards and won in all categories, including the Tony Awards for Best Score, 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, the musical went on a national tour in the United States, which was staged in 118 cities over 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 filmed. The roles were played by Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor.

The 2008 version of "South" was declared best new production of a classic musical and won awards for best direction, male lead performance and costume, lighting and sound design.
To write a musical "My Fair Lady" (1956) Frederick Lowe, the composer of the music, and Alan Lerner, the author of the 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 initially an ordinary flower girl, becomes a young charming lady. According to the plot of the musical, during a dispute between a phonetics professor and his linguist friend, such a transformation took place. Eliza Dolittle moved into the scientist's house to undergo a difficult learning curve. In the end, at the embassy ball, the girl passes the difficult exam with flying colors. The musical premiered on March 15, 1956. In London, the performance was given only in April 1958. Rex Harrison played the role of the professor-teacher, and Julie Andrews played 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 performed 2,717 times on Broadway, and 2,281 in London. The musical was translated into eleven languages ​​and performed in more than twenty countries. "My Fair Lady" won a Tony Award. In total, the musical has sold over 5 million records with its original Broadway cast. In 1964, the film of the same name was released; Warner Brothers bosses paid a then-record $5.5 million for the right to film the musical. Eliza was played by Audrey Hepburn, and Rex Harrison became her partner, moving to cinema from the theater stage. And the success of the film was stunning - it was nominated for 12 Oscars and received 8 of them. The musical is so loved by audiences that it can still be seen in London. After World War II, the plot of musicals became more serious, and "West Side Story" (1957) Leonard Bernstein. The production is based on Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet", with the action taking place in modern New York. The expressiveness of dances indicated the growing importance of choreography. The action takes place in New York in the mid-1950s, telling the story of the confrontation between two street gangs - the "Rockets" ("Jets"), descendants of white immigrants, and the "Sharks" ("Sharks"), Puerto Ricans. The protagonist, former Rockets member Tony, falls in love with Maria, sister of Bernardo, leader of the Sharks. The drama, relaxing music and raising of pressing social issues, although not immediately, brought the musical worldwide fame. The musical compositions Bernstein wrote 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, produced by Robert Griffith and Harold Prince) marked the Broadway debut of little-known librettist Stephen Sondheim. The premiere took place on September 26 at the Winter Garden Theater. The musical was performed 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 script of the musical, was also awarded. Currently, the musical is often staged in educational institutions, regional theaters and even opera houses around the world.

At the end of the 60s of the 20th century, under the influence of new musical styles, a new understanding of the musical as a genre came. In a psychedelic musical "Hair" (1967) then fashionable ideas were reflected hippie, thus the production was called “The Musical of Primitive American Lyrical Rock.”Music by Gaelt McDermott, lyrics by James Redo and Jerome Ragni. 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 1873 performances. In the same year, it was staged in Los Angeles and London. In November 1999, the American author's version of the musical, staged by director Bo Crowell and producer Michael Butler together with the Moscow Theater of Music and Drama Stas Namin, was shown at the Moscow Variety Theater. Then the production was adapted and in January 2000 the Russian version premiered at the Young Spectator Theater. The musical is still successfully performed at the Moscow Stas Namin Theater of Music and Drama.
Since the 70s, the number of performances has been decreasing, but the sets and costumes of new musicals are becoming more luxurious. The production introduced radical changes to the concept of the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1971) The music for the work was composed 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 lyrics 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 Jesus' life, which pass before the eyes of Judas Iscariot, who was 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 as an album in 1970, on which the lead role was performed by Deep Purple vocalist 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 have noted that the production portrays Jesus as the first hippie on the planet. The production lasted only a year and a half on stage, but it received a new lease of life 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 made by director Norman Jewison. The 1973 Oscar for best music went to this 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 light to the traditional point of view. This musical is often referred to as a rock opera; the work generated a lot of controversy and became a cult favorite 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 stages in Australia, Japan, France and Mexico, Chile and Germany, Great Britain and the USA.
Serious theme of the musical "Evita" (1978) proved the long way that the genre has come 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 his car, which talked about Evita Peron. The woman was the wife of the Argentine dictator Juan Peron, and 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 the story of 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 rise of dictatorship in Argentina. "Evita" combined various musical styles; Latin American motifs became the basis of the score. The first demo recordings of the musical were presented to critics at the first festival in Sydney, then recording of the album began at the Olympic studio. Evita was 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 a record was considered a matter of prestige. The musical was released on June 21, 1978, and was directed by Hal Prince. In his production, the role of Evita went to Elaine Paige, and Che was played by the famous rock singer David Essex. The performance 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 disk made it gold. On May 8, 1979, the premiere of “Evita” took place in America, in Los Angeles, and four months later the play came to Broadway. The popularity of "Evita" was proven by the 7 Tony Awards it received. 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 Webber and Rice's new song, "You Gotta Love Me," which eventually won an Oscar for Best Original Song.
Webber's creation "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", which was published in England in 1939. The collection spoke with irony about the habits and habits of cats, but human traits were easily discerned behind these features. Elliott's poems attracted the attention of Andy Lloyd Webber, who slowly composed music for them throughout the 70s. And so, by 1980, the composer had collected enough material to transform it into a musical. Since the British love cats very much, their show was doomed to success. In addition to Webber, the team included producer Cameron Mackintosh, director Trevor Nunn, artist John Napier and choreographer Gillian Lynn. But when the songs were staged, it turned out that there was no meaningful plot. However, thanks to Eliot's widow, the poet's drafts and letters were found, from which, bit by bit, the authors of the musical were able to collect ideas to compile the plot outline of the play. In "Cats" special demands were placed on the artists - it was not enough to sing well and speak clearly, they also had to be very flexible. It turned out that in England itself it was almost impossible to recruit a troupe of 20 such actors, so the performers included pop singer Paul Nicholas, actress Elaine Paige, young dancer and singer Sarah Brightman, and Royal Ballet star Wayne Sleep. The Cats Theater was created by its own designer, John Napier, as a result there is no curtain at all, and the stage and hall merge into a single space. The action occurs not frontally, but throughout the entire depth. The scene itself is designed like a landfill - there are mountains of picturesque garbage on it, but in fact the scenery is equipped with sophisticated technology. The actors, with the help of complex multi-layer makeup, appear in the form of graceful cats. Their tights are hand-painted, their wigs are made of yak wool, their tails and collars are made of wool, and they also wear shiny collars. The musical first appeared before the public on May 11, 1981 in London, and came to 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 sterling. And in the States, the musical broke all possible records. Already in 1997, the number of performances exceeded 6,100, which made it possible to call the performance the main long-liver of Broadway. As a result, over the entire period, “Cats” was 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 gross amounted to $2.2 billion. The musical has received many awards, the most famous of which are the Laurence Olivier Award, the Evening Standard newspaper award for "Best Musical", 7 Tony Awards, and the Molière Award in France. Recordings from the original Broadway and London casts received Grammy awards.
Another popular work of Webber was the musical "Phantom of the Opera"(“The Phantom of the Opera”), combining elements of detective and thriller. Sarah Brightman's collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber in Cats led to their marriage in 1984. The composer created “Requiem” for his wife, but this work was not able to demonstrate the singer’s talent on a large scale. Webber therefore decided to create a new musical, which was “The Phantom of the Opera,” based on the 1910 novel of the same name by the Frenchman Gaston Leroux. The 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 cast, Christina's lover, Raoul, was played by Steve Barton. Richard Stilgoe worked on the libretto with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the lyrics are by Charles Hart. Theater designer Maria Bjornson gave the Phantom the famous mask and insisted on the decision to lower the notorious falling chandelier not onto the stage, but directly onto the audience. The premiere of The Phantom of the Opera took place on October 9, 1986 at the Royal Theater, even members of Her Majesty's family were present. And in January 1988, the first Broadway production of the musical took place at the Majestic Theater in New York. "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, there are 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 an Evening Standard award. Total revenue from The Phantom of the Opera was $3.2 billion. The novel inspired directors to create as many as seven films, the last of which, shot in 2004, was nominated three times for an Oscar, produced and composed by the same Webber.

The Anglo-American monopoly on musicals ended in 1985 when a French production premiered on the London stage. "Les Miserables" Composer Claude-Michel Schonberg and librettist Alain Boublil gave a rebirth to Victor Hugo's already classic Les Misérables. Work on creating the musical took two years. The result was a two-hour sketch, which was then transformed into a concept album with a circulation of 260 thousand copies. An engraving depicting little Cosette became a unique calling card of the musical. The stage version was presented on September 17, 1980 at the Paris Palais des Sports. As a result, more than half a million people watched the performance. 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" attracted the attention of the young director Peter Ferago, who recruited English producer Cameron Mackintosh to work on it. This made it possible to create a truly high-class show. A professional team worked on the production - directors Trevor Nunn and John Kaed, and the text was adapted into English by Herbert Kretzmer with the help of the creators of the musical. As a result, the play premiered under the auspices of the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican Theater on October 8, 1985. To date, Les Misérables has been most often shown at London's Palace Theatre, where more than 6 thousand performances of the musical took place. In 1987, “Les Misérables” came to Broadway, and so began its march around the world. Although the play is over twenty years old, it is still on the stages of theaters around the world. "Les Misérables" has been translated into many languages, including such exotic ones as Japanese, Moorish 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", a modernization of Puccini's Madama Butterfly.At the beginning of the twentieth century, Puccini captivated audiences 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 embodiment. The Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon in 1975, and fourteen years later in London music scene was crowned Miss Saigon.
The idea to create a musical about a tragic love born during the Vietnam War arose 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 She Minh (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 leave her daughter in the hope that her father would provide her with a better future. Schonberg recalls how the woman’s silent grief struck him: it was worse than the bitterest tears. To sacrifice your happiness in order to give happiness to your 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 and foremost a tragic love story, not a story about the Vietnam War,” but the theme of the clash of different cultures, religions and races, which escalated into senseless bloodshed, gives this story an epic scope.
In the definition of a musical as a genre, there is a point according to which the musical synthesizes theater and dance, that is, the elements of the musical will be ballet, pop and modern choreography. In musicals of the last decade, strip plastic has become widespread: elements of light eroticism plus classical ballet. Something similar was first shown on stage many years ago in the musical Chicago. There, with the help of strip plastic, the last, farewell conversation of two lovers was shown, one of whom was doomed that evening to die at the hands of the other. Ballet in its pure form is now rarely found in modern musicals, but elements of the ballet school are invariably present. For example, the dance of street cats in the musical “Cats” of the same name is nothing more than a ballet female part. Soviet music critics had an interesting approach to defining genres related to the musical. The musical was considered a type of operetta. Quote for thought: “Today the musical, as a genre of low operetta, is represented by two types of groups: first of all, these are Broadway theaters of one play, created for the purpose of promoting and exploiting one work, and the other type is touring opera groups. They are created with the aim of showing a series of simple stage performances in the provinces.” No matter how stupid it may seem, modern music criticism also recognizes that opera and operetta are two musical genre, which can and should be considered akin to the musical.
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 the libretto in an opera. Music and lyrics together form a musical score. The creative team's interpretation of the musical greatly influences the way the musical is presented. Creative team includes a stage director, a music director and usually a choreographer. The production of musicals is also creatively characterized by technical aspects such as sets, costumes,
etc.................

The musical is in which songs, music, dialogues and choreography are intertwined in an amazing way. This is a relatively young one that has been influenced big influence operetta, burlesque, vaudeville, etc. Due to its entertainment value, the musical is considered one of the most commercial theater genres, and due to the complexity of the production process, much more money is spent on it.

The history of the emergence of a new musical genre

The starting point of this genre is considered to be 1866, when the first musical, Black Crook, was staged on the Broadway stage, in which melodrama, romantic ballet and other genres were intertwined. Since that time, the list of musicals has been constantly updated with new performances. From the above it follows that the birthplace of this genre is America. At the beginning of the 19th century, American composers J. Kern, J. Gershwin, and Cole Porter gave the musical genre a truly American flavor: notes of jazz were visible in the rhythms of the melodies, the librettos became more complex, American phrases appeared in the lyrics, etc. In 1932, reached high awards. George Gershwin was awarded for the musical “I Sing of You.” The most famous performances included in the list of musicals are, of course, “West Side Story” (composer L. Bernstein) based on the Shakespearean tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” ” to the music of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. This talented composer is also the author of other equally, and perhaps more famous musicals: “Cats” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”

Best musicals: AFI list

In 2006, the American Film Institute published a list of the best American musicals of the last 100 years. We present to your attention this list:

1. “42nd Street” - (1933).
2. “Top Hat” (1935).
3. “Floating Theater” (1936).
4. “The Wizard of Oz” (1939).
5. “Yankee Doodle Dandy” (1942).
6. “Will you meet me in St. Louis?” (1944).
7. “Dismissal to the city” (1949).
8. “An American in Paris” (1951).
9. “Singing in the Rain” (1952).
10. “Theater Van” (1953).
11. “Seven daughters-in-law for seven brothers” (1954).
12. “Guys and Dolls” (1955).
13. “The King and I” (1956).
14. “West Side Story” (1961).
15. “My Fair Lady” (1964).
16. “The Sound of Music” (1965).
17. “Funny Girl” (1968).
18. “Cabaret” (1972).
19. “All That Jazz” (1979).
20. “Beauty and the Beast” (1991).

Despite the fact that many consider the golden age of musicals to be behind us, over the past 13 years Hollywood has produced many excellent films in this genre. Here is a list of musicals that are considered the best of the 21st century.

1. “Dancing in the Dark” (2000).
2. “Moulin Rouge” (2001).
3. “Chicago (2002).
4. “The Phantom of the Opera” (2004).
5. “La Boheme” (2005).
6. “Enchanted” (2007).
7. “Mamma Mia” (2008).
8. “Burlesque” (2010).
9. “Les Miserables” (2012).
10. “Goddess” (2013).

French musicals: list of the best performances

Until 1958, it was considered an exclusively American genre, but this year the play “Les Miserables” based on the work of V. Hugo was triumphantly staged in London. The music was composed by Claude Michel Schonberg. Another work by this composer, “Miss Saigon,” based on the opera “Madama Butterfly,” was a success on the Paris stage. The list of musicals includes productions of “Starmania-Starmania” (Michel Berger), “Romeo and Juliet” (Gerard Presgurvik), “Notre Dame de Paris” (Riccardo Cocciante), “Mozart” (Kunze and Levi), etc.

Russian musicals

The most popular musical in Russia for many years has been and remains the wonderful rock opera “Juno and Avos”. This is perhaps the most strong work composer A. Rybnikov. Today, the best Russian musicals are considered “Nord-Ost”, “Metro”, in recent years Russian stage works translated into Russian are staged: “Notre-Dame de Paris”, “Chicago”, “Cats”, etc.

1. "My Fairy Lady" (1956)

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

Phonetics professor Henry Higgins makes a bet with his fellow linguist, Colonel Pickering - he undertakes 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 flying colors. The ending of the musical is optimistic - Eliza returns to her teacher Higgins.

The Broadway premiere of the musical took place 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 on Broadway 2,717 times and in London 2,281 times. 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 recording sold more than five million copies, and George Cukor's film of the same name was released in 1964. Warner Brothers paid record amount– 5.5 million dollars – for the rights to film the musical. The role of Eliza went to Audrey Hepburn, and Rex Harrison successfully moved from the theater stage to the big screen. The film was nominated for an Oscar and received eight out of 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 still be seen in London.

2. "The Sound of Music" (1959)

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

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 the musical design of the production, the authors intended to use folk songs and religious hymns from the von Trapp family repertoire. However, Mary wanted to perform a song written especially for her. Martin was helped in this by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein. They composed completely new musical numbers, turning the play into the musical The Sound of Music.

On November 16, 1959, the premiere took place on Broadway. The director of the play was David Jay Donahue. The main role, of course, was played by Mary Martin, the role of Captain von Trapp by Theodor Bikel. The public, in love with Mary Martin, tried their best to get into the musical, which ensured excellent box office receipts.

The Sound of Music was performed 1,443 times and won 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and the original album was awarded 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 world premiere of the film took place in New York on March 2, 1965. The film was nominated for an Oscar in 10 nominations, of which it won five.

The film adaptation did not last page in the history of the musical, it is still loved by audiences 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 (1966)

The literary basis for this legendary performance was the series of stories “Berlin Stories” by Christopher Isherwood about Germany in the early 30s and the play “I Am a Camera” by John Van Druten. The musical tells the story of a young man's romance American writer Cliff Bradshaw and singer from the Berlin cabaret "Kit-Kat Club" Sally Bowles.

The fate of a young Englishman, Brian Roberts, an aspiring writer forced to earn extra money by teaching lessons, takes him to Berlin in the 1930s. Meeting American Sally, a cabaret singer, gives Brian a fresh, unforgettable experience. The writer and singer fell in love with each other, but they are destined to experience separation. Sally refuses to go with her lover to Paris, Cliff leaves Berlin with a broken heart. The 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 carried out by the famous Broadway director Harold Prince, John Kantzer wrote the music, the lyrics were written by Fred Ebb, the libretto was written by Joe Masteroff. The original cast included Joel Gray (emcee), Jill Haworth (Sally), Bert Convy (Cliff), and others.

The production ran for 1,165 performances and received 8 Tony Awards, including for Best Musical. In 1972, the film "Cabaret" by Bob Fosse was released with Joel Gray (entertainer), Liza Minnelli (Sally) and Michael York (Brian). The film received eight Oscars.

In 1987, Joel Gray reprized his role as compere in a revival of the show. In 1993, a completely new production of Cabaret, created by director Sam Mendes, opened in London and then five years later on Broadway. This version of the play also received numerous awards. The musical ran for approximately 2,377 performances and 37 previews before closing on January 4, 2004.

4. "Jesus Christ"– "Superstar" (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 by a modern musical language, in compliance with all operatic traditions (hero’s aria, chorus, heroine’s aria, etc.). Unlike traditional musicals, there are no dramatic parts in “Jesus Christ” - everything is built on vocals and recitatives. The combination of rock music with classical motifs, the use of modern vocabulary in the texts, their high quality, the so-called sung-through principle (the whole story is told exclusively through songs, without the use of unsung dialogue) - made “Jesus Christ Superstar” a real hit.

The musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" tells the story of the last seven days of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, seen through the eyes of his disciple Judas Iscariot, who was disappointed in what the teachings of Christ had become. The plot covers the period from Jesus' entry into Jerusalem to his execution on 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 line-up” of Deep Purple, the role of Judas was performed by Murray Head, Mary Magdalene - Yvonne Elliman. The musical was first shown on the Broadway stage in 1971. Some critics believe that Jesus was portrayed as the first hippie on earth. The Broadway production lasted only 18 months.

A new production of the musical was created in a London theater in 1972, the role of Jesus was played by Paul Nicholas, and Judas by 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 the excellent music and vocals, the film is interesting for its unusual interpretation of the theme of Christ, which represents an alternative to orthodox Christianity.

One of the most famous musicals, also called a 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" has been translated into different languages, has been staged many times and has been staged for over 30 years on stages in Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Bulgaria, France, Sweden, America, Mexico, Chile, Panama, Bolivia, Germany, Japan and the UK.

5. "Chicago" (1975)

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

On December 30, 1926, the play Chicago opened on Broadway. The play ran for 182 performances, a film of the same name was made in 1927, and in 1942 the film “Roxie Hart” was released, directed by William Wellman and starring Ginger Rogers.

Bob Fosse, the famous choreographer and Broadway director, could not ignore such a plot. To implement the project, Fossey recruited composer John Kander and librettists Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. 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 themes, "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 warden, Matron Mama Morton, and the nosy lawyer Billy Flynn. The court finds Roxy not guilty, but this does not bring her joy. IN final scene musical, the entertainer announces the debut of “the duet of two sparkling sinners,” the queens of the Chicago crime world, Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart. They made their way into show business.

The musical premiered at the 46th Street Theater on June 3, 1975, starring Gwen Verdon as Roxy, Chita Rivera as Velma, and Jerry Orbach as Billy. Chicago didn't open in the West End until 1979. This production had nothing in common with Bob Fosse's performance. After 898 performances on Broadway and 600 in the West End, the show was canceled. In 1996, the show was revived under the direction of Walter Bobby and choreographer Ann Rinking. The four performances played at City Center were received with such enthusiasm that the show's producers decided to transfer it to Broadway. The cast included Rinking herself as Roxy, Bebe Neuwirth as Velma, James Naughton as Billy Flynn, and Joel Gray as Amos. "Chicago" was awarded six Tony Awards, as well as 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 as "Best Musical", and Ute Lemper - as "Best Actress in a Musical". The play, in an updated form, was performed in Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Holland, Argentina, Germany, Sweden, Mexico, Japan, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal and Russia.

At the end of 2002, Miramax film studio released a film adaptation of the musical starring 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 Award in the category "Best Musical or Comedy". In addition, the film was nominated for an Oscar in 12 nominations, of which it won six.

6. "Evita" (1978)

In October 1973, Tim Rice was driving in 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 become the theme for a new musical. His co-author Lloyd Webber was not enthusiastic about this idea, but after thinking about it, he still agreed.

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

In the summer of 1976, at the first festival in Sydmonton, guests were presented with the first demo recordings of the new musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Soon the recording of the album began at the Olympic studio. The role of Evita was performed by actress Julie Covington, Che was performed by the young singer Colm Wilkinson, and Perona was performed by Paul Jones. The album was a wild success. Just 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.

Famed director Hal Prince began work on the production. Elaine Paige became the new Evita, and the famous rock singer David Essex was invited to play the role of Che. The premiere of "Evita" took place on June 21, 1978. The production was a huge success and won the West End Theater Society Award for Best Musical of 1978, with Elaine Paige winning the award for Best Actor in a Musical. The disc with the recording of the original London cast of "Evita" went gold in the first weeks after going on sale.

On May 8, 1979, Evita opened in Los Angeles. Four months after the American premiere, on September 21, 1979, with the same cast, the play was first performed on Broadway. "Evita" won the hearts of the public and received 7 Tony Awards.

After success on Broadway, the musical was staged in a huge number countries: Australia, Spain, Mexico, Austria, Japan, Israel, Korea, South Africa, Hungary. Filming began twenty years after the birth of Evita. The direction was entrusted to Alan Parker, Eva Peron was played by Madonna, the Spanish film star Antonio Banderas was invited to play the role of Che, and British actor Jonathan Pryce was invited to Peron. Was written especially for the film new song– “You Must Love Me,” which brought its authors an Oscar.

7. "Les Miserables" (1980)

Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables was reborn in a musical created by composer Claude-Michel Schonberg and librettist Alain Boublil. Work on the musical continued for two years and finally a two-hour sketch of the future musical was recorded. With the participation of librettist Jean-Marc Natel, this sketch was turned into a concept album, which was released in 1980 and sold 260,000 copies. Business card The musical became an engraving depicting little Cosette.

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

In 1982, young director Peter Ferago, who really liked the concept album of Les Misérables, drew the attention of British producer Cameron Mackintosh to it. McIntosh turned the project into a show of the highest caliber. Above creation new version musical "Les Miserables" worked strong team: the directors were Trevor Nunn and John Kaed, the English text was composed by Herbert Kretzmer in close collaboration with the creators of the musical themselves. The play 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 Palace Theater in London is proud of the longest-running production of the musical Les Misérables. In total, the performance was shown more than six thousand times in this theater.

In 1987, Les Miserables crossed the Atlantic and landed on Broadway, thus beginning its triumphant march around the world. Despite the fact that the musical is over twenty years old, it does not leave the stage and continues to enjoy great popularity all over the world. Les Miserables 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 Miserables” was seen by residents of two hundred cities in thirty-two countries around the world. The creation of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg was watched by more than 20 million viewers around the world.

8. "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 cat characters and habits, behind which various human types can be easily guessed.

Andrew Lloyd Webber began composing songs based on Eliot's poems in the early 1970s. By 1980, the composer had accumulated enough musical material, which it was decided to transform into a musical. The show about cats was doomed to success: the British are known for their love for these animals. The musical team consisted of talented people– Producer Cameron Mackintosh, director Trevor Nunn, theater designer John Napier and choreographer Gillian Lynne.

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

Special requirements were placed on the actors of the musical - they had to not only sing well and have perfect diction, but also be extremely flexible. In the UK, recruiting a troupe of 20 people turned out to be difficult, so the cast included Royal Ballet principal Wayne Sleep, pop singer Paul Nicholas, 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 stage are a single space, and the action takes place not frontally, but throughout the entire depth. The stage is designed like a landfill and consists of mountains of picturesque rubbish, the set is equipped with sophisticated electronics. The actors are transformed into graceful cats using layers of makeup, hand-painted tights, yak hair wigs, fur collars, tails and shiny 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 play ran in London from great success, earning the title of the longest-running theatrical production in the history of English theater (more than 6,400 performances). The musical "Cats" broke all imaginable records in the United States. In 1997, after 6,138 performances, the musical was recognized as Broadway's number one long-running performer. Over the course of 21 years, the London production was watched by more than 8 million people, and its creators earned £136 million.

During its existence, the musical was staged more than forty times, it was visited by more than 50 million spectators in thirty countries, translated into 14 languages, and the total gross amount was currently exceeded 2.2 billion dollars. Among the awards of "Cats" are the Laurence Olivier Award and the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, seven Tony Awards, and the French Molière Award. Recordings by both the London and Broadway original casts received Grammy awards.

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. Taking Sarah's voice into account, Lloyd Webber composed "Requiem", but he wanted to show his wife's talent in a larger-scale work. This work was the musical "The Phantom of the Opera", based on the novel of the same name. French writer Gaston Leroux. It's gloomy 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. The main male role was performed by Michael Crawford. The role of Christina's lover, Raoul, was played by Steve Barton in the premiere cast. The libretto was created by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd-Webber, the lyrics by Charles Hart. Theater designer Maria Bjornson designed the famous Phantom mask and insisted that the notorious 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 Phantom premiered at New York's Majestic Theater in January 1988. It became the second longest-running show in Broadway history, after Cats, with 10.3 million viewers.

More than 65,000 performances of Phantom were 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 an Evening Standard Award. "The Phantom of the Opera" has won the sympathy of more than 58 million viewers from all over the world. In New York alone, almost 11 million people have already watched it, and over 80 million worldwide. Revenue from ticket sales for “The Phantom of the Opera” has exceeded $3.2 billion.

10. Mamma Mia (1999)

The idea of ​​​​creating an original musical based on ABBA songs belongs to producer Judy Kramer. The musical is based on 22 songs by the group. Since all the songs in the original were sung by women, a story about a mother and daughter, about two generations, was proposed as a starting point. It was necessary to come up with a story worthy of the famous hits of the Swedish quartet. Writer Katerina Johnson came to the rescue, writing a story about a family living on the Greek islands. The story is no less interesting to the viewer than the songs. Katherine was able to logically arrange the songs into one storyline, the songs are divided 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, which features two main lines: a love story and the relationship between two generations. The plot of the play 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 expressed in the characteristic logo of “Mama Mia” - the image of a happy bride. This picture has become an internationally recognized brand.

A young girl, Sophie, is getting married. She wants to invite her father to her wedding so that he can take her to the altar. But she doesn't know who he is, since 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 the 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 "Mama Mia" is staged in parallel in 11 other places around the world. Box office receipts from 11 worldwide productions amount to more than $8 million per week. More than 27 million – total spectators around the world who visited the musical "Mama Mia". Every day, more than 20,000 people attend the musical "Mamma Mia" around the world.

1.6 billion US dollars - box office receipts from the rental of "Mama Mia" around the world.

During its eight years of distribution, the musical was staged in more than 130 major cities. The album with the recording of the first production of "Mama Mia" went platinum in the USA, Australia and Korea; double platinum in the UK and gold in Germany, Sweden and New Zealand.

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Musicals are very popular all over the world; they are loved for their entertainment and ease of perception. In form, a musical is most often a two-act performance. The plots of such productions can be varied in theme and are often taken from famous literary works. We present to you ten musicals recognized as the best all over the world.

1. The musical "Chicago" takes 3rd place among the longest running musicals on Broadway. It is written based on the theater play of the same name. In the story, corps de ballet dancer Roxy Hart goes to prison after killing her lover. She and another prisoner, Velma Kelly, convicted of a similar crime, are helped out of prison by the unscrupulous lawyer Flynn. Essentially, this musical is an exposure of the terrible morals that reigned in America at that time. The original Broadway production premiered in 1975, but only the 1996 revival won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. The debut of “Chicago” in Russia took place in 2002 and it was the first foreign musical in our country. And in 2013, the second Russian production of “Chicago” was presented, which turned out to be even more successful.

2. Sunny musical “Mamma Mia!” known, among other things, for the fact that it is based on 22 hits legendary group ABBA. The premiere took place in 1999 in London. This is a comedic story about Sophie's pre-wedding efforts in search of her father. Russian audiences loved this show very much; its production was included in the “Russian Book of Records” in two categories: “Musical played by the most a large number of times in a row in continuous release" and "The musical that attracted the largest number of spectators in the same hall in continuous release."

3. “The Phantom of the Opera” is a musical based on the novel of the same name by the French writer Gaston Leroux. This is the story of a masked musical genius forced to live in the basement of the Paris Opera. The musical premiered in the West End in 1986 and on Broadway in 1988. He has won a Laurence Olivier Award and a Tony Award. The play became the longest-running musical in Broadway history, surpassed only by Les Misérables in the West End. It is “The Phantom of the Opera” that is considered the highest-grossing entertainment event of all time (international box office receipts amounted to $6 billion). The premiere of the Russian production of the musical “The Phantom of the Opera” took place on October 4, 2014 at the MDM Theater, where it ran for two seasons without interruption and became the most popular event of 2014/2015.

4. The French musical “Les Miserables”, based on the novel of the same name by V. Hugo, has become one of the most significant works of world musical theater, a real world sensation. The premiere took place on September 17, 1980 in Paris, after which the triumphant march of this show around the world began. The performance was performed in 42 countries in 21 languages. The plot of the musical retains all the main twists and turns of the novel's plot - this is the story of the rebirth of the former criminal Jean Valjean and his adopted daughter Cosette in the background revolutionary events in France. On Broadway alone, the musical Les Miserables ran for 16 years, and the London production lasted even longer - 21 years and went down in the history of musical theater as the longest-running musical in the world.

5. The premiere of the musical “Notre Dame de Paris” took place in September 1998 in Paris and was a rare success. The success of the first year of the show was even noted in the Guinness Book of Records. The single "Belle" stayed at number one in the French charts for 33 weeks. The plot of the production was taken from the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo - this is the relationship of the young gypsy Esmeralda with four men in love with her: the archdeacon of the Cathedral Frollo, Captain Phoebus, the bell-ringer Quasimodo and the poet Gringoire. Although the musical failed to compete with Broadway and London shows, Russian audiences liked it. The production of “Notre Dame de Paris” was successfully staged for two years at the Moscow Operetta Theater from 2002 to 2004, the profit from the show amounted to about ten million.

6. The musical "Romeo and Juliet", which premiered in 2001, was called by many critics the best French musical. The single Les rois du monde (“The Kings of the World”) stayed at number one on the French national charts for several weeks and sold 800,000 copies. During the year it was shown, the musical was watched by more than a million viewers throughout France. Despite the chilly reception in London, productions of the story about two families of lovers torn apart by enmity were opening all over the world. On May 20, 2004, a Russian production of the musical opened at the Moscow Operetta Theater.

7. The plot of the musical “My Fair Lady” largely repeats its basis - Bernard Shaw’s play “Pygmalion” - London flower girl Eliza Dolittle turns into a lady. The musical premiered on Broadway on March 15, 1956. He immediately became extremely popular. It was translated into eleven languages ​​and was successfully broadcast in more than twenty countries. And in London, as in Russia, you can still watch it. This show was the first musical staged at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.

8. The rock musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” is not only one of the most famous, but also one of the most scandalous and controversial stage works. Its content provokes violent controversial reactions regarding the interpretation of religious scripture. It tells about the last seven days of the life of Jesus - a man from the perspective of his disciple Judas Iscariot, who was disappointed in the teachings of Christ and about the subsequent betrayal of Judas. In response to the onslaught of many representatives of the church, the authors responded that their hero was the story of man, not God. The rock opera is about earthly life. Divinity is not refuted by the created plot of the rock opera, but, on the contrary, raises this question, leaving it open. The rock opera was staged on Broadway in 1971. The title role was performed by Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan.

9. The basis for the musical "CATS" was "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" by T.S. Eliot, published in 1939 in England. The author was posthumously awarded a Tony for Best Libretto of a Musical. The show is the story of one cat tribe and, in particular, the cat Grizabella, who ended up in cat heaven. The musical premiered on May 11, 1981 in London, and a year later the play opened on Broadway. He became one of the most successful theatrical productions in the history of show business. It ran on Broadway for 18 years and on the West End for 21 years. The popularity of this show was facilitated by its outstanding colorfulness, enchantment and fantasticness, unique design scenes in the form of a dump, extreme plasticity of specially selected actors, believable costumes and makeup. In Moscow, “CATS” was shown for the first time in 1988, staged by a Viennese theater, and 17 years later, in 2005, the Russian version of the famous musical premiered. It ran for over a year as a daily show and closed on March 31, 2006.

10. “The Sound of Music” is a musical staged for the first time in 1959 based on a German film. This is the story of the budding love between Captain Georg von Trapp and his children's governess Maria. The show won 5 Tony Awards. 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. The musical continues to be loved by audiences and is performed all over the world. It was revived several times in London (in 1981 and 2006), and re-staged in the USA (in 1990 and 1998), all this not counting amateur productions. In 2005, the musical “The Sound of Music” was staged for the first time in the homeland of the heroes - Austria. In 2011–2012, “The Sound of Music” was shown in Russia.