Modern Broadway: the Cultural Significance of Showtunes
One of the many aspects that make New York City so glamorous is Broadway. It’s every performer’s dream: being on Broadway is the epitome of success in the theater community. Most everyone knows at least a few shows on Broadway, maybe even some of the most popular Broadway shows today such as Hamilton or Dear Evan Hansen. Very few Broadway shows stay open for prolonged periods of time (due to a variety of reasons), and the ones that do gross ridiculous amounts of money.
I consider myself a partial broadway nerd. I say this because I rarely actually attend shows, but you can always find me listening to the cast albums. I love listening to Broadway music. It is pretty much the only music I listen to. I know so many people who are against the idea of show tunes, but I am not one of those people. For me, show tunes are a unique art form that is so different from any other type of music.
The power of music is indisputable. Music can express a wide range of emotions that are difficult to express otherwise. Most show tunes fall into a specific category of music that tells a story, also known as a ballad. Ballads can be about so many different topics, and just one character usually sings them. Over the years, ballads have evolved and changed, and almost every Broadway musical has a critical ballad in their score.
The evolution of ballads and other show tunes almost identically aligns with societal perspectives. To clarify, consider two classic Broadway musicals: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel and Schwartz’s Wicked. These two musicals have some of the most well-known songs in broadway’s history. They have one critical difference though: they are products of their time. The female characters in Carousel are very one dimensional, and they are pretty much written so the male characters can have more depth. One ballad in the show is called “Mister Snow”, and one of the principal female characters sings it, Carrie. Virtually the whole song is Carrie gushing about how much she loves her fiancée. This is one of many songs in the show where the female’s only concern is her husband. This is a testament to the times: Carousel was first performed in 1945, a time when women still did not have many rights in society.
Wicked is an entirely different story. The two main female characters in the show, Elphaba and Glinda, are very dynamic and multi-dimensional. One ballad from the show, quite possibly the most popular song on Broadway, is “Defying Gravity.” The song is performed by both Elphaba and Glinda, and it occurs at a critical point in the show. Elphaba has decided that she wants to leave Oz and find her full potential elsewhere. She has concerns about her own life, and she is making decisions for herself. Along with Carousel, this is a testament to the times. Wicked was first performed in 2003, years after many movements of suffrage and fights for women’s rights. At this time, women were regarded as more than just housewives trying to please their husbands.
Although Broadway is an art that is reflective of society, something that is consistently lacking is the representation of different cultures. Yes, the role of women in shows has evolved accordingly over time. That does not mean other ethnic minorities are represented on Broadway. For so many years the musicals have told the stories of ethnic majorities. There were rarely roles for people of color, and if there was an intention of casting a person of color as a “white” role, there was extreme backlash. Sadly, this still happens today.
Broadway casting directors have made great strides in tackling this issue, though. More and more representation of minorities has been brought to the stage- ranging from an African-American George Washington to a student body full of Latin-American and Asian- American children. In making these changes, Broadway has essentially acknowledged half of the problem. The other half is still a very prominent issue: minorities’ stories are not being told on the stage.
If you were to look back at musicals from the early 1900s, you would almost exclusively encounter shows that tell stories about ethnic majorities. These productions had no place for any people of color in their cast, for they did not fit in with the storyline. For decades, European-Americans have heard their story told. People of color and minority groups have not. Think about it: let’s say you’ve experienced events in your life that are unique only to you. You would want your authentic experience to be shared with the public, right? You think your story could offer insight into how particular events can be experienced differently by all. Instead of seeing your perspective shared, you see the same perspectives shared over and over again. This is precisely how it is on Broadway.
This is detrimental in countless ways. For starters, it devalues the production. If the same story is being told so often, people are not going to want to watch these shows. In bringing fresh new perspectives to the stage, the audience gains interest, and they want to learn more about the experiences of these people.
Take for example Yazbek’s The Band’s Visit. Winner of the 2018 Tony award for best musical, this production is chock full of cultural appreciation. The show follows a band of eight Egyptian musicians who mistakenly arrive in a small town in Israel’s Negev desert. With no transportation out of the town, these musicians stay overnight. The musical tells the story of two vastly different cultures coming together and sharing their customs. Not only does this production show how contrasting cultures can coexist, but it also explores two underrepresented middle-eastern cultures.
Contrary to popular belief, shows like The Band’s Visit are highly necessary for today’s society. There are so many different cultures and ethnicities that can bring fresh new perspectives to Broadway. Not to mention that these shows are a big hit with the people- grossing very high amounts of money from ticket sales. If every show were like this one, I firmly believe that Broadway would attract a wide variety of new audience members, people who want to learn more about the cultures of the world.
As badly as I want to believe that society is adapting and changing, most times, that is not the case. I have outlined one show that has made strides with diversity, but sadly that is one out of the many shows they produce on Broadway. We have made some changes, and those changes are significant, but as a theater community, we need to do more to make Broadway more representative of everyone. Theater is supposed to be for all to enjoy- not just for most to enjoy.