The Intersection of Broadway and the West End: The Musical as a Cross-Cultural Bridge
Many view “musical theatre” as two words describing a single term, rather than as an adjective and the noun it modifies. This has not always been the case: in Aristotle’s Poetics, the earliest treatise on theatre, he defines μελοποιία, music, as one of the six integral elements of theatrical tragedy, identifying μέλους, melody, and μέτρων, metre, as the best way to “season” words. Throughout the centuries, music has continued to enhance theatre, from Shakespeare to the Victorian melodrama, yet within the last century the term musical theatre has been conflated with a relatively new theatrical form, the “musical”. While the musical belongs in the larger category of musical theatre, it is its own distinct form, with identifiable structures, conventions, and modes of performance, as well as a distinct national heritage. Born in America in the first half of the 20th century, yet directly inspired by British influences such as Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas and Edwardian musical comedy, and then later reclaimed by Brits such as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh, the musical belongs to both America and England.
The scholarly dimensions of the musical have only recently been acknowledged, yet given their continued artistic and commercial success, its underrepresentation in theatrical scholarship is an oversight. The British musical, in particular, has received little scholarly attention compared to its American counterpart. Yet comparison between the two can help isolate differences between American and British theatre in general. Given its position as a shared theatrical form, the musical is the ideal case study for examining the cultural and political influence on theatre as a whole. Its common features allow the differences to stand out, and unlike other theatrical forms, there are very few outside influences to complicate the comparison.
Furthermore, the musical has been rooted in issues of social justice since its inception, dating back to Show Boat, widely considered to be the first musical, which tackled the issue of miscegenation. This legacy can be traced through the works of Oscar Hammerstein II to today’s smash hit, Hamilton. Although more commercially successful art forms, such as the musical, are often dismissed as mere popular entertainment, the musical’s wide reach and appealing packaging makes it a subversively effective vehicle for promoting social change.
Although there is currently not a large body of scholarly criticism on musical theatre, theorists such as Stacy Wolf at Princeton University and Steve Swayne at Dartmouth College are building an impressive new body of literature. These perspectives can be used to examine politics and culture, inspire revivals that focus on identity and activism, and promote cross-cultural exchange. The musical already functions as a window between our two cultures, as productions transfer from the West End to Broadway and vice versa. It seems fitting for its scholarship to serve a similar function. Given the musical’s unique position as a product of both American and British cultures, its study can cement a bridge of scholarship between the two nations.