Chapter 1
The birth of the Great White Way
Chapter 2
The golden age of musicals
Chapter 3
The rise of the megamusical
Chapter 4
Modern stage revolutions
YOUR GOAL
Master of The story of Broadway
Ch 3 · The rise of the megamusical
schopenhauer The Megamusical
No spoken words, we're singing every line, and the stage is spinning round!
schopenhauer Broadway's longest-running show entertained millions over three and a half decades.
schopenhauer Scenic design became the star of the show during the megamusical boom.
BETA
schopenhauer Drag Broadway's biggest blockbusters into chronological order to master the rise of the megamusical.
Fun Fact
The Phantom's makeup: It originally took four hours to apply the Phantom's facial prosthetic, but advanced techniques eventually cut the process down to under 30 minutes.
Glossary
megamusical (noun)
A large-scale, blockbuster musical theatre production featuring spectacular staging and special effects. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats pioneered this theatrical style on Broadway when it opened in 1982.
A large-scale, blockbuster musical theatre production featuring spectacular staging and special effects. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats pioneered this theatrical style on Broadway when it opened in 1982.
Quiz
What French historical novel was adapted into a massive, sung-through 1980s megamusical by Boublil and Schönberg?
Quiz
Which tragic event happened to Rent's composer Jonathan Larson the night before the show's first preview?
Quiz
What is the longest-running show in Broadway history, closing in 2023 after 35 years?
Quiz
Which British composer is famous for creating megamusicals like Cats and The Phantom of the Opera?
Quiz
What famous prop falls onto the stage at the end of Act I in The Phantom of the Opera?
Quiz
What unique, non-traditional casting ticket policy did the musical Rent pioneer to make theater accessible?
Quiz
Which 1989 musical famously featured a life-sized helicopter replica landing on stage?