Deconstructing the Perfect Broadway Musical Revival

In recent years, the number of revivals on Broadway has continued to dwindle. During the 2018-19 season, many believed “Kiss Me, Kate” would automatically win the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, before St. Ann’s Warehouse announced their Broadway transfer of “Oklahoma!” Until that announcement in December 2018, it seemed as if there was only going to be one revival in the season, leaving theatergoers wondering about the absence of revived musicals on Broadway. 

What components of a show lead to a successful revival that producers are willing to invest in nowadays? Is there any way to predict what shows will fare better than others? 

While some revivals like “Hello, Dolly!” dominated ticket sales and broke records at the box office, other revivals simultaneously struggled to reach 75% capacity. Why did so many patrons flood into the seats of the Shubert Theatre and not attend a different revival? While nothing is certain, I can’t help but think back to a piece of Broadway history that reflects a similar pattern of box office success.

When “West Side Story” originally opened on Broadway in 1957, the show was not a hit. Across the street at the Majestic Theatre, Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man” offered a family-friendly, feel-good musical that greatly contrasted the political controversy embedded into the “West Side Story” plotline. While both shows later became famous Broadway hits, the original box office analysis proved that patrons preferred the light-heartedness of “The Music Man” over the heavier tone of “West Side Story.” Sometimes it has nothing to do with how great the show is and everything to do with the demographic of theatergoers at the time. Who are the people who are going to fill the seats, and what do they want to see?

Another factor that could determine the success of a revival is the concept of casting big-name actors in leading roles. Some shows like “Chicago” are known for their rotation of celebrities into starring roles; the current Roxie Hart on Broadway is actually Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Ericka Jane. The act of celebrity casting has proven successful in temporarily boosting ticket sales for many different productions in the duration of the artist’s run with the show. However, it is unclear whether celebrity appearances have enough of an impact to directly attribute a revival’s long-term success.

Sometimes, the revivals that many find most intriguing are the ones that add a new conceptual twist, turning the show entirely on its head. The recent revival of “Oklahoma!” completely revamped the score and staging in a way that emphasized the dark themes of the show. With a folk music twist and a minimalist set, this production piqued the interest of theatergoers who knew the original Rodgers & Hammerstein production that became a staple of the Golden Age in American musical theater.

With the gender-bent “Company” transfer from the West End to Broadway, this production will bring an entirely new take on Sondheim’s original work, highlighting some of the struggles of the now-bachelorette, Bobbie. These two revivals veer completely off-course from their original interpretations, and in doing so, bring new relevance to the musicals while discussing themes that may be more enticing to current theatergoers.

Despite the factors that make revivals successful in the box office, the musical revivals on Broadway that leave a lasting impact all have one common thread: that at least one aspect of the show is relatable to modern audiences. Lincoln Center Theater took on the task of reviving “The King & I,” a show that features some of the most antiquated gender roles of a Golden Age musical. However, under the direction of Bartlett Sher, the revival shone a light on gender inequality in a way that resonated with modern times. This topic remains socially significant, bringing relevance to a musical that could easily be viewed as outdated.

Similarly, the revival of  “Carousel” brought topics of domestic violence and physical abuse into the conversation through the interpretation of several key lines within the show. The production gave subtle glimpses into the facets of abuse that may be recognizable in modern relationships, and in doing so, made a 1945 musical feel as if it could have been written in the present day. 

Revivals showcase the aspects of life that remain relevant throughout the decades, finding new ways to present the same themes that often define the human experience. A good Broadway musical revival should leave audiences with a piece of the show that they can carry into their own lives, bridging the gap between then and now in a way that shows that some things remain the same throughout time.

Attributing all of the success of certain revivals to celebrities or shocking interpretations or the audience demographic would discredit all of the work put into staging musicals that spark conversation for years after the final curtain falls. 

Maybe it isn’t about the number of revivals on Broadway in recent years. Maybe it’s about working out the algorithm of how to stage a musical written in the past, so that it is relevant in the present, and further impacting the future.

Lauren Knight is a theater journalist and may be reached at laureneknight1@gmail.com. 

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.